The end of anxiety.
 

Around 6 1/2 years ago I had a fall from my bicycle which broke both of my elbows. The physical injury healed in about 6 or 8 months. The mental trauma has taken much, much longer. I can remember taking our recumbent tandem down to the Katy Trail, getting it ready to ride, and not feeling confident enough to even start. How I longed for the care free days when I could hop onto my bike and just go.

I'm happy to report that the old care free days are back. It's taken a long time, a couple of different psychologists and a lot of money spent on different recumbents before I could get my head around riding a recumbent tricycle.
Yesterday Mrs. Grouch and I started at our condo and casually rode down Jungs Station hill to the Katy Trail and into St Charles for breakfast. That has become a common ride for us. 5 years ago it would have been unthinkable. A little earlier in the week I did a group ride which included a short spur on a state highway to the lunch stop. Afterward, the ride leader asked how comfortable I was riding so low to the ground on that section. Before she had asked, I hadn't even thought about it.

My recovery has been so gradual that I didn't feel it at the time. It's only by looking back over an extended period of time that I'm able to see it. Let me tell you, it feels real good.

That's good to hear. Glad you were able to put that behind you. :thumb:

Good news is always welcome here. Thank you.

Good Job! You will not regret it

I own all kinds of machines, from uprights to trikes, and the trike, albeit the slowest, makes me smile the most.

Glad to hear you're back riding with confidence.

Tell us more about the trike (s). Now that I'm in my 70's I think it's time to look into one.

Both elbows? Wow, that must have been a real struggle. When broke my left radius 3 years ago, it took me at least a year to feel comfortable on the bike again and, even now, I still am a bit apprehensive about hitting the ground again. Glad to hear you are gaining your comfort.

That's good news. Anxiety can be tough to overcome.

Awesome!

I wonder about the types of anxiety, how and why it binds us. Often for no good reason.




Glad you are past that one.
The Katy, at the right time of year, can be a great little adventure - regularly. Is it still lightly used in the section north of Creve Coeur and west?

Great news, excellent. Now, about that 1 hour record....

Broke the heads off of both radius bones. Had to have a health care attendant for 2 weeks while my wife was at work because I couldn't feed myself (among other things).

After about 6 months my wife told me that we were either having to give up bicycling or switch to recumbents. That triggered the first bout of expensive new bike purchases. The Catrikes are the third round and (I think) will be the last. I love my Catrike.

[QUOTE=Moe Zhoost;19512725]My trike is a Catrike 559. Mrs. Grouch rides a Catrike Trail. Both have two 406 (20") front wheels. The 559 has a 26" rear wheel the Trail has a 20" rear wheel. Both fold in half so I can fit them both into the back of our Honda Element.

I'm very favorably impressed with the design and engineering of the Catrikes. There are a lot of little design details like wheels for rolling and storing them while folded, a "kick stand" finger to support the trikes while folded which also catches the chain, and a little finger for a bike computer pick up. There's a place for the computer head too. If you are seriously interested in a recumbent trike, my advice is to visit a recumbent specialty dealer even if it involves a road trip.

Glad for you for overcoming that. I have had my own challenges over time. When I was 5, I nearly drowned in a lake - someone threw me in as a prank. I never entered water deeper than a bathtub for decades. As an adult I said Eff that, and decided to make my peace and learn to swim. Six weeks of lessons before I put my face into the water, weeks more before my whole head, took me about 2 years of lessons and practice on my own to get over the "pit of my stomach" fear every time I put my goggles over my eyes and started that first stroke. Eventually, I even did about 15 months of a USA Master Swim program.

You need to commit intellectually to overcoming it, and then make it happen.

Great news!

I was hit by a car in 1993 and I still avoid that stretch of road even though the Walmart moved away and the road isn't nearly as busy as back then.

Good work, RG!

Welcome back. :thumb: :thumb:

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Originally Posted by Retro Grouch (Post 19512609)

Around 6 1/2years ago I had a fall from my bicycle which broke both of my elbows. Thephysical injury healed in about 6 or 8 months. The mental trauma has taken much, much longer… How I longed for thecare free days when I could hop onto my bike and just go.

I'm happy to report that the old care free days are back..., I hadn't eventhought about it.

My recovery has been so gradual that I didn't feel it at the time. It's only bylooking back over an extended period of time that I'm able to see it. Let me tell you, it feels real good.

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Originally Posted by JerrySTL (Post 19513155)

Great news!

I was hit by a car in 1993 and I still avoid that stretch of road even thoughthe Walmart moved away and the road isn't nearly as busy as back then.

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Originally Posted by Wildwood (Post 19512961)

I wonder about the types of anxiety, how and why it binds us. Often for no good reason.

Glad you are past that one.

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Dittoes to all the above good wishes, @Retro Gouch. I was hit from behind in 2012; six weeks in the Hospital, three months off work, with some residual problems, but overall glad with the resolution…could be worse. Actually I couldn’t wait to get back to cycling.

That road was IMO very safe; a wide, low volume residential suburban road. I’m a virtual evangelist about wearing a rearview mirror, but I think I escaped anxiety /post-traumatic stress, because the situation seemed so safe that I didn’t look behind, and did not see the car coming straight at me.

I spent the first month of my recovery considering recumbents and, specifically trikes. When a good deal appeared on craigslist, I jumped at the opportunity to acquire an Ice Sprint. I love this thing and, although I put more miles on my upright bikes (commuting), I reward myself with long rides on the trike.

I can relate. 16 years ago an SUV ran a light and t-boned my compact car on the highway, coming at me from a diagonal intersection in my blind spot. Broke my back and neck in six places. Still have a permanently splintered C2.

For a couple of years I couldn't drive in traffic or bad weather without getting tunnel vision and panic attacks. I avoided highways, going miles out of the way to use other routes. I drove as little as possible and by the time I sold my 15 year old truck it had only 50,000 miles. Unusual for me because before that accident I'd enjoyed driving, long trips, and occasionally did interstate driving on business.

When I caught myself having road rage tantrums over minor stuff I went into therapy. My grandkids had been in the car with me when our car was t-boned and I had a lot of anger over that, so I was worse when passengers were with me. I finally got to where I wouldn't take anyone in the car with me. It was embarrassing for them to see me lose my temper over every tiny discourtesy by other drivers.

I was finally diagnosed with PTSD. Did everything the psychiatrist recommended, including meds and private therapy sessions for a few years. It helped. Was able to get off the psych meds about 10 years ago.

By the time I'd resumed bicycling a couple of years ago I was surprised by how comfortable I was riding in traffic when necessary, even though it had been 30 years since I'd last bicycle commuted while in my 20s. And I just shrug off the occasional bit of careless driving I encounter. I keep in mind the great majority of drivers who are very considerate and courteous.

So far, so good. I'm riding upright bikes to avoid neck strain. A recumbent might eventually be in my future, since I don't want to risk surgery on the neck and it probably won't get better with age.

Some of us have been following the long-haul on your recovery. And I am delighted that the old mojo has returned. Enjoy!

It seems recumbent trikes are a great way to extend your cycling years. I'm quickly becoming too slow to ride with my cycling groups and my wife worries about me riding alone. Dogs and visibility are two concerns, but a trike may well be in my future.

Great news, Al.

Glad to here the accident has been cast off.

In the vein of the old saying-----------we get too soon old, and too late smart, a trike is a good education. From the sidebar you can see that I own both a LWB bent and a tadpole trike. While yes it is a couple of miles an hour slower, I have come to realize the the trike is the one to ride the bike paths in town. Lincoln has a little over 130 miles of hard surface bike paths. I pretty much have 4 routes that I ride to get in the 30+ miles I ride every other day. The clipped in stop and start and the no weaving on start up makes a trike the easiest machine to ride around town especially.

The only permanent remains of my dog attack, shattered femur, cracked hip, ensuing stroke (all of which mostly healed) is anytime a dog I do not know gets anywhere near me, I most definitely have an anxiety attack. I did not get a psycho analysis of why I am now fearful of dogs, I got a CCL and a large bottle of dog spray.

I mostly recovered, my leg aches at night, here and there I still have a deficit from the stroke, mostly memory and stuttering. I wake up in nightmares swinging my arms and kicking my legs fighting off those pitt bull dogs soaking in sweat (occasionally punching my wife).

But I still ride.