Sore Hammies from Aero?

kimmydct · February 1, 2012 8:40PM

I am pretty new to aerobars on my road bike... (I'm in week 5 of OS). I am definitely feeling more soreness in my hammies this year than I have in the past and wondering if the more tri-fit on my bike & aerobars put more emphasis on hamstrings vs. quads? Or perhaps it could be from running more Z4? Not sure, just want to make sure it isn't a problem starting...

rkling · February 1, 2012 9:53PM

Kim:

The short version is that being in the aero position stretches you out, and puts additional stretch not only on the low back, but also the hamstrings. If you are not used to being on aerobars, this could be why your hamstrings are sore. Yes, you can develop hamstring soreness from running hard, but this is typically more due to muscle strength imbalance between the quads and hamstrings.

If you added the usual length aerobars to your previously well-fitting road bike, and didn't change any of the other dimensions, you will be much more stretched out than you were in the previous road position. After all, on the road bike, your hands were on the bars, and now, you are essentially putting your elbows on the bars. Using short aerobars (such as Profile Jammers or similar length bar) helps to alleviate that, but, bottom line, you probably need to be re-fit to your bike if you are going to be using it primarily as a tri-bike with aerobars.

kimmydct · February 2, 2012 8:11AM

@ Richard- Thanks so much for the feedback. I did have a re-fitting when they added the aerobars, so technically I shold be good to go. I do believe my hamstrings were a bit weak in comparison to my quads so that is probably a factor. I will consider a tweak to the fit though.

In terms of having good legs for the run following the bike, should you be emphasizing your quads or hamstrings on the bike?

rkling · February 2, 2012 2:09PM

@ Kim- The majority of us have much stronger quads than hamstrings (the major reason that people pull hamstrings more frequently than quads). The problem with thinking about emphasizing a muscle group is that it focuses your attention away from the goal which is to move you the quickest from Point A to Point B. I've never found that the image of "pedaling in circles" works well for smoothing out my pedal stroke, Rather, I think of it more in an oval from front to back. This helps me to use all the muscles, as I think of pulling back, and pushing over the top, rather than pushing down. What I find by doing this is that, while all my muscles get involved more, I don't seem to have as much fatigue in one particular group, so I feel less fatigued. I have never tried any other way, so I can't say that it works better, but it has worked for me. You have to use what works best for you, but trying to stay smooth rather than hammer on the bike is what helps me keep my legs fresher.

Coach Rich · February 2, 2012 3:04PM

Kim,

Richard has some great points.

You may want to consider lowering your saddle bit to free up some slack in your hamstrings. I'm extremely tight, especially on my right side. My saddle height on the tri bike is a little lower than on the road bike, and also have my saddle slammed all the way forward which opens up my hips a bit and places a bit less strain on my hamstrings. Short answer, for me, I drop my saddle a bit and slam it forward, allowing me to get into a very low but comfortable riding position despite a lack of flexibility.

Beth_S · February 2, 2012 3:16PM

Yup. This could be a lot of things -- can you post bike fit video for us?

As a person who has her core muscles in reform school right now (especially that lazy left hamstring) and has been seriously thinking about pedaling technique, etc.

Are you doing any core/strength work? My new theory is that all female triathletes and probably all triathletes need to be doing core work. Zero exceptions. The upper body, learning how to brace, breath, and making sure the hips are functioning properly is worth the work.
What is your average cadence? Are you mashing? If so, concentrating on getting your cadence up might help.
How is your balance on your bike? You might also want to look at that.Are you a calm, zen pedaler while doing V02 work, or are you gripping your aerobars for dear life and strength?
For ways to accomplish the last two, I have been loving the Pose Triathlon Method book.

kimmydct · February 3, 2012 8:27AM

@Rich- Thanks! I was thinking a bit forward might work better.

@BEth- Yes, I def. need to work on core. It always gets dropped to the bottom of the priority list in trying to fit in the bike/run wkos. What exactly would i need to do in terms of a video to post?

Beth_S · February 3, 2012 11:14AM

-video -- just post something to YouTube and link here with views of your in aero, from the front, both sides, pedaling slowly and more quickly.

kimmydct · February 4, 2012 1:21PM

Hope this is good enough to get an idea of fit.... Comments welcome on fit, and anything else!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5GNYwbMB7s&feature=youtu.be

Beth_S · February 4, 2012 5:20PM

Hm. I'm not great at road bike assessment, but You look a little crunched on your bike to me. (So other smart peeps report in and help me out, please)

But try out these two things:
a) try rotating yourself a bit forward when you are in your aero bars and think about balancing yourself between elbows and the point where hips touch the saddle -- this may involve less "sitting" and more hip balancing on saddle and your arms may be a more perpendicular to your bars.

b) try dropping your heel a bit when pedaling.

Do either of these things do anything for you?