hxe@rayssd.UUCP (04/12/85)
I recently injured my knee and have decided to take up bicycling as
my primary exercise (I used to run). Ever since I read the brief
description of the bike trip around Prince Edward Island that was
posted here recently, I've become enamored of the idea of doing it
myself. My sports medicine doctor says it will probably be okay,
and the athletic trainers gave me a few a tips, but they're mostly
runners and don't know the finer points of training for a bike trip.
What sort of things should I be doing to get ready? (I'm not going -
if I can go at all - for at least three months.) What kind of
regimen should I start now? What sort of things should I watch out
for? How do I know I'm over- or under-training? (I have a tendency
to overdo.) What do you do to get your rear end prepared to spend
all day on a bike for a week or so? (only half (-: ) Does anyone
have an actual schedule that they followed? Remember, I'm coming
from zero exercise following the surgery to a 300-mile bike trip,
if that gives you an idea of how far I have to go.
I'd sure appreciate any advice you experts could spare, including
pointers to books, magazine articles, etc.
Many thanks in advance,
--Heather Emanuel {allegra, decvax!brunix, linus, ccice5} rayssd!hxe
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I don't think my company *has* an opinion, so the ones in this
article are obviously my own.
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"Ain't life a brook...
Sometimes I feel just like a polished stone"
--
--Heather Emanuel {allegra, decvax!brunix, linus, ccice5} rayssd!hxe
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I don't think my company *has* an opinion, so the ones in this
article are obviously my own.
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"Ain't life a brook...
Sometimes I feel just like a polished stone" -Ferronmupmalis@watarts.UUCP (mike upmalis) (04/16/85)
In article <697@rayssd.UUCP> hxe@rayssd.UUCP writes: >I recently injured my knee and have decided to take up bicycling as >my primary exercise (I used to run). . >What sort of things should I be doing to get ready? (I'm not going - >if I can go at all - for at least three months.) What kind of >regimen should I start now? What sort of things should I watch out >for? How do I know I'm over- or under-training? (I have a tendency >to overdo.) Speaking not as an expert but as a recent convert, I would probably point you to latest issue of Bicycling and Bicycle Guide, both have season start up tips, plus there is an article on distance touring and injury, With one with bad kness, while bikes are more forgiving to knees, you can still get the hobbles, or the lack of flex goosetstep. Clips and touring shoes are helpful, I just bought some Avocet 20s that have a number of ridges on the bottom that keeps the foot straight on the pedal, depending on the strength of your quads. You might find some knee pain at first because you have to settle on a position, and the muscles may not take to that position at first. Part of getting ready is tuning the bike to your body, so I would suggest a good bike shop that will halp you with weeks of small adjustments till everythings perfect...... -- ~~ Mike Upmalis (mupmalis@watarts)<University of Waterloo>
jdreyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Jon Dreyer) (04/24/85)
In article <697@rayssd.UUCP> hxe@rayssd.UUCP writes: >What sort of things should I be doing to get ready? (I'm not going - >if I can go at all - for at least three months.) What kind of >regimen should I start now? What sort of things should I watch out >for? How do I know I'm over- or under-training? (I have a tendency >to overdo.) What do you do to get your rear end prepared to spend >all day on a bike for a week or so? (only half (-: ) I too have been bicycling (and racewalking!) to avoid further destruction of my knees by running. Most training advice is the same as for any other endurance sport: start with short and slow, and move to long and fast gradually, slightly more deliberately than you feel ready for. Vary your training to concentrate on speed or hills one day and distance another. Hard/easy days. And so forth. Note that this is the way to prepare your rear end as well as your legs, neck, arms, skin, writsts, back, etc. Some bicycle-specific things: Don't lug the high gears! Start out using very low gears and keep a high cadence. A good touring cadence is something like 80 rpm, which is much higher than most beginners feel natural with. This is particularly important if you have bad knees. Make sure your position on the bike is good, but play with it a bit if your knees hurt. For example, I ride slightly out-toed with my knees pointed inward. This isn't what the books say, but it works better with my bizarre bone structure. Make sure you have a comfortable (not necessarily soft) saddle. Use as much padding on your hands as possible, with padded grips and gloves. WEAR A GOOD HELMET. Funny-looking cycling shorts and shoes really help. Make sure you have plenty of low gears (granny if possible). You need much lower gears if you are carrying stuff. Make sure your bike fits you. Even today, most bikes are built to fit men, who have skinny pelvises and long torsos compared to women, so women often find that the top tubes and/or handlebar stems are too long and the saddles to skinny. If your top tube is too short you are out of luck unless you can compensate by moving your saddle forward and getting a shorter stem. If you notice that your neck hurts a lot even after you are in practice (from holding your head up at that ridiculous angle) you may have this problem. I have gone on three significant tours and never trained enough for any of them. You can always consider the tour to be part of your training. You don't have to spend all your time on the bike; it's nice to take a day off here and there or a few hours to swim, eat, hike, meet natives, or whatever. But it is true that the better shape you're in, the less you'll suffer. Jon Dreyer {ihnp4,decvax}!bbncca!jdreyer jdreyer@bbnccv.arpa
wagner@uw-june (Dave Wagner) (04/25/85)
> Funny-looking cycling shorts and shoes really help.
That't right, make sure they are funny-looking; those bogus cycling
clothes that don't look silly are obviously inferior. (:-))
Dave Wagner
University of Washington Comp Sci Department
wagner@{uw-june.arpa|washington.arpa}
{ihnp4|decvax|ucbvax}!uw-beaver!uw-june!wagner
"Oh no! I've got . . . . . HAPPY FEET!"