Ride inspite of injuries

[wheelsONfire]

You all know cycling and how you feel about

I guess most of you have had some injury somtime during your love for biking ( doesn't have to be related to cycling to begin with).
My question is, how many of you have got out inspite of you have not recovered?

Be it a flue (fever, body pain yada yada)
Infection in the body (you might have been on meds to ride infection + painkillers)
Ligaments?

How do you handle these things? Do you go for logic of it or give it a try?

I have done some stupid things, i have used pills, taped muscles yada yada when i had knee problems (ligament i think it was then).
I am also very ambivalent, if i should be going out now or just try a shorter trip?
I eat meds for my back ( started a 14 day treatment yesterday)

I guess this is kind of ridiculous question, but i am still sure many of you have dealt with injuries?

[MichaelK]

Rollers. Kit up, jump on. Once you're warmed up you know if you're ready for a ride or not. If so, great, roll off the rollers and out the garage. If not, no worries, warm down, go back to bed.

[tymon_tm]

the closest i got to winning a stage with a broken collarbone is going out with a slight fever (like 37,5C), mild infection or just straight up hangover (not drunk obviously but really, really "destroyed"). while it might not be the smartest thing physically, esp. when there could be something serious going on in your body that manifests itself discretly, mentally i'm on another level when i can do the usual stuff being sick or feeling nasty in some way. IMHO it's similar to riding in scorching heat - when temperatures reach 32/33C and above, my bike is the only place i can comfortably sit ;D. and no i'm not aiming at morning or evening rides - if i can, i go out in the middle of the day.

as for pacing - obviously i need to listen to my body. but often mid-ride i just forget there's somethng wrong and just go 'as usual'. I've never made my condition worse by riding. I can't relate to riding with a physicall injury though. despite having issue with a knee (i have to use orthosis for runing and walking longer distances) and the fact it's somewhat caused by riding in the first place (fixed cleats...) it never caused me any pain or discomfort on the bike

[Konsi]

My father is a trauma surgeon, and has been often supportive of riding before walking (after my ski accident for example), so I cycled with my crutches on the back of the bike. If you are looking for more stupid stories, I broke my femur in a crash, and continued the ride as planned, another 22km. Then picked up my crutches at home before going to the hospital, where they at first overlooked the fracture on the Xrays, and only called me back about 36h later...

[aerozy]

Back in 2010 I ruptered all my AC left shoulder ligaments. Doctor said I could only get back on the bike after a few months. I started riding one week later . This year i broke my right colar bone plus 2x extra AC ligaments and had an operation. Doctor said 1x month before indoor training, and 3x months min before heading outside. I started riding indoors immediately and headed outside 1x month later. Of course there are risks associated like falling over and aggravating the already exisiting injuries. I found in both situations I recovered much quicker because of the training. Call it physiotherapy hahahah

As for colds and infections I generally listen to my body and stay the worse 2...3x days at home. Once the worse is over I start training. Nothing better to clear the lungs/throat than a ride

Now for Covid Im still on the fence and have more respect for it since the consequences of training sick are still unkown, with possible heart issues like myocarditis as we saw with Remco playing it safe and leaving the Giro.

[idickers]

I've getting to be an old fart and have started to accumulate the usual collection of injuries. The biggest problem is how much longer the body takes to heal as you get older. I haven't been able to run or ride much at all for the past 5 years with chronic hamstiring and calf connective-tissue injuries, and was growing increasingly frustrated with my inabilty to get a decent workout. In desparation I bought a Specialized Turbo Creo SL, which is a pedal-assist eBike with a small motor and battery. The Turbo Creo has allowed me to start riding again and if any injury starts to flare up I can add the assist to get home. The advantage of the SL is that it is light enough that I can still ride it as an unpowered bike and carry it up the stairs to work. So it has become my go-to for commuting as well.

The Creo is not a substitue for my regular road bike, but it has been a great way to rehab these chronic injuries without having to sit on an indoor trainer all day.

[wheelsONfire]

Thanks guys, you are truely inspiring. You all have different stories and some are just like a tough workhorse!
For idickers, i don't know how old you are, i am soon 49. But i think you are doing just what you should.
You fight it your way and you get out instead of loosing motivation
(loosing motivation and the will, might be the worst situation of all)

To be honest, the one thing i have provoked and made damage worse, is riding with knee issues.
Patella syndrome! It can be horrible, especially if you have a work you walk nonstop (production line)
If one knee is damaged you might pressure the other more and voila, another issue arrise.

The back and hip flexibility (which i get problem with when the back is crap), start to change during the ride. I don't know if it's blood circulation or the mucsles that start get going, but it feels better afterwards. Muscle relaxant, anti-inflammatory medicine and painkiller seems to make it work now (stupid or not, well who knows)

Only time i think it's tough, is when it's cold. My body just contracts, i also prefer the cockpit shorter and higher.
Weird i guess, but that's how it gets. It can even affect my sense saddle to pedal (again, i contract).
I would honestly like to use a battery heated full kit.
Shoes, legs, upperbody and hands. I have heated insoles, they are total crap. The heat generated just disappear (leak).
It's not even close to warm your feets. German expensive brand (i rather not name them)

I had hoped a trainer one day could feel as dynamic as out door cycling.
Tacx Neo, with industrial rubber feets making it way more organic (better but it's still boring)
I tried roller, jesus, i am totally worthless I would need a device in the ceiling around my chest, or something that prevent the bike from just getting off.

[wheelsONfire]

I would love to see a thread here, where WW can collect body injuries and what kind of process (training you should undergo).
Injuries seems to be something that hit all of us. It might be things like ulnar nerve pain (which can grow from having the shifters placed in a none ergonomic correct position) Feet issues, Q-factor, cleat position, shims yada yada. Basically damages we can get from cycling.

[idickers]

I think one of the important lessons as we age is to modify our expectations. I'm 65 and can't train like I did when I was 25. If I modify my expectations I can still have fun and retain fitness. In my case, cycling is actually helping me rehab my injuries. We can't all be champion masters-category riders, only a lucky few have the physiology that allows them to push hard into later life without injuring themselves. But most of us can still push hard-ish into later life and have fun while maintaining fitness.

[Juanmoretime]

Has stage 3 throat cancer and rode thru most of it. There was a 4 week period that I was so sick I could'nt ride.

Being a old former runner, back in the 80's and 90's the thought process was if something hurt go for a run, it will go away. For thr most part it did and I suspect it was endorphins masking the pain. We were stupid back then, we just did not have the internet to prove it.

[Mr.Gib]

My list of ailments gets longer by the year and it is a stupid long list. And all acheived for the most part without ever ending up on the ground. I must be genetically fragile. I don't think I can compete with riding with a fractured femur, but I once had a flare up of IT band syndrome so severe that I had to ride the last 35km of 140km ride with only my right leg, and my left leg out of the pedal just hanging limp. While waiting for surgery, the right leg flared up, so surgery on both.

My approach is that if a problem gets worse while riding than I stop. If it stays the same, or improves while riding, I keep going. Ignored a pain in my knee once - big mistake - turned out to be pre-patellar friction syndrome. Apparently there is only one Dr. that can fix this and he is in Belgium, so surgery and expensive plane tickets booked. Most Canadian surgeons have never even heard of this problem and none have ever done the procedure. Crazy sport.

[wheelsONfire]

My list of ailments gets longer by the year and it is a stupid long list. And all acheived for the most part without ever ending up on the ground. I must be genetically fragile. I don't think I can compete with riding with a fractured femur, but I once had a flare up of IT band syndrome so severe that I had to ride the last 35km of 140km ride with only my right leg, and my left leg out of the pedal just hanging limp. While waiting for surgery, the right leg flared up, so surgery on both.

My approach is that if a problem gets worse while riding than I stop. If it stays the same, or improves while riding, I keep going. Ignored a pain in my knee once - big mistake - turned out to be pre-patellar friction syndrome. Apparently there is only one Dr. that can fix this and he is in Belgium, so surgery and expensive plane tickets booked. Most Canadian surgeons have never even heard of this problem and none have ever done the procedure. Crazy sport.

Worst shit i have had is actually knee damage. Dr says i can be weeks to months of time before it can be used.
I have been an idiot. I have been out one to two days after. You know, i bike and bike and then i feel, shit this is it.
Then i need to bike home ( i have no-one who can pick me up). This seems to be enough to make the problem worse than it was.
It's something at the side of the knee ( i always forget what it's named). If you sit down both knees are knee to knee so it's something here.
It does feel better if you stand up, but when you sit down pedalling it hurts like hell.
I have had to change my Q-factor and use a shim under cleat at right foot.
Problem is i am far from symetrical in how i am left to right. Saddle position and how one hip feel more tilted rear.
I also have a different posture left to right (from hip all the way down to how i pedal).
Weirdly, i can feel good riding different over time. I can ride and all goes well, no pain.
Suddenly i need to alter Q-factor because otherwise this shit comes.
It's not logical really. I am not really liking to mention this because as you share you always end up with do this do that.
Go to a bike fitter yada yada. Thing is, i still get this from time to time.
I accept it, but i really hate being forced off the bike. Mostly because good weather season is rather short overhere.
Ideally i would get some money, move south and live very minimalistic. Just so i can cycle all year.
I don't care for luxurious living, travels etc. So maybe i'm that weird dude

Yeah, that shit you say with limp leg, that is a perfect description.
It patella syndrome is a name that rings a bell now that you say it.
Overhere we don't use english so it's not named same here (different languages obviously )

My back gets better when i am off work. Now i am for rather long time. Actually i have no back pain at all.
(well, back pain that always go down the leg is a better way to describe it)

[wheelsONfire]

Has stage 3 throat cancer and rode thru most of it. There was a 4 week period that I was so sick I could'nt ride.

Being a old former runner, back in the 80's and 90's the thought process was if something hurt go for a run, it will go away. For thr most part it did and I suspect it was endorphins masking the pain. We were stupid back then, we just did not have the internet to prove it.

Oh, you are a fighter! How did that turn out (Cancer is a real bad condition). I've had both sides of family going due to cancer.
I think it's about nine counting from mother to father. Going back longer i know it is same.
So i usually say, it's not what, it's when....(for me that is)