Ironman USA Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 95)

Congrats Fred.  Here's the first piece of advice to give your group: Don't publicly start ridiculously Hard Challenges!!

Kidding.  The beauty of this challenge is even if you fall short of the goal, you still have put in one heck of a month on the Bike.  Having said that, I plan to get to 600.  I think a good strategy is to keep taking the date and multiply by 20 to see if you are ahead or behind the goal.  For instance, today is the 7th so 7 X 20 = 140.  So 140 miles is where you should be right now to be on track for 600 by the 30th.  I'm a whopping 10-miles a head.  If you're behind you can always catch up over the weekend with a few monster rides.   

If I get motivated enough, I'll post a list of everyone in the *insert big booming announcer voice*600-Mile Challenge and list the April Bike Totals every Monday morning.  OR, better yet -- everyone in the *insert big booming announcer voice*  600-Mile Challenge please POST your cumulative Bike Mileage every Monday morning or afternoon, just some time Monday in this thread -- the Greatest BT Ironman Official Race Thread Ever!!!!!.  Mmmmmm-kay.

I'm hoping some cool and inspiring scenario's will prevail the last few days of the month where people take a day off from work to get in one Epic Long Ride to hit the goal.  Should get interesting, very very interesting. 

^^^ Witty: You may have answered your own question.  The answer being: Form.  You changed your Running form and it helped.  Right?

When I switched bikes, and was fitted for my current bike, one difference I noticed right away was 'knee pain'.  I went back to the fitter and told him that on my prior bike I had zero knee pain and now on my new shiny bike, I am experiencing knee pain.  He said it was either due to increased mileage -- and if so, it would go away in roughly 2-3 weeks OR it was due to my Fit.  So he looked at my old shoes (I bought new shoes when I bought the new bike) and my new shoes and he notice the cleat placement was different.  He also adjusted the 'float' in my pedal to match my old bike.  Turns out it was the fit.  Turns out my feet like to angle in toward the back of my bike, meaning the inside of my ankles practically scrape the side of the bike.  On my new fit the they had my feet evenly aligned, which meant the back of my foot was a good inch or more away from the bike frame on the back of my pedal stroke.  For me, this meant knee pain.  As soon as the fitter made the changes to the cleat and float of my pedal, the knee pain diasappeared and (Thank God) has not re-appeared.

So my guess is it's either A.)  Form  or  B.)  You are pushing a higher cadence with the same tension you were pushing at a lower RPM, and this is increasing the force on your knees and they are complaining.  Perhaps keep increasing the cadence but put her in an easier gear and slowly start working your way up to a higher tension.    

WittyGirl,

Do NOT assume getting fitted once will leave you in the correct position.  Go back and get refitted or adjusted.  A high likely hood of knee pain is caused by poor fit.

Riding at a higher RPM can get ride of some causes of knee pain.  I shoot for 90 RPM’s average but thats me.  Ideally anything over 75 RPM is fine and could depends on the road conditions.

Another opinion I have on cadence (RPM’s) is people tend not to not use the gears to there ultimate benefit.  I have heard and seen people just mashing gears; turning over at a low RPM’s.  So why do you have a 20 speed if you don’t change gears?  Some can deal with low RPM’s or high, but the general rule is just that.

btw Since I started racing in the early eighties with clip in peddle systems I have adopted pretty much the above.  I am knee problem free, then again thats me.

tasr - 2010-04-08 8:34 AM

PennState - 2010-04-08 7:47 AM Well the next few days will be rest days for me. Work, family and travel. Oh well, rest is good

This is a BIG, BIG week for me.  I can't understand how good I feel right nowZ!?! 

Last time I wrote something like that, I jinxed myself and BOOM! Fatigue hit me like a ton of Bricks.  Just sayin' what happend to me about a month ago.

PennState - 2010-04-08 11:24 AM

tasr - 2010-04-08 8:34 AM

PennState - 2010-04-08 7:47 AM Well the next few days will be rest days for me. Work, family and travel. Oh well, rest is good

This is a BIG, BIG week for me.  I can't understand how good I feel right nowZ!?! 

I had a big week last week 16 hours! This week I am on call Friday and then travel to DC for the cherry blossum. My wife is racing and I might be too. My main job is supporting Tracie though

That's a Good Hubby.  She waits for you for 10 hours plus at LP, least you can do. Just sayin'