Quote Originally Posted by SheFly View Post
I am faced with some uncertainty.
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I am concerned about losing the race season, and not being able to compete this year. Some of you have watched my progress last season, and I am doing [fairly] well both on the road and in 'cross. I am not a spring chicken anymore, and feel that if I lose this season, I won't be able to come back and compete at the same level the next year... And not knowing for sure if the surgery will be the right answer is making the decision extremely difficult.
Oh SheFly, you are one of my race inspirations here on TE and to hear that this injury has progressed to this level with such a potential interruption to your fitness and racing opportunities is gutting. I imagine how I would feel if someone said "right, no racing this year" and I would be incredibly upset about it. And I am not achieving at your level.

I have no experience of this injury - its symptoms or its treatment so in that regard my comments may be unhelpful.

But I guess I think of all those who have overcome injury and got back to their prior race fitness. High profilers of course like Lance (in the extreme), or more recently our (NZ) own Julian Dean who had knee surgery in November and won the NZ Road championship a couple of weeks ago. I think of people in my club who have had forced time off the bike - people your age and older (like me) who have been able to regain race fitness.

Right know things might seem at times different shades of hopeless or pointless in regards to you and bicycles, but keep faith, and if forced time off the bike eventuates than stay involved in supporting other cyclists, get on a trainer, ride at less intensity when you can. Your time will come again and your body remembers what you have once asked of it, and getting fit again will not be so difficult as when you first asked your body to get as fit as you are now.

This all said, I wish you the best possible prognosis, the best possible surgical recovery, and time on the bike again with no pain and no complications.

You've inspired me in my TTs so often by reading about yours, solo and tandem... believe this is only a hiccup. You've still got alot to do on bicycles.

AwhiAwhi
Rave