Extreme quadriceps starting pain after 3-4 rest days

[NaturallyDriven]

Quick report from me. Ran the Ottawa Marathon yesterday. Training has been great (cycling and running) during the entire lead up. Lots of treadmill running due to circumstances of my life / schedule. Lots of high volume and no days off (~17 - 20 hour weeks). I tapered everything perfectly and kept with spinning the legs every day.. minimal was a 40 min ride on Saturday. i wouldn't say I carb loaded but maybe the regular carb intake with reduced training achieved a similar effect. I stayed hydrated, slept well etc.

Not saying the race was a disaster by any means. I was on my target pace for ~25km with just the typical fatigue and soreness starting to creep in. Ottawa is flat but there some rollers for sure. Slowly, but surely, I started to feel that familiar 'pinch' in my left leg (outer thigh). Feeling that feeling gives me an immediate overwhelm of anxiety. I immediately backed off my pace ~30 - 40s per km. The right leg got more and more and more sore, but no 'full blown explosion'. It was 17km of managing it.. frustrating because my left leg felt 'good' and may cardio was still totally fine as well. Limited by that right leg. Finished ~10 mins off my goal, and what training would have indicated, so no disaster, but definitely still a bit frustrating.

It was ideal running conditions - ~8C at start and peaked probably around 15 or 16C. As such, I didn't feel I needed to massively hydrate, but still took what I could from aid stations while running through. I used Sis Beta Fuel gels (1 every ~9km) and relied on some bits of carbs from aid station drinks.

It's now the next day and my right leg is sore, but not crazy sore. I am going to get on the bike shortly to spin it out and help with active recovery.

Onwards and upwards.

 

[Dennharv210]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been following this thread for a few years now and finally decided to chime in.

I started getting “rhabdo” sometime in my late 20’s (I am now 34) I grew up running cross country and never experienced it, even with cycling, I never experienced it between 18 - 25 years old, one day after a spin class it just hit me and ever since it’s been a fairly common occurrence, if I miss sometimes as little as 48 hours, I get rhabdo. and finding this thread was a god send, having my experiences validated, while unfortunate for us all, it really made me feel like I wasn’t going insane. I’ve had doctors tell me it was hip tendonitis, over-training, it band issues. Finally after an ER visit confirmed Rhabdo, but now I’m not sure it is even Rhabdo in the traditional sense.

All that to say, it’s been a slow start to the year for me, I haven’t been committed to cycling as much and thought since I haven’t been putting in the hours I would be ok to take a week off, I was wrong, tried to go for a quick run and about 15 mins in the pang in my left outer quad hit, tried to run through it before finally hitting my right quad, at about 2.6 miles I had to call it and limp my way back home.

I’m having a hard time not getting completely turned off endurance sports for good this time, it shouldn’t be this hard to be fit and being in the US , I don’t have the finances to go through endless tests to probably have nothing be found. I know we’ve all had these moments, it’s just bizarre that I can ride everyday for months and feel fine but as soon as I try to rest I get extreme pain.

Anyways, someone recommended trying a d-ribose supplement. Maybe I’ll give that a try and report back if it seems to help.

Sorry for ranting. Hope we all figure something out eventually.

 

[Reno sushi king]

Been cycling away for a bit (like in every day) and was surprised to see many responses and new folks post too, keep them coming!

More eyes on this may eventually turn into a lead. Personally I've been blow up free for over 6 months, and only because I just don't take rest breaks anymore. However, it sounds like no rest days isn't the magic bullet for all. And at one time I was vegetarian and would still get extreme leg pains. When you have all day to think about the causes we can all get pretty creative.

I've never mentioned it but long ago when I thought this was only happening to me I created a list of stuff that raised my suspicions. I'll put the list below so you can see how ridiculous it gets, see if any of you can identify. And, I know none of it makes a difference at all!

1. Alcohol - drinking too much and being semi dehydrated all the time, most obvious right? Wrong
2. Poison/toxins in drinking water - our domestic water is piped right in off a running creek fed from 12 pristine alpine lakes and I was certain the government had poured poison in the lakes to kill off the non-native trout that were eating the endangered frogs. Even an upstream neighbor admitted to spraying our water ways with Malathion to control bugs. Had to be it, wrong.
3. Extreme bug bites - every spring/summer getting bit by mosquitoes and no see'ums which bring on extreme leg swelling and sometimes blisters, must be it! Wrong
4. Being super healthy (aside from the booze) and over doing it with veggies and raw foods, taking super foods to the next level and over doing it with pure water. Maybe diluting my body of minerals and dealing with the side effects of veggies that don't want to be eaten. Laughable at best.
5. Mercury poisoning from too much sushi. Had to be it, nope, eat more of it than ever now.
6. Miscellaneous, stress, supplements, travel, bad sleep, bags of french fries/chips, Chinese buffets, etc. Nope, none of that stuff matters anymore, even this year been through some of the worst stress imaginable and didn't do a thing leg pain wise.

I'm on the old side of things, never had a hint of this stuff until I started cycling to get fit. Even thought it was some old age disease. This year have just been lucky, haven't been sick or injured, plus the winter was light so I could always find dirt at a lower elevation and don't miss hardly any days cycling. If traveling will bike before leaving, use the stationary at the hotel, or bring along a bike, and bike the moment we get home. It's worked so far but my streak may eventually end. Until then riding with people or entering races is no big deal because the "rhabdo" doesn't rear it's ugly face. It's been so long I feel like I'm cured, but know it is there waiting for me to rest up.

Hope all you younger professionals keep at it, my advice never taper. I know how it was to think -- this is it can't do this anymore, and of course the not knowing and little if any help from medical staff. So brutal. Cheers!