Pedal drills - a note of caution

TrainerRoad Software
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Thought I should mention this as a possible caution. I started a trial of TR in April with a 1-month base training block. I followed all the drills included in workouts. At the time I found some of the clock drills difficult, and the 1-legged ones actually quite painful, but I persisted hoping to get the benefit,

I week after finishing the trial I was doing my usual 3 -times weekly run of 5 miles when I had a shooting pain in my left hamstring. Sure enough a scan revealed a grade 2 hamstring tear.

I’ve been running for 10 years regularly and cycling a lot for 15, including indoor trainer work, but never had the slightest niggle in my hamstrings. Painful quads yes, but never even noticed hamstrings. I’ve also been doing Pilates for 13 years which involves routine hamstring stretches.

So, coincidence? Or could it be that pedal drills put stress on hamstrings that they’re just not accustomed to. In any case I had to lay off running for months, although could resume cycling after a few weeks. I’m back on TR as a fully signed-up user and have started an 8-month block of endurance work, but from now on I intend to ignore the pedal drills and hope there’s no recurrence.

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Maybe you had the tear before doing the one leg drills? These shouldn’t be painful. A bit awkward and your hip flexor will fatigue.

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Agree I’ve found them awkward but never painful. They’re also done at fairly low watts from what I remember.

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I’m in base and recently started doing one leg drills. My hip flexors lasted about 30 seconds on each side, for the first couple of rides that I did this drill.

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Possibly. Would be a bit of a coincidence considering my history. Also, the TR drills were the only things different in my exercise routine that I’ve been following for many years,

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I’ve had a slight worsening of pre-existing hamstring tendinopathy with ILT. It categorically did not cause it (hence pre-existing), but my physio has suggested to avoid them for a few weeks. There are too many variables to say definitively but I’d be cautious if you have a pre-existing injury or tendency towards hamstring injury.

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But thats the thing. I had absolutely no previous hamstring problems, so it was either a flukey coincidence or at least part of the cause.

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I suppose I could disable ERG but having a single sided pm I ignore them. I’ve not got found memory of doing them anyway pre TR.

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I’m not trying to attack the messenger, if the one-legged-drills were ‘painful’, why did you continue to do them?

I can understand continuing if there is discomfort but pain is in a whole different category.

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Get well soon, these kind of things suck to rehabilitate

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It’s one of those situations where, as a beginner, I was trying to follow the tips fairly rigorously in order to both get the most benefit and also see what they were like in practice.

It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between discomfort and pain. It was hovering on the edge there.

To be clear, I’m not blaming TR for anything at all. I’m sure the drills work for most people. I just wanted to sound a note of caution based on my own experience.

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