Cramp or trapped nerves at the top of my legs/buttocks area?

davep1

I haven't experienced this before and wondered if anyone else had? I did a charity ride at Goodwood today for MS (which was a great day out) and started really well. The object was to do 21 laps of the 2.38 mile track and so complete 50 miles in what should have been a 3.25 hr time slot this morning. I'm guessing there were about 300 cyclists there, maybe less.
I had done 10 laps, really pushing myself, and was deciding if I should break next time round or the time after that, when I started to notice a pain at the tops of my legs, just below my butt cheeks. I get this on rides sometimes, but normally 2 hours in, not about 70 mins. I realised that I had hardly been out of the saddle, and maybe had been too fixed in a low aero position, either on the drops or down low on the stem, a bit like an improvised TT position. Maybe I had also been pushing too hard, certainly it was the hardest I have ridden continuously. Within half a lap, it was excrutiating, and I knew I would have to stop at the end of the current lap.
Pulled in to the pits, and getting my leg over the top tube was murder. I couldn't squat, I couldn't even sit in a chair. Eventually I sagged on to the grass and lay on my front, then rolled over and started bending my knees, pulling my feet up to my bum and pushing out gently. Walking also helped. For a time, I thought I would be going home in an ambulance I was that concerned.
I did get back on the bike about 15 mins later and managed 5 or 6 laps but they called time, so had to stop. It still hurts now, 5 hours later, although not as much.
So is this cramp or something else? I have had cramps in my calves before and my feet, but that feels a bit different, and hasn't happened on the bike or after a ride. As I say, I do get the pain to an extent after 2 hours, but moving on the saddle or coming out of it makes it go away. Today, getting out the saddle helped, but not completely.
I have had the shorts for several hundred miles, but I think maybe I wasn't sitting on the padded parts.

davep1

Wow - 66 views and no reply! Er, ta! :?

If it happens to anyone else, I think it was a combination of holding a stretched out position a lot longer than I normally do plus an effort way beyond my usual limit. I posted on a couple of other forums and most think I went way beyond my lactate threshold, which is why it came on much quicker than usual, plus possible strain at the tops of my legs from the effort.

caad8

Does/did stretching your glutes help? I have experienced discomfort in this area on both legs from over-doing it, and found that stretching helped a lot. I would also recommend getting a couple of stretching/foam roller sessions in per week.

Hope this helps

geoffh73

Could be your saddle.
I used to get pain around the same area. Bought a wider saddle and not had a problem since.

Geoff

warreng

Piriformis syndrome? I have this occasionally - the sciatic nerve passes through (or nearby) the piriformis muscle and when that muscle is overactive it can pinch the sciatic nerve. It feels as if the pain is coming from the leg/pelvis socket. There are some stretches (easily found online) that can relieve it straightaway or you can "release" the muscle by sitting on a golf ball or something similar!

iPete

My other half has started running and is having issue with the sciatic nerve.

The simple answer is book yourself in with a doctor.

Incidentally she is going a regime of stretches, foam rollers and the like to strengthen the area. Sure Google can be more specific but a correct diagnosis is most important.

GavH

caad8 wrote:

Does/did stretching your glutes help? I have experienced discomfort in this area on both legs from over-doing it, and found that stretching helped a lot. I would also recommend getting a couple of stretching/foam roller sessions in per week.

Hope this helps

^ This ^ I've had pain in the same area a few times and can mostly trace it to doing something either unusual (ie too many/heavy Squats during a circuit session) or just plain old overuse (ie pushing the distance/speed a bit more than I'm used to). Sounds like you've done something similar. I can normally 'prove' it by standing with my back flat to the wall, heels in against it too and then lifting my knee up, cup it with my hands and feel for the stretch in that area. I don't need hold it too long or overreach too much, just enough to feel the stretch and, more importantly, see if it eases the discomfort. A good stretching session thereafter and some foam rolling (use a wine bottle wrapped in a towel if you haven't a foam roller) will do wonders overnight.