Transcontinental Race No. 7 - TCR7 - #TCRN07 - 2019

Thanks Frank! Sorry it happened to you too. Going to look at lots of different things to attempt to remedy it. Have you felt any neck discomfort in your post TCR riding?

A little.

I stopped before mine got at all bad. I didn't have pain when I was riding, just the muscle weakness. My neck was a bit tender to the touch for up to a week after I stopped.

I then did 100km the following week and it was a bit sore for the last half. But then I have had neck pain when I've cycled 2-3 hours + for the past 5 years, so it may just be normal stuff, but it felt a bit worse. And similar on a couple of trips into town last week.

But over the bank holiday I did a few hours with no issues. Different bike, and lots of breaks, plus hot weather which helps, so can't be sure.

How about you - has it settled down?

@hippy @samuli and other finishers - how was the party?
Was Brest as good a finish location as we expected it would be?

Tim allen @Soigneur (London bike fitter) wrote his Masters thesis on oval chain ring adaptation. I think he said oval chain rings favour the use of the biggest bit of the quad muscle. However, you need 3 months to gradually adapt. Look at Wiggo in the Giro. He chose to move from
oval rings back to round rings a month before the Giro and pulled out with knee pain. Likely overuse of the muscles that had not had time to strengthen again. You start moving the patella as you strengthen different parts of the quads.

I’d guess Bob_Thod has a muscle balance that’s more suited to oval rings.

I still have quite a bit of stiffness and discomfort when I ride. Will take it quite easy on bike for next week or so to see how much better it is after that.

Reminder trackers need to be back this week

If it's still sore, I would just not ride for a while until it settles down.

How was yours - was it sudden or gradual? And did you try to ride on after it had set in? Mine was gradual, over about two days.

After what was to be my last day of riding, I did a quick bit of googling before I went to sleep, to see if there was anything that would help, like a long night's sleep, self-massage with Ibuprofen gel, or whatever. I saw this site from TABR.
https://felixwong.com/2015/08/my-experience-with-shermers-neck/

His symptoms were exactly like mine and he had done exactly the same things, like riding on the pads, as I had done on the final evening. Then I read the bit where he says a good night's sleep in a hotel won't fix it - and decided that I would scratch the next morning. I didn't want to cause longer term issues by riding on, as Felix W had done. If I hadn't finished TCR already, I might have tried to push on.

Mine was sudden. I had had a pretty good day in Serbia and it came on quickly as I went into Croatia. I read Felix's blog again last night. He continued for some time when he couldn't actually see the road, something I wouldn't consider. I did try to ride after it had set in, but found it got worse and I had to take a brief break after even less than a km so it was clear then that I couldn't have continued.

Makes sense to try them on the commute first, then a couple of local rides to get confident in them.

Yeah, that's what I do with any component changes.

I ride flat pedals on my fixed pub bike already. I just won't be able to kick the pedals around as nicely with a freewheel.

I guess the pressure distribution will depend on what shoes I end up using. I've looked online at a bunch and still don't really have anything I like the look of.

Confirmed? Really? Maybe they locked in a deal with Burgas council for a few years of starts?

Weirdly I had no neck issues during the race but now, doing bugger all riding, I keep waking up with a sore neck. Neck superDOMS. :S

I was only at Brest for Sat/Sun morning, train back Sunday and was back in the office for work, Monday. I hated the finish but that was mostly due to the ridiculous weather. Couldn't care less about the actual finish. There was a cool vibe at the hostel but it wasn't as cool as the pub, obvs.

Confirmed? Really? Maybe they locked in a deal with Burgas council for a few years of starts?

I'm not sure if they would actually sign anything long term but, chatting to Anna before the briefing, she said that she was pleased with it and, barring disasters, she expected to come back next year.

I don't think the Bulgarian police car putting down the hammer at the start qualified as a disaster. At least not for Anna as she had a car, it was a bit tough for the rest of us (I actually sat on your wheel for most of it as it seemed to be the safest / sheltered place after a german guy almost took me out by lurching to the side - so thanks for the (legal) tow!). And they seemed pleased with how the start parcours had broken things up - although I saw a bit of group riding up to and at CP1.

So you missed the party as well? I expect it was fairly small. Maybe they will go back to Saturday night party next year.

I bet you were productive on the Monday. But even if you can't be productive, then be present!

That's easily fixed - abandon your bed and go and sleep in the garden on some bubble wrap.

come back next year.

Yeah, but for the start or the finish?

Don't worry, you're not the first person to compliment my towing 'gift'. :)

I had already done much of the email catching up on the train back so although lots of people told me how tired I looked, I did get some actual work done. Luckily I had a small project to work on that I'd done once before for another site and documented really well - so I could just follow my own instructions without having to do much actual thinking.

hehe yeah well I've tried making myself less comfortable by ditching a pillow but it didn't seem to make any difference. Next step, lying in the garden...

Start

Bugger.

It was pretty small but nice. On the terrace of the restaurant next door, a couple of speeches, stories from the road, preview of the coming TCR movie playing on a loop on a TV, forgot to watch it. Food and beer was available to buy. Lots of storytelling with others on the long table. Could have been anywhere. But the hostel that was the finish was really nice, many of the finishers stayed there, the finishers arrived there in the middle of everybody hanging around so there was lots of people to welcome you. The building itself was nice and interesting, different kind of spaces both indoor and outdoor. Shovers were kind of spartan though. And the city center and shops were about 5 boring km away.

I’d guess Bob_Thod has a muscle balance that’s more suited to oval rings.

Correct, or from the other perspective, a muscle imbalance where the oval provides some compensation.

My issues stem from trauma caused by injuries and not taking the recovery therapy seriously. Decades ago the chain snapped while climbing out of saddle. On the power stroke the pedal came round and snapped the fibula on the opposite leg. Years later add a couple 2nd degree foot sprains. Voila issues.

Words of advice, never underestimate the power and importance of recovery therapy. Take it seriously & work on every little muscle you don't know about. They all need to be strong because they function together enabling us to do the amazing things we can do. Even if, or, especially if, we sit in an office all day.

Yesterday was my first day at work after tcr and pbp. Have not had time to even look at emails yet as days are full of meetings. Kind of good way to get back to the routine to have fully booked days right away.

My ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/2661655875

4153 km and 41157 m.

Epic ride.