Tuesday, June 22, 2010

What to do while sick or injured...

I think I am almost ready to write a book on this topic.  As a few of my friends recently pointed out, I have probably had more time off the bike so far this year than on it, but oh well.  While I am sidelined with bronchitis yet again, I have tried to be productive with my time... and learned a few things along the way...
(1) keep getting regular massages even when not in "full" training.  I guess I thought if I am not training hard, what's the point?  However, as recently explained to me by my 'fairy godmother' massage therapist Jason, when we train we are often so "superficially" sore that is hard to get to the "deeper" areas that are also causing problems.  So when we are actually in a rest block, or not able to train as hard (eg. sick or injured), the massages at this time are often more helpful because they can actually "get down to" those deeper areas.
(2) get a "proper" bike fit done.  Although I have been "set-up" on my various bikes (road and mtb) by a number of different friends, I have never 'bothered' to get myself actually "fitted" on my road bike so that it allows me to ride at my most efficient.  I am also lucky that I am quite flexible, and I can honestly change my bike set-up quite a bit without really 'noticing' that anything has been changed; and often will not experience any pain.  So I thought I should finally do the right thing and get fitted.  Was it worthwhile?  Absolutely. 

I went to see Nick Formosa at Cadence Cycling, since he has access to the Retul Fit System.  Without going into too much detail... via some 3D imaging techniques, Retul allows the experienced bike fitter to see how a rider's body reacts and interacts while in motion. 

The end result is that the rider will have a "true" fit to the bike, maximizing efficiency and performance while avoiding discomfort or injury.  Even now, only two weeks since the fitting, I can feel that my pedalling is definitely much more efficient, and even though I never had any 'pain' as such, I am (surprisingly) a lot more comfortable on my bike.  Nick will probably need to make a few more adjustments in the future, since things continue to change with time (as fitness and flexibility also change), but I am really pleased I took the time to have the fitting done!