Hi, all. I just did my first half yesterday and it went well except for the run. I had pretty bad pain in my erectors during the middle of the run that forced me to walk a lot. The thing is I’ve never experienced this before while running.
I searched about this and didn’t find anything but my guess is it stemmed from neck pain during the ride from being in aero? This was the longest I’d been in aero and my neck/traps were killing me by the end of the ride. Could this have worked it’s way down to my back during the run? Anyone else experienced this before? I’m looking for a way to prevent this in the future and improve my performance and experience.
I think there could be several potential things causing your pain. First, is your position on the bike optimal for you? If you haven’t been fitted for your bike at a shop, I would recommend it. Are your running shoes in good shape? Worn shoes, especially when one is running tired like in a tri, can cause a myriad of issues. Have you done some brick workouts? It may be a case of muscles coming into play when you are running tired that aren’t normally used otherwise. I have a plate a 4 screws holding it in my neck and I cannot stay in the aero position for very long at all without severe neck and shoulder pain. But that has never worked its way down into my erectors. Sounds most like a bit position issue to me, though.
Hmm. Well, I did have a fitting back in March, my shoes are new but broken in, and most of my workouts are bricks because of time constraints. But I’ve never ridden in aero that long before because I ride with roadies and can’t use my aerobics. So, maybe a not spending enough time getting used to the fit and/or aero?
That could very well be the answer. Perhaps some strengthening exercises targeting the lower back along with more riding in the aero position is the solution. Maybe try spending intermittent periods out of the aero position before the erectors start screaming at you as a more gradual approach to acclimating your body to the position.
I remember doing an Olympic where this happened to me off the bike. Lower back tightened up bad. I played with my bike fit and realized I was in too aggressive of an aero position. It was just too tough on my shoulders and back and impacted my run. I no longer ride too aero. In fact, I put 40mm risers on my bars. Helped a bunch. I might not look as cool but man, I feel much better.
FWIW I get a lot of massage therapy and ART done, they always talk about my psoas being tight. That could cause a posterior pelvic tilt causing your back to strain in an attempt to pull the hips back in balance.
I notice it a lot more when I ride aero for extended periods of time.
Oh, that’s interesting. My back has definitely been tighter since I haven’t been stretching as much as I used to. I try to focus on rotating my hips forward while running but you may well be onto something. Along with the things above, I bet that’s the culprit.
" But I’ve never ridden in aero that long before because I ride with roadies and can’t use my aerobics. So, maybe a not spending enough time getting used to the fit and/or aero? "
Bingo! Do LOTS of long solo rides staying on the aero bars with a short brick run following.
Here’s a good article from Jay Dicharry. Spend time on the first stretch-kneeling hip-flexor, he told me if I only did one stretch…make that one it! http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-recovery/p-is-for-posture
Another one is to get on a table, slide down so that it feels like you’re going to fall off. Put an ankle weight on one leg and let it dangle down while you hug your other leg to your chest. Don’t let your hips rotate and the small of your back lift off the table though.
I deal with back issues also and all of these posts are very informative and a few that I will try. A few things that I’ve used to help is reducing my stride and increasing my cadence at the beginning of the running until I get my back loose. I also take a ziploc Baggie with me and fill with ice at an aid station them put it in my back shirt pockets - it gives me immediate relief.
Tight muscles need to be released. Stretching will help somewhat, but in my experience massage is the best way to release tight muscles. Pay a pro if it makes you feel better, but that will become expensive fast. You can do it yourself with a few torture toys - firm knobby roller for the big open spaces, lacrosse ball for the tight/hard to reach/deep areas (like the spinal erectors). Go hard and as often as necessary. Don’t stop when the symptoms disappear - it’s good preventive maintenance.