(Knee) Pain Cave?

[false_aesthetic]

Is there some reason why I might have lateral anterior (let's say 10:30 on my left leg/ exact opposite on my right) while on the trainer but not while I'm out on the road?

Cadence + wattage don't seem to be a factor and I am doing ITB + quad stretches.

[11.4]

Any number of reasons. Your bike can be tilted down slightly on the trainer (or up, if you overcorrected it) and the tension of sitting on the saddle rotates your hips slightly and creates pain in the knee.

The resistance on a trainer is never quite like what you have in real life, and your legs may be responding differently, tensioning differently, etc.

Your legs heat up a lot more indoors compared to on the road. The difference in temperature can cause more muscle and tendon relaxation that lets your knees display slightly from normal position.

You may be doing workouts that are different from what you do on the road. Or you may be starting workouts in the trainer before being fully warmed up or without enough prep work. You may be doing higher maximal efforts on the trainer; that'll always do it.

Using different bibs (past year race kit, old kit that's stretched out, etc.)? It'll change slightly how you sit and can affect your knees.

Your trainer can make you lug across the top of the pedal stroke with your feet when you don't have to do it so much on the road. That'll also do it.

Do you get sweatier on the trainer and start to twist and squirm on the saddle more? Again, different movement that tweaks the knees.

Use a fan right in front of you that's preferentially cooling your knees and tightening them up?

Want more? It's a common phenomenon and can be quite hard to track down.

[AngryScientist]

for me, it's because i push more resistance sitting than standing.

on the road, when the road turns up, or i need to respond quickly to a surge, etc, i stand briefly to make more torque. my percentage of time and watts pushed sitting is defintiely greater on the trainer than the road.

just another data point for me.

[bigbill]

I had to put my front wheel up slightly higher than it would be on a level road to avoid knee pain, like an inch. Never really thought it out, it just worked for me.

[false_aesthetic]

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm going to start with a longer warm-up (15 min as opposed to 10) and pay more attention to my pedal stroke -- maybe I am lugging my foot around. Spent some time with a stick/ball roller last night. Found some spots that were mighty tender -- not sure if that's cause or effect -- will work on getting those out too.

[11.4]

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm going to start with a longer warm-up (15 min as opposed to 10) and pay more attention to my pedal stroke -- maybe I am lugging my foot around. Spent some time with a stick/ball roller last night. Found some spots that were mighty tender -- not sure if that's cause or effect -- will work on getting those out too.

Those are all good thoughts. And whether those tender spots were cause or effect, they're still there now and likely causing issues. Definitely get a foam roller and use it a lot. I'd strongly recommend the Grid Triggerpoint. It works deeper and more effectively than any of the others, plus it lasts forever and is light and easy to bring along. It's inevitably the number one rated roller massager.

[rec head]

Lacrosse balls are smaller and even easier to bring along. After years of foam and the Grid Triggerpoint I can't go back to them. The lacrosse ball does so much more. The only thing I use the grid roller for now is to help me get better angles with the ball.

[11.4]

I might mention as well that a surprising number of knee problems originate as tension issues in the plantar fasciae of the foot. It's entirely worth taking that lacrosse ball or anything similar and standing lightly on it, rolling it around so it massages the sole of your foot. Cycling has a way of messing with your plantar fasciae and this kind of massage can work wonders.

[boots2000]

Do you use a foam roller? Regularly?
I had/have knee pain this fall/winter.
A doc diagnosed it as tendonosis. He Rx'd PT and eccentric type exercises.
I started on my own journey instead. What I discovered was that I had been neglecting my quads, hip flexors and IT bands in a major way.
When I 1st started to roll, my legs were almost tight/tender to the touch of the roller. Just a little bit of work would make them sore. But continued use made all the muscles pliable, and now my knee does not hurt.
I alos stretch my quads after foam rolling.

[11.4]

Do you use a foam roller? Regularly?
I had/have knee pain this fall/winter.
A doc diagnosed it as tendonosis. He Rx'd PT and eccentric type exercises.
I started on my own journey instead. What I discovered was that I had been neglecting my quads, hip flexors and IT bands in a major way.
When I 1st started to roll, my legs were almost tight/tender to the touch of the roller. Just a little bit of work would make them sore. But continued use made all the muscles pliable, and now my knee does not hurt.
I alos stretch my quads after foam rolling.

I roll at least a couple times a day and could benefit from doing more. It definitely takes care of a number of contributors to pain in various joints.

Also, in addition to tendonosis, you can be suffering from bursitis. Similar pain, different origin and different treatment. You need to focus on strengthening the whole muscle chain while also keeping it flexible. That's all the basic story of most PT anyway, just something you can do yourself.

[false_aesthetic]

So it's coming along. Less knee pain, lots of rolling, doing 5 min of zero-resistance SLOOOOWWW pedaling, 15 min warm-up. Will give it another week and then start looking at my saddle position if the pain doesn't subside.