Is your seat to high on your bike?

Nope. Bike fit hasn’t changed and is dialed in. Good question though

Not hijack the thread.... but I have noticed a little front knee ache (not pain) after rides. It doesn't effect activity but is aggravated by sitting at my desk for extended periods. I have heard "your seat may be too high" a couple of times. What is the science behind this?

I have been fit to my bike but I think I may lover my seat a bit and do some experimenting

What kind of weekly run mileage have you been doing over the past 6 months. Most running injuries are over use injuries. You might want to take time off running or at the least cut your volume by 50% until your injury is gone. You’re not going to heal by continuing to pound away on it.

How old are your shoes? If you are training for Boston you are in the middle of some big miles. If your shoes are old and in this case were the shoes at the start of this training cycle then I’d consider it’s worn out shoes.

If that’s not the case it sounds like the issue is somewhere above the kneee. I say that because you said it started in the Hamstring. If you are not getting full range of motion your legs will naturally adjust the gait to compensate. Your body wants to stay upright so it will do everything to do that. When it adjusts it stresses the chain and often times that becomes pain in the chain. Triathletes are really susceptible to range of motion problems in the hips. Bike riding is locked in forward motion. Sitting in the car, sitting at a desk are a perfect way to bind the hip region. Then we try to run and in running we need range of motion both front to back but also a moderate amount of twist. Best example is watch elite runners especially women run. You’ll often see their arms swinging side to side. That’s because their hips are twisting so much to generate run power. If you can’t twist your legs will adjust. I see it all the time evaluating triathletes. One solution but not the only solution is the couch stretch. Search You Tube for Kelly Starrett - Couch Stretch. Do it every night before bed and every morning when you wake up.

Obviously I’m reading your words and making some educated evaluations. Running shoes and triathletes struggling with their running is my specialty. I see both often enough that I’m comfortable talking about it. That said you know your body better than anyone. You know what feels tight in the morning. Start there! Also going to see a specialist is a good idea too!

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Dave Jewell
Free Run Speed

Mileage is not increasing It has been at a nice level but not increasing that much.

Just foam roll...

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Too many possibilities to provide any suggestions, so let us know what your doctor says. I have knee pain that just can't get rid of, the answer would be to take a few more weeks off (which is what you'll probably hear). Mine is most likely from overuse, took a couple of weeks off, but not long enough. Had initial swelling and tightness, now just soreness that I can run through for about 3 to 4 miles. My search for a root cause indicated that everyone has a different opinion on sometimes the same issue; including ortho surgeons, PT, chiropractors, trainers, etc. It could be bio mechanics and muscle imbalance, different leg length issues, overuse/stress, shoes, seat height, genetics, and some even suggested diet! What's really scary are the studies on various surgeries and their ineffectiveness. Then there are the professional opinions that say if it doesn't cause debilitating pain then it's ok to continue to run, and others that say stop or you'll do permanent damage.

Where on the inside? If it's at the joint line, they'll tell you it's a meniscus likely.

If it's below and in front I'd look up pes anserine bursitis.You could also look up saphenous nerve glides as well. With both of those stretching the adductors and sartorious are important. One of the hamstrings and adductors wrap around the inside of the knee and attach below the knee cap. It's a common cause of knee pain.

I've had a medial/inside knee pain for quite some time now. The saphenous nerve glides help. Mine feels like it's just above the knee cap on the inside. Slowly getting better, but I've had to be very diligent.

Edit to add: Also what Dave said above about Kelly Starrett and the couch stretch. It helps too.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

Thanks for the response. It almost feels like the Vastus Mediallis is very tight. At one point when I would walk, I felt like my foot/toes wanted to point inward when I walk. Makes me think I was so tight that racing on it was just enough to pull the knee slightly out of alignment. I will try all those stretches.

Does the pain also go below the knee? My gracilis and sartorius were tight due to tight hips and lack of mobility which caused knee pain. I did chiro/acupuncture and it got better over time.

Definitely see a doc! Had pain similar to yours on my right knee (started outside, move towards inside, etc.) and turns out that I had re-torn my surgically repaired ACL sometime during Tri season. Needless to say, wasn't to happy to hear about that. So, now I have the luxury of having my ACL rebuilt for the third time... let's hope third time is the charm!

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In search of the righteous life... we all fall down

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