Neck/head pain from sprints
 

I've recently been getting back into sprinting after 9 years away. Lately I've been getting pain in back of my head/neck during and after full out 6 second sprints, particularly when overgeared. It seems like I am just straining too much.
I don't remember this being an issue when I did a thousand sprints in my younger years.

I find it hard to believe I can be trying "too hard". Is it a result of bad form?

I don't get it when lifting but I also haven't yet really pushed myself super hard with weights.

Maybe I need to take some time off?
What are some symptoms that a fast twitch athlete is over training. It was so much easier to spot over training as an endurance athlete.

Tell us a little more about your situation. Age, the track you ride on, what sort of workout are you doing when this occurs? More info gives a much clearer picture as to what you are doing/experiencing.

Is it a track only thing? Can you replicate it on the road? What sort of training have you been doing leading up to this occurrence?

I've been riding for 20 years but only a little road the last 9 years. No track where I am but I do lots of sprints on the road. I'm 34, been doing about 5 hrs a week this year. Sprints started a few months ago. They usually consist of rolling accelerations in any type of gearing. Hill sprints from 5 to 20 second duration. And other misc hard efforts up to 2 min duration. Most sprints are under 8 seconds as in trying to build my peak power up again. 10 years ago I was hitting 2kw but after 9 yrs of no real explosive training I fell back to 1200. I'm clawing my way back but everyone says it's because I'm older and I don't want to accept that.

Btw, I think I remember your name from fixedgearfever?

Yes, I was a regular on FGF :thumb:.

Have you been able to replicate the headaches with weight training? Heavy deadlifting? Any trainer work set this off?

No trainer riding. I have done some lifting but not at the maximumal level like sprinting. It would be good to see if I can replicate it lifting or not.
I wouldn't call it a headache. More just muscle pain from straining. It fades away. I think it just started showing up as I started doing full out 6 second efforts.

I know its not uncommon for lifters to strain while doing a pr attempt. I was a little concerned that I might blow a gasket or something if I keep getting that strain/tension.

When i first started sprinting after years off I had to cease while I built up my ab muscles because I could feel the start of a hernia. That has since not been an issue.

It could just be your muscles getting used to things and working hard. Sprinting on the bike would typically involve muscles working in a different plane than you would hit them in a gym workout. That means that even though they may be worked, the change of action is enough to make them hurt and get DOMS. Just like DOMS though, the pain should dissipate once you're used to it. If it doesn't, then there could be bigger things at play that you should consider getting looked at

This would be my guess, too.

Chainsnapper, standing starts and rolling accelerations involve a lot of pulling of the arms which pull across the back and neck area.

Maybe some supplemental deadlifts (or similar pulling exercises) will tone up that area and "overbuild" them and have them able to handle the load.

You never know, maybe your legs are stronger than your arms/neck and the latter is limiting what you are capable of.

I should also say that I did experience the same when doing these sprints in the saddle, perhaps to a lesser extent. I sprained my wrist pretty bad 7 weeks ago and been a slow recovery. I've only been doing real standing sprints since about a week ago. Before that I stayed seated because of my wrist. Lately I've been having a still neck on and off, possibly from sleeping wrong.

I'm sorry to hear about the injury.

One thing that happened to me early each season is a pain in my neck from a low, aggressive position and craning my neck upward to see ahead of me.