Learning from -this- experience

"jj" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Today I could hardly wait to get on the bike, great motivation. So I go
out
and try to ride that fast section hard again and about two minutes later
it
starts to feel like the larger inner right thigh muscle is acting strange.

It feels like the start of a cramp, but so close up to the inside top of
the leg, running down about three inches, that I was worried it was a
muscle pull. Felt like the tendon more than the muscle, but the feeling
was
mild.

I immediately cut back and gently cruised for about 5-10 minutes, though
it
kept feeling funny (but absolutely no pain at any time) - in fact I even
checked my seat to see if I was sitting on something - duh - I know... ;-p

It completely resolved and not even a twinge. <whew>

The injury fairy flew by me today and reminded me that it was good to ride
fast, but better to ride healthy. ;->

The older I get, the more important that becomes. That's why I'm an old
runner and a new rider. Man I love it too. I got a helmet and everything.
I'm 15 lbs. lighter, the hills are getting easier, and the only time I go
for all out speed is when I see a big dog on somebodies porch. I prefer the
hills for conditioning over a flat out sprint, at least right now in my new
exercise and fun hobby. And the best thing is I'm getting all this
conditioning and my knees don't hurt, my feet don't hurt, nothing hurts,
knock on wood.
Ray

Quoted message said:

jj

jj wrote:
:: Today I could hardly wait to get on the bike, great motivation. So I
:: go out and try to ride that fast section hard again and about two
:: minutes later it starts to feel like the larger inner right thigh
:: muscle is acting strange.
::
:: It feels like the start of a cramp, but so close up to the inside
:: top of the leg, running down about three inches, that I was worried
:: it was a muscle pull. Felt like the tendon more than the muscle, but
:: the feeling was mild.

Good thing you backed off and cruised. I've had this exact thing happen to
me...the first time was in my first offical metric century....I decided to
race some little dude up a hill....I beat him....BUT....about 3 or 4 long
hills later I had to catch the sag wagon....my leg had locked up.
SUPERCRAMP!! Had to stop at 50 miles. The second time was later that year,
when I was attempting my first English centruy. This time I didn't race
anybody, but the total amount of climbing on the ride had me overextended
(plus it was hot). After about 80 miles and 4500 ft of elevation gain (the
most I had done over that distance) the legs locked up. SUPERCRAMP!! A
ride in the SAG wagon (oh, the humility!!!). On my last attempt at a
century in 2004, I was lucky to have found a flat one...almost zero
climbing. However, at about mile 70, there was this bridge. Since the ride
was flat, the speed was greater than what I was used to. Well, once I got on
this bridge, my friggin quads started cramping! I figured, here we
go....well, I backed off and took it slow. After we finished the brigde, my
riding buddy (bless her heart) backed off a bit too. I got in a easy gear so
I could spin...and after several minutes my quads were like new. So, be
happy that you figured out how to deal with it quickly! I got that century
finished. About 600 ft of climbing.

::
:: I immediately cut back and gently cruised for about 5-10 minutes,
:: though it kept feeling funny (but absolutely no pain at any time) -
:: in fact I even checked my seat to see if I was sitting on something
:: - duh - I know... ;-p
::
:: It completely resolved and not even a twinge. <whew>
::
:: The injury fairy flew by me today and reminded me that it was good
:: to ride fast, but better to ride healthy. ;->
::
:: jj

Ray said:

The older I get, the more important that becomes. That's why I'm an

old

Quoted message said:

runner and a new rider. Man I love it too. I got a helmet and

everything.

Quoted message said:

I'm 15 lbs. lighter, the hills are getting easier, and the only time

I go

Quoted message said:

for all out speed is when I see a big dog on somebodies porch. I

prefer the

Quoted message said:

hills for conditioning over a flat out sprint, at least right now in

my new

Quoted message said:

exercise and fun hobby. And the best thing is I'm getting all this
conditioning and my knees don't hurt, my feet don't hurt, nothing

hurts,

Quoted message said:

knock on wood.
Ray

What's up with the knees anyway. Why do they hurt as you get older?
Have you wore them out from too many years of walking? What is it? I
never had a problem with my knees until the past few years. They are
feeling better now that I am walking and riding, but I never understood
why they began hurting so much. When your knees hurt it seems
everything is a chore.

The people I knew who used to jog when they were young are now moving
to another sport. All because of the pressure they put on their knees
through the years. I was never a jogger. I never put alot of abnormal
strain on my knees. I was skinny as hell up until I turned 40 so it was
not due to carrying too much weight around all my life. That happened
after 40.

I hear this same sad story from everyone I talk to over a certain age.
Their knees hurt. (well actually, their knees, their back, their feet
;-) )

What's up with this? Glad your enjoying yourself. :-)
Maggie

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 09:02:46 -0400, "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

jj wrote:
:: Today I could hardly wait to get on the bike, great motivation. So I
:: go out and try to ride that fast section hard again and about two
:: minutes later it starts to feel like the larger inner right thigh
:: muscle is acting strange.
::
:: It feels like the start of a cramp, but so close up to the inside
:: top of the leg, running down about three inches, that I was worried
:: it was a muscle pull. Felt like the tendon more than the muscle, but
:: the feeling was mild.

Good thing you backed off and cruised. I've had this exact thing happen to
me...the first time was in my first offical metric century....I decided to
race some little dude up a hill....I beat him....BUT....about 3 or 4 long
hills later I had to catch the sag wagon....my leg had locked up.
SUPERCRAMP!!

That reminds me that last year, not sure what time of the year, I got a
cramp in the inner thigh - same muscle as yesterday, but it was during the
night.

This muscle pulls your knee into the midline of your body, so if you're
like me and pedal with the knees too far apart (dammit), that muscle gets
stressed a lot. But -man- when it cramps, bending your leg severely, it's
very -scary-. The muscle is so strong, it's hard to straighten your leg to
get the cramp out, and it hurts. I probably needed to take mineral
supplements or something. Only happened a few times, but I don't think I
could have jumped out of bed any faster if I'd had a jet rocket strapped to
my ass, heh.

Quoted message said:

Had to stop at 50 miles. The second time was later that year,
when I was attempting my first English centruy. This time I didn't race
anybody, but the total amount of climbing on the ride had me overextended
(plus it was hot). After about 80 miles and 4500 ft of elevation gain (the
most I had done over that distance) the legs locked up. SUPERCRAMP!!

Which muscle?

Quoted message said:

A ride in the SAG wagon (oh, the humility!!!). On my last attempt at a
century in 2004, I was lucky to have found a flat one...almost zero
climbing. However, at about mile 70, there was this bridge. Since the ride
was flat, the speed was greater than what I was used to. Well, once I got on
this bridge, my friggin quads started cramping! I figured, here we
go....well, I backed off and took it slow. After we finished the brigde, my
riding buddy (bless her heart) backed off a bit too. I got in a easy gear so
I could spin...and after several minutes my quads were like new. So, be
happy that you figured out how to deal with it quickly! I got that century
finished. About 600 ft of climbing.

Yeah, I think the key is to hydrate, keep up with your minerals, and when
you start to feel it doing that, get off the bike and walk around for a
minute, or try some on-the-bike stretching, standup on both pedals, and get
into lunge position on the pedals, while standing. I had not been riding
long, so it's possible I had a different causation. I think it's also key
to not up the mileage too quickly, or up the speed to quickly, but I'm
guessing.

Thanks for sharing.

jj

Quoted message said:

:: I immediately cut back and gently cruised for about 5-10 minutes,
:: though it kept feeling funny (but absolutely no pain at any time) -
:: in fact I even checked my seat to see if I was sitting on something
:: - duh - I know... ;-p
::
:: It completely resolved and not even a twinge. <whew>
::
:: The injury fairy flew by me today and reminded me that it was good
:: to ride fast, but better to ride healthy. ;->
::
:: jj

Maggie said:

Ray said:

The older I get, the more important that becomes. That's why I'm an

old

Quoted message said:

runner and a new rider. Man I love it too. I got a helmet and

everything.

Quoted message said:

I'm 15 lbs. lighter, the hills are getting easier, and the only time

I go

Quoted message said:

for all out speed is when I see a big dog on somebodies porch. I

prefer the

Quoted message said:

hills for conditioning over a flat out sprint, at least right now in

my new

Quoted message said:

exercise and fun hobby. And the best thing is I'm getting all this
conditioning and my knees don't hurt, my feet don't hurt, nothing

hurts,

Quoted message said:

knock on wood.
Ray

What's up with the knees anyway. Why do they hurt as you get older?
Have you wore them out from too many years of walking? What is it? I
never had a problem with my knees until the past few years. They are
feeling better now that I am walking and riding, but I never understood
why they began hurting so much. When your knees hurt it seems
everything is a chore.

The people I knew who used to jog when they were young are now moving
to another sport. All because of the pressure they put on their knees
through the years. I was never a jogger. I never put alot of abnormal
strain on my knees. I was skinny as hell up until I turned 40 so it was
not due to carrying too much weight around all my life. That happened
after 40.

I hear this same sad story from everyone I talk to over a certain age.
Their knees hurt. (well actually, their knees, their back, their feet
;-) )

What's up with this? Glad your enjoying yourself. :-)
Maggie

I think it is either a genetic thing or personal motivation. My mother
was totally bedridden at 69 with useless hands, feet, and 3 or 4
vertebrae in her back fused. She opted out by removing the feeding tube
and I had to take her side, she wasn't 'living' she was just existing.
My father lived to 83 and never had any arthritis, not does my sister at
69. At 56 I feel quite blessed that nothing hurts to move and I plan to
keep it that way through a lot of biking (not at 26 MPH) and running,
not jogging but random sprints. I try to think like a teenager and not
act my age, as it were, trying to look dignified and elderly. Even at
the risk of looking silly and having to explain myself to the local
police I will still climb a tree with my grandkids. It works for me.
Anybody else in the over 40 group doing anything more than just riding?
Bill (curious) Baka

bbaka wrote:

:: grandkids. It works for me. Anybody else in the over 40 group doing
:: anything more than just riding? Bill (curious) Baka

Lifting and hiking.

bbaka said:

I think it is either a genetic thing or personal motivation. My

mother

Quoted message said:

was totally bedridden at 69 with useless hands, feet, and 3 or 4
vertebrae in her back fused. She opted out by removing the feeding

tube

Quoted message said:

and I had to take her side, she wasn't 'living' she was just

existing.

Quoted message said:

My father lived to 83

Bill - wasn't it just last week that you were "training to live to 100"
because it "was in your family genes"

I commute 2-3 days a week (25 miles round trip) and play soccer on
Sunday afternoons for 2 hours with a bunch of other 40+ guys. Very few
over 55 soccer players, as many of them are also runners and their
joints are shot by then. I have it all planned out: riding and soccer
to 50+, then just riding and weight lifting, then get back into
orchestra, then music and walking, then just music. Hopefully by then
I will be over 80 and dead.

Mort

Roger Zoul said:

bbaka wrote:

:: grandkids. It works for me. Anybody else in the over 40 group

doing

Quoted message said:

:: anything more than just riding? Bill (curious) Baka

gds said:

bbaka said:

I think it is either a genetic thing or personal motivation. My

mother

Quoted message said:

was totally bedridden at 69 with useless hands, feet, and 3 or 4
vertebrae in her back fused. She opted out by removing the feeding

tube

Quoted message said:

and I had to take her side, she wasn't 'living' she was just

existing.

Quoted message said:

My father lived to 83

Bill - wasn't it just last week that you were "training to live to 100"
because it "was in your family genes"

Maternal Grandmother; Overdose at 70+ (Arthritis)
Maternal Grandfather; Heart attack at 75 (smoker and drinker and couch
potato (early B/W TV))
Paternal Grandmother; 100 Broken hip from falling of stairs while
gardening. Cause of death, lying in bed instead of normal activity.
Paternal Grandfather; Stroke at 72.
Father; Smoked unfiltered Camels until the day he died.
Me: Non smoker, non drinker, non couch potato, non smog sucking city
dweller.
Do the math.
Bill Baka

mort said:

I commute 2-3 days a week (25 miles round trip) and play soccer on
Sunday afternoons for 2 hours with a bunch of other 40+ guys. Very few
over 55 soccer players, as many of them are also runners and their
joints are shot by then. I have it all planned out: riding and soccer
to 50+, then just riding and weight lifting, then get back into
orchestra, then music and walking, then just music. Hopefully by then
I will be over 80 and dead.

Mort

Roger Zoul said:

bbaka wrote:

:: grandkids. It works for me. Anybody else in the over 40 group

doing

Quoted message said:

:: anything more than just riding? Bill (curious) Baka

I still play soccer on occasion when I can get a group together and love
to play baseball including sliding into base. Nobody my age to do it
with though as at 56 all my, ummm, peers, seem to have resigned to being
and acting old. I have to play with the kids in the neighborhood. As to
the running, I never did jog, per se. I always ran just a little faster
than a jog which is much more low impact landing on my toes and the
balls of my feet. Sort of a not quite sprint but I can do that for about
2 blocks then walk a little, then repeat until feet get sore from shoes.
I think I want to stick around a bit past 80, 90, 100?? just to see how
the world turns out. I am but one player in an ensemble of 6+ billion.
Bill Baka

gds said:

Bill - wasn't it just last week that you were "training to live to 100"
because it "was in your family genes"

I wonder if "making [censored] up" is in the genes.... If so, Bills family
would be a riot. How would they all keep one-upping each other?

Rich

Rich said:

Quoted message said:

I wonder if "making [censored] up" is in the genes.... If so, Bills family
would be a riot. How would they all keep one-upping each other?

Rich

And his math isn't so good either 🙂

Rich said:

gds said:

Bill - wasn't it just last week that you were "training to live to 100"
because it "was in your family genes"

I wonder if "making [censored] up" is in the genes.... If so, Bills family
would be a riot. How would they all keep one-upping each other?

Rich

If I could kill file you, you would be on the top of the list but
Mozilla/Thunderbird doesn't provide for it, so I am stuck with the few
complete asses on here.
Figure it out.
100 is in the family genes if not for things like smoking and drinking
which got both my dad and his. My mom's dad had a desk job all his life
before exercise was recognized as a good thing. So far I am doing
everything right.
Just tell us where they bury you so I can relieve myself on your grave.
Bill Baka

gds said:

Rich said:

I wonder if "making [censored] up" is in the genes.... If so, Bills family
would be a riot. How would they all keep one-upping each other?

Rich

And his math isn't so good either 🙂

My math is excellent. All my relatives that died before 100 did so by
way of bad habits or by choice by way of arthritis. I am fine, still all
of my hair and teeth, no gray, and riding or running all the time at 56.
I am better than half way there so my odds are going up.
Bill Baka

bbaka said:

Rich said:

gds said:

Bill - wasn't it just last week that you were "training to live to
100" because it "was in your family genes"

I wonder if "making [censored] up" is in the genes.... If so, Bills family
would be a riot. How would they all keep one-upping each other?

Rich

If I could kill file you, you would be on the top of the list but
Mozilla/Thunderbird doesn't provide for it, so I am stuck with the few
complete asses on here.

And you passed on MENSA because of bad puns.

Quoted message said:

Figure it out.
100 is in the family genes if not for things like smoking and drinking
which got both my dad and his. My mom's dad had a desk job all his
life before exercise was recognized as a good thing. So far I am doing
everything right.

Tell you what, Bill. Go away (like you promised before) and when you reach
100 come back and give us all a rash and a [censored]. We'll certainly deserve
it.

Quoted message said:

Just tell us where they bury you so I can relieve myself on your
grave. Bill Baka

Such animosity is beneath a super-human healthy genius.

Perhaps you should go run another MOUNTAIN MARATHON to work off some stress.
(Or wait, nowadays you run a few blocks and then walk. I hear Scott Tinley
does that, too.)

I take it back, Bill Baka. DON'T EVER LEAVE!

Your Pal, Bill S.

bbaka said:

My math is excellent. All my relatives that died before 100 did so by

Quoted message said:

way of bad habits or by choice by way of arthritis. I am fine, still

all

Quoted message said:

of my hair and teeth, no gray, and riding or running all the time at

56.

Quoted message said:

I am better than half way there so my odds are going up.
Bill Baka

Bill, you need to become an expert in epidemiology as well. Life
expectancy does not follow a straight 45 degree line. Almost everyone
who survies infancy and doesn't meet a violent death will make it to
your age. No gray hair and lots of teeth will add little to life
expectancy. Even running and cycling- fitness in general- while
positive do not add anything like 15-20 years.

So, statistically you are no where near "half way there" to 100. And
your chances of actually reaching it are statistically very small (as
is everyones)
But given your rather rich fantasy life I'm sure you can imagine that
if you just run a bit faster, or even cycle more on an even cheaper
bike you can make it to 125. Hope you do! And hope you have lots of
money to pay for your 60 year retirement.

gds said:

bbaka said:

My math is excellent. All my relatives that died before 100 did so by

Quoted message said:

way of bad habits or by choice by way of arthritis. I am fine, still

all

Quoted message said:

of my hair and teeth, no gray, and riding or running all the time at

56.

Quoted message said:

I am better than half way there so my odds are going up.
Bill Baka

Bill, you need to become an expert in epidemiology as well. Life
expectancy does not follow a straight 45 degree line. Almost everyone
who survies infancy and doesn't meet a violent death will make it to
your age. No gray hair and lots of teeth will add little to life
expectancy. Even running and cycling- fitness in general- while
positive do not add anything like 15-20 years.

So, statistically you are no where near "half way there" to 100. And
your chances of actually reaching it are statistically very small (as
is everyones)
But given your rather rich fantasy life I'm sure you can imagine that
if you just run a bit faster, or even cycle more on an even cheaper
bike you can make it to 125. Hope you do! And hope you have lots of
money to pay for your 60 year retirement.

Part of the meaning of that was that my cholesterol dropped from an all
time high or 235 when I was at 200 and not exercising down to 180 (last
check) now that I have lost weight and am exercising. I could probably
kill myself off in 5 years if I started smoking, drinking, hanging out
at McDonalds, and being a couch potato. That is not going to happen.
And you can keep calling my life a 'fantasy' but dude, I have lived it,
so it matters little to me whether any of the city helmet wearing wimps
believe it or not. My major worry is whether this society that Bush and
the church are trying to create would want to lock me up 'for my own
good' because I do ride like a teenager at times. I am trying to find
some copies of the pictures I took from the top of a cross country power
distribution tower (1 million volts) a few years back to send him.
Totally illegal, but I couldn't resist the challenge, and my Huffy was
just s spot when I took a picture straight down. I do things like that,
and if you don't believe it, you must life a pathetically sheltered life.
Bill Baka

bbaka said:

gds said:

Rich said:

I wonder if "making [censored] up" is in the genes.... If so, Bills family
would be a riot. How would they all keep one-upping each other?

Rich

And his math isn't so good either 🙂

My math is excellent. All my relatives that died before 100 did so by
way of bad habits or by choice by way of arthritis. I am fine, still all
of my hair and teeth, no gray, and riding or running all the time at 56.
I am better than half way there so my odds are going up.
Bill Baka

Running doesn't always help, just ask Jim Fixx, life long runner, even
wrote a book on it..... Er You can't ask him, he died of a heart attack
at age 52 -- while running. When your time is up, your time is up.

Hair colour doesn't mean much, my 32 year old Brother-in-law is almost
completely grey, I turn 44 in June, and have hardly any.

W

bbaka said:

My major worry is whether this society that Bush and
the church are trying to create would want to lock me up 'for my own
good' because I do ride like a teenager at times. I am trying to find
some copies of the pictures I took from the top of a cross country power
distribution tower (1 million volts) a few years back to send him.
Totally illegal, but I couldn't resist the challenge, and my Huffy was
just s spot when I took a picture straight down. I do things like that,
and if you don't believe it, you must life a pathetically sheltered life.
Bill Baka

Yeah, climbing a high voltage tower, that's really livin'. You don't
know the difference between living life to the fullest and doing a
bunch of foolish stunts. Foolish stunts that you then blow way out of
proportion.

Please do send the president your pictures. They will probably think
you are some kind terrorist. Of course, once they check you out, they
will find that you are a little wack job with a Napoleon complex*.

Life is Good!
Jeff

* Napoleon Complex, n: An arrogant and aggressive demeanor
that arises to combat insecurity about one's small stature