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Group riding after crash or keep riding alone?
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 2007-06-25 10:08 PM |
Champion  19812     MA |  Subject: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone?Help me decide how I should train tomorrow. Most of you know I was in a bike race crash 2.5 weeks ago doing a crit. and has some signifcant injuries. I've been riding by myself and on Saturday with a group of BTers which was awesome, but we ride like triathletes not drafting and give each of us plenty of space. Tuesday is my race teams group ride....we practice pacelines and have good time. Riding alone is easy as I can control my destiny. If I do the group ride it may bring up some unpleasant memories, but should ease me back into feeling more comfortable in a group riding situation. Is it to soon to do it? We go to MN for 2-3 weeks in July so it is sort of now or not for 2 months. I do want to do some more bike races this season so need to feel comfortable riding close to others. I'm surprised how the crash has effected me mentally. I think about crashing and all sorts of weird situations just during the day but riding I don't think that way. I'm not sure if this is post crash thinking. I have no memory of what happened as I had a concussion and have black space for about 1.5 hours. For any of you that have crashed in a group riding situation, how long did it take you to feel comfortable riding in a group again? You guys have lots of wisdom so I'd like to hear what you have to say...I'm really conflicted. Edited by KathyG 2007-06-25 10:09 PM |
| 2007-06-25 11:44 PM in reply to: #860031 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? I have mixed thoughts. On one hand, training with a group, but not in a race/crit scenario which is much more dangerous, is going to help you get your head back into things in a safe environment. on teh other hand, if you happen to (god forbid) have another crash, you may reinjure your shoulder to teh point where it impedes your healing signfiicantly. you are feeling better, the pain is improving, but 2 1/2 weeks is not near long enough for a 20 year old to have full ligamentous healing, let alone a 45 year old (how old are you?) THis is a very vulnerable time for your shoulder in terms of healing...a reinjury now could be twice as bad as teh first one. So after thinking out loud (but voting for the group ride), I might say ride alone, or mabye follow your group with 1 or 2 others who understand your current headspace and healing. let some teammates know you'd like to spend soem time with them, but can't afford another reinjury right now and would they be willing to spread out a little. Or, you could pull the entire time and get a much better workout that way! |
| 2007-06-26 5:21 AM in reply to: #860031 |
| Champion 9430 No excuses! | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? ride alone, good tri practice  |
 2007-06-26 7:12 AM in reply to: #860031 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2007-06-26 8:05 AM in reply to: #860031 |
Champion 6786 Two seat rocket plane | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? Ride with a group. Get back on the horse that threw you. If you let this crash get into your head, which will happen IMO if you start riding alone, you run the risk of ALWAYS having a problem riding in a group. Crowded bike courses are something that does happen in tris, and you need to be able to deal with having other riders near you. If you want to have any hope of riding comfortable in a group (not to mention road racing) you are going to have to get comfortable in a group. A crash will affect you mentally for a long time, maybe even permanently. However, you can mitigate the effect by dealing directly with it. A crash I had on a fast, curvy descent a few years ago still lingers a bit in my mind and causes me to approach such situations a good bit more conservatively than I did pre-crash. Now, granted, I may have been a bit too gonzo on the descents in the past. |
| 2007-06-26 8:10 AM in reply to: #860031 |
| Expert 939 Newton, MA | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? If you're sure you really want to continue doing races, and no one would fault you if you didn't want to, then the only way you're going to feel comfortable again riding in a group is to ride in a group. Probably after riding for a while the first time you'll notice that you don't notice anything wrong, and that will be ok. |
| 2007-06-26 8:57 AM in reply to: #860031 |
| Champion 5575 Butler | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? I have done most of my rides alone so I can practice for tris but I am relatively new to cycling. I have probably 1200 miles on my bike in 8 months and probably 250 of that is with a group and most of that was the ms150 which most of that was not even with a group. |
| 2007-06-26 9:01 AM in reply to: #860031 |
| Champion 8540 the colony texas | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? regards of which one you do, you will still feel nervous for a while, I'd go with a smaller group if possible. Until your used to your mind messing around with you at least. |
| 2007-06-26 9:01 AM in reply to: #860421 |
| Veteran 155 Denver | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? My vote is to do the group ride. The longer you put it off the more mental games you can potentially have (speaking from experience) plus you would be riding with a group you are familiar with and at a controlled pace. Good luck! |
| 2007-06-26 9:05 AM in reply to: #860031 |
| Giver 18427 | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? I'm all for getting back on the horse as soon as possible; the longer you wait, the harder it will be! suck it up an all... Edited by run4yrlif 2007-06-26 9:05 AM |
| 2007-06-26 9:29 AM in reply to: #860031 |
| Expert 830 Chesapeake, VA | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? I had a crash last Thursday in a paceline. Seven of us went down including myself. Two were taken away in an ambulance. I was back in a line on Saturday. I was nervous but did it. The fact is I have made great strides in my biking thanks to training with pacelines. They do have there place in a triathlete's training regiment and the sooner you get back into it the sooner you will get over the nervousness. |
| 2007-06-26 10:34 AM in reply to: #860031 |
| Veteran 662 Madison, Alabama | Subject: RE: Group riding after crash or keep riding alone? I say get back on it. I was riding at Lake Tahoe last year and went down hard...about 30 of us crashed. Problem was, the ride was a century ride and I crashed at about mile 9...Rode the other 91 miles with blood either coming out of the back of my leg, or caked on the back of my leg. Then, after I got back and took a shower, had the medic look at it. Now, I still ride in my group ride (about 10 guys from work including me). We have had more crashes sine last year, but thankfully, none involving me. Kevin |
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