muscle pain

hello im new to cycling and just started maybe 4 months ago.

when i first started riding it was the most fun experience if had in a long time. im 21 years old and i would ride almost everyday. then one day i was riding a flat course and tried to as fast as i could. well that turned out to be a bad idea and i felt my muscle in my right leg hurting. i just slowed down and kept going because i was far from home.

here is where it hurts. my right knee but not the center ( patella) but just left to the side of my knee. the ligaments or between the 2 big leg bones. there are a few ligaments there and i can pinpoint it out but u can see a picture here http://www.innerbody.com/image/skelfov.html . also my muscle hurt on my right leg just above my knee and again to the side, i believe its called vastus medialis u can see a picture here http://www.innerbody.com/image/musfov.html

well ever since then the pain has never went away and ive take breaks up to a week long. its really starting to bother me because i could easily go 65 mile rides no problem but now i dont even wanna try because i know it will give me problems.

my approach has been to just relax then build up really slow but it doesnt seem to work. what can i do before riding to make it better, never really streatched before longer then 30 seconds, and now if i stretch for like 2 min it still will end up hurting if i go on a 15 mile ride which is the least i ever do.

When just getting back into cycling, it is normal to be sore. However, your pain persists despite time off. Go see your doctor.

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Riding Blog

Motobecane Forum

Have you tried raising your saddle a bit?

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Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. http://www.earnharts.com/html/realau...cific.asp?id=3

yea that was the first thing i did. it helped a little but came back again. it might be that it went down again!

after a week long break i did 20 miles and then it started showing signs that i was gonna start hurting soon. so yesterday i went for like a 5 mile ride and it stopped hurting.

i believe that iam just not stretching before i go properly and on top of that go on 2 tough of a ride without building up for it.

Checking in with your doctor couldn't hurt.

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GinaNY

FWIW if I do an L6 or L7 effort without warming up (bad idea with my knees) and hurt my knee I just stay away from L5, L6 and L7 for about 6 weeks take more vitamin C and it eventually does get better. I just ride while keeping breathing under control even on hills.... it seems to keep me under the knee pain radar. If I didn't feel better after six weeks I would stay at L2 natural all day pace when riding just for therapy allowing some detraining to occur hoping to see improvement.

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Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. http://www.earnharts.com/html/realau...cific.asp?id=3