Sunday 28 August 2016

well, that all went downhill quickly

a week ago i slipped on a greasy pavement, bent my right knee the wrong way, put my full body weight on it and sprained my knee ligaments so much i couldn't walk on it or climb stairs. rest and ice treatments followed, as did a knee brace and being sensible and not trying to ride.
after a week i couldn't stand it any longer and tested my knee with a short ride, I shouldn't have bothered, it hurt a lot and i kidded myself it felt better...until the next day when it felt worse. so another 2 weeks without riding was tacked on to the first week. I wasn't sure to be honest if i'd ride properly again, i considered making plans to sell my bikes, i made everyone around me's life an misery with my gloominess. I felt really low. Working in a bike shop surrounded by bikes and seeing and chatting to customers who'd had great rides in the summer weather didn't help either.
gradually my knee did begin to feel better, i could actually walk up stairs like an able bodied person instead of one step at a time on the same leg, i could turn over in bed without wincing in pain as my knee took the weight of my lower leg, things were looking up. I haven't documented the other test rides, that would be boring as they were just me riding around the block and then eventually to work, then the day came that i rode without a knee brace, i did take it with me though just in case!
needless to say I'm taking it easy and not trying to push things for fear of a relapse. I also can notice how 3 weeks of no pedalling has affected my fitness which has dropped off considerably.
don't get injured, it's shit! but it does focus your mind on what you really want to do, I'll be even more insufferable now about riding.
can i apologise now to loved ones and friends & colleagues for being a miserable, moaing and insufferable person for the last few weeks and also thank them for being there for me to sound off on, In the big scheme of things it's insignificant compared to other peoples misfortunes and the atrocities and suffering going on in the world but it was a dark time for me. the tunnel though is beginning to lighten.
ride 85
5 miles
total 1776


No comments: