Originally Posted by
Ygduf
in this sport everyone faces setbacks. It's not if, but when, and when they happen it's about how you respond to them.
Gary's gnawing his cast off with his teeth so he can ride a trainer that he hates. I rode a week after clavicle surgery with my thumb hooked in my jersey, etc... anyone who's achieved any measure of success in bike racing has overcome something to get there or stay there.
It seems like young guys who breeze through the 3s, get their 2 and find out it wasn't competing that they liked, but winning. If all someone cares about is winning and not the competition, it's going to be pretty hard to stay fulfilled.
When I punctured my lung, the doctors made it clear I was very susceptible to another puncture, and if that happened I had a 25% to have a heart attack. I decided the best course was to forget about cycling and walked away but paid for it (gained a ton of weight, etc). I could have very easily rode the trainer for 6 months, but more than likely I would have rode outdoors on the bike too early. I'd see people's results on Strava, read the 33, watch racing, get antsy and totally ignore the risks.
Of course, I haven't achieved any success in this sport so I guess this doesn't apply. Nonetheless my point is sometimes its better to walk away.