Headache & Neck Pain

[shootingstar]

It may help as you approach hill to do slow, deep yoga-like breathing so that while you are cycling on the hill, you are a bit more relaxed and don't get too anxious/hyperventilate in order to reach the hill top properly without getting off the bike.

Slower breathing also helps you focus..find a centre of calm as you work harder on the bike up the hill. Again it is to relax you so that you don't get too stiff.

Faster breathing does not help me at all ...it makes me panic.

[steppink]

Thanks shootingstar, I will try that, it is very good advice.... I would like to be in a center of calm on my bike, that sounds very pleasant to me! Much better then the vortex of frustration and pain that I am sometimes in now! ;-/

[smilingcat]

The other aspect is you may want to focus on your riding mechanics, that is how your body is moving and what is your body doing. Do this with a good trainer. You should not be holding the handle bar in death grip. this also maybe indicative of improper fit on your bike. Another thing, is you should also not be throwing your butt off the back off the seat. another indication of improper fit. I could see how this could cause you to skrunch your shoulder and neck and give you a horrible headache.

A good trainer or coach can see how you could improve your riding style especially going uphill. Most just don't ride uphill in an efficient manner. And some, would like you to grind away in big gears, others prefer that you go uphill by spinning. For us women, its better to spin up a hill. Our joints are too flexible to grind away in big/tall gears. We also don't have the brute strength like men to do so.

Riding uphill requires you to conserve your oxygen use by relaxing your shoulder, arms, wrist and hands except on really steep hill where you need to be pulling on the bars. And if you look at a good climber, you will see that their face goes blank from relaxing all the facial muscles. Also you need to breath deeply from the bottom of your lungs. Deep breathing. I was also told to breath in from the nose and exhale from the mouth. Exhale should be quick almost like a cough. Don't exhale by tightening your neck and throat. Breath in slower, longer and deeper. All of this comes from practice and training. Look at some videos of pro riders on mountain stages and see how they ride. Picture yourself making the same body movement when you go uphill then talk to find a right trainer/coach. Riding technique has much to do as strength when going uphill.

Another trick of riding long hill is to make short goals going up hills. To the next telephone pole. to the rock just up ahead, to the pot hole I see 20 yards away... Life goal isn't made in big giant step. It's lot of little steps. Riding uphill is the same thing.

[steppink]

Err, yes, well, I had to google what "spinning" uphill means, now I also know what "mashing is too! Apparently I am not too clued up on cycling terminology :-/
I will find some videos of cycling uphill, I like that idea, to actually see how my body should be positioned. It would be neat to have a trainer, but that is not something that is in my budget right now. Though I am in London at the moment and there is a park near me that is full of lot of really good cyclists, along with a couple of tough hills, I may just loiter in the middle of one of those hills and watch them cycle up one of these days so I can see how it is done in person. As when I am cycling my way up that same hill, all I know of them passing is the breeze I feel as they whiz by me!

I do do the trick of "chopping up" my hills, just make it pass the road sign, then the telephone pole, etc... definitely makes it much more manageable for me then looking straight at the top.

I am going to try that breathing technique also, I have never been very good at my breathing when working out, I tend to breath to fast or not at all, it is something I really need to work on.

As a side note, since the last time I have posted, I've not had any headaches on the bike, I am doing neck exercises/stretching every day, along with my other stretching routine. So between being more aware of my bike posture, the chiropractor, acupuncturist, and muscle relaxants, I am pretty much "neck headache" free, so far!
Thanks for the info smilingcat!