Century in 2 Weeks and Cranky Knees

[yellow]

OK, I know I'll get all kinds of different responses here, but maybe there will be a central theme...

I have my first century of the season in 2 weeks (Mar 12). My knees are killing me, on and off the bike (though more off the bike than on...this is a new thing for me with cycling. My knees are why I had to quit running ). I'm tinkering (tiny tinkers, nothing drastic) with the bike, trying to see if anything makes a difference. I figure I have one more week of "hard" training and then I was planning on a bit of a taper the second week. So do I:

1) Back way off until the pain is completely gone and risk losing conditioning at this (critical) point? Note that I would probably continue my resistance (weight) training.
2) Continue to ride (the trainer mostly) short rides, keeping the heart rate on target (no intervals or anything)?
3) Stick with my normal routine, which is to ride through it (and go buy a new bottle of Vitamin I)?

(Note that in any case I will continue to ice/stretch, so that's a given.)

Thus far I've been riding through it and while it's not getting worse, it's also not getting better. Given my focus (and ability to work through pain), I doubt that the pain will keep me from finishing the C (which is my only goal at this point--no time goals or anything) and I don't think I'm doing any major damage...my skin just hurts mostly. Frankly, it's messing with my head (why this? and why now?), which makes me cranky.

Thanks,
y

[snapdragen]

Welcome to the trashy knee club. I have really bad knees, I went to an ortho - as soon as he brought in the xrays of my knees to show me I said "Oh, that doesn't look right!" My kneecaps don't track right, and they make an amazing crunching sound. *BUT* the good news is, cycling is one of the best things you can do for knees. I take 3,000 mg of Glucosamine daily (OsteoBiFlex Triple strength) - it's supposed to help keep the joints lubricated. I honestly don't know if it works - doc says it couldn't hurt!

Remember when riding, to spin easily rather than grinding along, and try to avoid too much standing on the pedals, that adds pressure to the knees. If they're really hurting, I take Ibuprofin, just don't take it on an empty stomach.

If you are at a gym, talk to a trainer about the correct exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knees. My doc said avoid knee extensions and lunges, and no stairs!

[DeniseGoldberg]

Have you been to a doc to try to find the cause of your cranky knees? I assume that since you were a runner (first) and stopped running that you have already been down that path, but figured it was worth asking.

I had a knee problem a number of years ago that was tagged as an overuse injury - and who knows whether the cause was cycling or something else entirely... I assume that it was cycling because the problem cropped up after I did a century in lousy weather (cold and rainy) and followed that immediately by a week of hilly and cold riding in Vermont. (OK, don't say it, I know I'm a bit crazy!) Luckily this happened at the end of the riding season. The problem disappeared when I stopped cycling for a few weeks, but as soon as I got back on the bike it reappeared. Tthe orthopedic doc put me on anti-inflammatories and referred me to a physical therapist who gave me exercises and who I worked with for probably 4 to 6 weeks. Whatever we did - specific exercises or other treatments - solved the problem for me.
Although working through pain sometimes works, I'd rather see if the cause of the problem can be found. It makes me a bit nervous because I worry that I could be doing further damage.

Does riding the trainer hurt too? I don't know your riding style - are you spinning with low gears, or are you pushing higher gears. If you're not already using low gears, it might be worth a try to switch your riding style. My inclination is to give your knees a rest. If it's 2 weeks until your century you're probably already in decent shape and ready for the ride. If you're anything like me, you don't want to stop exercising - which is why I suggested using lower gears - and maybe doing that on the trainer would be a good idea. I guess my vote given the three options you listed are either for 1 or 2.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do - and on your century too!

--- Denise

[SadieKate]

Hey, Yellow, since when is standing on the hills backing off! You're a heck of a hill climber but you may need to force yourself to keep your butt on the saddle and twiddle. I know, I know, it is so fun to stomp over those hills but you got some steep little grades up there. I watched you crank into the distance so you have a witness here. Go get a bigger cassette and learn to spin up those hills. Lower the gears and up the cadence! You should see the gearing most people ride in the hills (more like mine); your group is on the extreme end with those tiny gears. Don't use their gearing or speed as the standard . Save the stomping over the gears for later in the season. Come down to Diablo and see what those girls ride. Matter of fact, you can probably see them this Sunday.

Said in sympathy for your pain and your desire to pound those foothills into submission and my wish that I could ride up those hills like that .

SK

[annie]

Yellow,

Too much, too soon? Overtraining is sooooo easy to do. Sounds like maybe that's where you are. A little too much stress on the knees and now they are letting you know. ouch! Might be best to back off a bit, ride shorter rides, with easier gears and spin, spin, spin. Try and have as little pressure on your knees as you can and still keep moving. Sounds boring and slow, I know. But it's better than starting out the season hurting and maybe risking a worse injury. Of course, that's coming from one who's recently joined the 50 + club (years old, that is) and I know it takes longer to recover than it did 20 years ago.

Good luck! Hope it gets better before it gets worse.

annie

[yellow]

Well, here's what happened today:

Lots o'pain starting out as I got warmed up. Then not too bad (800 mg of Ibuprofen before I even started, but that was mostly for menstrual cramps that would have left me otherwise on the floor).

More pain when I spin (on my "giant" 24!) than when I'm cranking a little more slowly on the hills.

No pain at all when standing while riding (I did this a lot today, contrary to what SK recommends ).

I think it is overuse...using my simple logic, it would hurt more with more rpms cuz everything is getting used more.

If anything my quads and other muscles around the knee are overdeveloped and perhaps I work things a little harder than I should because of my thunder quads (chalk that up to telemark skiing and skate skiing and lots of weight training to support those two activities). I have been through gait analysis, etc, etc and my previous knee problems are due to a shorter IT band on the rt than on the left and general hip deterioration (from years of running).

So I'm still at a loss about what to do in the next two weeks. I don't have the $$ to get any work done on the bike before the ride. I guess I'll save for that after I finish paying for this round of dental work.

[SadieKate]

Yellow, when I stand my knees don't hurt either. It's the after. By the way, in your "giant" 24 what measured, counted, RPM cadence do you hit?

[SadieKate]

I have found that the book "Bicycling Medicine" by Arnie Baker, MD is a great resource. Bicycling Medicine
From your description, it may be patellar tendinitis. He says it takes a relatively long time to resolve with continued riding. Tendonitis may result from repetitive bicycling stress may follow a one-time injury or result from poor bike fit, specifically: low saddle, forward position, big gears and long hills. Some people's anatomy predisposes them. He says to sit back farther in your saddle and spin at no less than 85 RPM. Avoid hills, especially long climbs, avoid long cranks and limit floatation to 5 degrees. It ought to be cheap to have your saddle fore/aft position checked. Don't know if you can use cleats that limit floatation and I would think your small bike has short cranks but you should look. They should be 170 or smaller (though cranks shorter than that can be darn tought to find).

However, there are a number of front of the knee issues Arnie Baker talks about including quadraceps tendonitis and pre-patellar bursitis. You might want to invest in the book to read all about them. I'm wearing out our copy because he has so much terrific info.

I can bring it on Sunday for you to peruse, but I'd invest now since you have so much at stake. I wish I had remembered it yesterday.

[yellow]

I think it was spurred by one incident and since I haven't backed off since then it's simply gotten worse. In other words, I should have been nicer to my body. You'd think I would have learned this lesson by now, but noooooooo.

I remember the day well. It was a great ride. I didn't push it as it was about 10 miles farther than I'd ridden in a while. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think it was a change from my normal 80 rpm to 90+ rpm. It was on the flats and I told myself I would not let it drop below 85. And they've been bugging me ever since.

My body wasn't used to it and I did it for too far (it was 65-miles-ish). I'm used to riding hard uphill-resting downhill-riding hard uphill-resting downhill that I don't think I was ready for constant riding, regardless of the pace.

Yesterday when I paid attention I was at about 70 rpm on the hills (I know the exception of the famous Mace hill, the one on the weird corner...that one was much slower even though I was on the 24). Typically on the home turf when I'm not on something on the steeper side I try to hold it at 80.

I'm taking today off to go visit my new puppy niece. I'll decide about tomorrow tomorrow. I'm starting to think that I may bail on Solvang altogether and just be Brian's support. We'll see.

I'm also contemplating other possibilities for aerobic activities. No more running for a couple of years, so that's out. Swimming: need a pool for that (closest one requires 35-45 min drive). Walking: maybe, I'll have to try that one.

Wah wah wah. I know, I just need to buck up!

[RoadRaven]

I know this thread is a month or so old, but...

Just want to endorse glucosamine as being excellent - though I don't take it every day, but when my knees start hurting I take it for about a week...

Also want to endorse Arnie Baker's book - its no nonsense and easy to read and has womens, mens and both-sex issues in it - one of the more frequently referred to books in this house

As for knee pain, like Sadie said... check seat height and also, are you pushing the big gears? Thats a knee buster if you're not careful