Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: bikey-mikey on 03 December, 2018, 01:09:52 pm
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I've been going through the wars...
After my sixth consecutive AUK 'Points Championship ' my body was letting me down...
I've since had
- a Foot operation - successful but not back on bike yet..
- an Eye operation - successful but brain still struggling to cope with one reading eye and one distance eye.. imagine carsickness x 100 at times...
- issues with hands ? Three fingers now locking: gripping & letting go again is a lottery..
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- an Eye operation - successful but brain still struggling to cope with one reading eye and one distance eye.. imagine carsickness x 100 at times...
I've had this for about 10 years now - though not as a result of an operation, it just came on sudden-like overnight, after a particularly gruelling day of headwind on the bike as it happens. I find it quite useful, and not unpleasant.
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- an Eye operation - successful but brain still struggling to cope with one reading eye and one distance eye.. imagine carsickness x 100 at times...
I've had this for about 10 years now - though not as a result of an operation, it just came on sudden-like overnight, after a particularly gruelling day of headwind on the bike as it happens. I find it quite useful, and not unpleasant.
Thanks Frankie... they told me to allow up to three months to adjust... :o
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I hope you continue improving BM but that petition is wrong and I won't be signing it.
Please shift this post out of Audax or split it and put the petition section in POBI.
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You know full well that nobody would know me or maybe respect my opinions in some part of this site I've never posted on..
Don't be silly. It's all the same site, with the same people, sorted by topic. Just like questions about bike lights belong in The Knowledge, discussion of government immigration policy belongs in P&OBI.
Thanks for the thought Kim...
I had a look, but that particular section is OUTSIDE of the Audax part of YACF, and although I'm sure some go there, the non-Audax numbers do not match up to the Audax numbers..
Bear in mind that many people (including me) read posts in order of what's unread, and pay little attention to what board they're placed in. I only really take notice of boards when creating new threads (in order to put them in the right place), or when manually digging up a specfic older thread for whatever reason.
I know other people navigate by the boards, and only pay attention to those of direct interest. We do seem to have a significant subset of posters who never venture beyond the Audax board (they're typically the ones who start technical threads in Audax about subjects that are already being discussed in The Knowledge).
Some people adopt a hybrid approach, where they read posts in unread order, but deliberately unsubscribe from certain boards, so the timeline doesn't get clogged up with non-cycling content, or types of cycling they're not interested in, or whatever.
The latter two approaches only work properly if threads are (generally, obviously some subject drift is natural) put in the right boards.
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Hope you improve enough to be back cycling soon!
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Good luck Mikey!
I'm sure you'll get back to some cycling. Don't fret about riding 600s etc again - you're earned the right to rest on your laurels, if that turns out to be the best option :thumbsup:
See you on the road ...
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Best wishes, old chap.
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Ophhhhffff!
Take it easy Mike and look after yourself!
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Ohh....I was wondering where you were! Sound like you’ve been having a tough time, so I hope you’re on the mend. Cheers, Peter.
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Gloucester County Council will be please to hear they can now fix those grooves that have mysteriously been appearing on minor roads in the area over the past 5 years.
Hope you get back on your bike soon Mike, should that be your heart's desire.
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Have only just noticed this thread.
Is there any update on how 333's recovery has been going?
The Audaxing world would be a much poorer place if bikey-mikey wasn't a regular fixture. I know I owe him a debt of gratitiude for the help/advice he's given me in the past...
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Thanks to everyone for their kind comments.
Here's an update.
My eye ?
Operation is a success, and I'm learning to cope with deliberately using a low powered left eye contact lens, so I can read with the left and see distance with the right. Brain is adapting.
My hand ?
I was getting bad pain in a new grip problem, in the 5th finger of my right hand, to the extent that I couldn't even push on that side to sit up straighter in bed... coffee cup gripping with it was a no no, and even signing Birthday cards became hit and miss... they said that the tendon and sheath were inflamed and gave me a steroid injection. That's about the fourth joint I've had that in now, and I can tell you that it's the most painful thing they've ever done to me, but it seems to have calmed things down... I can at least hold my coffee... but I'm not sure if the underlying general failure of my hands comes from riding, and that raises doubts...
Walking ?
My left foot is now rarely painful, and I have my 'final' consultant's appointment in a week or two.. I can walk a bit more now, but the limitation comes from my right hip. I'm trying to trigger an adaptation to allow me to walk a bit more easily, but only a few of my walking muscles are still actually connected to the bones of the leg.
In the original accident the tendons attaching muscle to bone were torn out complete with pieces of the Trochanter still attached, (avulsion fracturing is the word... )
avulsion The tearing away of an attached or anchored tissue, as in the avulsion of a muscle from its insertion in bone—e.g., an avulsion fracture in which bone remains attached to the inserted muscle, but loses its attachment to surrounding bone.
The majority of those tendons and muscles originally connected to the Greater Trochanter (the mini 'handle' that we all have sticking out sideways at the top of our femurs) are either now just attached to scar tissue wrapped around loose pieces of the bone, or have withered away from complete disuse. Essentially there were far too many to try to refix.... a sort of 3D jigsaw that the docs had no possibility of repairing.
So when I try to bear weight on my right leg, while the left leg swings forward off the ground, only a few muscles are doing the work, and those are also not attached to the main point they should be, and this is not as efficient from a mechanical viewpoint.
So those inefficient and understaffed muscles allow me to walk, but they are working at near maximum power just standing still, so they become overtired quickly, and that's when the pain starts... it's not something I can train away, and I bet those few muscles are probably my strongest, but with the least endurance...
Riding ?
I still haven't ridden and I don't even know how long it's been. Certainly over six months....
All my bikes have flat tires, and I've forgotten all my maintenance skills.. that's the brain injury in action.... literally I'm scared to start anything because I'm not sure what to do... when I was riding every day I had it all under control, but it's gone now, and I'd be starting again...
Bikes are in the garage, and the tools are spread around in various cupboards and drawers, but I'm not sure where anything actually is.... I'm terrified of the forgotten unknown....
Oliver has offered to get my bikes ready for the road, and maybe I can get one on one of my turbos, to build a little endurance and get my legs working again... walking muscles, as I described above, aren't much used in riding, which meant that I was less of a freak, and that's probably why I did so much...
Brain ? Mental health ?
I made a decision to stop depression medication months ago, but can't remember when... my memory fails more now though, I think.... certainly there are days I just stay in bed, but I'm not getting the endorphins from riding, and it's still winter (ish). I do crossword puzzles most days to try to keep up my word repertoire, but I get stuck looking for conversational words, seemingly at random... I guess I'm happy as I am, living in the now...
Right now, I'm not a cyclist...
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We're glad you are still around BM. HK and I are looking forward to riding with you again or at least saying hello at a cafe, if you head back into that scene.
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I hadn't realised that The Accident had taken such a toll on you BM. We first met not long after you'd started riding and your memory at that time was still shockingly bad. But you made such enormous progress on that front (i.e. your memory ended up being clearly better then mine!) that I assumed you had made a complete recovery. I'm sad to hear my assumption was wrong.
I'm sure I'm just one of many hundreds who would love to see you back out on the road again. If you need any help you know you only have to ask; there will be plenty of willing people.
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Good to hear from you Mike. Sorry to hear of your continued problems. I hope you can get back to some degree of good health.
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I'm sure I'm just one of many hundreds who would love to see you back out on the road again. If you need any help you know you only have to ask; there will be plenty of willing people.
+1
And as LWAB said, pop over to a cafe stop sometime - you never know what muppets you will bump into!
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Hi BM, our paths rarely crossed because you were normally many kilometres ahead of me on every ride. The two exceptions I remember were on one of Gavin Greenhow's rides, where for some unknown reason you arrived at the Arrivee after me and you produced your brevet card from underneath the leg of your bib shorts, where presumably it had spent the entire ride. Gavin grasped it gingerly and quickly placed it on the table in the pub. I don't know what he did with it after that.
The second time was on one of Mark Rigby's rides, where I ended up cycling behind you for a while alongside the River Wye, heading from Monmouth towards Chepstow. I had a brief fantasy that I had somehow managed to achieve your normal warp speed but quickly worked out that I was going at my normal funereal pace and that you had ended up in first gear for some reason. Then later in the ride, when it was dark, I was on my way towards Birdlip when two or three of us found you trying to sort out some sort of mechanical problem, I think your wheel was binding on the mudguard (I am also a mechanical ignoramus) and I lent you my rarely used multi-tool to try to free the wheel. I concluded that you had probably had this problem throughout the ride and it was miracle that you had got this far.
Anyway, I wish you all the very best, whatever happens, you are fully entitled to rest on your numerous laurels, you have made a tremendous impact on the world of Audax and everyone who has met you, achieving what you have done despite the effects of a horrific car crash is just out of this world.
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Mike - we’ve met a few times on various Audax rides. Whether you remember or not I wish you you well both mentally and physically. May I also recommend the fifteensquared website to help you parse the crosswords from the main daily papers! Don’t forget that you have a lot of friendly vibes coming from us all.
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Mike - I am with you on this one in terms of the mental side of things, having faced death just over two years ago I still have a mental block when it comes to some events, not sure if I will survive, and other days I feel confident, it changes from week to week but at least I have the choice whether to DNS or DNF without feeling a failure as I achieved a great deal before my little incident . You have certainly done more than enough to prove yourself, and I know that this was part of your recovery strategy, so if you have to stay off the bike for a while or longer, then you must take your time and deal with life, and our thoughts will always be with you.
Whether you are riding a bike or not, you are always a member of our special band of cyclists, Super Randonneur is for life.
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Whether you are riding a bike or not, you are always a member of our special band of cyclists, Super Randonneur is for life.
This^^^^ in spades!
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Yo BM, we've ridden together a fair few times, most notably for me was when you helped me though the last 50km of the Old 240. Your perseverance in the face of what you've experienced is wonderful. I do hope you continue to live happily in the moment and I hope the pain goes away.
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Whether you are riding a bike or not, you are always a member of our special band of cyclists, Super Randonneur is for life.
This^^^^ in spades!
Yup - good call :thumbsup:
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Whether you are riding a bike or not, you are always a member of our special band of cyclists, Super Randonneur is for life.
This^^^^ in spades!
Yup - good call :thumbsup:
Absolutely :thumbsup:
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Wow, thank you all for your support.
Indeed Big Saxon, near death experiences I'm certain have a way of changing people. For example, I'm much less inclined to forego life now, to save up for rainy days.. you can't take it with you, I say...
Graeme, bless you for reviving my memories of that Old 240... I hadn't connected that to you when we met outside a pub more recently, but now I can see the connection .... that was a good night, even if the hills were beyond magnificent...
Helly, you are the living proof... my best wishes to you... ♥️
Revellinho, I hope we get another chance to meet, and please come and identify yourself to me, if we get lucky...
BrawleyB. I remember Gavin's ride.. I got the route wrong and had added a lot of distance... in those days I used to store not just brevet cards up my shorts (though always safely wrapped in a ziplock bag)... I had a passion for keeping bananas up each leg... they stayed there and were easy to grab and eat.. I got a few strange glances from ladies though, especially when I had two.... I don't remember the Mark Rigby ride mechanical, but I've found that just about anything that can go wrong, will go wrong... keep on pedalling !
LAaB, HK and Matt.. good thinking. I'm going to the start of a 100 near Bridgwater tomorrow, and may also go to the midride cafe... maybe I'll recatch the bug ?
Lee... I must say that whenever I hear from you, I remember the Poynton travelodge. Some memories still stick... treasures. ...
Wobbly... I do remember in the early days leaving a control in Wales, at Talybont-on-Usk and riding back towards Crickhowell, and waving to all and sundry as I came across them, and thinking things like I'm 25 minutes from the control, so this rider is at least twice that behind me, and more if they stop for a meal. I remember that the stream began to dwindle and then there you were on your recumbent.... but I also realised that that took guts, and the Pashley is continuing that leap of faith.... 😎👍
Pete, I remember finishing equal first back with you, probably somewhere in the south, New Forest or maybe somewhere near Heathrow or thereabouts? But you've since got faster and I got lazier ! Happy days 🤪
In the immortal words of Arnie.... "I'll be back!"
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I miss seeing your orange bike out on the road, but one day you will ride again!
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Pete, I remember finishing equal first back with you, probably somewhere in the south, New Forest or maybe somewhere near Heathrow or thereabouts? But you've since got faster and I got lazier ! Happy days 🤪
I think that would’ve been the Kennet Valley Run. There’s lots of other rides we’ve seen each other on, mainly Blacksheep’s. We’re very much tortoise and hare, but always finishing at about the same time, with a natter along the way. I think we first met about 8 years ago when I helped you fix a tyre at the end of the very hilly 100k ride that goes from Danglingworth just west of Cirencester...I think you were just getting back into riding again, but I can’t remember the name of event. :thumbsup:
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I think the ride from Daglingworth is Peter Holden's Centurion Super-Grimpeur, 2.5 AAA points in 100 km, with a route which takes you along the most obscure and gnarly country lanes with constant climbing and descending on roads which sometimes barely qualify for the title. Since I'm based in Stroud I have incorporated some of the route into my training rides when I feel like a good workout in my lowest gears!
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Guess who popped up on Strava and gave me kudos on a ride last night? Yes our very own Bike Mikey. I looked at his feed and he's riding again and we had a brief chat on the comments section.
Excellent news, he's up and about and riding again :-D :-D :-D :thumbsup: