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Practice makes perfect... injuries?

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01 / Original postPractice makes perfect... injuries?gkmac · 14 Jun 2006 02 / This pagePosts 1–17Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #17mornish · 15 Jun 2006

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rec.sport.unicycling
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14 June 2006
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gkmac
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  1. Original post
    gkmac
    Archived post
    #1

    As part of my two weeks break from work I intended to get out and ride a
    bit more.

    So today, I had another bash at "Summer Lightning", a tight
    twisty-turny rooty pebbly narrow singletrack near Leith Hill, Dorking,
    in order to practice more technical riding. The first attempt last week
    had at least 20 or so UPDs on it.

    On the second attempt today I rode a lot more of it, no more than 10
    UPDs I guess and did a fair bit better on the art of roots
    manœuvring.

    However on a short but steep uphill full of roots to a bit where the
    singletrack crosses the trail came the worst UPD I ever had since I
    learnt to ride. Despite my effort to power up and over the obstacle,
    the wheel stopped dead and I literally flew off forwards over the hump.
    Putting my hands in front of me did not stop me when hitting the ground
    and I rolled over, perhaps twice, ending up on my back.

    So for the first time, the strapping on of my SixSixOne 4x4 knee/shin
    pads and KH Pulse wristguards/gloves, plus my helmet seemed justified.

    However I haven't escaped injury, as somehow my right foot got twisted
    in the rolling over. After resting on a tree stump for a few minutes
    for my courage to recover, standing up was difficult and walking to the
    start of the next bit was slightly painful, but oddly pedalling further
    on brought no pain.

    Now I'm home and my foot has been still for a while, and now it has
    seized up painfully. I guess walking some more will loosen it a little,
    but it still something I could have done without for the next ten days
    of potential riding.

    So my aim of this practice was to develop my ability to ride this
    technical stuff. To develop the skill, and also the courage to ride
    through things that I know I could without chickening out and hiking
    through them.

    And this is my reward for it? Now something like that has happened my
    courage to ride some of this stuff could be dented back down.

    Is it bad luck, or is injury really just a part of the learning
    process?

    --
    gkmac

    "It's a marvellous thing to see, someone in full flight on the
    unicycle." - Stuart Maconie, Radio 2
    "Oh no! Both my toes have gone numb!" - Joe Hodges
    "You also met me gk! I was the one eating the sandwich!" - Adam Gayne
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  2. mikepenton
    Archived post
    #2
    gkmac said:

    Is it bad luck, or is injury really just a part of the learning process?

    a combination of both!
    sounds like a good ride, I've made it to Leith Hill only once...
    hope it recovers soon!

    As it only hurts when you walk, will you be riding everywhere now?

    --
    mikepenton
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  3. kington99
    Archived post
    #3

    I don't think they're a necessary part of the learning process, but
    they're certainly a possible outcome. Having bust both my ankles
    uniycling I can sympathise. Rest Ice Compression and Elevation are what
    you need. I would also seriously suggest physio if it's badly swollen
    or you've torn anything badly, ultrasound and physical treatment got me
    back on my feet much more quickly. Although I didnt change the way I
    rode atall, I always wear a neoprene ankle wrap on both ankles every
    time I ride and high top light weight walking boots.

    --
    kington99

    Dave

    - what a thoroughly post-modern subversion of the cycling genre -
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  4. Zzagg
    Archived post
    #4

    Two weeks ago, on a sunny sunday evening, I took the trial uni to
    practice street riding on the local skateparc (wich is located just
    near the emergency hospital, by the way). I thought I would finally
    succeed in grinding the low but scary handrail that I'd tried a few
    times...
    A few people had been watching me for a few minutes and I was on "show
    off mode"
    I rode toward the rail, determined to clear it... hoped on it and
    grabed my left crank... started to grind... thought "hey cool, It seems
    like it's THE day!"... slided for 2-3meters and then heavily fell back
    on the set of low stairs.
    I heard the "bong" of my helmet on the rail and thought "now I know why
    I wear this!"
    then I felt one of my left fingers (the third) started to hurt🙁. I
    pulled on it just like I had made a thousand times before because of
    judo injuries on the 2nd joint.... I felt something unusual: some kind
    of "click" when the last part of my finger came back to its normal
    place. and it was bleeding through my KH gloves.
    Next day I had to go to hospital for hand surgery, I'm actualy typing
    with 1.5 hands😠
    ...too old for those sh...🙁
    ...but too close from succesfully grind it, I'll try it as soon as I'm
    able to street ride again😉

    --
    Zzagg

    Zzagg - Air Circus Team (Nantes)

    Living easy, living free...
    ...Season ticket on a one wheel ride.

    JJuggle said:

    Zzagg, I'm struggling with your English.

    :o 😉
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  5. alvincrew
    Archived post
    #5

    I just got this a few days ago (and you wouldnt wanna see the front!)
    [image: http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/2971/back8hj.jpg]

    I have had my ankles stuffed, flew off a downslope, hit head-on a tree,
    slide down a path of gravels and many more.
    I guess thats because i'm a stupid rider and a slow learner.

    But what i wanna say, no matter how steep our learning curve is, how
    much UPDs and fall-offs we have, we must have the determination. You're
    not alone. Let the passion within us keep us going. 🙂

    --
    alvincrew
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  6. gkmac
    Archived post
    #6
    kington99 said:

    Having bust both my ankles unicycling I can sympathise. Rest Ice
    Compression and Elevation are what you need.

    As soon as I got home I phoned my sister at work, who is a qualified
    first aider. She advised me about the RICE advice, which I did straight
    away. That, plus a couple of ibuprofens means it seems to be healing
    quite well, faster than when I last twisted my foot (not from a uni
    accident).

    When I first attempted this track or similar terrain, any sections that
    looked the slightest bit technical I would just dismount and walk
    across, for fear of injury resulting. But that's not the way to learn
    muni, is it?

    So on this, only the second attempt at this singletrack, I tried to
    fight my way across every foot of it, any forthcoming technical bits I
    would just try and plough my way through. Although I achieved a lot
    more of it in the result of far less little UPDs, the embarrassement
    was all preloaded into a massive UPD which resulted in minor injury.

    I have every intention of tackling this singletrack again & again until
    I get through it all, however my long-standing fear of potentially
    nasty UPDs & injuries has been brutally confirmed, and I've a horrible
    feeling that on re-attempting that particular obstacles or other
    obstacles of similar complexity, further nasty UPDs and/or injuries
    will happen.

    So...

    - Should I expect more injuries to occur simply from the art of
    learning more muni?
    - ...or will further attempts work out much better with the result of
    less violent failures?
    - Does fear of being injured mean that I'm just a wuss?

    --
    gkmac

    "It's a marvellous thing to see, someone in full flight on the
    unicycle." - Stuart Maconie, Radio 2
    "Oh no! Both my toes have gone numb!" - Joe Hodges
    "You also met me gk! I was the one eating the sandwich!" - Adam Gayne
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  7. epistolize
    Archived post
    #7
    Zzagg said:

    Two weeks ago, on a sunny sunday evening, I took the trial uni to
    practice street riding on the local skateparc (wich is located just
    near the emergency hospital, by the way).

    yo, beat this- i'm going out with a paramedic!

    the last time i went out and about without protections (and got hurt) ,
    my pins bit me quite badly. luckily i was sessioning outside tesco's
    (the supermarket) and just nipped in to pick up a roll of adhesive
    dressing which i hacked off with my stanley and continued riding.
    although i vowed never to do heavy stuff without protections again;
    like the binge drinker who vows never to drink again after a
    particularly heavy night you can probably guess what's happened since
    then.

    luckily i've not sustained /any/ injuries since then, despite engaging
    in more than just riding to and from work in the hot weather without
    protections.

    (touch wood)

    --
    epistolize

    my sig is a squiggle, but my keyboard like a trusty secretary always
    organises my thoughts into lines of legible text in files

    anti-capitalisation, anti-capitalism; neither for nor against always
    work well

    "Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet soup?" 'Bite Me'
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  8. tholub
    Archived post
    #8
    gkmac said:

    So...

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:


    - Should I expect more injuries to occur simply from the art of

    Quoted message said:

    learning more muni?


    - ...or will further attempts work out much better with the result

    Quoted message said:

    of less violent failures?


    - Does fear of being injured mean that I'm just a wuss?

    Quoted message said:


    The more you MUni, the better you'll get at falling. Kris Holm is
    amazing in his ability to fall at high speed onto uneven surfaces
    without sustaining serious injury (check out his North Shore bail in
    Defect).

    Falling is part of MUni; if you don't biff at least once on a technical
    MUni ride, you probably weren't trying hard enough. It is worth
    noting, however, that some of the worst biffs I've seen have been
    because someone got spooked and tried to bail out in the wrong
    direction or at the wrong time. As long as you stay on the unicycle,
    you won't get hurt.

    Most of the injuries you'll get doing MUni are minor. As you noticed,
    riding is often easier than walking with ankle injuries. Get Ace
    bandages, ice packs, and ibuprofen/aspirin, and you'll be fine.

    --
    tholub
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  9. cathwood
    Archived post
    #9

    Way to go gkamc!

    It is possible that having hurt yourself and survived you may find that
    you're less afraid of injuries in the future.

    Cathy

    PS I think fear of being injured just means you're human.

    PPS I'm married to a nurse and used to be one (does that top going out
    with a paramedic?)

    --
    cathwood

    Say no to unicycle genre discrimination! - MrBoogiejuice

    http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
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  10. Into the blue
    Archived post
    #10

    A couple of weeks ago I took a heavy fall over some uneven paving stones
    and bruised a few ribs. After about a week of recuperation I was ready
    to face MOPE again.
    A few nervous runs over the offending pavement and I was fine.
    Now I can do it with my eyes shut.
    You'll be fine.
    Just wear one of those 'No Fear' t-shirts.

    --
    Into the blue

    "Now listen up, you primitive screwheads...See this?...This is my -BOOM-
    stick!"
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  11. mornish
    Archived post
    #11
    alvincrew said:

    I just got this a few days ago (and you wouldnt wanna see the front!)
    [image: http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/2971/back8hj.jpg]

    owowowowowowowowowowowowow

    --
    mornish

    Quoted message said:

    <>UNICYCLING FOR MYSLELF TOO<><

    "LX seats are as comfortable as bricks." lildude2
    "CX seats are bricks."
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  12. zippy
    Archived post
    #12

    make a good tatoo that 😄

    --
    zippy

    *'Muni time trial weekend.' (http://tinyurl.com/q5z7m) 1st-3rd
    September. (NOT 8th - 10th)*
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  13. joemarshall
    Archived post
    #13

    Injuries do happen, I've sprained my ankle at least twice now, first one
    was on a British Muni Weekend ages back, riding in the dark with no
    lights over some rocky stuff, second one was riding the super-steep
    trail off box hill at night in fog and rain, when I got completely out
    of control on wet grass and fell a hell of a long way bang onto my
    ankle. I also damaged my knee in Paris, by doing silly racing on
    astroturf which was laid on top of concrete. All of them bad enough for
    me to go to hospital for x-rays just in case, but no lasting damage.
    I've got my own pair of crutches now, just in case it happens again.

    To a large extent though, as you get better, you do learn how to fall,
    and this kind of injury occurs much less.

    The other good news is, if you've just got a sprain, the advice you
    always get from the doctors is to keep using the joint. Okay maybe
    don't ride insanely hard for a few days until you feel okay, but I've
    always been told not to rest after the first 24 hours or so.

    Fear of being injured means you're being sensible, some people aren't
    at all scared, but they do have a tendency to have worse injuries like
    broken bones and stuff. You'll for sure go back and ride that trail in
    the end, just be stubborn and don't let that stupid forest win!

    Joe

    --
    joemarshall

    my pics http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albuq44
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  14. maxisback
    Archived post
    #14

    Of course getting hurt sucks but no pain no game right ? I mean you get
    used to it you even develop a sense to know how to fall and not get
    hurt. I got hurt badly a few times but thats not what should stop you I
    mean yeah it sucks but as long as ur live get ur ass on ur uni and ride
    ! haha, all I gotta say is keep it up go ride and if u get hurt
    bouhouhou get back up, try it again and if u get hurt again laugh at ur
    self. Repeat as many times as needed 😉

    --
    maxisback

    Quiters never win, winners never quit , the ones who never win and never
    quit are just dumb
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  15. Kyle_Hayes
    Archived post
    #15

    I had my first major injury today. I was riding down a set of nine
    stairs for the first time(I'd only gone up to 3 before, but I was
    bored). I managed it the first and second time, but third time(when I
    was being filmed ... damnit!) I 'tripped' halfway down and fell,
    landing on my left foot and twisting it quite badly. It's all swollen
    now and it hurts to walk(although not to unicycle, similar to gkmac).

    As someone who is not very active at all apart from unicycling, I have
    found this discovery of bruises and cuts(and swelling - eurgh!) to be
    an odd experience. On the one hand there is the pain, which is bad, but
    it's not as bad as I thought it would be, and the various minor
    injuries I have had have made me a little more robust than I used to
    be, I think.

    So I say that although injuries do suck, they are important in making
    you stronger. Besides, if there was no risk involved, unicycling would
    be boring, right?

    --
    Kyle_Hayes
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  16. muzzle
    Archived post
    #16
    alvincrew said:

    I just got this a few days ago (and you wouldnt wanna see the front!)
    [image: http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/2971/back8hj.jpg]
    ...

    I WANNA SEE THE FRONT! :o :eek: :p 😉 😄 😎 🙄

    --
    muzzle

    sig.
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  17. mornish
    Archived post
    #17

    once again- owowowowowowowowowowow

    --
    mornish

    Quoted message said:

    <>UNICYCLING FOR MYSLELF TOO<><

    "LX seats are as comfortable as bricks." lildude2
    "CX seats are bricks."
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