Damage Limitation

It'a a common thing with cyclists post accident or crash, that you want to get back to riding. You miss the riding outside and you start to go a bit... crazy.. there I said it.. So 11 days post accident and the whole being layed up thing is losing it's charm.. I have surfed the web' looking at hip op's and metal work, read some scary blogs and got to the point where i want to do something.

Although it's different this time. after a bad accident in 2000, with 6 months in physio i wanted to ride at any quality. Now i want to get back to being a quality rider. So the strategy is to build the components in a sensible way that will enable that. The time it takes is a secondary matter.

So part of my work will be to maintain what i can of my gains from my training over the last 2 months, This has to be done while allowing the hip joint to repair. that means no stress on that joint, and not doing something that steels recovery from that joint to other areas.

So to the gym for some very careful work. My gym is very posh.. I am not, but it's close to my house and I am lazy. So it's full up with all the posh people of the Royal Berkshire Racket club. So when Strange cycling bloke comes in on crutches... there was some staring.. A lot of staring... As if what i did usually wasn't strange enough. I think it was when I said to someone " good my arms are getting leaner and more aerodynamic" .. coockoo..

For the aerobic side I selected to sit on a recumbent bike and pedal only with my right leg. Just getting my Ipod, HR monitor and stuff sorted on the bike was like a magicians act.  Bottle hear, while holding crutch and balance bag on arm.. you get the idea.

So I did not want to over stress the right knee as it was doing enough work this week, it needed some support from my arms on the upstroke. I targeted a level one effort upto about 124 HR at most. the video link is below left.

So there I am on the sitting down bikes, next to all the pie girls, who watch east enders while they hardly put any effort in to what they are doing. At one point the girl next to me stopped pedalling as she got so engrossed in the TV.. It was as she was getting off the bike she looked at my crutches and looked at me.. you could see the look on her face... "Freak.."  Ha yes that's right I thought. The gym has some usual characters.. There is "Gold Shoes man" who does endless pull up's in his vest, and there is the "Gazelle" a girl who is getting thinner and thinner and wear's smaller legging each week, Gazelle likes the stairmaster, but only if they are free in the centre where everyone can see her getting thinner. They gawp at me for a moment, and then blank.

Some people go to the gym to look good, So when you go in looking like you just finished filming "Jackass 3"  it doesn't fit for some people..

I did some core work sitting on adjustable bench, as trying a fit ball would probably end with a scene

I normally go to the gym to build core strength and build some strength in my arms, as cycling doesn't do much for that.   The core strength and arm work has been a real benefit while i have been on crutches and is helping my recovery. My tip is, Go to the gym do core and stretching in case you crash!

So progress to now - The swelling is a lot less, compression still working well.  strength and flexibility is coming back. I can now lift my left leg into bed without holding it.. Just.. and less weight is going on the crutches when I walk. i can sense soon I will get up and forget the crutches. The clips come out Monday and when the scar is healed i can swim, to keep the engine going.

Swimming will be great for the Heart and Lungs, It's not that I'm much of a swimmer, but one legged pedalling is not the most satisfying way to spend your time..

Some benefits I have discovered-
 If you want your Starbucks brought to your table, go in with Crutches..
If you want the good seats in starbucks, Grimace as you walk towards the comfy seats and look painfully at the hard seats, Works a charm... what.. don't tell me you don't want that seat..?

The downside, I have to watch rubbish TV.. Lin said, Can you stretch you legs like that Girl from Diversity? I did on Sunday the 9th I said, that's how this happend...

So
5 days until I can swim.. maybe
 17 days until I can spin on the Turbo and start physio, and we know how I love the turbo... :o(
47 days until I can ride outside.. Well at least it will be warmer..

Time to do work on the bikes