Oh, that lovely groin pain

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I thought I had lost some muscles from my inner thighs. I found them this morning.

I stepped out of bed and felt that immediate and painful muscle soreness that comes from using muscles that have been on an extended break. In this case, it was the inner thigh/groin muscles that did such a nice job lifting me and my sixty pound pack up and down for 200 step-ups the day before. They were pissed at me for doing so many and were telling me about it now and for the rest of the day.

Maybe you’re wondering why, after 33 straight days of exercising, I would suddenly have muscle soreness? Although I have been hiking, I haven’t been using the pack and I definitely haven’t been doing step-ups. It doesn’t take much in the way of small changes in the routine to activate different muscles and cause this. Another good reason to do a wide variety of activities – maybe cover every muscle and none will be sore?

I don’t mind this pain. In fact, it feels pretty good. Once I get walking, it goes away pretty much, but it’s a good reminder that I did something different and good. Muscles that get too much work after a long layoff – anything over a couple of weeks, will get this soreness. It’s no big deal, just little tears at the micro level as fibers that were pulled apart are healing themselves for another bout. When they come back together, they’re stronger than they were and ready for something a touch harder. The pain last about 48 hours and then it’s gone. Normal muscle pain, that is.

I decided I’d try a short hike in the woods to loosen the muscles and dissipate the soreness. I did a 30-minute walk and that did the trick for a while. I was planning a ride on the trainer, since the roads were still pretty wet from the mist falling until early afternoon, but during the walk, the sun popped out and the roads began to dry. Perfect.

I got home and dressed for a cool ride, which it was. I only had time for an hour ride, but I was thrilled that it would be outside instead of on the trainer. The soreness was still there, but the muscle use warmed it up and moved it out pretty quickly. Good thing about exercising every day – the exercise tends to mask the muscle soreness so I look forward to doing something, knowing it will feel better than doing nothing.

Hike duration: 30 minutes. Bike duration: 60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 70 hiking. 125 biking.

Calories burned during workout: 225 hiking. 900 biking.