# Today, I rode for half a mile



## Asa Post (14 Jan 2013)

I rode on the turbo. It took me 11 minutes and 20 seconds. It was my first ride since falling on ice on 18th November, and breaking the neck of my right femur (Garden IV, for those who understand these things). The next day, they operated to screw the bits of bone back together and told me that I'd never regain 100% of my strength and mobility.

I'm still on crutches. I need strong painkillers to get a decent night's sleep. I'm having physiotherapy and hydrotherapy at the hospital. I'm self-administering aromatherapy and using a TENS machine. I have lots of exercises to do several times a day.

But I can walk (sort of). And now, with the surgeon's approval, I can cycle. Pedaling hurts, but it will improve.

I *WILL* get back to where I was before the accident. I *WILL* cycle as often, as far, and as fast as I ever did.

Nil desperandum.


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## Steve H (14 Jan 2013)

As I read your post, my mind went from "That's pathetic" to "That's Amazing!" as I got from the first sentence to the last.

Excellent determination! Keep it up - you will get there.


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## Paddygt (14 Jan 2013)

That's the spirit, good on ya, inspiring.


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## Arsen Gere (14 Jan 2013)

It's a start, keep it up and you'll be back on the road again. Turbo's are under rated, stronger - faster - harder - longer, thats what Mrs Gere says anyway.


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## User16625 (14 Jan 2013)

Best of luck old boy! I admire your determination. I would probably swig cider all day if I was in the same position.


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## FreeFlow Bikes (14 Jan 2013)

Good Luck and with that determination, you WILL cycle again!


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## Saluki (14 Jan 2013)

Good for you. Well done & keep up the good work.
I have just got home from work and was going to cycle but its snowing like anything. I am fit and healthy and not going to cycle even 1/4 mile today!
You have more get up and go than I have. Take it steady and don't over push yourself.


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## Banjo (14 Jan 2013)

Good Luck with the recovery, certainly sounds like your determined to get through it.


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## Hip Priest (14 Jan 2013)

Having the right attitude is half the battle.

Keep us posted.


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## sdr gb (15 Jan 2013)

I broke my right femoral neck and femur in 2007 so you have my sympathies with what you are currently going through.

The only lack of mobility issue I've encountered is that I can no longer swing my right leg high enough over the bike to get on it. I received very little physio after my accident so you may be okay

Just a quick word of advice. You might find the leg you broke is now a bit shorter than your good leg (mine is), so you may have to drop your saddle a bit to get a comfier riding position.

Good luck with the recovery. Take it steady and you'll soon be back riding at the levels you were at before your accident.


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## Asa Post (16 Jan 2013)

Thanks to all for the good wishes, likes and support 



Steve H said:


> As I read your post, my mind went from "That's pathetic" to "That's Amazing!" as I got from the first sentence to the last.


"Pathetic" is the exact word I used myself, Steve. I wouldn't agree with "Amazing", though. "Stubborn" is nearer the mark.


Arsen Gere said:


> Turbo's are under rated, stronger - faster - harder - longer.


I love mine. I rode it a lot before the accident, and now I'd be lost without it. It will be a long time before I'm safe to ride on the road.


Saluki said:


> Take it steady and don't over push yourself.


This is the big danger, according to the physiotherapist. I was quickly identified as "one of those who doesn't know when to stop" 


Hip Priest said:


> Keep us posted.


If there's something significant, whether good or bad, I'll report it. At the moment I'm just trying to maintain the half mile rides until I can do them without stopping.


sdr gb said:


> I broke my right femoral neck and femur in 2007 so you have my sympathies with what you are currently going through.
> 
> The only lack of mobility issue I've encountered is that I can no longer swing my right leg high enough over the bike to get on it. I received very little physio after my accident so you may be okay
> 
> Just a quick word of advice. You might find the leg you broke is now a bit shorter than your good leg (mine is), so you may have to drop your saddle a bit to get a comfier riding position.


I knew I wouldn't be the first CCer to go through this. It's encouraging to hear from someone who has been there and made a good recovery.
You're right about mounting the bike. I can't do it. I cheat by putting an aerobic step next to the bike, standing on it and then swinging my leg round. That won't work on the road, though . Any tips?
And you're right about the short leg as well, though I'm told it might have been short before the crash as lots of people have legs of different length. If it doesn't readjust itself as the leg heals, I've been told I can have an orthotic insert. Does dropping the saddle cause problems with the good leg? I wondered about it hurting the knee. I've dropped mine about 2cm, but I hope it's only a temporary fix. Especially as the bit that hurts about riding is raising the injured leg to the top of the pedaling circle, and dropping the saddle decreases the angle between thigh and torso, and so increases the strain on the hip and groin.

If anyone has any advice re bike setup, training plans for recovery, mobility exercises or anything else that might help, I'd love to hear it. The physios I've seen are good people, but they aren't cyclists and I think that at some point I'll be left to devise my own treatment.


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## Steve H (16 Jan 2013)

I'm no expert, but I reckon the old adage "Little and Often" would best be applied. Do something everyday, but don't over stretch yourself


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## sdr gb (16 Jan 2013)

Asa Post said:


> That won't work on the road, though . Any tips?


Stand on the pavement with your bike on the road, using the pavement as a substitute for the aerobic step (hope this makes sense). This way you won't have to lean the bike over as far if you need a bit more clearance. Alternatively, I get on the bike from the other side swinging my good leg over.

I didn't really notice any problems with dropping the saddle affecting my uninjured leg. The only thing I can say is to find what works best for you as everybody's different. I still ride with the saddle slightly lower than it it was pre-accident and have had no problems with the good leg. Doing stretching exercises is also a big help.

As for a training plan, just do as much as you feel like doing but don't overdo it. When I started on the turbo, it took me longer to get on the damn thing than the actual time i could ride it for. Don't become fixated with times, distance etc, just concentrate on building the muscles back up and the rest will follow. If you feel any new pains or major discomfort, then stop. The pain and discomfort do get easier, honest.

Try to stay positive and not get frustrated.


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## Biker Joe (16 Jan 2013)

I really admire your guts and determination.
I wish you well


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## Wobblers (16 Jan 2013)

Well done!

It's only two months since your break: that's a very short time, so you're still in the early stages of the recovery. It was two months before I could get on the bike after breaking an ankle, so it sounds like you're progressing well. The best advice that I can give you is to treat the physio's advice as gospel: the orthopedic surgeon may have fixed the bones, but it'll be your physio that'll get you moving again. Do all the exercises that you're given religiously, but don't overdo it - your leg will give you plenty of notice when you push things a bit too far. The other thing is progress may be slower than you'd like - only now after 6 months can I really walk properly over short distances - so be patient and don't over exert yourself. You will get there in the end. Good luck!


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## avsd (16 Jan 2013)

Well done and keep up to the good work  . I came to cycling after a serious road traffic accident My definition of a good day back then was being able to on my own socks It will take some time and to be honest you will probably have a level of residual pain but I am now doing some 5k per annum and considering entering club racing this month.


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## Asa Post (19 Jan 2013)

sdr gb said:


> Stand on the pavement with your bike on the road, using the pavement as a substitute for the aerobic step (hope this makes sense). This way you won't have to lean the bike over as far if you need a bit more clearance. Alternatively, I get on the bike from the other side swinging my good leg over.


A lot of the pavements round here aren't high enough to be useful, but I see the advantage in places where they are.
Why didn't I think of getting on from the other side . I'm not sure I'll manage it, though. My son in America still mounts and dismounts from the left side. He says he's likely to fall over if he tries it from the right. I taught him well .



sdr gb said:


> As for a training plan, just do as much as you feel like doing but don't overdo it. When I started on the turbo, it took me longer to get on the damn thing than the actual time i could ride it for. Don't become fixated with times, distance etc, just concentrate on building the muscles back up and the rest will follow. If you feel any new pains or major discomfort, then stop. The pain and discomfort do get easier, honest.
> 
> Try to stay positive and not get frustrated.


I'm a bit OCD about times and distances, so it will be easier for me to scale them down and still use them rather than try and manage without. I had to abort yesterday's ride because the pain was too much, but today went really well. I'm looking forward to averaging 10 mph. Then I might try for a mile, although without a speed goal.


McWobble said:


> The best advice that I can give you is to treat the physio's advice as gospel: the orthopedic surgeon may have fixed the bones, but it'll be your physio that'll get you moving again. Do all the exercises that you're given religiously, but don't overdo it - your leg will give you plenty of notice when you push things a bit too far.


Oh, it does. It does . The physio was concerned that he'd given me too many exercises, but I assured him that I'd rather be active than passive.


McWobble said:


> The other thing is progress may be slower than you'd like - only now after 6 months can I really walk properly over short distances - so be patient and don't over exert yourself. You will get there in the end. Good luck!


You'll have gathered by now that patience isn't one of my strong points . I know that there will be setbacks, and I hope I'm able to deal with them without doing anything silly. Once I accept that I can't change something, I stop worrying about it. But sometimes that acceptance is slow to arrive. As long as I can see improvements, I'm happy. I'm down to one crutch for most of the time, now. That's made life a lot easier. When the rate of progress slows, I might struggle.


avsd said:


> My definition of a good day back then was being able to on my own socks It will take some time and to be honest you will probably have a level of residual pain but I am now doing some 5k per annum and considering entering club racing this month.


Congratulations. That's the sort of recovery I want! . I still have trouble with socks on some mornings. It's much easier if I don't put them on until dinner time. The thought of residual pain is a worry. I'm not good with chronic pain. I had an injury as a teenager, and it hurt for 10 years. I'm not looking for a repeat.


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## avsd (19 Jan 2013)

It not chronic pain - just a nag sometimes and I think it is partially age related. I am over the 50 stage . Stay positive and set yourself some enjoyable targets. I remember my first one was to go to my wife's firm charity dinner and get up for a dance. I then set myself some cycling related target. The other thing to think about when you are 'down' is that there is alway someone worse e.g the kids in Great Ormond St


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## Easytigers (19 Jan 2013)

Good work...with your attitude I'm sure you'll make it!!! I was however just about to go out to try the mtb on the ice and snow for the first time..might give it a miss now though 
Hope you have a speedy recovery!


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## Albert (20 Jan 2013)

Fighting Spirit can do wonders. What you have already done is terrific. I hope that you succeed in getting back to full power or at least something approaching it.


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## Asa Post (4 Feb 2013)

It's 3 weeks since I started back, so I thought that an update was due.
After really struggling for a few days, I switched the 110mm stem for a 90mm to make me a bit more upright, and lowered the saddle - which made pedaling easier but still hurt. Then I found that if I took my right hand off the bars and put it on my hip, it opened my body up a bit and reduced the pain. After a few days I could ride with both hands on the middle of the bars for most of the time. I was gradually increasing my gear, and getting faster as a result. At the end of the first week , I did my half mile in 4:31 with only one stop.
I kept to the same distance for most of week 2, and finally averaged 10mph. Then I changed to riding for 10 minutes. I could now ride on the hoods. I was in my usual gear for the turbo, but pedaling much slower than I used to. The saddle now felt too low, so I raised it again.
Last week I increased the time to 15 minutes, and then 20. Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place. The cadence increased, the pain all but disappeared - and I was riding again, not exercising an injured leg . Yesterday I covered 5.31 miles in my 20 minutes. My cadence is up to 90% of normal and the pain has gone. My heart rate is higher than it used to be for similar efforts, but that isn't surprising after 2 months off the bike.

I'm more than pleased . I expected progress to be much slower. Now I'll start doing longer rides, and I'm not bothered if the average speed drops at first. I still can't risk riding outside, though. The cycling might be up to it, but I'm still using one crutch and can't walk well enough to be safe  .


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## steve52 (4 Feb 2013)

hats off to you chap.and bloody well done,


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## 400bhp (4 Feb 2013)

Feckin brilliant. This is the first time I've come across this thread so I read post #1 and #21 consecutively.


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## sdr gb (4 Feb 2013)

This is great news Asa and I'm really pleased for you .


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## BrianEvesham (4 Feb 2013)

Well done to you Asa, hope it gets easier. keep it up.


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## fossyant (4 Feb 2013)

Nice to see things falling into place.


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## Asa Post (18 May 2013)

Update time...
I gradually increased the riding time throughout February, and finished with a ride of 90 minutes. I felt that I wasn't sitting “square” on the bike – my arms were telling me that I was turning slightly left all the time. I thought this was caused by my injured leg not being as flexible as it used to be, and so I was moving the hip forwards to compensate - which moved the shoulder forward - which affected my reach to the handlebars. I moved the saddle forward to see if it helped.
At the start of March I was getting a lot of pain in my leg. Not from the hip, but just above the knee. I decided to have a week off cycling to see if it cured it. It didn't. There was no improvement at all. So, I went back to riding, and stopped doing the physio exercises  . That fixed things, and after a few days I was fine. I still left it a week before I restarted the exercises, though.
I dropped the riding back to a lower level (that is, shorter rides but at the same intensity) as I felt that I was trying to improve too quickly. Cadence was now about 90% of the pre-accident level. Speed was a bit lower than that, because I was also using smaller gears. I saw the Physio at the end of the month, and the “homework” he gave me was to ride on the road before my next appointment in 4 weeks time  .
By April, I was hobbling round without crutches, and riding for about 6 hours a week. Generally, steady rides in HR zone 2 with some z3 and z4 work thrown if I felt like it. I still wasn't comfortable on the bike, and fitted a shorter stem to try and make me sit a bit further forward and be more upright. It felt better, but not spot on. On the 10th, I rode outside for the first time  . I used my mountain bike because I wanted the option of lower gears, but as it turned out I never used the smallest chainring. It was deliberately short and easy – the biggest problem was getting on and off the bike. I can't get my leg over like I used to  . I have to throw my leg up and over the top tube and then pull the bike towards me. Ungainly, but it works.
I went back to the turbo, because I didn't want to ride on wet roads, or in strong winds. I didn't feel confident about my bike handling, and wanted to have the weather in my favour. At the end of the month I did 3 more road rides, the longest was for just over an hour. Cadence was nearly normal but speed was still well down. I've been told not to attempt any high-power efforts so I was having to nurse myself up the small hills - I'm still avoiding the big ones . The injury was nagging at me occasionally, especially when I changed my pedaling rhythm.
I still wasn't happy with my riding position. I know that the injury has shortened my R leg, because I did the “heels on the pedal” test for seat height, and the L leg reaches comfortably and the R doesn't touch the pedal at all. I didn't want to drop the saddle any more as it was already too low for the L leg to be properly stretched, so I moved the R cleat forward to pull the leg back towards the saddle. I now had to pedal with the ball of my foot behind the pedal axle, which was uncomfortable at first but I soon adjusted. I had to move the cleat a few times over the next week or so, just by tiny amounts, until I found the best compromise position.
It's now May, and the physiotherapy sessions have finished though I'm still doing some of the exercises. I've been outside a few more times. The longest was last Sunday - 25 miles, including riding past where I fell (but in the opposite direction). It was windy on the tops, and I felt very unsteady when I had to corner on a damp surface from the previous night's rain. The bike was twitchy and not handling well. I felt I was too far forward and hanging over the bars. Afterwards I refitted a longer stem and moved the saddle back to try and stretch me out again. I did another road ride midweek and felt a lot better, but I daren't lean the bike into corners like I used to. The problem is worse on downhill bends with a wet surface. It was very kind of Wiggo to show the same fallibility in the Giro - made me feel a bit less like a prat. I'm still slower than I was, but I think the leg muscles haven't fully recovered yet (they certainly haven't stopped hurting), so I'm hopeful it will improve in time.
This post was prompted by the fact that I've done over 1000 miles since the accident. Admittedly, nearly all of that is on the turbo but unless we get a good summer that's the way it has to be for the moment. Thinking back to where I started from in January, I have to be pleased with the way things have gone.
I said when I was in hospital that I'd do a 50 mile road ride by the end of June. Weather permitting, I think I can make it.


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