Fitness Exercise Question

[gstallons]

Your professional skills are showing . 

[Chuck]

Thanks, Docc.. Dorcia says thanks to you *and* the Guzzi family.

[LowRyter]

After three days of Vit B complex it's a very good placebo and makes my urine radioactive.   I honestly have felt stronger, been a little busier and have had an easier time at the gym.  It might be vitamin related.  Or in my mind....

My legs are sore  today after 30 toe taps max at 65 degree angle each leg (3 groups of ten).  Too early to know if my riding endurance will be improved.  I think I'm too sore to ride to Kansas for calf fries considering the muggy heat and the virus lurking.  But tomorrow is a new day, who knows? 

[Chuck]

Quote

the virus lurking

There *is* that. I'm afraid that people aren't taking it seriously enough.. certainly not here in flyover country, although our governor has done pretty well. I guess *all* politicians don't suck.. even though I may not agree with his politics, he at least seems to have a brain and has been pretty cautious.

[LowRyter]

The virus prevention is a complete joke here.  Maybe 10% are wearing masks, bars are open.  I haven't eaten in a restaurant since it started, no haircut either.  I like my barber but..... 

I do go to the gym, it's been about 20% full.  Go to the store (grocery, hardware, liquor, motorcycle, auto parts), that's where I see folks don't wear masks.  So I ride.   Seen my mom once.  My sons come over for Sunday dinner and we are distancing.  

If I get it, man at least no one can say I didn't take it seriously. 

I am working with the county health about being a volunteer contact tracer.  But if we get no support from "authority", it will be too little too late.   I won't be a patsy or whitewash for these clowns.

I'd like to see those guys in Kansas.  Even though I know a few don't care about the virus.  

[Rox Lemans]

Nice to see I'm not the only bugger falling apart. 🤣

With the V11s that works wonders is customizing the seat. Stock seat. Narrowing the front part of the saddle where the bottom of your thighs hit does help with your hips. I did it to both my seats. They just take a little off. Plushing the rear suspension just a little helps too and for me hasn't affected handling. A proper tune? 

It took me years to tune my Lemans to make it an all day rider. It can be done. 

[ScuRoo]

13 minutes ago, Rox Lemans said:

A proper tune? 

It took me years to tune my Lemans to make it an all day rider. It can be done. 

That’s quite an interesting snippet there RL... are you indicating some sort of ‘finesse’ beyond the standardised Decent T/Up?

‘It can be done.’

So what tune changes made the all day  rider difference for you...?

[Rox Lemans]

12 hours ago, ScuRoo said:

That’s quite an interesting snippet there RL... are you indicating some sort of ‘finesse’ beyond the standardised Decent T/Up?

‘It can be done.’

So what tune changes made the all day  rider difference for you...?

What I mean is a proper suspension setup. If the bike isn't sending the tremors up into your spine. My Lemans I had the suspension rebuilt and resprung for my weight. Did wonders. Shaved some foam in the saddle as well. Worked for me. 

[velofish]

On 6/23/2020 at 10:43 PM, LowRyter said:

So, would the stretching machine exercises help my legs riding the the Sport?  I have ridden the bike from OKC to North Carolina.  But my hammies and knees get a little tired where I can only go for an hour or so.  I rode my Ducati for a 100+ today.   I was able to keep it off the interstate and move around on it.  And feel good.  I did the stretching machine Monday.

BTW- 36 years past thirty.  Watching those gals doing yoga, that looks too hard for me.  That is too serious on another level.   (I think those classes  are cancelled for COVID.)

Thanks  for your advice.

I do think the stretching machine will help, John.   Remember, no bouncing.  Long term, low load works.  Stretch and hold it for 30 to 60 seconds.  Stretch too aggressively and you will actually lose range of motion.   My girlfriend is a yoga devotee and tells me that instructors can and do tailor exercises to folks who need gentler stretches.  I've even seen "Beer yoga" classes.    As a  good PT (They're out there just not common) told me:  "movement cures all ills".  That can be modified to stretching cures a hell of a lot of ills in us old fucks.

 

I'm the king of the "do as I say, not as I do" club.   I used to limit rides on the V11 Sport to 500 miles.  Nowadays, that's down to 150 or less.

[LowRyter]

I thought I'd provide a follow up.  The leg stretches have worked well.  Instead of frequent charlie horses, I may get one a week and can usually stretch it while lying down.  The B12 didn't seem to help.  So I have good days and slow days working out.  

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I've also gotten a few more aches and pains.  Right achilles, Right Hip, back and left thumb.  Since a riding buddy is a physical therapist, he did a couple of checks, told me to get an xray on the hip (which barely hurts BTW, only a slight "tinge" on occasion).  Well, that lead me down a rabbit hole.  

The therapy for the hip, and achilles is pretty easy, can't tell if it's helping much but neither hurt much in the first place.  But the Xray revealed some type of lesion that lead to an MRI.  After the MRI, I get a referral to a surgeon!  Now, I am really sweating it for a couple of weeks, thinking I might have a tumor.  My GP says that the surgeon removes lots of benign growths- I don't find that answer comforting at all.  

OK, so I finally see the surgeon.  She said I'm fine.  I have an old injury that broke off a piece of bone and muscle about an inch and half long.  Wheeeew!

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In so far as my thumb. That was nagging me the most.  My PT riding buddy had me go to another PT.   She made a custom "splint" for me.  Gave me several hand exercises.  It's helped a lot but still can nag me at odd times.  BTW- DON'T squeeze a ball if you have thumb pain.

 

[Lucky Phil]

Good to hear your hip is an old injury and not something more serious. As a general statement I'm amazed at people going in for joint replacements, esp knees and hips when they are carrying obvious extra body weight. I sat in wonder at a work function a while ago and listened to two work colleagues discussing their knees and the need of having the joints replaced and noted both were carrying around 15-20kg (around 45lbs) of extra body weight they didn't need. So every time you take a step you briefly carry full body weight on all the joints in one leg. Go and pick up 20kg and note the extra weight plus the impact effect and imagine the extra load on the leg joints when that extra weight is applied 5 or 6 thousand steps a day. I sat there thinking, before I wasted time and energy wondering about whether or not various foods like Tomato's etc made your knees feel worse and dreading knee replacements I'd try dropping 20 or so KG and see how your leg joints feel first before having expensive and invasive operations. Even the side affects of old injuries can be mitigated by keeping weight under control and lessening the stress on an injured joint. My wife recently had a hip replaced but that was due to damage caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis and running combined so I'm aware of those considerations. 

It's just food for thought is all I'm saying.

Ciao

  

[po18guy]

8 hours ago, LowRyter said:

I thought I'd provide a follow up.  The leg stretches have worked well.  Instead of frequent charlie horses, I may get one a week and can usually stretch it while lying down.  The B12 didn't seem to help.  So I have good days and slow days working out.  

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I've also gotten a few more aches and pains.  Right achilles, Right Hip, back and left thumb.  Since a riding buddy is a physical therapist, he did a couple of checks, told me to get an xray on the hip (which barely hurts BTW, only a slight "tinge" on occasion).  Well, that lead me down a rabbit hole.  

The therapy for the hip, and achilles is pretty easy, can't tell if it's helping much but neither hurt much in the first place.  But the Xray revealed some type of lesion that lead to an MRI.  After the MRI, I get a referral to a surgeon!  Now, I am really sweating it for a couple of weeks, thinking I might have a tumor.  My GP says that the surgeon removes lots of benign growths- I don't find that answer comforting at all.  

OK, so I finally see the surgeon.  She said I'm fine.  I have an old injury that broke off a piece of bone and muscle about an inch and half long.  Wheeeew!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In so far as my thumb. That was nagging me the most.  My PT riding buddy had me go to another PT.   She made a custom "splint" for me.  Gave me several hand exercises.  It's helped a lot but still can nag me at odd times.  BTW- DON'T squeeze a ball if you have thumb pain.

 

Thumb: Have you changed the angle on your bars (if possible)? I have found that some bars which are not angled back sufficiently place a lot of stress on your thumb and the web between hand and thumb. Numbness and the inevitable pain result. The same with bars which are angled down too steeply. Think of holding two separate straight bars, one in each hand, then closing your eyes and placing them where your hands would like to be. If the angle where your hands would like to be does not match where your bars are, some adjustable bars might be just the thing.

[ScuRoo]

...as per Jarno assume your ideal intended position!😆

 

[LowRyter]

9 hours ago, po18guy said:

Thumb: Have you changed the angle on your bars (if possible)? I have found that some bars which are not angled back sufficiently place a lot of stress on your thumb and the web between hand and thumb. Numbness and the inevitable pain result. The same with bars which are angled down too steeply. Think of holding two separate straight bars, one in each hand, then closing your eyes and placing them where your hands would like to be. If the angle where your hands would like to be does not match where your bars are, some adjustable bars might be just the thing.

My issue isn't so much when I ride.  Only sometimes when I use the turn signal.   Instead, I've just worn down the saddle bone at thumb joint.  She's given me exercises and thumb supports that should strengthen the joint and help the saddle bone get back into place.  It's helped quite a bit.   

She mentioned that it actually makes sense not to over do it.  The amount of pressure on your fingers gets multiplied 10 fold at the joints.  So all the macho stuff, opening every bottle cap and twisting every hard to open jar will eventually cause the joints to wear.  I was always the go-to person to open stuff with my hands.   Don't do it, get an opener and save your hands.  There's a reason it's my left thumb, that's the one I twist with. 

I'd say I'm 60% better just after a couple of weeks.

It's been strange, I've gotten these aches and pains in the last few months.  There is arthritis in my family, so I've always been a little aware to get proactive.  No need to let it linger if all you need is some special stretching or a few minutes of special exercise.   Just don't just reply on the internet, you might do something that may make it worse.  See a professional PT, and follow up, the PT might have to change it up for the same reason. 

[LowRyter]

Speaking of hurting did you Quartararo at the Moto GP yesterday?  He was leading the race going away and then faded to 13th during the last few laps.   All due to arm pump.