Two question: Look pedal float and pedaling out of the saddle

[ridebikeme]

Good luck with your physical therapy! I would also tend to think that a pedal with more float will only make the problem worse, at least until the stretching and increasing muscle strength starts to help the problem. But, you could ask your PT about the situation as well.

Take care!



http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com

[Seajay]

It's worth asking if you are in the center of the float for the grey cleats.

Imagine your regular foot position...you want to have freedom to move BOTH directions with your heel from there. If your cleat is twisted too much to one side, perhaps you are "bumping up against" one side and could use more movement to that side.

There is also the school of thought that says you may not have enough forefoot support. Thus your knee would be following the "collapse" of your forefoot each pedal stroke. This perhaps causes the IT band to "strum" over the lateral femoral condyle causing inflammation.
Google "Cleat Wedges"

Either way you will have to heal up from the current inflammation before you will be able to tell if any of the above are helping. I'm a fan of a little ibupr and a lot of ice. But your PT would be the best source of information here.


Hope this helps a bit.

[OakLeaf]

True.

I prefer the black zero float cleats - take the time to find my correct alignment and stay in it - but with the grey ones, you do get some torque even when you're in the float zone.



Also be sure you're doing plenty of glute strength work - stretching the ITB area isn't going to be enough if you keep stressing it by making the thigh muscles do the butt's work.

[Wahine]

In general, IT band sysndrome is one of those conditions that tells you pretty quickly when you've done something to irritate it. If you're noticing IT band pain after running, your energy would be best spent trying to figure out what it is you are doing while you are running that is making it worse. If you're not having pain riding, I doubt that changing your float will change your symptoms much. But I do agree with what others have said here about checking that you are in the center of the float and also that you are not collapsing inward through the forefoot.

Stretching the muslces that attach to the IT band and using a foam roller are the best ways to address tightness issues related to this problem.

The most common form related problems that irritate the IT band a lot are:

1) over striding out in front which usually comes with heel striking.
2) crossing over in front at initial contact with the ground (this is really bad if you are also doing #1)
3) collapsing inward through the hip/knee/foot when you are fully weight bearing on the leg (can also occur in combination with 1 and 2)

I'm going to head over to the running forum and start a new thread with some information about running form and the drills to correct them.

[Seajay]

Also be sure you're doing plenty of glute strength work - stretching the ITB area isn't going to be enough if you keep stressing it by making the thigh muscles do the butt's work.

I've read that a tight Psoas can lead to weak glutes. Thus Thigh doing the glutes work. They called it "dead butt syndrome"
Also, I've had really good luck stretching "figure 4" to get those really tight upper leg, low glutes areas.
Oakleaf or Wahine can you verify the Psoas thing and recommend any other specific stretches for Piriformis or ITB?

[Wahine]

Weak glutes are definitely a contributer to the whole muscle imbalance patterns, and a tight psoas often comes together with weak glutes. Tight tensor fascia lata (TFL) is part of that pattern too.

My favorite hip flexor (TFL and psoas stretch) is here.

Turn out stretches are also really helpful such as the figure 4 stretch or this and also this pose in yoga.

[Wahine]

I just came across this stretch which shows the modification I like to add to the kneeling hip flexor stretch I posted above. It gets your torso involved which helps to address the psoas since it attaches to the vertebae of the lumbar spine.

[pll]

I just came across this stretch which shows the modification I like to add to the kneeling hip flexor stretch I posted above. It gets your torso involved which helps to address the psoas since it attaches to the vertebae of the lumbar spine.

That variation really helped the stretch. Thanks!

[OakLeaf]

I just came across this stretch which shows the modification I like to add to the kneeling hip flexor stretch I posted above. It gets your torso involved which helps to address the psoas since it attaches to the vertebae of the lumbar spine.

That's pretty much the same as the one my PT has me doing, except I do it standing with a foot on a step stool or bench.

I've read and heard so much about knee injuries in Pigeon pose - although [touch wood] it doesn't seem to stress my knees, what are your thoughts on that?

[pll]

Thank you gals!

Wahine: I believe your #3 (collapsing inward) is the main culprit, given the exercises I have been given by the PT. I don't believe #1 is not significant, except that I feel it happens to me more on a treadmill and my last run was on the treadmill. At physical therapy, they are also working my glutes and, during the last session on Friday, I got an exercise for my core.

ETA: Of the stretches, I do the figure 4 regularly, as well as the hip flexor stretch. The 'fire log' pose is easy, while the pigeon one is challenging (and I am not sure where I should feel a stretch).