Hammond to Monticello: COMPLETE! (injuries included!)

So I got a bug up my butt to ride my bike to my family's lake house. By myself. Without telling anyone what I was doing. SUPER IDEA. =)

I planned my route using Google map:walking. (Word to the wise. That sucker will put you on as many gravel roads as God himself can possibly create. Don't use it. It sucked.) So, after getting my brains beat out on 4 miles of gravel road, I decided to wing it. I mean, these are numbered country roads. It can't be hard, right?

RIGHT! I found my way there completely unscathed. Well, kinda. About halfway through the ride, my knees started to ache. I ignore that garbage... it was initially caused by being tossed off of horses at funny angles. (seriously) Humidity and everything else aggravates them, so I ignored the pain. I was about 4 miles away from destination, and my left knee decided that riding a bike was no longer in its repertoire. It explained this to me by delivering excruciating pain. Of course my pride took hold, and I finished the ride. Well, now I currently cannot do stairs at ALL, and walking... well, I try.

The ride was 105 miles total. I rode it from 4AM to noon. Is that good or bad time for a century? I don't know. I had never ridden one before. It rained on me from 7AM forward. Rain and I are homies now. *fist bump*

I guess my real question is: Have any of you experienced this injury before, and what should I do to recover? It is in the front of my knee, and REALLY hurts when bent. Dull ache when straight.

Stupid body. My butt doesn't hurt. My arms don't hurt. My back doesn't hurt. My leg muscles don't even hurt. But my knees? Holy moley.

(Really though... amazing ride. Doing it by myself (though dumb) was even cooler.)

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Permalink Reply by Vilda on July 5, 2009 at 4:27pm
You are always welcome Jess! ;-) Though give me warning if it's this summer cause it seems like everyone I know is getting married. ;-)
Permalink Reply by Andy K> on July 6, 2009 at 5:52am
I've had a pain under my knee cap too after a hilly tour or just mashing too hard a gear for too long that just wouldn't go away. A physical therapist gave me a stretch that really helped. Put the top of your foot on the seat of a chair behind you, step forward with the other foot into something like a lunge keeping your back upright. You should feel it where your quad meets your hip and it's supposed to work all the way down to the knee. I hope this is a somewhat understandable description. Hope you feel better soon Jessica and Dan.

o0_dan_0o said:
congrats on the ride.

i had a similar thing happen to me on the FOS easter ride this year, but mine was (i think, mostly) caused by hastily installed 4degree cleats, and maybe it had something to do with overdoing it for my first big-ish ride of the year. it was like 68 miles or so, and similarly, it started hurting around mile 40-50- and by the time it got to the end of it all there was serious pain happening in my left knee, but not the right. weird..

anyway yeah, just under the kneecap.. straight was ok, but bent really sucked.

i should just say right now that i didnt see a doctor, nor am i one, so how it happened for me might not be what happens for you, so see a doctor- maybe..

healing up took a long time, the ride was in april(i think) and its only been a couple of weeks now that ive been pain free. the first thing i did was order some cleats with more float and made a bit of an adjustment. then i put that bike away and rode my commuter bike (had a triple crankset) in the little ring for any trip i had to make, spinning gingerly trying to keep any kind of strain off of the knee. it was a couple of weeks before i tried any kind of push, and it was minimal, if it even started to hurt, i laid off- except for the ride to critical mass at the end of april when i got caught in a 20 mph headwind on the way home which, i think, aggrivated it a little more.

like i said, it took a while to get better from it, and now i know better than to try and go big without any kind of preparation. the recovery had a little benefit too in that i have a little more discipline when it comes to riding within limits and i dont just go like a crazy monkey on speed anymore.

again congrats, and i hope you feel better soon.

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