Shhh...this is Silver's hubby...

[silver]

Shhh...I'm trying to not wake silver up as I type quietly...just two feet from the chair she's sleeping in...

She's in that ever so dreary time of doubt as to whether she will ever ride again...so, stealing my lead from Paul Simon's 70's hit, let's come up with the "Fifty Ways to Get You Biking". This may take some effort , so I'll start:

You just slip on the seat, Pete
Make a new map, Snap
You don't need to be sad, Tad
Just get yourself free
Hop on that bike, Mike
You don't need to discuss much
Just tighten that chain, Elaine
And get yourself free.



For the younger set who don't know what I'm talking about:
http://www.superseventies.com/sl_fiftywaystoleave.html

[mimitabby]

Well, how else will she get to show off her new bike if not by riding it?!?
sometimes depending on your vantage point, things look pretty rough. I think when she's in less pain, her ambitions will take over.

[7rider]

I agree with Mimi.
She can be dreary now. But when she is feeling better, and when she starts looking at that new ride she has that is just begging to be ridden, she can go back out there.
When you fall off the horse, you have to get back on.
Get out there and ride, Clyde.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Sorry, but I'm not very good at rhyming...

• First, be patient. I looked back through the posts about Silver's crash, and it happened back on October 29th. That's only two weeks ago, not a lot of time. (Silver's hubby: expecting Elaine to be back on a bicycle in that short a period of time after an accident like the one she had is probably not realistic.)
• Give yourself time to let the fear recede into the background. And remember that fear is normal after a crash like yours. It doesn't have to be rational, but it is very normal. I suppose that I was very lucky in my own bad crash. I had a skull fracture and a severe brain injury, neither of which feels very lucky - but my injuries caused me to lose all memory of my crash, so I didn't have to fight fear. I did have to wait for clearance from my docs though, so I was off of my bike for a good 6 weeks. Recovery time passes; if biking was a part of your life that you loved in the past, I believe that you will be able to overcome your fear in time.
• Ease back into exercise. Maybe walking will feel right to you; maybe riding your bike on a trainer or riding an exercise bike will feel right. There isn't any right or wrong here - just what feels right to you.
• Learn from what happened, and if possible change your riding style to avoid the situation that frightens you. You went off the edge of the pavement; if it were me I'd probably make sure to ride further to the left in the future (that is, away from the edge).
• When it feels right to ride again, take your bike somewhere with little traffic so you can get comfortable rolling along on two wheels again without having to deal with too many external factors. Maybe a short ride with your DH (and no one else, not a club ride!) would be a good start.
  

And remember - you didn't do anything wrong. Accidents happen; sometimes they can be avoided, sometimes they can't. But even so - just think of all of the accident-free miles that you (and all of us) have ridden.

If biking was an important part of your life in the past, if biking is something that you would like to continue to be a part of your life, I believe that you will be able to return to it. Wait, and it will feel right again.

--- Denise

[HillSlugger]

Get a new fork, Bjork

[Kathi]

When I fell off my mtn bike and broke my wrist I was really, really scared to get back on the bike. It didn't help that I was in a cast for 8 weeks then it took another 6 weeks to get my strength back enough to shift and brake.

When I did get back on I went to a quiet place with no traffic. I can remember being very hesitant and wobbly when I took off. I only rode about 5 miles that day but it broke the ice for me and brought me back.

If fear becomes a big issue that she can't overcome there is a book called "In the Yikes! Zone, a Conversation with Fear" by Mermer Blakeslee. It's geared toward skiing but applies to this situation too.

Good luck, give her time and lots of encouragement.

[margo49]

smell the flora, Dora

Patience
Life only goes forward; but sometimes slowly

[luv'nAustin]

Silver,

You really are an inspiration to me! I have no doubt that you will be back on your bike when the time is right. Don't rush...take the time to heal properly and let your wonderful hubby love on you a little longer. (love on you...a new term I learned after moving to Texas two years ago. I think it means "to spoil, or pamper") Be good to yourself and feel what you need to so that you can move forward with peace and grace.

Have you ever tried yoga? My center offers a class called restorative yoga for people who are recovering from injuries. It would not only help with keeping your muscles limber, but it could work wonders for your peace of mind as well.

Hugs to you and your family. I'll keep you in my prayers for awhile longer, if you don't mind.

Karri