How do you stay injury free in 2009 (and beyond)?

jkmacman

Complete Nonsense
Some folks are well into next year's training, some haven't started, but it's officially a new year.

We all want to have a fun, challenging and rewarding cycling year. What tips can you offer others, to help ensure there safety. Albeit cycling there are no guarantee's, but if you have any safety tips, please share them.

For me, I feel cross training will be the single most ingredient to a safe cycling season. Not cyclo-cross, (which I hope to attempt one day), but cross training, as in mix different sports together to achieve greater over-all fitness and help prevent injury. Remember, months and years of training can be lost with one mistake. Please post back, what you feel can help others, whether its a piece of equipment, or safer trails to ride on, or a particular technique that will made cycling safer.

Thanks and here's to an enjoyable year of cycling.
 

CrossAddict

New Member
ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz

I sleep all winter. I'm just u[p to grab a snack right now then back to bed. I'll wake up in a couple months. I never get hurt as long as i'm sleeping.:D

I somrtimes watch the golf channel. Puts me right out.

-ROFO
 

jkmacman

Complete Nonsense
I sleep all winter.
Believe it or not, rest is probably the single most important ingredient in any athlete's training regiment. as cited in:

The mountain biker's training bible : a complete training guide for the competitive mountain biker Friel, Joe

Description

Explains how to be an effective self-coach, offers instruction for developing a training program based on a sound scientific approach, and discusses the importance of strength work, stretching, and diet.
 

jkmacman

Complete Nonsense
I find the best way to not get hurt is to not crash.
No doubt, crashing can cause significant amount of pain. However, cycling can cause other medical conditions to the back and other areas of the body. On a recent cross country ski clinic, one of the first things the guy showed us was how to fall. Even in cycling this topic is cover

Road and Mountain-Bike: Skills Training for Cyclists
by Arnie Baker, MD
http://www.arniebakercycling.com/books/b_skills_training.htm
30. Tuck and Roll in a Crash
 

graveyardman67

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Seriously...

#1: Falling is a fact of life in MT Biking. Learn how to do it. Before I taught my son how to ride I taught him how to fall.

#2: Practice not falling. Balance is everything. A few hours on the rollers is great in the winter. For better balance make a 12' long by 4" wide rectangle on your floor (with tape or something of the sort) and try keep your bike within the lines for as long as you can (i'm talking minutes not seconds). Serves as a good cool down after the trainer too.

#3: Core strength: Cross training? I guess so. All year long I do core strength excercises 3x a week.

#4: Stretch, stretch, stretch

#5: Don't feed the bears.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
yes, learn to fall, but I've found "learning" to fall on a bike is significantly harder then, say, a skateboard. Some people just fall bad (like some people always fall on their head) and there isn't much they can do about it. For instance, I am not sure anyone can learn to fall when a tire washes out at 20+ mph on technical single track.

In any case, stay loose, don't fall and don't hit trees and you should be good.
 

jkmacman

Complete Nonsense
learning to fall

One report states that half of all cycling accidents occur simply when a cyclists fall off there bicycle.

Last year I had 3 accidents, two were simply falling off the bike. Two accidents resulted in broken helmet (one from fall, one from hit by a limo). My worst accident last year included a broken collar bone, concusion, and 4 day stay at hospital which could have been avoided by using different equipment. It was not necessary to use aero bars on a c* ride. So equipment also plays a role in our safety.

The last time I fell off my bike was a few weeks ago in cape may i tried to bunny hop two parking space curbs that were adjacent. Maybe it was poor judgement to attempt this type of thing, maybe I'm clumsy. I believe I experienced some type of endo, which is harder to land than just falling onto your side or butt.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Injuries just happen...

You can do whatever you want to try to avoid injury, but when you're pushing at your max, some things you just can't control. One strange example was my crash at The Rock this season, took me out for over a month. Nothing I could have done would have prepared me for that, I washed out my front tire going uphill and flipped backwards onto a stump. And during cross season when I tore my Soleus, made a simple mis-step on a remount, ruined almost my entire cross season because I couldn't run. I was at %110 effort each time. When you back off, you seldom get hurt or make mistakes. So the simple answer, don't go hard and you'll be fine:D

-Jim.
 

Sircrashalot

New Member
I find the best way to not get hurt is to not crash.

I find not crashing impossible. SO.....I wear elbow guards, which come in relly handy- can't tell you how many times I have clipped trees & not cared. Also, with clipless when I fall & cant unclip I just throw an arm out elbow first- let the elbow cladded in plastic hit a stump rather than my ribs!

I also wear shorts with hip pads, and good gloves. Helmet, OF COURSE!

I crash...a lot....but increase my odds of going home laughing instead of crying by wearing some gear. Knock wood....
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Seriously...
#2: Balance is everything. A few hours on the rollers is great in the winter. For better balance make a 12' long by 4" wide rectangle on your floor (with tape or something of the sort) and try keep your bike within the lines for as long as you can (i'm talking minutes not seconds). Serves as a good cool down after the trainer too.
#3: Core strength: Cross training? I guess so. All year long I do core strength excercises 3x a week.

You can do whatever you want to try to avoid injury, but when you're pushing at your max, some things you just can't control.
-Jim.

Two good points, balance is important in MTBing or any sport for that matter, I incorporate plyometric excersizes in the winter months to keep my core strong which helps in balance. I also ride the rollers, teaches good riding technique.
And I agree with Jim, when pushing at your max you are borderline out of control and always risk a crash. Watch downhill skiers on a slalom race, WOW.
You can use commons sense and take calculated risk but I believe Pushing max = max rush...
 

jbogner

NYCMTB: President
JORBA.ORG
Funny- I crashed more when I would wear shin guards on XC rides. I find I crash far less often now that I don't wear shin guards on trail rides. I suspect that not having that extra safety gear forces me to commit more fully.

The best way to not crash is to ride more. Exercises may work for some, but nothing is as good as extra confidence on the bike.
 

olegbabich

Well-Known Member
After having shoulder surgery last year, I have not been more than 3 feet off the ground. I'm TOO OLD TO FLY!!!!
 
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