IT-band pain

A week ago, I got some pain in the outside of my right knee after a 3-hour ride. I increased the volume during the last week up to normal hours and most of them were done out on the roads. A typical overload. I tried to ride again on Saturday, but I had more or less pain all the way and after two hours it hurts so bad, I couldn’t turn the pedals any longer. I took Sunday completely off the bike and the knee felt good again. Since I have had this pain before, and it has disappeared quickly I didn’t want to give it to much time, so I did a short easy ride on Monday. I could sense something and felt some discomfort the last 15 minutes. Way better than Saturday but not good. The same feelings have kept going on through Tuesday - Thursday with some pain so I am now taking 3 days off the bike and calling this a rest week.

I was supposed to increase training load and volume this week, so this was a big setback for my pre-season progress. I have made some minor changes to saddle position and height to reduce the strain on the right knee but I think rest is key, just give the irritation/inflammation in the bursa iliotibial some time to totally go away before easing in back to training and 20 hour weeks. This week I've only got 4 hours done in 4 days, but hey, that's life.

I have a theory about the difference of riding indoors and outdoors. I have been spending a lot of time on the trainer the past three months, especially the weeks after new year’s where I only got out once in 2,5 weeks. I think I lose flexibility and strength because I never sit in an aero-position on the trainer, it just feels awkward indoors, the same way it feels to sit upright on the road. I have felt tiredness in my lower back muscles on longer rides as well and if those muscles get tired probably my hip muscles get tired too which increases the load on the IT-band. 

With that said I have also put back some core exercises into the weekly routine as well as hip and but muscle training to prevent IT-band pain in the future.