[Westy]

Let me start off with the disclaimer that I am a no talent hack and a big sissy.

Anyway the past two weeks I have felt like complete crap, little nauseated slight headaches, eyes hurt etc. I couldn't figure out what was wrong and was getting worried, though I had a brain tumor or something. Then last Wednesday I was checking on a huge bruise on my shoulder I received in a wreck and it dawned on me that I probably had a concussion. I remember crashing but didn't think I hit my head, I guess I was wrong.

I feel better now but the whole thing really worried me. In the past 12 months I have gotten 3 concussions, knocking myself out cold once. Popped a blood vessel in my lungs and coughed blood for a while, broke my hand sprained both my wrists and tore ligaments in my left hand. All injuries came in crashes where I was trying to push myself. Every thing I have suffered has been pretty minor and I know people who deal with worse, but I think it is time for me to accept my crappy technical skills, take it easy and ride for the fun of it. How hard does everyone else push themselves?

 

[Heidi]

Obviously you're right, there is a fine line. I've crossed the line a few times myself, but it needs to be crossed. You can't just live in a safe little world. That ain't living.

That said, yah, maybe you better back off a little. I mean, let yourself heal up and get some confidence back. There isn't anything wrong with pushing yourself, but maybe do it in little bursts.

Take care man.

 

[JRB]

I have decided that I have no skills also. People bitch when we ride sometimes, but I just ride within my ability. It really is about fun for me now.

 

[Toshi]

leave the movie moves for the crazies. ride what you think is fun, at a pace that's comfortable for you.

 

[douglas]

I agree w/Heidi.

Its good to cross the line on occasion, for a little bit, but remember to cross back to the safer side !!

 

[s1ngletrack]

I feel your pain Westy - I broke my wrist for the second time about 18 months ago - and suspect that it didn't heal quite right (as evidenced by a bone shaped lump on my right wrist) - then fell hard on it again this spring and think I might have fractured it, strangely enough, I've had this mystery pain in it for the last 2 days. To top it off, I was hitting a new ramp I built at a park behind my house last week, got off balance and stuck my right foot out, only to land on my heel, straight legged, from about 6' - I was sure that I had broken my foot, ankle or both. Fortunately it appears that it is just bruised super bad, but I'm beginning to wonder when I will be able to walk normally again (instead of walking on my toes). It sucks feeling like an old man @ 32 (yeah, I know Burly - 32 IS old), but I figure that I'd rather die old with a worn out body than die prematurely of a heart attack - and besides, I have plenty of time later to take up "road biking on dirt"

 

[Echo]

You need to take it easy. I don't want to have to try and find another person as fast as you for Old Pueblo

I don't know if it's possible to ride at 90% or whatever - usually I'm more in control when I ride fast than when I'm being careful. But that really applies to DH type riding I suppose.

 

[yojimborace]

If you are eating it when you are jumping, you are probably too tired. If you are falling on trails, get a better bike for downhill. you need

 

[ghostrider]

I suggest that you continue to push yourself, just focus on injuring areas that haven't been injured yet. Or, take three months off and collect your thoughts.

 

[laura]

i'm such a pussy that i never fall. i dont want to get hurt and if i can help it, im not going too. i crashed a couple of times in DH races, and went down hard on the pavement once but thats about it. if i hurt myself, i know i would continue to ride. however the fear of hurting myself is enough to keep me riding way below my level for a long time.

 

[I Are Baboon]

I find riding with the wife helps keep me "in check" so to speak. When she does not ride with me, I do 6-8 foot drops, ride across narrow bridges and skinnies, and try to push my limits. I tend to get injured more on these rides.

When I ride with the wife, I cut way back on the scary stuff and keep my wheels on the ground a lot more. She gets very stressed when I try dangerous things and can't stand seeing me injure myself. If it weren't for her, I'd spend a lot more time OFF the bike recovering from injuries. I am too stupid to know my own limits.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Oh yeah, Westy, take it easy man! MTB is supposed to be fun and relaxing.

 

[s1ngletrack]

I find riding with the wife helps keep me "in check" so to speak. When she does not ride with me, I do 6-8 foot drops, ride across narrow bridges and skinnies, and try to push my limits. I tend to get injured more on these rides.

When I ride with the wife, I cut way back on the scary stuff and keep my wheels on the ground a lot more. She gets very stressed when I try dangerous things and can't stand seeing me injure myself. If it weren't for her, I'd spend a lot more time OFF the bike recovering from injuries. I am too stupid to know my own limits.

I'm both lucky and unlucky when it comes to the fiance's take on my riding. She laughed last week when I told her that I thought my foot and/or ankle might be busted (I called her from the ER) - but I can tell that it turns her on when I maim myself. At least she's a nurse...

 

[jacksonpt]

imo...

definition of recovery time
1. time you could be riding but aren't due to injury
2. time your riding is noticebly affected due to injury, lack of strenght, endurance, etc.

if recovery time < riding time, you're not going hard enough

if recovery time = riding time,

if recovery time > riding time, you're going too hard

this is just a rule of thumb... it may be different if you're one of those people who break something every time they fall, or if you DH (since DHers probably land harder than most of us), etc.


and...

Let me start off with the disclaimer that I am a no talent hack and a big sissy.

aren't you the one who did like 67 laps at Dalton or something rediculous like that???

 

[BurlyShirley]

I tend not to ever get hurt when I fall. Just do that.

 

[B_A_MTBIKER]

I would say that if you aren't real good at the technical stuff, only do a few technical spots when you go ride, that way you aren't too tired or freaking out over stuff the entire ride. when I started riding technical stuff back in the day it didn't make up the whole ride, in fact it was usually only one spot that I would stop off for at the side of my usual trail and I would screw around for a little while and then get back to my ride before I got too injured or tired. Now I can ride a technical trail all day.

 

[s1ngletrack]

I've thought alot about this and it has occurred to me that after awhile, you reach a point in your riding where your crashes increase exponentially in severity. For example, going over the bars because you approached a waterbar wrong is going to have far less serious consequences than dropping your front end too much while hitting the mushroom drop in Moab and nosing 20' onto slickrock. I'm not sure exactly what this means... but it does kind of make you wonder.

 

[jacksonpt]

I've thought alot about this and it has occurred to me that after awhile, you reach a point in your riding where your crashes increase exponentially in severity. For example, going over the bars because you approached a waterbar wrong is going to have far less serious consequences than dropping your front end too much while hitting the mushroom drop in Moab and nosing 20' onto slickrock. I'm not sure exactly what this means... but it does kind of make you wonder.

yea... a similar thought occured to me:
most of us probably have (or will) reach a point where we crash far less often, but when we do, the chance for injury is much greater (as well as a greater chance for more serious injury). And I'm talking about crashing... not tipping over on a slow techy section or going down when the bike slides out from under you on slick leaves.

 

[Echo]

To anyone who is suggesting that Westy lacks technical skills... he's being modest, he doesn't.

 

[bpatterson6]

I've thought alot about this and it has occurred to me that after awhile, you reach a point in your riding where your crashes increase exponentially in severity. For example, going over the bars because you approached a waterbar wrong is going to have far less serious consequences than dropping your front end too much while hitting the mushroom drop in Moab and nosing 20' onto slickrock. I'm not sure exactly what this means... but it does kind of make you wonder.

How is that Healing up Josh?
Did Tony get that jump from you he talked about?
I ended up with a broken finger from that Wreck at Todd's place...
Anyways, on to the Subject at Hand...

I have had so many injuries over the years it is unbelievable.
Broken Collarbone, Hands, Fingers, Arms, Legs, Numerous Concussions, Stitches, Torn ACL and MCL and or just about anything else you can think of.
I find as I approach my Mid 30's that I just have to Ride at a comfortable level where I feel In control. It takes me longer to get to that feeling of all out craziness.
Like Toshi says...Leave the movie Stunts for the Crazies in the movies...
I, like everyone, want to push myself also , but I also try to remind myself that I want to ride another day...soon and not later. If I don't Feel "it" then I don't feel "it" and I have to save it for another day...Riding is riding...It's always fun no matter what...So enjoy every time you ride...but don't try so hard as to put yourself in a position where you won't be able to ride for a while. Save it for a day when your confidence is high and you feel confident you will stick that landing or whatever...Good Luck!!

 

[Westy]

yea... a similar thought occured to me:
most of us probably have (or will) reach a point where we crash far less often, but when we do, the chance for injury is much greater (as well as a greater chance for more serious injury). And I'm talking about crashing... not tipping over on a slow techy section or going down when the bike slides out from under you on slick leaves.

I think that is what has been happening to me. When I push myself these days it is in attept to go faster, bigger speeds bigger consequences.

 

[JRB]

I think that is what has been happening to me. When I push myself these days it is in attept to go faster, bigger speeds bigger consequences.

We tend to get comfortably stupid too. That is what happens to me.

 

[s1ngletrack]

How is that Healing up Josh?
Did Tony get that jump from you he talked about?
I ended up with a broken finger from that Wreck at Todd's place...

It's getting there, still can't step on my heel, but I'm getting closer, it felt like someone took a ball-peen hammer and smacked the sh1t out of my bare heel for a few days. Tony has not yet said anything more about the jump - I told him I'm happily build one to his specs...

That's exactly what I was talking about Westy - You start thinking, gee, I haven't wrecked in a while - maybe I'm not pushing enough. Then it occurs to you that you are riding substantially faster, over nastier terrain than you did years before and you begin to wonder what it would feel like to overshoot a corner @ 35mph and go ragdolling through lodgepole pines.

 

[jacksonpt]

I think that is what has been happening to me. When I push myself these days it is in attept to go faster, bigger speeds bigger consequences.

yea... I'm kinda at that plateau. There are a few climbs that are still a good challenge for me, but most of the pushing I do is on faster sections where the potential damger/harm is faaaar higher. I fight with my self preservation instinct every time out - I usually win and push myself a bit more. So far, I haven't taken any serious falls, so I keep pusing. Eventually it's going to catch up to me. It'll be interesting to see how I respond to a nasty wreck.

on a related note... about 2.5 years ago, I took a buddy out. It was his first time out on anything that resembled a decent trail. About 1/3 of the way through the ride, and went OTB and broke his arm and shoulder. Had to have pins put in, still doesn't have full range of motion (never will). He hasn't ridden since. It's unfortunate for him, and it reminds me how lucky I am every time I'm able to pedal away after a crash.

 

[BMXman]

I would suggest "learning" how to crash...practice rolling and tucking and keeping your extremities tucked in...helped alot for me especially coming from BMX....I still crash about the same amount but I walk away from 95% of them....D

 

[BigMike]

I push myself. Hard. There have been a few times where I have thought I may be trying to push too hard or go too fast, and that is when I back off a bit. I am just recovering from a boken hand and severly sprained wrist. My first time back on the bike I tried this new stunt and landed hard, on my head. Got a concussion. That is an example of me pushing too hard, I wasnt ready to go back that big that soon.

My problem is that I was ready mentally, just not physically.

The reasons I push myself are that if I stay where I am right now, I will not be happy with it. I will always want to go bigger and faster. The people I ride with are waaay better than I am, and I HAVE to push myself to keep up with them. I want to get faster, I want to go bigger, and I want to get better. If I were to only ride what I knew I could ride, I would never progress.

There is a fine line of how much is too much, but I think, for me, that If I dont approach and cross that line, I will never be as good of a rider as I want to be, and know I can be.

 

[Skookum]

I would suggest "learning" how to crash...practice rolling and tucking and keeping your extremities tucked in...helped alot for me especially coming from BMX....I still crash about the same amount but I walk away from 95% of them....D

Bingo....

Also try finding people who are better you can learn tips and maybe session sections to learn how to do stuff. Body english, body position, etc etc. Don't kill yourself but don't get frustrated either, learning better technical skills alot of times comes from time, some learn faster than others.... and having the skills doesn't necessarily connatate into having to then go huge and kill yourself. It's great learning good fundamentals that can actually help you not getting hurt in the future.

it's a balance, main thing is to have fun.

 

[MikeD]

You should be able to ride consistently w/ *maybe* 1-2 falls every 3-5 times you go out. That is the level of pshing yourself that usually involves losing traction and sliding out (ie a fall). Along that same line, you can expect a crash (the one's where everyone around goes "OH! ISH man! you alright? What's your name? You need to go to the hospital?") about once every 40-50 rides. If you are having them more often then that, you're pushing too hard. Figure out what normally causes your to crash (not fall, CRASH) and work on skills for that thing. Skills doesn't necessarily mean going faster, just getting better, so when you go faster it's instinct, not thought.

Stoney, that doesn't sound like you, Mr. Concussion...are you OK? Did you hit your head??

MD