Tag Archives: hip pointer

September 29, 2012

Six Gap Eve

Earlier this week, my amateur diagnosis was that I had a Hip Pointer. I can now rule that out. It is most likely a hip flexor strain of some sort. It probably began at Bridge to Bridge, and I aggravated it further on the next couple of rides.

I have been resting my legs as much as possible, icing my hip occasionally, and taking an anti-inflammatory drug. At times this week I have noticed significant improvement; at others, it has felt more painful than ever. On Friday, I told someone that my chances of riding were 50/50.

Over the last day, I have improved a great deal. I have more flexibility, which is good. There is still pain when I extend my leg outward, which is not good. Even though it remains an issue, I will definitely ride tomorrow. I should finish too, but maybe not as quickly as I would otherwise.

This morning I dropped by the Assault on Little Mountain to help with registration, and get them off the road. They had a good turnout, over 100 miles. It was easier this year to not ride, knowing what awaited me the next day.

After a three-hour drive, I was in Grand Central Dahlonega. It was a madhouse, but in a good way. I parked far away, grabbed my packet, schmoozed around the expo, had some ice cream (!), and watched two Criterium races. Before I knew it, the entire day had passed by.

It was a good day. Very organized, and a lot of fun. Tomorrow will hurt.

2 Comments | tags: climbing, cycling, dahlonega, hip flexor, hip pointer, injury, little mountain, six gap century, toughing it out | posted in Blog

September 26, 2012

The Last Gap

By aaronwest

Hogpen Gap

In a few days, I’ll be heading back to the North Georgia mountains for my first attempt at the Six Gap Century. It will be my last big ride of the year, the largest event that I’ll attend this year, and perhaps the toughest of the year. Potentially 3,000 riders will be descending on the small town of Dahlonega, to climb somewhere between 11,000-13,000 feet (depending on GPS software, who you ask). It will be a beast, and the perfect capper to a successful climbing season.

I found a pretty good preview of the ride at another blog.

Fortunately, this area is not entirely new to me. I was able to climb three of the gaps earlier this summer. Just having those few climbs under my belt makes what’s coming less intimidating. That ride included legendary Hogpen Gap, the behemoth climb with the reputation as being one of the toughest. It may have been tough, but definitely climbable. In fact, I’d say that Highway 181 from last week’s Bridge to Bridge was tougher. This year the organizers have teamed up with the US Pro Cycling Challenge, and will give King of the Mountain prizes for those who climb Hogpen the fastest. Needless to say, I will be going home empty handed on Sunday.

A Slight Setback

Apparently I tweaked something in my last two rides. My hip has been sore, with symptoms consistent with a Hip Pointer injury. It is probably not from cycling, but I first felt it after last Thursday’s group ride. It was just minor discomfort at that point, so I dismissed it, and went along with my business. I rode again on Saturday morning, feeling fine, but it came back afterward. A few days later and it is still with me. In fact, it is now a little bit worse.

It is an unusual injury. The pain is isolated to a specific area on my right hip, not far from my groin. I still have normal mobility, but when I try to gyrate my hips or rotate my leg outward, it burns. Rather than take chances, I have already obtained a prescription for an anti-inflammatory, which I will take over the next few days.

This means I’ll be tapering a lot more than normal. I will not ride at all this week. I will get plenty of rest, and hope the anti-inflammatories do their magic. Normal recovery for such an injury is 2-4 weeks. I only have one, but I am confident that I’ll be able to ride. All I need is a little improvement, and I can tough out the rest.

Given this setback, this year’s goal at Six Gap will just be to finish with my pride. I’m not looking at a time. I just want to get through, feel good afterward, and finish the season in style.