Quad pain

If it's just muscle soreness, I don't think there's anything wrong with
carrying on as normal. In fact, if you just sit around, I think the
soreness may take longer to go away.

At this point, my advice is:
1. Make sure you drink plenty of water and eat plenty of fruits and
vegetables (full of antioxidants) to hasten your recovery.
2. Stretch to increase blood flow into the sore areas.
3. In case you've never thought to do it, whenever you put your
muscles through an intense work out, try to eat some protein within 45
minutes after finishing.
4. In general, staying away from junk food will make your body more
resilient to hard rides.

--
phlegm
------------------------------------------------------------------------
phlegm's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/8382
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

what i would do is just keep to some of your normal light trail
riding...if you always baby yourself back to no pain you will never
build up a tolerance for it and therefore never be able to do full
weekend rides because you'll ride hard the first day and just sit
around feeling sorry that you can t go ride the next!

--
trials_uni

'Check Out my Newbie Guide' (http://tinyurl.com/99yez) <---new more
informative post go now! edited today!
Also Join the 'Unicyclist Roster'
(http://ecstasy.winternet.com/roster/index.php?) and meet other
unicyclists in your area!
Make Your Own 'Juggling Clubs!' (http://www.crazytieguy.com/clubs.htm)

monkeyman said:

Those animals aren't innocent, they're keeping my meat from me

------------------------------------------------------------------------
trials_uni's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/10953
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

terrybigwheel said:

Today my quads are in the worse pain ever! But I loved every minute of
it, and by next Sunday I may be ready to do it again! :p

LOL...

Terry, Terry, Terry, this is all part of your initiation into Muni.
That's all it is.🙂

Been there, done that...

Better now, than at Moab.

The second day is worse than the first. Just wait and see. Ride
gently, but really, what will happen is that your legs will tell you
how much you can ride. Which for the next three days will be very
little, IMHO. Just getting up stairs will hurt, like getting up a step
onto a front porch, for example. Just see if you can walk first before
you consider riding. 😉

I can't give you any good advice, other than just to do the best you
can, and not push it. Work out a way to keep your heart rate up, if
possible. That would envolve working your upper body, somehow. Even a
bicycle, might be in order for the next few days. But, it's raining
outside right now anyway.

Are we having fun yet?😉

Cheers.

--
The Munieer

Rod Wylie - Email teachndad (att) gmail(dott) com

'MountainUnicyclingLA.com' (http://www.mountainunicycling.us)
'Greater Los Angeles Area Trails - Images'
(http://gallery.unicyclist.com/Greater-Los-Angeles-Trails)
'Greater Los Angeles Area Trails - Descriptions'
(http://tinyurl.com/6h8zn)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Munieer's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/736
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

Sounds like you got yourself a case of 'Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness'
(http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/doms.htm) (D.O.M.S.).
It's a right of initiation for downhill muni.

The linked article will tell you about causes, treatment, and how to
prevent it. 'Google on delayed onset muscle soreness'
(http://tinyurl.com/zko8q) for more info.

It happens mostly with exercise that involves resisting motion, which
is exactly what your quads are doing when you muni downhill. Getting
the muscles used to the activity will help minimize the effects next
time. Working on technique so you minimize how much you are forced to
backpedal and how much force you put on the pedals while going downhill
will help prevent it from happening in the future. A brake will also
help if the terrain is brake friendly.

Try doing the Downieville ride without a brake and you won't be able to
walk normally for the next 48 hours. Last time I went to the Moab Muni
Fest (two years ago) I went hiking around Arches National Park after
the Muni Fest. I was walking with discomfort in the legs but still
managed to hike around to many of the arches. Best bet if you want to
hike around to the arches is to do that before the muni fest rather
than after. 😉

--
john_childs

john_childs (att) hotmail (dott) com
Gallery: http://gallery.unicyclist.com/john_childs
'Unicycling Bookmark List' (http://backcountry.unicyclist.com/) ::
'World Clock' (http://tinyurl.com/a99y3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
john_childs's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/449
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

Rod, John, et al,

Thanks for the advice and info! I'm feeling a bit better today, and
plan on trting my regular muni route later today. This will be after 1
day's rest. I really don't want to wait any longer to get back "in the
saddle." I took a couple aspirin also and that seemed to ease the pain
somewwhat.

--
terrybigwheel

Impotence: Nature's Way Of Saying "No Hard Feelings".

Uni is just a cycle I'm going through. 😎
------------------------------------------------------------------------
terrybigwheel's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/11418
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

That kind of torturous leg pain is really and truly just part of getting
into shape for downhill muni. And the fittness aspect is a huge part of
it. Like John C. said, the pain is mainly the result of back
pressuring down miles of single track--like doing thousands of negative
reps at the gym. Even with perfect nutrition and gallons of fluids you
will still get sore till your muscles get used to the stress. It's
like that with all extreme sports or the activity wouldn't live up to
the name. Also remember that the Santa Barbara guys have been putting
in at least a couple of those big descents most every week for going on
four years. If you check with the folks that were at Cal Muni Weekend
you'll probably find that most of them ended up as sore as your are.

Keep at it and it'll pass. It basically took me about 16 months before
I could hang with the SB crew and not get sore.

JL

--
vivalargo
------------------------------------------------------------------------
vivalargo's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5625
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

hippie crack? I respond well to arnica its a homeopathic remedy. You can
take it internally or externally. When my knees are sore i do both in
and out and it heals much faster and gooder(i love this word)

--
oldandmoldymat

i ride like buddah nature exsploding and imploding into the
nothingness.....and well...the everythiangness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
oldandmoldymat's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/12076
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

Arnica is amazing stuff. Yesterday after doing 52 miles I rubbed some
arnica cream into my pins after a good long soak in the bath.

Legs are still sore today, particularly my knees what with all the
descending without a brake but I'm sure they would be much worse had I
not gotten arnica'd up.

--
MrBoogiejuice

---unicycle for Bilious - The Oh-God of hangovers---
Make crumbs not War!
Just blame it on the boogie...
www.unicyclepics.co.uk Get your pics out!
Send submissions to [email hidden]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MrBoogiejuice's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5515
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

Terry, try rolling out your muscles with a rolling pin. Learned this at
a mtb race and it works! I think it gets out the lactic acid, just
like a massage.

--
jrdugueod

"Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
jrdugueod's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/12054
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

oldandmoldymat said:

hippie crack? I respond well to arnica its a homeopathic remedy. You can
take it internally or externally. When my knees are sore i do both in
and out and it heals much faster and gooder(i love this word)

I always thought that hippy crack was nitrous oxide.

Mind you I bet Nos would take away any muscle pain you have quite
effectively.

--
MrBoogiejuice

---unicycle for Bilious - The Oh-God of hangovers---
Make crumbs not War!
Just blame it on the boogie...
www.unicyclepics.co.uk Get your pics out!
Send submissions to [email hidden]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MrBoogiejuice's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5515
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

A friend of mine once told me that when wild sheep have backaches they
go into the valley and graze on arnica. I laughed when he told me.

I guess 'this '
(http://www.essences.com/vibration/sep00/arnica.html)website has the
same idea. See the fourth paragraph.

I have used arnica before with success.

I have also heard that eating carbohydrates AFTER exercise helps get
glycogen to the muscles, which is a good thing. Whether or not it helps
the pain, I do not know.

--
podzol

THE MISSING WHEELS TOUR DA YOOP!
Check out the charity ride, planning is under way.
Seeking riders and support.
*http://missingwheels.unicyclist.com/ *
------------------------------------------------------------------------
podzol's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/10131
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

jrdugueod said:

Terry, try rolling out your muscles with a rolling pin. Learned this at
a mtb race and it works! I think it gets out the lactic acid, just
like a massage.

I like that idea...so I'll buy one and try it; but if you look at the
date of my original post, it's about 3 months ago! I haven't had quad
pain anything close to that since...thank (insert choice of diety
here). 😎

--
terrybigwheel

Impotence: Nature's Way Of Saying "No Hard Feelings".

Uni is just a cycle I'm going through. 😎

You -can- "Tune a fish". You simply adjust their "scales"! 😄
------------------------------------------------------------------------
terrybigwheel's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/11418
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

podzol said:

I have also heard that eating carbohydrates AFTER exercise helps get
glycogen to the muscles, which is a good thing. Whether or not it helps
the pain, I do not know.

Make sure you have a mix of protein and carbs, about 1 to 4. Soy is
better during the event and whey is better for recovery. Nutrition is
the most important part of any athletic endeavor, don't forget. Read
Chris Carmichaels book "Food for Fitness" on it, it has a wealth of
knowledge. Good luck.

--
aspenmike
------------------------------------------------------------------------
aspenmike's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3768
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

bananas ... potassium

s'all good. 😉

--
unitoon

Quoted message said:

Unicycling -- the great gender equalizer. - Bmemike

Quoted message said:

I've always wondered what it would be like to beat someone to death with
a unicycle. Then again, I don't want to damage any of my unicycles. -
Unisteve

------------------------------------------------------------------------
unitoon's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/12011
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324

oldandmoldymat said:

hippie crack?

heheheheh hippie crack

--
dan de man

Quoted message said:

Reminds me of Andrew Carter's blue nipples...

forrestunifreak

Quoted message said:

i have never broken a nipple before

unisteez

Quoted message said:

Would getting my nipples greasy be better when I twist them tight? or
should I leave them like they are?

Jerrick
------------------------------------------------------------------------
dan de man's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/11403
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47324