am I doing something wrong?

[Gleb]

When I am riding, my thighs constantly burn. Ive tried many positions with my stance by adjusting the boot to different angles, but my thighs still kill. At the end of 2 or so hours of riding, my technique goes way down because I just lose so much power, or I'm tired after 2 minutes of a new run. Is there a way I can adjust something (angles or something) where there is less stress on my thighs. I have decently strong legs due to wrestling, and I just didn't think I should get this tired. Thanks!

[Dan]

Snowboarding puts some pretty specific demands on your muscles that you're probably not duplicating in your wrestling training.

I bike commute year-round, so my quads are in decent shape, but even so I'm always sore at the beginning of the season and it takes time to build snowboarding strength in my legs. Even at this point in the season, I'm stronger than at the beginning of the year, but riding a demanding surface like tracked out powder will still wear me down in a couple of hours.

Changing angles seems to make a pretty big difference in what part of your leg you're working. For instance, if I've been spending most of my days on alpine boards at steep angles and I've gotten to the point where I can ride the whole day without too much strain, if I switch to riding powder on a wide board with low angles, I'll get tired out a lot faster.

I'm sure a lot of people can suggest exercises for you, but one of my favorites is putting your board in your living room and watching a movie while doing intervals: put your boots on, clip in, and get low on your board for 60 seconds. Stand up and recover for 2 minutes or so, then bend your knees and get low for another 60 seconds. One season I got to the point where I could do this for 30 minutes at a time and that season I never had any trouble with leg strength/stamina on the hill.

[gdboytyler]

When I am riding, my thighs constantly burn. Ive tried many positions with my stance by adjusting the boot to different angles, but my thighs still kill.

Try reducing the forward lean in your boots.

[quest4powder]

As many will mention, it is likely your technique and developing the muscles specific to alpine riding that is causing that is causing quad flame-out.

Like Chuck Berry doesn't do the duckwalk for the whole set (if he did it would be a short set indeed), you simply can not ride with your legs deeply flexed the entire time. Riding with a taller stance will enable you to carry the forces your experience when riding through your skeleton, rather than in your muscle groups. Extending your legs, even briefly, also 'flushes' lactic acid from your muscle groups, in addition to briefly giving your leg muscles a rest.

Other areas you might check would be alignment: your bindings/boots might be forcing you to ride with your quads continually flexed. After a while, even the strongest person will experience muscle fatigue (and ultimate muscle failure) when they continually work specific muscle groups--this is what happens when you hit the 3rd set when you're lifting weights. You simply can't do the same amount of work you could when your muscles are fresh.

You mentioned you've messed with boot cuff adjustments. I'd suggest you continue to fine-tune your alignment (setting stance width and articulating the cant/lift of the bindings to place you in optimal alignment).

In particular, explore adjusting the amount of lift under the toes on the front boot, and under the heels on the rear. Increasing the lift here (if you're flat) can result in your carrying forces you experience while riding more in stacked bones, rather than through your muscle.

________

BUY SILVER SURFER

[Guest jschal01]

Technique, not gear or conditioning, is almost always the culprit if your thighs are constantly burning. It sounds like you're constantly contracting your thigh muscles, rather like doing a farmer's walk in a low lunge. Why is a different question, hard to say without having someone else who is knowledgeable watch you ride.

[Ray]

Hmm, I would say could be a combination of several things, technique, gear set-up, and condition for sure. As soon as you ride “relaxed” you don’t cramp up so much which results in much better muscle performance. Thus less burn. I am not saying ride relaxed by not giving all you have, but by mastering a perfect technique. The better the technique the more relaxed you will ride.

If your gear set-up is “off” in terms of what “your” body structure requires you can’t ride relaxed.

And if you are out of (boarding) shape you need some more days of riding to get your muscles used to it.

My opinion

Ray

[davekempmeister]

Bike, squats, yoga and running steps. These do the trick for me with regard to conditioning.

[bobdea]

cuff alignment and avoiding skidding work for me

if I do allot of going real slow I get burn real quick and if the cuff on my front boot is not where it needs to be I feel it quick

[Gleb]

wow thanks for the responses. I actually just found out that I can adjust my cuff on my Winds. Thats what got me thinking about this entirely. I played around with it a while and I am pretty much in walking mode. I guess it just comes down to conditioning and technique. Dan, i'm gonna do what you said and just get in my gear to build up strength.

In wrestling, we used similar muscles, but instead of holding a position, it was more fast twitching. I defintly need to ride more relaxed as well. As far as technique goes, well, mine is in the gutter. Same thing with skiing. I could ski hard all day and only get marginally tired. Gotta hit the gym.

[Jack M]

<a href="http://www.sportlegs.com" target="top"><img src="http://www.sportlegs.com/images/lgProd/bottle.jpg"></a>

take it from this desk jockey - it works!!

[Pat Donnelly]

http://sportlegs.com/about/welcome.asp

Available on line.

In Aspen too, check the link for locations.

[Steve Dold]

I wish they'd change their logo

[Steve Dold]

Yes! Just a small amount of mountain biking over the summer has really helped me this season in leg strength and endurance, my legs are the last to go at the end of the day.

For a really good leg workout, take the seat off of your bike :D

[Guest astan100]

Hey man, I have the SAME problem. Each time I go out, it gets a little better probably because I'm stronger now.

When I started, I was a wuss, and could only do like 30 second wall sits. Now I can do about 3 minutes. It's been a good season, despite the weather.

My cuff adjustment on my deeluxe boots are at 3...I guess that's too far forward. I'm going to adjust and see what happens.

Thanks for all the responses!

[scotts.Scheinman]

I think it is a combo of angles and teqniuqe I adjusted both and now i dont get any of that pain./

[RJ-PS]

Agreed with a lot of the above:

technique

conditioning

gear set-up

etc.

What I would add is to try to find more time in your runs and in your carves where you are using your equipment for support instead of your muscles.

One of my favorites is to just lean into my boots until my weight is being held up by my cuffs.

Another is to play "passenger" in your carves. Instead of going 110% after the carve and really working your board, take some time to rest in the carve and let your equipment do the work. This will also help you to find the sweet spot and to get to know your board better. As well as relax and enjoy the feeling of hooking up!

[Gleb]

when just cruising, I lean use my cuffs for support as much as possible. I think I'm going to stay clear of the pills because I take vitamins and maintain a high protien diet to strengthen my legs. Steve, your defintly right, the logo has to go.

This summer i didnt get to do much biking because of work. I usually mt. bike alot as well as just cruise on my cycling bike.

RJ-PS, that sounds like great advice as well. I'll give it a try. Can't go snowboarding till next wednesday:-\

[C5 Golfer]

I think it is a combo of angles and teqniuqe I adjusted both and now i dont get any of that pain./

It has to be some of what you say Scotts. I am an old fart pushing 60 yr old and I do not have any leg burn and I do not work out. I ride for 4 days straight and run from 8:30 to 3:00 PM hard all day. I would add an important addition beyond angle and technique. It is also the board itself. I have rode many many different boards - FC, Full out Race boards to All Mountain types. There have been some that I can not run for more than an hour before I feel like the Steelers will feel this weekend - wornout and beat. Then there are boards that are so easy to ride all day - Volkl 178 or a Prior 179 4X4 or my Hot Blast 178, these will not beat me up. The Donek FC 179 or my Coiler AM177 or my F2 176 Speedster - all three tired me in hours. So I would look more to board choice to lessen the leg burn. In a soft set up same thing I have found - my Arbor 170 Munoz is so pleasant to ride all friggen day -- my Timeless 166 was burning my legs after 1/2 day. They were the same set up - angles and boots and bindings - board was the only difference.

My 3 cents worth.

Al

[surfinsmiley]

Gleb- I will share with you my secert formula for increasing endurance.

Tight thermal tights and pressure stockings 2-3 pairs depending on how cold it is. They help to squeeze the blood out of your legs, there are a few specialized sports types you can buy but the ones from the local drugstore for the old ladies with varicose veins work just as well.(Full leg and waist if possible).

Next is supplements, A high protein diet requires much MORE WATER intake than normal. That also means that the electrolytes get flushed out of your body quicker. A good multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement should be enough if your on a good diet. Add to that about 400mg of Magnesium a day.

On a daily basis, drink Green tea and Ginger tea, its OK to mix them together. They are both very good anti-inflammatories and the ginger helps to increase circulation while the green tea scavenges free radicals from the body. (If you can get Licorice and Ginseng add those to the mix too).

When your riding, drink small amounts of an electrolyte replacement drink on each lift ride and if at all possible, eat bananas = Potassium=energy.

Creatine Monohydrate will help your body to hold more water and increase your maximal output/endurance. Load for a couple of days before riding/fighting.

Lastly Taurine, found in energy drinks like Red Bull, is a fantastic alcomplice to Creatine supplements. Together they help cellular energy production and the all important sodium/potasium pumps.

The best thing about working a good supplement regiem is that the less "peak condition" you are in the more you can feel it kicking in and allowing you to expand your limits.... As you train harder and longer, your peak condition can become much higher than it would have been without supplements.

Even if your sceptical, give it a try, you may be surprised. I`ve spend many years training fighting arts too, I know how demanding it can be on your body.:D

[Helmut Karvlow]

take it from this desk jockey - it works!!

Ackno! say it ain't so! Jack uses performance inhancing drugs

[Shred Gruumer]

Arhhhhhh.. oh that was some good sleep in!

5000 inches of rain will do it for ya!! Thank god Im headed to TAHOE! for a week! worse year I can remember..and thats a lot of years!!!

Right Said Shred

[Gleb]

damn smurfinsmiley, thanks for all that. only thing I won't plan on doing is the creatine because I am also slightly into body building. When someone takes creatine, the muscles become large, but not defined. I know it is one of the best performance enhancing mixes on the market, but the moment someone comes off of it, their muscles lose almost all of their bulkiness and their form.

I love tea btw. Probably because I'm Russian, and thats all they drink there. Well that and vodka. I will give all of those other suggestions a try.

Thank you for your secrets:D

C5 Golfer, I didn't even really think that a board will cause fatigue, but then I remeber how some skis exhaust me while others are really easy. Guess i'm a dunce because I didn't relate the two.

My board is reccommended for beginners, but i'll keep all you said in mind. Thanks again guys!

[surfinsmiley]

No worries mate!

I know exactly what you mean with the creatine bulking thing. I have tried all sorts of ways of using it and what I've come down to now is just loading up big time before and during heavy workouts. eg. I normally do two day snow trips and go hard the whole time, the loading just seems to let my muscles do their thing for two days of hard riding without getting all engorged with water, like they do if your on it all the time.

In between times I don't touch it for all the same reasons you've outlined.

The world of supplements is so full of s...t sometimes but there are a few simple things that just work fantasticly.

[Rob Stevens]

Smiley;

Are you Tanguays friend?

You have too many posts. Get a f#$kin' job.

Stevens

[philfell]

Quite adjusting stuff, let your body get used to one stance. If you truely feel you need to adjust something you might want to take a look at the forward lean you are using in your boots. I've found most people use way too much. Other than that, ride through it. It means you are working your board which is good.