Tri Race pains, I need some help

spider2266

I have just taken part in my second Tri and when I finished the cycling I had a serously sore back side. Now I don't mean from being in the saddle to long this was a muscle ache at the top of my legs (at the back) and under my backside. It was painfull and took lots of strange stretching to allow me to walk once I had finished and I was wondering what sort of stretch I could before I start to stop this happening again.

Thanks in advance from Mr Novice.

Bronzie

Sounds like tight glutes to me (that's arse cheeks to you sir).

Best to stretch after a gentle warmup. Sit on the floor, one leg straight out, cross the other leg over so you foot is on the other side of the knee of the straight leg. Use you hand to push the elevated knee further over the straight leg towards the floor until you feel the stretch in your backside. Hold for 10 secs. Repeat for the other leg. Do this twice.

Need to get used to riding in the aero tuck as well. Some stretching of the muscles in the lower back will help this. I often have this sort of pain when I first ride low-pro bike for the first few times each season, but it does ease up.

AndyGates

The aero position requires a bit more flexibility and it uses your glute muscles a lot more (and your quad muscles a lot less - sparing them for the run).

What I had to do was make a point of stretching after every ride, and just to put the time in on the aero bars until I had developed the specific glute strength to power the bike that way.