Originally Posted by
tashi
When I was 24 I broke 2 vertebrae on the BMX track when my forks broke landing the start ramp double. I was in bed for 3.5 months, with active recovery for a further 9 months. At that point I started riding again, but it was different. I couldn't do anything extreme or even rough off-road, the trauma was just too fresh; I had to ride by myself for a while as sometimes I would just become so traumatized that I would have to stop and sob by the side of the trail. I just wasn't able to enjoy riding off-road yet.
I know how that feels ... I crashed badly in April 2007 on a wet, curvy descent ... bruised from hip to toe, concussion, and a separated shoulder which has not healed properly and dislocates all the time.
About 6 weeks after the crash, I was on a 3-day cycling tour, and was doing really well until the end of the first day. That day ended with a long, curvy descent ... and a huge rain storm. A long wet, curvy descent. I stopped about a km down the descent, pulled over and stood there shaking violently and sobbing. Several other riders pulled up and asked me if I was OK. I rode with one for a while, but he pulled away from me, and finally with 2 km to go ... I got off and walked the rest of the way. I couldn't deal with it anymore.
I did the same thing on a longish, dark, wet, curvy descent early on the PBP about 4 months after the crash. I had thought I'd be OK, but apparently not.
I have improved from that point, but it took a long time.