The sport of cycling is definitely no stranger to injuries; in fact it comes with the territory. In a sport where you descend roads at >90kph on tyres 23mm wide, participate in mass bunch sprints travelling at >70kph with only a helmet on our head as protection, to those unfortunate enough not to have caught the cycling bug – you’d think we were mad.
Every cyclist has fallen off at least once, and is going to fall off at least another handful of times in their career. Take Australian rider Stuart O’Grady, he has punctured his lungs, broken 5 ribs, broken collarbones, head injuries... you name it and it seems like poor Stuart O’Grady has had it. Michael Rogers crashed in the 2007 TDF when he was in the virtual yellow jersey on the road, forcing him to withdraw from the race. Adam Hansen suffered a crash in his Giro debut back in 2007 and had to have surgery on his hand to put two of his fingers back together and Robbie McEwen had to cut his 2009 race season short due to a leg injury suffered in the Tour of Belgium...
Hardman Jens Voigt himself, a true pro.
video of Jens Voigt post crash in 2009 Tour
So why am I talking about injuries? Well if you take a look at all of these riders and their somewhat horrific injuries, they have all recovered from them and are still racing at the elite level. Crashes and injuries happen, it’s a fact of life; but more often than not it IS possible to recover from them, and come back to have just as good form or even better form than previously.
I haven’t had the pleasure of being exempt from injury and to date have suffered a broken wrist, back injuries, torn hamstring tendon and most recently broken ribs...oh and who could forget the road rash which leaves you constantly searching for a non-damaged patch of skin to sleep on or which makes you cry out in the shower? When such things occur, more often than not your first reaction probably isn’t suitable to post publicly on the internet but censored, is something along the lines of ‘damn. That’s annoying’.
All athletes are the same, and patience isn’t one of their strong points. With broken bones requiring weeks of rest or leaving you confined to the trainer for what seems like eternity, it is not uncommon to think that is all too hard, after all, you’re only human. Every time I feel like giving up – I remember why I’ve held on for so long and suddenly things don’t seem so hard :)
Chechu Rubiera post crash on Stage 5 Amgen Tour of California, the same stage which saw Stuart O’Grady having to abandon the Tour due to injury. (photo from: Justanothercyclist.com)
Of course there is always the desire to rush back into things when you see the slightest improvement, but one thing i’ve learnt over the past through years is to look after your body. In cycling, your body is your tool of the trade; it needs to be working as efficiently and effectively as possible to ensure success. Sure, some people think it is tough when they hear of people riding with injuries but most often than not these people are tiptoeing on the line of being hardcore and just plain stupid. Last year I jumped over to the side of stupidity. Shortly before I was due to ride for the Australian team in the Giro Donne, I suffered a nasty crash in a handicap race in NSW. I was taken to hospital with injuries to my neck and back. I was determined to not let this set me back and continued to train despite the pain and ultimately paid for my decision. During my whole time with the Aussie team, I was receiving daily treatment on my back and it became a limiting factor in my performance and upon returning back to Australia, had to have several weeks off to get it all sorted.
This is one mistake i’m not looking to make twice. Although this time my injuries are different, the recovery process is the same. It involves lots of patience, self discipline and learning to listen to your body. I have been reassured that I will not cause further damage by riding with my broken ribs – it just hurts a little but I am ‘picking my fights’ as you could call it and yesterday when I was scheduled to race in the rain, with cobbles and tight corners, I politely declined the offer - I need to recover properly before I start putting my body through such risks again :)
So the point of my story? Injuries suck, yes, but it IS possible to make a recovery however you have to be PATIENT and SMART. Listen to your body; after all you’re the only person who can tell what is going on and learn when the pain is OK to push through or when you’re body is telling you that enough is enough. Injuries happen to everyone, but what makes you different is how you deal with it, this is where the pros really shine.
Until next time, happy pedalling :)
xx
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