Month: July 2022

Why Do My Feet Hurt When I Bike?

Earlier this week I was fortunate to carve out a 4 hour block of time for a long cycling workout. Being new to the sport of triathlon, 50 miles was the longest bike ride of my life! It was a really long, hot ride! The funny part was the only part of my body that hurt during and after the ride were my feet! Why is it that my feet hurt instead of my butt or legs? Turns out, I am not alone. Foot pain is much more common in cyclists than most of us realize. Biking is much gentler on my body than running, but your feet do take a pounding!

Let’s investigate foot pain in cyclists just a little. I experienced a burning pain in my forefoot after about 40 miles that did not go away until about 2 hours after I got off my bicycle. Why did this happen? In my case, I sized my cycling shoes too small for the training plan. My shoes fit well when I started, but as soon as my feet started to get hot; they swelled and literally got squished by the stiffness of the shoes. At 40 miles, the nerves in between my toes were pinched and all my toes went to sleep then started to burn like they were on fire! This is commonly called metatarsalgia, traumatic neuritis or parasthesias.

Foot pain like I experienced is actually not uncommon in cyclists. This can be caused by improper placement of clips, poorly sized shoes and certain foot deformities that require more support in the shoes. Luckily, most foot pain can be solved by bigger shoes, metatarsal padding, different socks or custom foot orthotics. Burning pain can be a sign of a Morton’s neuroma, an early stress fracture or lumbar radiculopathy (a pinched nerve in your back), so if your burning does not go away with simple solutions, quickly seek the advise of your podiatrist or sports medicine physician.

Other foot related problems seen in cyclist are plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis, which in the early stages are usually solved by raising your saddle or turning it slightly askew. Often, we wait too long to address an injury because we think it will miraculously solve itself. Long standing foot pain often requires more aggressive treatments with custom orthotics, physical therapy, injections or even surgery in severe cases.

Thankfully my foot pain completely resolved with slightly bigger shoes, a thinner sock and a small metatarsal pad. My upcoming long rides on the way to a half-Ironman triathlon in the fall should be much more comfortable and pain free!…

5 Key Steps When Training For Bike Rides Of More Than 100 Miles

Having just completed another London to Paris ride, 300 miles over 4 days I noticed that many people spend lots of money on a bike and a variety of accessories, however, one area that lots of people seem to neglect is training.

Seldom do people spend much if any time or money on a training programme. This is a vital element for improving your chances of completing long rides successfully.

Of course the equipment you are using is important but just as with a car or a motorbike it’s really “all about the engine”, that’s what makes the real difference. This is even more important on a long ride

This article gives 5 key tips on the training required to complete more than 100 miles on a bike.

1. Preparation

The key to any successful 100 mile bike ride is preparation. You need to get your body into a condition which will enable you to complete the ride. The key to this is having a sensible and comprehensive training plan. It is a mistake to think you can riding as often as you can is enough to get you in the right shape for such an arduous test on the body.

2. Diet

A good diet is essential for 2 reasons a) It helps you train more effectively and b) it’s good for your health generally. A good cycling training diet means you need to balance the right foods so you can achieve the optimum fitness benefits. If you get your training diet right it will mean that you will be in the best condition you plenty of energy for those long arduous rides. Not only that your general health will improve and you will have an abundance of energy.

3. Training Plan

Make sure you are working on areas of fitness that you need to help you with your ride. Make sure you are clear on your goals i.e. you are trying to build strength and stamina to ensure you can comfortably complete the ride.

Hence there is no point focussing on activities which are working on other areas of health e.g. purely losing weight, keep that in mind when you are at the gym or when you are doing some other fitness related exercise. You need to make sure you are getting the best and most appropriate results for your ride.

Ideally what you want is a programme which builds up your strength and stamina.

4. Train smart not hard

It is really all about doing the right things not about doing lots of things. You need understand the best way to train to deliver the desired results. If you do this you will find that you train less than other riders but you will have a greater benefit once on the ride.

5. Measure your progress

Finally, make sure that you regularly monitor whether or not you have achieved your training goals. If you can see you are achieving or exceeding them, this will keep you motivated and push you to stretch yourself further.

Whatever your level it’s a must to have the correct training plan, don’t forget it’s all about the engine and not just about the bike.…

Street Bicycle Racing

Though the pros use shorter street cycling races as practice for the Triple Crown races (Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and the Road World Cycling Championship), there are many teams that compete in street races. Generally, cyclists do not race individually but as part of a larger, sponsored racing team. In the states, the US Postal Service team is the most famous.

But before we get into the details of street racing, let’s talk about what street bicycles are. Unlike mountain bikes and BMX stunt bikes, road bikes are thin-framed with thin wheels and high pressure tires. In competition, participants must ride road bikes. Road bikes have drop handlebars and can be either single, multiple or fixed gear. They are much lighter than the other styles of bikes, which are made to withstand a beating in the mud.

Now back to the races. Road races start with a gun indicating the release from the pen, and the winner is whoever crosses the finish line first. All single day races are mass start except for time trials, which are solo races. The group races are criterium (short courses), circuit races and road races. In recent years long races with large entrances have been moving towards electronic time keeping similar to that used in marathons.

The Tour de France and other multiple day races are counted in stages. The competitor who wins the most stages is declared the overall winner even if he (or she) does not cross the finish line first.

Road racing is much more popular in Europe than it is in the States, though champions like Lance Armstrong have helped to bring attention to the sport in the past decade.

Bike racing has been part of the Olympics since its modern rebirth. In addition to the distance and time trial road races, there are also BMX, track racing and mountain biking competitions.…

3 Tips to Improve Your Next Ride

Sometimes it’s big things that make you a better ride. Other times it’s little details. While we are all looking for that next big jump in fitness to let us ride faster, a few simple techniques can help you ride better on your next ride.

Tip 1 – Chill Out

Learn to relax on the bike. If you are tense you are using a lot of extra energy and you can end up with tight muscles which can be uncomfortable. If you can’t relax on the bike and let your legs do the work you may need to look at your bike fit. Start with the face. If you tense up your face muscles you don’t breathe as deeply as possible. Relax you face and the rest of the body will tend to follow.

Don’t death grip the bar. Only hold the bar as tightly as needed for safety. If you are gripping the bar tightly your arms and shoulders will be contracted, leading to fatigue. Relax your elbows so they can act as shock absorbers.

Tip 2 – Spin Smooth Like Butter

A smooth pedal stroke takes less energy. By focusing on spinning smoothly you will develop less fatigue. The pedal stroke is broken into three parts:

Push Down – You’ve got this part covered since your first trike.

Pull Back – At the bottom of the pedal stroke, pull your foot back like you are wiping mud on your shoe. Dropping your heal a bit at the bottom of the pedal stroke helps facilitate this motion. Pulling back activates the hamstrings and helps your other foot get ready for the next downstroke.

Stab Your Knee To The Bar – Once you’ve finished the pull back, stab your knee to the bar rather than trying to pull up. This will bring the foot up and over the top of the stroke.

When riding, focus on each part of the pedal for 30 seconds at a time. In time you will find yourself linking all three motions together into a smooth, efficient pedal stroke.

When hill climbing your cadence will naturally drop so really focus on the motions as it is easier at a lower cadence.

Tip 3 – Ride With No Hands

Like any skill, you need to work on it. On a smooth open section of road, practice riding with no hands. Initially it may only be for a few seconds at a time but in time you’ll develop the balance to ride long stretches with you hand off the bar safely. The advantage of this is that in addition to improving balance, the practical applications such as being able to take off a jacket, stretch or get food will allow you to keep your average speeds up as you won’t have to stop as often.…

Me and My Pink Bike

I love going to road cycling matches. Being the only girl in the family among five siblings I grew up and was influenced by my father and brother’s passion for cycling. When I was little, while my brother are playing with their bicycles and wearing their road cycling shoes I was watching them while playing house with my doll. Back then I was wondering why they were so happy playing and all. I was curious but I never bothered joining them.

Moreover, every time we go to the mall to buy some clothing, toys, and whatnot we always drop by the cycling shop and my father and brothers would check out the latest cycling shoes. I didn’t mind because we would also drop by the toy shop and mom would let me choose all the girl toys and dress that I want. Going home after shopping is such a joy as we couldn’t resist talking about the stuff mom and dad bought for us. My brothers would tease me and make fun of me.

Thing started to change when I went to junior high school. That time our family relocated to another town because of my dad’s work. We lived in the suburb and the school was just three blocks away from our home. My brothers would just ride their bicycles to go to school. It was then that I asked them if they could teach me how to ride a bike. Doing so, I will be able to go to school without having to rely too much on my dad and brothers, besides, I wasn’t getting any younger. On weekends they would let me use their bikes and mom brought me my own cycling shoes.

The moment I learned how to ride a bike on my own it was very fulfilling. No wonder why my brothers and my dad enjoy road cycling so much. It wasn’t long before I got my own bicycle (and yes, it’s pink). I would join my brothers in their road cycling activity around the area and every time we go to school. All those times, I am wearing my cycling shoes and I just can’t believe how comfortable they are.

My friends in school were also surprised when they saw me joined the local road cycling tournament. I joined the competition with my brothers in my pink road cycling shoes and jersey. It wasn’t a big competition but it allowed me to show what I am capable of in cycling and of course meeting new people.…

Fitness and Training Programs For Distinct Weather Elements

The weather cycle is not to be taken forgranted during a body building program. Rather it should be factored in the program in a way that enhances the gains accrued from such a program.

Weather elements like temperature, rain, humidity and the like are key factors which determine the success of a body building program. If for example you have planned for a jog in the nearby park and the day becomes very chilly or ice layers cover the ground to the brim, you can not continue as planned. It would be foolhardy to go running in the rain all in the name of maintaining a workout schedule. Resultant health concerns and or consequences of such an action would prove more costly than beneficial in the long run.

It’s of no use to keep an appointment written in a body building schedule for one day only to spend the following two weeks in bed with flu. The same is true about sunny days. There are those days when the temperatures are too hot to workout effectively. Extremely high temperatures make the body sweat a lot and even dehydrate if the body builder insists on doing set upon set of demanding exercises without adequately replenishing the lost body water content.

As such high temperatures will require a body builder to adjust the workout program to ensure that exercises are done under a shade, with adequate water supply. The clothes worn during a workout in a hot day will also differ with those worn on a chilly day. If exercises are done indoors, weather elements might not be very relevant except when they go to the extreme. But if the exercises are usually done outdoors, the training program will usually suffer interruptions from the elements and this might actually hinder the gains accrued from such a program.

In another level, the body reacts differently to the weather conditions within the immediate environment. At times, like when it is cold, the body feels very comfortable while undertaking intensive workouts because essentially, that is what it would rather be doing to keep warm. But the opposite happens on hot days. Research has established that, most people miss out on exercises or absentee themselves from the gym during hot afternoon sessions. Body builders should therefore learn about this fact, and allow the body to assume less intensive exercises while the body feels more bored and lazy.

How are all these variations important to a body builder? Their relevance comes in fixing up a training schedule and set up of a routine rota. Exercises can be altered to factor in weather elements and readjusted back to normal once severe weather days have passed. The workout sessions can also be alternated in time of day to ensure that the efficiency of the workout is not compromised. Instead of waiting to go to the gym in very hot temperatures, the body builder can opt to go to the gym the first thing in the morning, when the temperatures are low and cordial.

The idea is to work with not against the weather. Alter the training program to feature distinct weather elements that might compromise the efficiency of the workout.…