Fitness Advice - leg burn?

[Hooch]

You need to warm up properly, otherwise the burn hits almost immediately and you get "heavy legs".

Don't know your makeup, but that can be up to 8kms of gently warming up, especially if the outside temps are low.

Go for a deep tissue massage to loosen the muscles and carry on riding!

OH LORD! I drive to forest, get out of car, get on bike and hit the track. Heavy Legs is exactly what i've been getting within yards of going through the gate Also Tokai is all uphill from start to any of the above levels. It all makes sense now

I feel much better now, was very despondent before, now I'm sooo looking forward to Saturday Thanks

[Sitting slip]

You can never over train you can only under recover! Get some glutamine and a foam roller

[Hooch]

You can never over train you can only under recover! Get some glutamine and a foam roller

Lol, had to look that one up!!!!!! Under recovery is also probably part of the problem Going to cycle again today - its too beautiful a day not too - so will warm up first and see how it goes

[Hooch]

To everyone who advised me on the leg burn. Thank You. I cycled from Tokai Forest down to the Stone Church at the Range & back to warm up and then did my up, turn left past Lizard followed by a right short cut after Boomslang, past Snake Eyes & then back down to the car park in 59mins. In all its about 11kms but 6 of them are up hill. But I did it without the legs burning out.

 

Thanks Guys, Very grateful for the support.

[New Landy new life]

That ride to the mast is pretty tough even for the fit. 30 km should just about get your legs warm and then you can come home and tackle the mast again

Edited July 31, 2013 by CapeLandy

[Hooch]

Yeah Domestique, your right, I never realised how much i'd pushed myself (obviously wasn't ready for mast stint) so all in all its taken nearly 3 weeks to get over. Today I ache in my back from yesterday but am being sensible now and giving myself 2 days off ready for Sats 30km (which will be the furthest i've ever ridden). Thanks for the support

[Capricorn]

The advice concerning stretching stems from my own recent experiences. Been training like a beast, getting fit and strong, and only to be sidelined for almost 2 months now because of a tight muscle. Stretching is like breathing: feels like nothing, but it can hurt you if you don't.

[divernick]

Just don't stretch before the ride. You can hurt a cold muscle and stretching actually decreases muscle power for up to 2 hours afterwards. Stretch after riding.

[dracs]

Just don't stretch before the ride. You can hurt a cold muscle and stretching actually decreases muscle power for up to 2 hours afterwards. Stretch after riding.

yea, warm up before but don't stretch. And try do 5 or 10 minutes easy riding on your way back to your car then stretch afterwords... also stretch on rest days - makes a huge difference to tight muscles.

[Surv0MTB]

I did the mast when i first started riding, no idea of the distance or effort. Needless to say I pushed up most of the tar section to the mast and pretty much killed two brake pads on the way down.

 

That was over a year and a half ago and I still need to attempt the mast again.

 

Legs still burn but burn more when no warmup has happened.

[Rider3000]

Such a simple process and yet I think your right, I don't stretch at all before riding. Memo to self to now do so, thanks

 

Oh...and please never ever forget stretching "after" a ride..especially quads! Youll feel the difference soon!

[KaKa]

if ur issue is solved good... if not check that ur seat post did not slip down/ lower a bit

[Hooch]

Wow Karka, that must have been devastating!!!!

[marko35s]

To everyone who advised me on the leg burn. Thank You. I cycled from Tokai Forest down to the Stone Church at the Range & back to warm up and then did my up, turn left past Lizard followed by a right short cut after Boomslang, past Snake Eyes & then back down to the car park in 59mins. In all its about 11kms but 6 of them are up hill. But I did it without the legs burning out.

 

Thanks Guys, Very grateful for the support.

Another thing that might be worth a try is to turn off the main track and ride up Fairy Garden and My Roots, it adds a little variation and I find it makes the climb that bit easier. You can use them as a warm up and have fun at the same time.