Can't get past mile 15 (Leg Cramps)

lou_b_83

lou_b_83

New Member
The problem:
I have been riding for a few years now. Road rides I can get to 90 miles. Easy mountain I can get to around 30 miles. But If I'm in Ringwood or Wayway I hit the wall hard. Down by my knee on the inside that piece of muscle cramps BAD :cry: . It will lock up my leg if I don't stop moving. After that I am stuck to rolling down hills and moving very slow over flats. Any up hill will kill me.

The Question:
I have tried a lot of the "of the shelf" stuff. They just don't work for me. Do any of you have any tricks that you use? I have read a few that I might try. Like eating Tums Dual Action. I have also found some new pills. If any of you have ever tried any of these let me know if they help.

Saltstick Caps - http://www.saltstick.com/products/sscaps/cfeatures.htm
Thermotabs - http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=149791&catid=184256&aid=338666&aparam=goobase_filler

Also of just trying to take pills from the vitamin shop. Like Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium, and Vitamin D.
I eat well. Not the healthiest person but I stay away from fast food, chips and soda.

I want to ride without the fear of cramping. Thanks for any info.
 
You may need to do some stretching. Cramps occur for several reasons: fatigue, lack of fluids, lack of minerals (potassium, calcium and magnesium) and poor flexibility. The fact that you are doing longer rides indicates it may be a power related thing - hence I would look at flexibility. Your leg muscles work with and against each other. A cramp in your quad may be due to poor hamstring flexibility, since it works overtime to stretch the muscle out.

I have to stretch a LOT since I have gotten older - FWIW.
 
I do yoga 2 times a week. I'm not a rubber band but I can touch my feet. I have read that stretching before the ride helps but I haven't had luck with it. I my try stretching for a longer time.:hmmm:

I want to add to my might try list
CMZ supplements - I got a tip from a muscle head down my road. If you use these with good result please post up.
 
I think you need to push yourself harder on a more regular basis. I think your body just isn't used to these hard efforts and it reacts this way. It's possible your body just doesn't like to be pushed beyond a certain point and the best you'll ever do is control them to some point but never stop them.
 
Is it possible that bike fit is an issue? 90 miles on the road vs 15 miles off-road seems like a huge disparity. Maybe your mountain bike is setup poorly and your muscles aren't reacting well to it.
 
Bike fit by Cycle Craft. Feels OK. Maybe because my roadie is 12 lbs and my mountain is 38.
No injury that I remember. I did a lot of sports in school. But nothing that put me on the bench.
 
Lol. I did the 29er thing. Its not for me. So no one else cramps here. :what: I went out and got some stuff. We will see.
 
Norm said:
I think you need to push yourself harder on a more regular basis. I think your body just isn't used to these hard efforts and it reacts this way. It's possible your body just doesn't like to be pushed beyond a certain point and the best you'll ever do is control them to some point but never stop them.
Click to expand...

Probably this ...

The rest of what you've described seems to indicate that you don't have any specific deficiency (assuming your health is normal.) It is possible you've got some other metabolic stuff going on -- I was having similar issues in big miles races and found out that I do have a metabolic thing going on that makes me very inefficient. But that only becomes a factor for me in much longer efforts. Basically, at really long efforts like 100 miles or so, my body gets to a point where I just can't keep up with its nutrition needs anymore without making my stomach sick. But that occurs around mile 80 or so for in NUE races. You may have a more extreme version of the same thing going on, and if you suspect that, go see a doctor because there may be dietary changes that could help you. But if you don't think that's it, then it's probably more along the lines of what Norm said -- get better used to suffering and then start stacking more miles.
 
Waywayanda is a bitch once you get over 20 miles, rocky bs. Try more electrolytes, cramping is normally hydration, I think. I don't know how some of you guys do the bearscat 50. That 2nd lap is just pure pain.
 
lou_b_83 said:
The problem:
I have been riding for a few years now. Road rides I can get to 90 miles. Easy mountain I can get to around 30 miles. But If I'm in Ringwood or Wayway I hit the wall hard. Down by my knee on the inside that piece of muscle cramps BAD :cry: . It will lock up my leg if I don't stop moving. After that I am stuck to rolling down hills and moving very slow over flats. Any up hill will kill me.

The Question:
I have tried a lot of the "of the shelf" stuff. They just don't work for me. Do any of you have any tricks that you use? I have read a few that I might try. Like eating Tums Dual Action. I have also found some new pills. If any of you have ever tried any of these let me know if they help.

Saltstick Caps - http://www.saltstick.com/products/sscaps/cfeatures.htm
Thermotabs - http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=149791&catid=184256&aid=338666&aparam=goobase_filler

Also of just trying to take pills from the vitamin shop. Like Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium, and Vitamin D.
I eat well. Not the healthiest person but I stay away from fast food, chips and soda.

I want to ride without the fear of cramping. Thanks for any info.
Click to expand...

Are you sure it's your quad cramping (muscle) and not your iliotibial band tightening/irritation? That will cause pain on the outside of your knee and can feel like the muscle is cramping. I say this because I'm feeling it right now after a trail run - hit me ~ mile 5 ( slipping and sliding and alot of uphill climbing probably contributed to it, and also my first non-treadmill run in over a month). If so, lots of stretching are the ticket. If it is muscular, you might want to try eating a banana or two before your ride.

http://progressivephysicaltherapyinc.blogspot.com/2012/09/iliotibial-band-syndrome.html
 
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Rocket powered funny car here - I've tried everything and come to the conclusion it's just me. I keep training and have been getting better but still not able to complete a MTB race without rolling out in a ball of cramps.

That's why I race cross 😀

Maybe its just an efficiency issue. On the road your smooth pedaling and last a long time but on the MTB your not as efficient and strain your muscles? If all else fails do sprints son!
 
Try this. Also make sure you are getting enough electrolytes. Hammer Endurolytes help on longer rides. Still working on nutrition for the Endurance races and how to not cramp up at Bearscat this yr
 

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