A couple of years ago I started to get into biking and soon developed knee pain. After a while I went to a doctor who diagnosed it as a tendon/ligament problem, not a joint (cartilege) problem. I rested my knee for a month as told but it didn’t seem to get any better so I started riding again, with all the precautions I’d learned about (spin at high cadence, use clipless pedals with free float, correct crank length, etc). The pain went away after a couple of months.
But it came back a few weeks ago, probably as a result of improper and over-use (I came back from a 60 mile ride then proceeded to test ride an unfamiliar and improperly fitted bike for an hour). I rested my kee for a week then started riding at an easy level (5 miles a day or so) and it hasn’t gotten any better.
Now the complication: I’m signed up for Cycle Oregon, a 6-day bike tour that starts in 8 days. I don’t think I can get a doctor’s appointment and hear the results before then. All expenses are already paid and not refundable, including the international airline tickets. It IS a supported tour so I could get a ride on a support vehicle if I need to drop out. Would it be foolish to attempt the tour? Anything I can do to remedy or at least diagnose the problem better?
When’s the cut-off date, if any? If possible, wait a few days, only using your leg normally. If that helps, do one of your prerace exercises and see what happens.
That said, if it bugs you this close to the race, I’d probably just go along for the ride, pass out water and so on, and perhaps tease colleague as I’m riding in the support vehicles. A race is a race, but if you want this to be your last, pushing your body just for one race is a good way to do it. If it was a few weeks away, I’d probably suggest a gentle workup to it, but when you’re talking days, you’re risking your ability to ride altogether, especially if it’s a challenging course.
So, enjoy the trip, have fun, but keep in mind the fact that you’re going to need your legs long past any point when you’re biking competitively.
Thanks for the response. There is no cut-off date - I’ll be taking the trip regardless of whether I’m participating in the tour because I have other places to visit in the US. And Cycle Oregon is not a competitive race, it’s more of an organized group ride like RAGBRAI. I guess I’ll just have fun and not get hung up about finishing the entire route on my own.
I’ve had a bunch of knee problems in my life. Dislocated both of them, my left one twice. I’ve learned three things:
Cartiledge/tendon problems respond positively to calcium and vitamin C. Up your milk and orange consumption. It has seriously worked wonders. I think it has something to do with Vitamin D absorption but don’t quote me.
Knees are more painful when inactive. Gentle stretching of the knee throughout the day can help. NEVER keep it immobilized.
Knee problems can be connected to feet problems. Do you have flat feet? Wear arches and your pain will get much better.