1st Anniversary :)

[Catrin]

...You need to build your mileage up slowly and progressively to avoid injury. And don't take injury too lightly because a lot of overuse injuries, especially those affecting the knee, can be very hard to recover from and often require surgery.

I understand your wanting to set lofty goals for next season, just please be careful that you don't hurt yourself :-)

This season I actually DID build my mileage up very slowly and progressively - never increased it more than 10-12%, made certain the new mileage felt good before the next increase. The problem was that I was still spinning twice a week and also did considerable strength training 3 days a week. My poor legs never got a break I told myself that I was recovering by not riding 1-2 days a week, but that was not enough for my level of activity.

Next season I won't do any spinning outside of rain days, and will save the high volume weights for the winter - though I will still lift once a week to maintain strength. I do think it was the combination of all of the above that was the culprit - and then I started clipping at just the wrong time - it was the perfect storm for my poor hamstring and quad. I really do think that clipping in when I did just pushed it over the edge

Thankfully the hamstring pull and quad pull both appear to be healed The tendons are improving, just have to continue to be careful. Am cleared to do light spinning and lower body weights, just can't forget that things are not yet healed completely. I am returning to BMX pedals until at least mid-spring, perhaps longer. I love clipping in, but thankfully I do like BMX pedals - though I dislike other kinds of platform pedals.