The Heckle Report

i remember woodbridge being such a bad area, my buddies car got jacked from that parking lot, M's uncle was a cop in that area and always had the down low on all the gang related stuff
 
Gloucester 2017 UCI C2
I've been lucky to only experience cross back a few times in my 100+ race career up to this point, however out of nowhere the last 2 weekends I've been plagued with a debilitating pain which really starts to kick in bad around 35 minutes with ~42-44 minutes about my threshold for being able to even try to pedal hard.

I made it 53 minutes last saturday in Baltimore and almost had tears in my eyes riding off course as I was pulled. Sunday was just as bad but at around 42 minutes of racing.

Saturday in Gloucester was really painful. I made is 44 minutes but was pretty laid up my last lap.

Sunday I moved my bars up 5mm and actively tried to stay in spinny gears which did help for maybe a 30% improvement in pain.

I was A-OK at Whirly and Nittany and put out solid numbers for myself.

I've been barely stretching or doing any amount of core work. I'me sure that doesn't help. I'm going to swap back to my 100mm stem to try and get a little more upright.

TIPS APPRECIATED.
This is becoming an issue that has honestly made me look at CX this year and ask myself "is it worth it?" I'm ready to pull the plug early strictly because I'm not enjoying myself on the bike. I like suffering while racing but not like this.

SOS

Send help.

or a new back.

Pix.
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I've been barely stretching or doing any amount of core work. I'me sure that doesn't help.
This. I get back pain after almost every ride. Core strength is the remedy, but who wants to do work outs that don't involve riding a bike, right!? I need to get myself into some kind of daily core thing like planks before bed. Maybe a really good stretching session before and after would help? Or fish oil?
 
Y'all need some yoga. Recovery day workout, core strength, and stretching all in one.
There's actually a studio a walk away from me. My gf and I go occasionally, and not for a few months now, but I'd like to make it more of a regular thing.
 
I'm ready to pull the plug early
Don't do that man. A friend of mine is a physical therapist in Morristown at Atlantic Health System, Joe Campolattano. He's a triathlete and I'm pretty sure does orthopedic PT. He can do some manual muscle testing on you to figure out exactly where you're weak, tight, etc then come up with a plan. Give them a call.

Even in those first 30 minutes of racing when you're feeling good, that back of yours is probably sapping 30% of your power. So your ROI on the cost of PT in terms of power gains is probably well worth it.
 
wait, is that billy blanks?

maybe you're just getting old?
Mids 20's don't have to do anything to be competitive is already wearing off? Man, feel bad for you.

My only advice is beware of doing planks or any core work with poor form as it ill do more bad than good.
 
The CX Season that ended early.

I've been lucky the previous 4 years to somehow completely get away with training all year mostly uninterrupted and race 20+ race CX seasons. Truly lucky.

End of September my buddy who owns the house I was living in got married and the wifey moved in which was the end of my ride. We agreed on January after CX for my move out which got moved all the way up to last Thursday.

We only had the talk mid September about me moving out. I was looking for a place to move in with Maureen and had a couple leads which didn’t work out at the time since her long term sub contract was ending mid November and she was yet to find another gig. She didn’t want to burden me with rent. Her current apt is in a building owned by her parents and they vetoed my move in. lol.

WHAT TO DO? Well, I could craigslist rando and keep not saving money or move back in with my parents. Woof.

SO, I’m back in Watchung which I’m not really thrilled about. I paid off my student loans the afternoon I moved in which is rad BUT since my move out date was moved up so far I was unable to prepare my new living space which is known as “The Office,” read “dumping ground of everything since 1996.” I’m in my old room which has been re-done into the guest room surrounded by my boxes with pictures hanging on the walls that aren’t mine.

This all has me in a really really weird place. I actually worked through my back and knee issues between Gloucester and DC and was feeling very positive about racing leaving there. Then the move happened, I showed up to HPCX without really riding at all the week before and felt like shit. I didn’t stretch once all week, my bike felt foreign and the idea of racing pain sent me home with a DNS.

A refocus of energy
I’ve been cleaning like a madman at my parents. Monday on my birthday I wired in 3 new lights in the attic, Tuesday I picked up 6 sheets of plywood and laid down 192 sq-ft of additional storage space in the attic. Yesterday I got my mom up there with me and started moving shit around/pulling out stuff to trash and donate. I think one more solid evening (maybe 2) and the attic will be ready to take new boxes of stuff from the office.

I really want to ride my bike but have basically been feeling too down to even want to find all my gear and throw my leg over the saddle. I have the same feelings now that I had late season last year when I was forcing myself on the bike for my CX workouts on Wednesdays which tore me apart. I know if I force it now I’ll likely ruin interest for the future. So for now, bikes are on hold.

My silver lining as been that I’ve really been enjoying the handyman work. I enjoy electrical wiring and generally working with my hands and flexing my tool box. My Makita drill/impact set was the star of the plywood attic project. Even got to pick up a new impact bit set.

Other slated projects include building shelving for the garage and basement, building a shed and numerous other small projects in the realm of replacing outlets/switches and replacing cabinet hinges. I may not be paying rent, but I’m definitely working my ass off.
 
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