Sunday, May 13, 2007

Can't sleep

I fell asleep early tonight, but woke up around 12:30am - my knee was bothering me. Seems the hard hill intervals on Thursday took their toll. I could feel my left knee on Friday a bit, but today's afternoon interval type ride it hurt more.

I had trouble with it at the beginning of last season and ended up taking some time off the bike before getting a proper bike fit and seeing a sports medicine doctor. Both Dr. Smythe and my physiotherapist told me, that with my knee problem history, that I should be spinning my pedals - not mashing. Funny how pain makes you remember these things. Probably shouldn't do those hard force workouts anymore. Going to listen to the body and (probably) take tomorrow and maybe Monday off to let the swelling go down. I've had a hard week on the bike, so the rest will do me good.

Today I got up at 6am and got Jacks to Bruce Pit for our usual Saturday morning walk. Got home, fueled up and was on the bike by 8:20am. Headed to the park for two complete loops. As I passed the main gate, I ran into Forsythe who was also out for a long training ride. So we ended up doing our first loop together at a tempo pace.

Once we completed the first loop and were back at the Champlain/Parkway intersection, Scott turned back to do it in reverse. I carried on back to the start to refill my bottles and do it all over again. Good loop, consistent speed.
Numbers:
Distance - 103km
Avg Speed - 26.7km/hr
Avg Heart Rate 157bpm

Got home and had enough time to refuel, stretch, change and get my stuff together for my afternoon SMH rip with Mark (another 1 3/4 hrs on the bike). Couldn't take the ss today, as it is at the shop having the rear hub bearings replaced - so I ended up taking the Titus. What a beast compared to the Surly and my road bike! This afternoon's ride was more like intervals - it's such a technically challenging place to ride that at times you're going all out to clean sections or get up a rooty, rocky section. Heart rate spikes a lot. This also hurt my knee, can't spin smoothly up it all - sometime you have to stomp on the pedals to get over stuff. Ouch! Iced my knee and popped some ibprophin when I got home . . . . it appears to have worn off.
Cheers.

4 comments:

Matt Spak said...

Are you taking anything like glucosamine for your knees? Talk to my sister for some tips to get rid of the pain

Roman Holiday said...

According to a recent NIH clinical study, glucosamine does not work. Ice is nice.

the original big ring said...

I find the best things are rest, icing (only ten minutes at a time x 3/4 times with 20 min between icings . . . . sounds like interval training!) and ibprophin.

Knee feels good today!

Papa G said...

Craig:
You may also want to check your foot position on the pedal, i.e, your cleat, the float, etc. Toes should be straight ahead - not pointing in or out.

Ty