Beth and Yanti's New Manatees - FULL! :-) (Page 12)

thanks Sam!

what diameter is the roller you use?

thanks John,

I've always wanted to try yoga - I'll have to look into it

Beth- I use this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LGGY26

 It is 6" in diameter. I wonder if it is your piriformis that is bothering you? I've had some struggles with that myself. It can sort of replicate a sciatica pain without the radiating pain into the leg. The roller definitely can help loosen that up!!

Just popped in to say Happy New Year to two of the most influential gals I know on BT! yes that would be you Bethie and Yanti! hope this year is all you want it to be! hugs to both of you! thanks for keeping me on track in 2008..dont forget about me! even though I am also mentoring a team...sure do need my gal pals in my life! have a great weekend! and carry on!!!

that's interesting, it's been reminding me of sciatica (i had terrible issues with sciatica when i was pregnant)

but it doesn't have the same sharp pain, it just feels really tight

Hi Julie!

thanks for stopping by to say hi!

*grin* You are soooo lucky you got to meet her, Bethie Love! I popped by  her team thread to return the cheer.

Glad you had an awesome time and dinner!

Don't sweat the next four days. You need a break after two weeks. If you have some free time and want to do a very short easy run or better yet a nice brisk walk, go for it, but don't sweat it. You're not going to lose any fitness over the next four days. In fact, it will give your body a chance to rebuild and actually benefit from the training you've been doing.

Hmmm Bethie Love! It sounds like a real pain in the azz!

I couldn't help it.

Like Sam said, it could be piriformis, might be gluteus medius (starts kind of at the lower back and goes underneath the gluteus maximus), might even be the origin of the IT band.

If you do the recommended exercises with the foamie, you are going to find out pretty quickly what will help and not because you will FEEL it.

Like stretching the quads for the hammies too, I might also suggest stretching/rolling your hip flexors--the yoga pose for this is Pigeon (you can look it up or follow the link. It's weird, but it really works!)

http://www.yogacards.com/yoga-postures-2/kapotasana-pigeon-pose.html

Thanks for the tips everyone!  I will be adding some new stretches into my routine

and yes Yanti, it is a pain in the azz!

I swam the last couple of days and as usual I saw lots of people making common mistakes trying to go faster.  I sooo, want to stop them and provide some coaching, but since that may not be taken the right way I thought I would post my observations here -

Swim talk –

Speed: common mistakes made when trying to go faster

Foam rollers rock!  Also, put a tennis ball in the freezer and roll on it.  You'll find the hot spots fairly easily; just use your body weight and hang out on those spots until they release. 

You can tell if it's piriformis if this stretch relieves the symptoms:  stand and support yourself with your hand on the wall on the side of the symptoms.  Lift the affected leg with the other hand and bring it across your body.  When you get it across, lift it just a bit higher and hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds. 

I sometimes get painful numbness in my left foot after about an hour of running or walking (sounds contradictory, doesn't it, but it's a real thing, believe me!)  Doing this stretch relieves the symptoms completely.  Try it out!

 Dr. GH

Thanks for the stretching advice.  I need it.  I've never heard about the tennis ball idea....I'll have to try that.  Stretching helps but I always seem to forget to fit it into my workouts until I have a tight muscle or am beginning to feel an injury.....

I'm working on organizing my training gear as I will start my HIM training plan on Wednesday.  I'll probably also ride the bike today and perhaps fit in another run.  Happy Sunday to everyone! 

Does anyone have any recommendations on Bike selection and fit?  I currently ride a Fuji Newest 3.0 that I bought in 2006.  It is okay but the fit is not right.  I suspect that the cockpit of the bike is simply too short.  I am only 5'4" so I need a small bike for my short legs but I do have a longer torso.  

I got a bonus at work so I'd like to upgrade the bike a little and really work with the bike shop to get the right fit.  Any suggestions on what to ask and what to look for? When I bought my current bike, it was from performance and right off the rack.  The salesperson picked it because it was the only one that I could comfortable stand over.....beyond that, no consideration was given to fit. Now that I know more...I'd like to find something that works better.  

 Thanks for the advice in advance! 

Congrats on the bonus!  Woo Hoo and what a great way to spend it

I don't have much expertise in bike specifics, but one thing I would strongly recommend is to spend the money for a professional bike fit as a part of the process.

Unfortunately I didn't do that and while I thought I bought a bike that fit me, turns out it was slightly too big.

I found that out a year after I bought the bike and was having some issues with shoulder soreness and my toes going numb.  I then spent the money for a professional fit and learned that part of the problem was that the bike is just a little too big for me.

The good news is that she was able to make a lot of adjustments which really improved my ride and comfort.

I would also try and find a lbs that has staff members that actually tri, I found that this made a big difference as well.  The place I bought my bike has a good reputation as a local bike shop, however - what I came to realize after the fact is that they are indeed a good shop, but they lack the expertise in what I was buying a bike for.

I hope that's helpful

Good luck and be sure to post pics once you buy it! 

Any relief for your arse yet?  I agree with Yanti about the Glut Med.  It could be the combination of the Glut med and minimus, also.  I went through my lecture notes, class handouts, and patient information to see if I could provide any more or new information than the others had.  But, it was more of the same.   I do have a handout with about 7 pages of different uses for the foam roller throughout the body if interested....

It's so exciting to have our very own chiro as team doc! Susan, thanks so much for the great feedback which I'm sure will help all of us.

I've done rolling with a tennis ball but never thought to freeze it first. What a good idea!

Especially because you've had fit issues, as Bethie Love said, it's really important that the bike shop does a type of fitting before they even try you on different bikes, and, as part of purchasing a new bike, you should be able to get a professional fitting of the specific bike thrown in for free. Also as Bethie Love said, it's important you go to a really good Local Bike Store, but make sure they have experience in fitting triathletes.

I would also suggest that if you don't have aerobars already, that you purchase some to go along with the bike. That way, they and you in aero position can be fit as part of the bike fitting, and you won't have to get a new fitting if you decide to get aerobars later (which you likely will).

The pre-fitting, so to speak, will determine what types of bikes the shop will have you try out. I can make suggestions on excellent entry-level bikes, but ultimately, it's going to be what they can get you most comfortable riding.

Good luck and keep asking!

I will swap you some grandkids if you would like....of course you have to take their parents with them so it may not be a great swap for you. 

Hope everyone has a great week to get the new year going.

Steve

Sent it to your email address.