It's been a while since I've posted an update of my progress and things have been interesting. The good news is that there IS progress. As recently as two weeks ago the summary was:
- level 1-2 pain 24/7
- left leg "not working right" - significant cramping in my calf after 10 miles or so on the bike or a mile walking
- three small toes on my left foot numb constantly. This would spread to my forefoot and lower leg as the distance went up on rides or walks.
As things currently stand, I actually have periods where none of the above symptoms occur which is significant progress. That's not to say I'm pain free but just being able to do a 20-30 mile ride without increased back pain, calf tightness or numbness is a huge step forward.
But I've found that I'm treading a very fine line. I'm trying to ride more, gradually turning all three "knobs" (distance, frequency, intensity) one at a time and this is definitely an experiment in the truest sense of the word (a test without a predefined outcome). Since we arrived here in Texas I did one stretch of rides at moderate intensity but rode 5 days in a row - no problems. I then took a day off and did a ride where I pushed hard and all of the above symptoms recurred. Here are some pictures that illustrate objectively what I did.
The first is of a Rouvy workout I did on the trainer.
I then took a day off and my next ride was outside. Here's the same picture from that ride:
As you can see I spent significantly more time in Z1 (121 watts or less) and a fair amount of time in zones 2 and 3. The key difference though is the harder efforts. In the indoor workout I spent a very small amount of time (2:46) at Z6 (265-330 watts) whereas in the outdoor workout I spent 6:03 at that intensity and 3:19 at an even higher level. My max wattage for that ride was 480 watts.
The more intense ride was most definitely too much, too soon. As I said, I experienced all of the usual symptoms post ride. This all happened yesterday. I rode a fairly easy 33 miles today on the recumbent with no significant issues.
So I'm encouraged. Although a harder effort does have some negative after effects, even the easier rides are at a higher level of intensity than I was able to manage a month ago.
Progress is being made!
I've begun thinking more seriously about 2021 ride plans and have even made a few concrete plans (well, "set in concrete" is a bit of a stretch, more like "set in Jello"). I know my vast readership is on pins and needles wondering what's in store for the year but I'll keep you in suspense for a bit longer.
Stay tuned!
