Physical Fitness for Riding

Ok gang, I don't know if its just me or perhaps there is something to this. I ride the WRR about every other weekend, failry rigorous. After each weekend, my thighs get SO tight and painful that I can barely walk. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Have any of you established a physical fitness routine that does away with this stiffness? I figure part of it is gerontologically based, am 51 ya know.

Anyone else experience routine tightening of the muscles for several days after a ride?

Thanks in advance.

Bruce

I can feel general soreness, the kind you might feel after mowing huge lawns all day with a push mower, but that's generally it.

Have you just started riding off-road after a long layoff from it? :)

try working a tracking dog....
I do and it kills me
you can rate the track by how many advils it takes to recover.
but the legs are strong and my hand grip is fair
dam dog keep trying to rip the line out of my hands,
some times I'll tie him off to a tree and suck wind for awhile,
heart and lungs keep on trucken
oh and I'm 53

BikePsych: Unfortunately nothing replaces the exercise with the exercise itself.

...but having said that there are things you can do to varying degrees of benefit.

1) Stretch (daily, before and after you ride)

2) Bananas (potassium), or potassium supplements.

- It helps reduce the lactic acid.

3) Heat therapy (usually best with a margarita in the jacuzzi).

- It may not always work, but you may feel like dancing and the pain won't come to mind.

4) Squats (may be self-limiting due to age and previous injuries)

5) Bicycle riding (Helps general fitness).

6) Drugs (ibuprofin - 400 mgs every 4-6 hours)

7) Sit down more.

- Concentrate on trying to keep the meat on the seat and let the bike pivot (see-saw) between your legs more.

- Robert

X-Racer wrote:

1) Stretch (daily, before and after you ride)
Make sure you aren't wearing tight pants...

2) Bananas (potassium), or potassium supplements.

- It helps reduce the lactic acid.
Works great when you mix it in with power protein too. Yummy!

3) Heat therapy (usually best with a margarita in the jacuzzi).

- It may not always work, but you may feel like dancing and the pain won't come to mind.
This forum does not take any responsibility whatsoever if you slip and whack your pee-pee getting out of said tub.

4) Squats (may be self-limiting due to age and previous injuries)
Again, do not attempt this wearing tight pants...

5) Bicycle riding (Helps general fitness).
Make sure you have an ergonomic seat...or other things will hurt afterward, and your thighs will be like a walk in the park.

6) Drugs (ibuprofin - 400 mgs every 4-6 hours)
Roofies, Darvon, Demerol....

7) Sit down more.
Preferably with the bike under you.

- Concentrate on trying to keep the meat on the seat and let the bike pivot (see-saw) between your legs more.
Beats using that contraption Suzanne Sommers calls the Thigh Master...

- Robert

Hiking works well too...as long as you don't twist your ankle on a rock. I also find that swimming is a great way to loosen up, you use a lot of muscles there that you would riding.

* very surprised she didn't recommend mud-rub therapy *

...which by the way also works (with the correct application technique)

Mud therapy is great DURING the ride. It makes you forget about that shitty slippery tree root that came out of nowhere and made you french that poor oblivious turtle sitting off the side of the trail.

I would try some stretching during a break and after riding for sure. Try some searches on the Internet for different types of leg / thigh stretches. The one where you sit on your bum on the ground and bring the soles of your feet together close to your crotch (use it a lot in baseball and running) gives a good stretch on the inner legs. Also try some lunges.

bikepsych wrote:

Ok gang, I don't know if its just me or perhaps there is something to this. I ride the WRR about every other weekend, failry rigorous. After each weekend, my thighs get SO tight and painful that I can barely walk. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Have any of you established a physical fitness routine that does away with this stiffness? I figure part of it is gerontologically based, am 51 ya know.

Anyone else experience routine tightening of the muscles for several days after a ride?

I'm doing the 55 thing (with no freedom involved). No sore thighs here, but I ski patrol all winter when the military is giving me time off from their brand of abuse. If you're only riding about once every two weeks, your muscles aren't going to get into shape. No more than if you just did pushups once every two weeks.

Exercise recovery is similar for all ages, eg lactic acid et al. But I'd say the biggest thing you need to do is identify the muscle groups that are giving you grief and then target them with some serious exercise - and stretches. Vitamin I (Ibees) is a wonderful thing, but be aware that not all bodies do well when being subjected to large does. I would definitely go talk to your Doc before doing 2400mgs a day...

pain killers are not a good way to fix the problem, just a bandaid solution. Try yoga, that really helped me gain a lot of flexibility back.

Ride more. My Lung cap is under 60% I'm 47 and can't run 100 feet without running out of air.. The more I ride the better I feel. I don't get sore anymore and even tho it's slow going and I get some pain in my lungs after a enduro race it gets a lil bit less and I seem to pick up a mile each time I go out before I go flat on my face..

One other thing, drink lots of water, all week long and lots as you ride. At first your going to need to go a lot but that will slow down and your body will just suck it up and you will feel a lot better when you ride. They say it's good on your joints too.. Getting old does not have to suck and riding off road in tuff stuff will keep you fit and you will have fun doing it...

I also got a burning feeling in my legs, my Dr gave me a list of foods to eat to help fight that. Lots of people will have a fix for you but riding more did so much for me and that's a win win feel better and ride more, beat that!

Oh 50 is young, I race with a 72 yr old that is sooooooo fast you will never see him in anything more then row 7... and that is the only time you will see him. It's crazy to see this guy and then see him ride.

Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you that is fun and you can enjoy...