Hiking

coriordan

New Member
Iv a problem with my hiking in heavy winds its not my stomach or back thats comes under most strain but the muscles around my knees. Iv is this normal or am i doing something wrong as half way up the beat the pressure in the muscles becomes so much that i physically can not go any longer and have to stop for a few seconds
 
You are doing something wrong. Are your toes pointed up in the strap or straight? They should be straight as in pointed down. Is your strap loose or tight? It sounds like it may be too loose. Are your legs bent with your butt hanging over the side? Your legs need to be as straight as possible to take pressure off your knees and put it in your thighs.
 
Rob is right - your strap is probably too loose.

You need to tighten it until the pressure on your thighs (from the gunwhale) and your calves (from the edge of the cockpit) is equal. This, together with pointing your toes, will help keep your legs straight and take the pressure off your knees.

Having said that, half way up the beat in heavy winds pretty much everybody's legs are screaming at them. If you're hiking correctly, it will likely be your quadriceps screaming the loudest, and I find the pain is quite often most intense in the lower part of the muscle (ie closest to the knee). So perhaps this is what you're describing - is the pain in your knee, or the bottom of your quad?
 
if its becoming painful something isn't right, you should ask a physical therapist or md for some advice if it still hurts after changing your technique and adjusting your strap.
 
Maybe it goes without saying, but in addition to the correct advice above, be careful to put the weight evenly on both legs. It is surprisingly easy to favor a leg on each tack. I did this (as part of my poor technique) when a teenager and am still suffering as a result.
 
For any strengthening of muscles around the knee I recommend cross-training by biking. Due to a long-term arm injury that required surgery I had to take a 1.5 year hiatus from dinghy sailing. As a result I ended up picking up mountain biking. Now I bike all the time, and my legs got much stronger. I got back into a dinghy as soon as I could and the difference in hiking endurance was amazing.

But as far as technique, I have no recommendations besides the above.

Peace out,
Phosphor
 

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