Physiology Explanation



Felt_Rider

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2004
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I did a group ride on Saturday that is still baffling me.

I started the ride really struggling with the sensation of my hamstrings and right calf knotting up and as if my quadriceps were going to cramp during the first 10 miles of our group ride. My breathing was very labored and my heart rate felt as if it were abnormally high.

I thought all of this was from fatigue from training pretty hard indoors through out the week, but at about 25 miles into the ride everything improved and I was riding normal so it couldn't have been fatigue or could it?

All of the sensations of cramping, labored breathing and high heart rate went away later in the ride and at the end of 53 miles I was riding pretty good. However, my legs were extremely sore about an hour after getting home. The next day I had another pretty good training session of SST.


More of the story, but it is not necessary to read my blog entry.
 
Felt_Rider said:
I did a group ride on Saturday that is still baffling me.

I started the ride really struggling with the sensation of my hamstrings and right calf knotting up and as if my quadriceps were going to cramp during the first 10 miles of our group ride. My breathing was very labored and my heart rate felt as if it were abnormally high.

I thought all of this was from fatigue from training pretty hard indoors through out the week, but at about 25 miles into the ride everything improved and I was riding normal so it couldn't have been fatigue or could it?

All of the sensations of cramping, labored breathing and high heart rate went away later in the ride and at the end of 53 miles I was riding pretty good. However, my legs were extremely sore about an hour after getting home. The next day I had another pretty good training session of SST.


More of the story, but it is not necessary to read my blog entry.

Just sounds to me like your were not warmed up for the ride. I have started many rides that were a struggle initially but turned out good after I got about ten miles behind me.
 
I was thinking about that, but we did start off pretty slow.

It still may be like you say that I just needed more warm up on that particular day than I would normally.
 
Felt_Rider said:
I was thinking about that, but we did start off pretty slow.

It still may be like you say that I just needed more warm up on that particular day than I would normally.


I have also noted that it take me a lot longer to get going in cold weather. Breathing deep kills my lungs initially.
 
+1 about the cold. My legs feel like logs if they get cold, and it takes a few really uncomfortable efforts before I'm feeling loose and warmed up. Sometimes that means a good 15-20 minutes of suffering until things start to feel better.
 
The cramping/knotting definitely rings the bell for improper hydration to me; possible explanation for the fatigued feeling as well. Your blood's lower viscosity from the decreased hydration would necessitate a longer than usual warmup. The ambitious workload the past week would/could be the cause of the abnormal soreness. Overreaching?? Time for a short rest period?? My $0.02CAN worth...
 
tonyzackery said:
The cramping/knotting definitely rings the bell for improper hydration to me; possible explanation for the fatigued feeling as well. Your blood's lower viscosity from the decreased hydration would necessitate a longer than usual warmup. The ambitious workload the past week would/could be the cause of the abnormal soreness. Overreaching?? Time for a short rest period?? My $0.02CAN worth...
By your description it would sound like fatigue and that is what I would have suspected. Everything felt like I was already in a state of overreaching just as you say and that is why it is baffling to me as to why I actually felt better later on. I was sore and my legs felt very contracted (tight) from all the week's training.

The start was a bit slow, but after the group warmed up there was no mercy so I had to stay at their pace and I was very surprised that I was 1 of 3 racing into the parking lot and was pulling those 2 most of the last stretch. It was very strange and very frustrating in the beginning, but ended well.
 
While I wasn't given a scientific explanation my coworker (races Cat-3) was in this morning and at least consoled me that he has often experienced this in races and that he has learned to mix in, conserve and hope that physically you improve in time or you drop out. But from his point of view that you stick with it because he has often felt horrible in the start of a race only to win it later.

He didn't think it was fatigue and more likely a reaction to something else like not getting warmed up.
 
I experience quad issues/soreness during the first few outdoor rides after a prolonged indoor period. Goes away after a couple rides without issue.

I've always chalked it up to the different loading between the trainer and road.