# What is the pain I just experienced?



## clengman (Jun 14, 2013)

Hi,

I'm very new to cycling. I started basically at zero fitness level in March of this year, working out 3 or 4 times a week on a stationary bike to lose a little weight. When the weather got nicer, I pulled an old mt bike out of my basement and tuned it up and started riding around the neighborhood a little. Last month I bought my first road bike, a nice old schwinn touring bike and I've been riding more and more. For the most part my riding is done on a hilly, 20 mile roundtrip commute. I still try to do some additional hill repeats outside and interval workouts on my stationary bike a few times a week to continue to improve my output. 

I was recently on a family vacation in garret county maryland and decided to try a longer ride. I did a 48 mile loop around Deep Creek lake over rolling terrain. The total elevation gain was around 4400 ft in 200 to 500 ft chunks with grades as steep as 10% or so. I wasn't trying to kill it. My average pace for the whole ride was around 12 mph.

I ate a decent, carb-heavy breakfast before I set out. It was a cool day, 60-65 degrees most of the time. I drank a bottle of water over the first 90 minutes. Took a break and ate a protein bar and filled my bottle with gatorade. Over the next 90 minutes or so I drank half my gatorade and ate two more 170 calorie protein bars. I finished my gatorade over the final hour of the ride. I never felt thirsty. 

In the last hour of my ride I was really struggling. All the muscles in my legs were tight and I felt a deep ache for the entirety of that last hour. I felt like I had power to spare, it just hurt so bad to use it, I kind of limped along until I got back. I could have gone a little harder, but I was concerned that I might cramp up and have to call for help. I really wanted to make it back under my own power.

So, my question is, what is likely to have caused this condition, and what do I do the next time to avoid it?


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## Alfonsina (Aug 26, 2012)

4400 feet in 48 miles is a fair ride, does this bike having decent gearing? How much does it weigh? I think you were just knackered. Going from 20 to 48 (with about 100 ft per mile climb) is a jump. I know nothing about your bike though, but I don't think you had a "condition" but I am not sure your equipment was much help. What is the gearing like?


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## clengman (Jun 14, 2013)

It's an oldie but a goodie. It's a 1973 schwinn world voyageur. Double-butted lugged 4130 frame. I have a rear rack and fenders and a heavyish toolkit that I take with me. I haven't weighed it, but probably between 30 and 35 lbs altogether. Not light.

It's a 10-speed set up for touring. 52/39 crankset and 14-32 freewheel. Decent low gear, but the steeper hills definitely take some effort.

I know a lighter bike and lower gears would lead to less fatigue on hills, but this is the bike I've got. I like it. It's a pretty comfy ride.


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## George M (Sep 25, 2008)

I would think you weren't conditioned for the ride. You should try and work up to distance gradually. It sounds like a great ride, but to much to early. Bike fit could have been another issue. Good luck.


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## clengman (Jun 14, 2013)

Thanks to both of you. So my next question is this. I was using this last ride to test myself and see if I might be prepared for the Pedal Pittsburgh metric century coming up next weekend. Should I try it?

I have been wondering if I could have a better fit. I have the right frame size, but I'm not sure if I should try a different stem and or seatpost.


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## George M (Sep 25, 2008)

Hard telling with the fit, but I think the ride would be doable, just because it will have rest stops and you will have sag support. If I were you I think I would give it a try. Good luck and have fun.


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## mikerp (Jul 24, 2011)

Lack of base miles. Your typical rides are 20 miles, and you are looking to do rides 2.5-5X your typical ride, of course you will have issues.


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## Harley-Dale (Sep 2, 2011)

FWIW, I am conservative in my training approach and any time I have deviated, I have seen some sort of injury.

I never increase my workout efforts by more than 10% per week, which is in line with most training plans for cycling and running. If you follow that formula, you will build your body up in a more controlled manner, without over doing it.

HTH

And, you can attempt the metric century, but I wouldnt personally.


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## Cableguy (Jun 6, 2010)

Definitely lack of form/base (whatever you want to call it) for that length of ride. From my limited experience this probably means your slow twitch muscles have not been conditioned for that type of effort, which would explain why your legs hurt even when you weren't pushing it. The good news is if you keep training you'll rather quickly get to the point where this kind of ride at that pace is just a formality.


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## Social Climber (Jan 16, 2013)

clengman said:


> Thanks to both of you. So my next question is this. I was using this last ride to test myself and see if I might be prepared for the Pedal Pittsburgh metric century coming up next weekend. Should I try it?


 I wouldn't unless you can consistently ride 35-40 miles pain free. Don't know century route but Pittsburgh can get pretty hilly. Is there a shorter option on the ride? If so maybe you could commit to do that (in your own mind, at least) while reserving judgment about the full metric until you get to the final decision point on the route.


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## stanseven (Nov 9, 2011)

I just got back from Deep Creek Lake. That has some serious climbing. I'm used to flats with some rollers. But those are literally mountains. I felt drained after each days ride.


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## clengman (Jun 14, 2013)

There are different routes (8, 25 and 60-ish miles). The 25 mile and 100 km routes share the first 7 miles in common, then the 25 mile continues to follow a river trail and the 100 km goes right up a big hill. 

I think I'll skip it this year and do a few more longish solo rides throughout the fall. Next year I'm going to start building my mileage earlier and I've got a few goals in mind for next season: MS150, ADA "Tour for the Cure" century and at least one 200 km brevet by the end of the season. We'll see how it goes.


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## clengman (Jun 14, 2013)

stanseven said:


> I just got back from Deep Creek Lake. That has some serious climbing. I'm used to flats with some rollers. But those are literally mountains. I felt drained after each days ride.


I guess I'm lucky in a way? I have to do about 2000 ft of climbing just to get to work and back. It was a pretty big barrier to entry before I started riding more often, but it felt like a big accomplishment the first time I did a bike commute without an assist from public transportation. I'm not sure I'd have been as motivated to get better if it wasn't difficult to begin with.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

Like others have already stated, I think the main problem was that you just weren't conditioned to the length and severity of the ride. One thing has not been noted, though: you should drink more water/Gatorade. A bottle an hour is what you should aim for on long rides, more if it's hot. I've heard that just a 2-3% loss of body water will result in at least a 10% loss in performance. On a two or so hour ride recently, even drinking about a bottle an hour, I found I had lost about 3 pounds in sweat! If I have a long ride coming up, I try to drink an extra bottle or two's worth of water the day before and a bottle an hour before the ride. Also, some electrolyte tablets like Enduralytes can help to ward off the cramping.


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