- HOT TOPICS:
- The new VeloNews.com (BETA)
In his effort to get back on his bike, columnist Tom LeCarner has some setbacks.
LeCarner tries out his new riding position; then meets with his physical therapist
Editor's Note: Tom LeCarner, VeloNews' copy editor, is an avid cyclist who has been unable to ride and train for most of 2008 because of knee pain. He is being treated at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine and using Specialized Body Geometry equipment and services at Specialized's expense, and reporting on his progress in regular columns.
At the end of my last visit with Andy Pruitt and Sean Madsen, they gave me specific instructions for my next step in this process: a strict regimen of physical therapy. I was also told to come back to the fit lab once I had accumulated 500 miles in my new riding position. So, out I went.
On my first ride, I rode for about 20 miles, soft-pedaling on flat roads the entire ride. For the most part, I feel pain only when I’m pedaling hard under load, which in Boulder is pretty much all the time. Given that I was riding slowly on mostly flats, I didn’t expect to have any pain. I did, however, begin to feel a little burning, not on the inside of my knee where I typically feel it, but rather on the lateral, or outside of my knee. I was told that this was likely due to the adjustment and my knee not being used to pedaling in this new position.
Indeed, on the second ride, also at a slower pace, the lateral pain was nearly gone. I rode for 25 miles on this outing and felt pretty good. I also did two 45-minute rides on my trainer indoors with very little resistance. On my third ride, however, I pushed it a bit, and also found myself in the face of one of those notorious winds; you know the kind — they’re always a head wind, no matter what direction you go. I felt a pretty decent burning in my knee about 15 miles out, which was half the distance I had slated for that day. I rode home and the knee was hurting as normal; I was a bit discouraged.
What I need to keep in mind, as Pruitt reminded me, is the fact that the new fit is not a “cure-all,” but rather one step in the corrective process. I also need to heal the injury that has been plaguing me all year. That will require a strict adherence to my physical therapy program.
I then went back to BCSM and met with Tami Dick, PT CSCS, who is the author of the Specialized Body Geometry Physical Assessment Manual. The manual is used by Specialized in the training of all dealers that seek to become certified BG fit centers. Tami has been a physical therapist at Boulder Center for Sports Medicine since it opened its doors in 1998, and has raced road and triathlon for six years each. She is also an expert bike fitter, with over 12 years' experience.
As I walked through the physical therapy room at the BCSM, I was met with the chaos that is typical here during the week. There were several therapists working with patients on a variety of different apparatuses, with different injuries; they were all stretching, strengthening, and rehabilitating. Once we found an available room, no small task mind you, I sat down with Tami, who introduced herself and asked me for a recap on my symptoms and injury history as well as what physical therapy methods I tried done previously. She reviewed my chart, my x-ray report, and my fit assessment.
She then did an evaluation of my standing posture, spine alignment, and other physical assessments to determine the proper course of physical therapy. She then had me stand, bend over, and touch my toes (or try to anyway); her reaction was exactly the same as Andy Pruitt’s: “Wow, your hamstrings are really tight.” I’m beginning to see a pattern here.
As she continued her evaluation, she noticed that my pelvis is rotated slightly, favoring my left side, which results in leg-length discrepancy — my left leg slight shorter than my right — which, of course, affects my position on the bike. The condition is correctable and we worked on some adjustment exercises in the examination room, which improved the discrepancy almost immediately.
Tami then began assessing my leg strength and the flexibility of my lower back and glutes. The result was much the same; I need to do some serious stretching — now. After a bit of soft-tissue work on my knee, she gave me a list filled with a host of stretches to perform, as well as instructions for how to use a foam roller for my hamstrings, IT band, and glutes.
I have to work on my pelvic rotation, stretch my hamstrings, glutes, and lower back twice a day, every day if possible. She advised me to continue riding as long as I was not in pain while doing so. Our time was up and we called it a day. Armed with these new exercises and stretches, I will head back out on the road and continue on my path to recovery and, of course, keep you informed as to my progress. Stay tuned.
