Quick question guys...

Last weekend (5th & 6th July 2003) I did a 86km MTB enduro (5h11m) on the Saturday and the Sunday a 50km road race with some minor 2km climbs in it (1h35m). During the mtb enduro, my back started hurting badly, and even after checking saddle height etc, I couldn't get rid of it.

Sunday on the road event it wasn't getting any better. I spoke to several people and they said it was just the nature of the MTB enduro course (a solid 30km climbing). I decided to rest my back Monday and Tuesday, and resume some training Wednesday. Then as it goes with life, work decided I have to attend two meetings Wednesday and Thursday evening till quite late. I'll only be able to ride a small 15km mtb night race on Friday night again.

Should I worry about 4 days off the bike, or just relax, and let the body recover from the weekend? The next major MTB enduro I'm training for is only on the 21st of September 2003 again.

Thanx
Fooz

Just chill Fooz, sounds like your back could do with a rest!

Given that your targeted event is over 2 months away, four days now will have no effect on your training. Given that many people train too hard and too often, after the days off you will probably return with some form and vigor. If you do, use it as a lesson to rest more during all training!

You'll also need a rest from a tough week at work.

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Agree with 2Lap
With your back etc, a break will have been good for you.

Maybe you could think about doing some exercises to strengthen your back and abs? If I know I'm going to work late, I sometimes nip out to the local gym at lunch, either to do a recovery ride, or some crunches, light weights etc. If I can't escape, I often just shut the office door, and do some stretches & crunches!

Hadn't thought of that, Shimbumi is right, you should make a priority of getting your back sorted so that it doesn't happen again! A massage might help loosen it up and make sure that any weights program is completed by someone that knows what they are doing.

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I also have back problems, and there are a few theories floating around.

One theory is based around your core strength. It says that your back is too weak as you are normally bent over the bars and using your back for pulling on the bars. To manage this problem do more work on your lower back to restore the balance, I would recommend a health ball, a rowing machine and bent legged deadlifts. Alternatively if it is your Abs that need to be conditioned, do Ab work with a health ball.

A second theory is that your back muscle is too strong anjd is constantly pulling your torso backwards. The muscles involved are the Hamstrings and lower back muscles, known to be very strong in cyclists. To manage the injury, try to relax the muscles, stretching, massage, warm baths , etc.

I find with my long term injuries that I need to find a way to manage the problem, usually through stretching and massage.
It might be best if you decide what problem is affecting your back.

My problem is that my back is too strong, and when told to do more excersises my back got worse. Following a back massage I feel good for a least a week and the removal of the tension is nirvana.

Hope that helps

Brian

A pain in the lower back can mean lots of different things. Your hip flexors which lift the pedals, if you have clips or straps, attach to your spine. These can put a lot of pressure on your back. I get really bad back pain after about 3 hours of hard riding no matter what. And I'm a strength conditioning coach. My problem is my spine. It is not straight and I get minor irritation, inflammation, aggravated nerve etc. Yours may simply be a strength imbalance. Core strength and flexibility may be the key. You also need to allow yourself time to recover from events. Two to three days off is not uncommon or concerning. the de-training kicks in on the fourth day. You can improve you performance and strengthen your back with structured training, as opposed to piling all those events on top of one another. Though it is good to train "the fight in the dog" and not just the dog. Get some good books and read. ie "Fleck & Kraemer" for principles of strength training, Edmund R. Burke for cycle training. And don't just do sit ups, You need to work your entire core not just your rectus abdominals.

Thanks for all the advice guys. Really appreciate it.

For those interested, here's a link to how I looked after the enduro:
http://bigmac.eik.bme.hu/~bcsaba/kny...4_p1010017.jpg

Now to start working on the back

You look fresh enough to do it all over again

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