I was due to get in an 18 mile run on Sunday. My running companions decided that they'd prefer to run the Appalachian Trail in eastern Virginia. I've never run trails before, but I knew it'd hurt big time and boy, was I right! The climb up to the trail and down from it at the end of the run was steep steep steep as well as rocky, so there was a lot of walking and careful picking of our way. But once we hit the trail, it was much better. Laura and I bailed on the trail once we got to a fireroad and spent the next 90 mins running the road. Although I only got 15 miles in, the time was the same as if I'd run 18 on roads, so I was pretty stoked really. And even better, the next day, I was only hurting in my stabilizing muscles - calves and quads, which had really hurt last time, felt fine.
So, I celebrated by having a professional bike fit on Indy at my local bike store (LBS) - Contes. These guys are the real deal. It took 2 hours and cost a packet, but in the end, I feel completely neutral when in aero postion - not too stretched out, my knees in alignment (I'm knock-kneed, apparently), back flat, completely still hips. I can't wait to take my new fit out for a spin this weekend! All that power, no longer wasted.
For the $$$, I got the fitting, shims under my new cleats, a new saddle (Specialized Ruby, 143mm), shims in my shoes, new insoles, a new stem and many many adjustments like seat up and down, feet shifted in, bars rotated, brake/gear levers shifted to a more comfortable and safer position. Hopefully this will not only mean a faster ride, but also a ride with a whole lot of less damage to my soft tissue (ahem).
Oh, and a bike fit costs as much as a crown which I also got today. Sigh. My days of ignoring my teeth are sadly at an end. Thank goodness for insurance. Thanks Mum.
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