...and done

http://bobickerstaff.com/turkey-cross#/id/i9027709

Third lap around, I had plenty of space around me as I approached the first steep descent, my wheels a bit squirrely in the off camber mud & grass that was thawing out over the Turkey Cross course in Parker, CO. I knew the line I wanted, I set up at the top of the hill, drifted back off my seat, arms loose, and dropped in.

My rear wheel slid left. Hard. I unclipped right to tripod and compensate, but the entire weight of my bike and body came crashing down on my right leg as I fell. I could feel something pop, something very wrong, as I went down on the course. Knowing I was in a dangerous place to lay on the course, I tried to crawl with my bike under the tape, off the course, as I screamed for a medic. The pain in my right leg was somewhat deadened by the adrenalin rush of the race, the descent and crash, but I knew it was just about as bad as it could get when I looked down at my leg and my foot pointed off to the right, far out of alignment. Someone came by to help, I told them my leg was broken, I needed a medic, and I screamed in pain.

...

It's four days later, and I'm home in bed. After the trip to the hospital ER and surgery, I've acquired six screws and a pin down the length of my tibia to hold my leg together while it heals for the next six months. My tibia nearly broke the skin down by the ankle, the two ends of the bone completely separated. The fibula was broken up high, in the calf. And to top it off, when putting in the hardware the surgeon discovered a break in the ankle itself, which added in two more screws atop my foot to hold it all together. Every time I close my eyes I can see the entire event unfold in the darkness, I open my eyes to make it go away right after the voice in my head screams "medic!"

This blog is going to be about recovery now, because this crash is the kind that could put an end to bike racing for me. Not that I want it to, but because the crash happened in what is such a common terrain feature in races here, that I will need to wrestle with the fear of doing it again every time I descend on a bike now. When I broke my hand in 2012, it took me over a year to regain confidence to corner with any kind of speed on the bike. That was a small thing compared to this. Living in Colorado, racing Cyclocross, steep drops and squirrely conditions are part and parcel when riding. And for the next six months, all I can do is sit back and watch it unfold in my memory, again and again.

*note: if you are looking for Greg Keller's excellent blog Mud and Cowbells, you came to the wrong place. Go here instead!

Iron Core

I've been dealing with knee pain for almost two years now when riding. I've spent plenty of hours poring over internet forums, WebMD, Bicycling Magazine tips, and doing exercises assigned by physical therapists until my kids started sitting on me while trying to get my "core" workouts in. So what do you care? Let me save you a dozen co-pays for physical therapy, and suggest that if you have consistent issues with anything, consider getting a referral to a cycling-aware sports medicine doctor (usually an orthopedist). And as you get older (I'm 45 and not getting any younger), be aware that you are losing muscle mass, especially when you don't use those muscles appropriately. And finally, here is a suggested set of exercises to keep your back, thighs, knees and hips happily riding.

1. Front Plank (3x60 seconds): Elbows directly below your shoulders, legs straight and feel flat so your toes and elbows are contact points with the ground. Work up to 60 seconds, don't forget to breathe. If you can't do a full plank, start with your knees on the ground. When you can do 60 second sets with your knees on the ground, start getting off your knees and on your toes.

2. Side Plank (3x60 seconds each side): With your elbow directly below your shoulder, straighten out your body and lift your hips off the ground. Again, work up to 60 seconds holding (and breathing). If you can't even get up on your feet, bend your knees so your feet are back, and straighten from knees up. When you get to 60 seconds with bent knees, work on straight legs. When you get to 60 seconds on straight legs, work on lifting the top leg up, parallel to the ground. When you can do that (side plank with lifted leg) for 60 seconds, start doing (seriously) leg lifts with the top leg while in the plank.

3. Bridges (3 set of 50) On your back. Knees bent, feet flat on the floor. From the hips, lift your butt off the ground, make sure to engage the lower back muscles (not the shoulders or stomach). When you can do 3 sets of 50 with both feet on the ground, start doing with one leg extended straight from the hip, into the air.

These exercises strengthen your core, for better stability on the bike, your hips and butt, to improve your pedaling line (knees should go straight up and down like a piston), and your ability to sit up, take the weight off your hands, and still be stable on the bike.

Please note, I am not a physician, a physiologist, a therapist, or any other certified medical professional. But I've seen a lot of these folks, and these three exercises sum up a lot of money spent on trying to overcome my pain and difficulties riding. You should always consult a medical professional before beginning any exercise routine. I'm not one.