I do a few endurance rides/races each year, and despite trying every permutation of feeding/hydration always suffer at some point from cramping – usually inner thigh adductors. So I always know I’ll suffer at least a bit of cramping in a long event.

I’ve got a 24 solo coming up in just over a week, and in the last few weeks riding/spinning classes I’m definitely feeling a twinge – seems to be in the general vicinity of behind the left knee/inner side of knee.

My question is this – any thoughts on prescriptive things I could do in the next 9 days to try to lower the risk of cramping? Massage? Stretches? A big dose of MTFU?

I think it’d worth giving massage and stretching a go. I have a similar issue with my calves and have had repeated injuries for a few years now, but I recently decided I’d do something about it and went for a sports massage and apparently they were super tight and really knotted up. So now focusing on stretching and self massage to see if that improves things. Only a few days into it and they’re already feeling better, less tight and with more range of motion, so feels like things are freeing up.

Definitely not MTFU…your body is telling you something, you’d be a fool to ignore it and just risk injuries.

ill eat my hat if its cramping.

likely an overuse injury as you have ramped up training.

best thing to do at this late stage would be physio/massage and gentle spins to keep legs moving.

Stop racing.

HTH.

@trail_rat – agreed, the current twinge isn’t cramping, but knowing it’s in the same area that I do cramp in races, I’m working on the assumption there’s an even higher than usual likelihood it will lead to a cramp. So hoping to do something (anything) to reduce likelihood. Looking for a recommended sports massage near me now – thanks!

I think the vast majority of cramping in races is down to setting off too hard / trying to ride at a harder pace than you’ve trained for. That’s not what people want to hear though, they want a pill or a strategy to stop it. And I say that as someone who has gone through that whole process too!

Start slower and ride at a more conservative pace. Ultimately you’ll probably go quicker as the wheels won’t come off the wagon with the cramps.