Lessons from an Injury

I have been lucky not to have to take time off for injuries.  My injury occurred from an accident during a group ride in the first week of August. 

Besides my bruise I had a sore shoulder also. 

Lesson one:  have a doctor check you out.  The accident occurred on a Saturday and there were several on the ride with me that gave me advice on what to do when I got home.  At the time of the accident I was halfway and our path meant that I would be looping back to our start. The doctor visit would wait for later, but I felt that I could go on. During the rest of the ride people kept tabs on how I was feeling. When you carry your phone you can check for advice for what to do for a "___"?  I did this at home later.

Lesson two:  If you can, keep moving. I had the option to sit and wait or do a six mile side trip. I remember from hiking days that you did not want to sit too long on a break or at lunch because you would get stiff.  I could do the loop and I felt like I could go on the remaining 12 miles.

Lesson three: This injury caused me to think about who to call if I could not ride?  There was no sag wagon that could bail me and I would need to call someone to disrupt their day and hour to get to me. This rescue plan needs to be considered more often. I guess there is always a ride service.

The return trip went without any problems. There was bruising, swelling and discomfort.

Lesson four: Carry some pain medicine with you. Ibuprofen and acetaminohen are always with me.  I also have benadryl.  Taking the pain and inflammation medicine helped with comfort during the remainder of the ride. 

Lesson five: Be Patient. Let your body heal. I took off three weeks completely based on medical advice and how my body felt.

Lesson six: When you start riding again take it slow and easy. I started inside on my trainers. Once I was outside I just went around the neighborhood. As confidence went up, I did some short out and back. 

Lesson seven: Make adjustments when you feel pain and stress. I went too fast to increase distance and intensity. Be willing to shift back and not slow recovery. When I was doing stretches I could feel tightness for weeks.

I would say that after about eight weeks I felt that I was back to normal. I am happy that this recovery plan was successful.
​