The Big Deal.
06-15-12, 07:40 PM
#26
Pedaled too far.
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The kid has already punished himself far worse than you ever could. If you haven't told him, take him out for a small treat and tell him how you feel.
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"He who serves all, best serves himself" Jack London
06-18-12, 08:32 AM
#27
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On August 4, 2009, I was having fun riding with my grandson and everything was going GREAT! One second later, I swerved to keep from running into him, fell and broke both of my elbows. I've been screwed up every since.
The following February Mrs. Grouch suggested that, if I wasn't up to riding conventional bikes, we would have to either switch to recumbents or find different lifestyle. Switching to recumbents hasn't come easily for the grouch. Every tiny little detail has been an issue - getting started smoothly is a biggie, looking side-to-side for traffic is more difficult, drinking while moving, even shifting is a little different. I had a terrible time getting acclimated to my new SWB recumbent and I'm still not completely there. If riding a single recumbent was bad, trying to ride a tandem recumbent was doubly difficult. We seriously struggled.
All this adversity has been messing with my head. Several times Mrs. Grouch and I drove our Screamer tandem somewhere, assembled it to ride, and I freaked out and simply wasn't able to do it. I continued to struggle and had around 10 sessions with a Psychologist. I did make some progress and was able to complete several 50 mile rides last Summer, but I never regained that carefree feeling that I used to have when I rode. We continued to struggle with the tandem. We drove 35 miles for a ride on Mother's Day 2011, and never even got launched. We did a major Tombay and I got a serious concussion. We continued to try and attempted the same ride on Labor Day. Nearing the end we caught a wheel on the edge of the trail, fell and I broke my femur.
I haven't had a doctor's diagnosis of PTSD, but I'm pretty sure that I've got it. I rode this morning and did pretty well but, on my way to the ride, I could feel the tension growing in my arms and shoulders. I'm convinced that the anxiety and tension has contributed to all of the falls that I've had since the elbow incident. The question is: how to eliminate that anxiety and tension? I've visited a Psychologist but didn't feel she did me very much good. Maybe a different Psychologist would be better. "Getting back on the horse" hasn't been working very fell for me. So far I haven't tried any medications. As I posted in another thread, the most successful thing has been "EFT" as practiced by my son-in-law.
So that's the big deal. You don't get to 20,000 posts on a bicycling board unless bicycling is a pretty significant part of your lifestyle. Right now that part of my life isn't going so well and I'd like to get it back.
The following February Mrs. Grouch suggested that, if I wasn't up to riding conventional bikes, we would have to either switch to recumbents or find different lifestyle. Switching to recumbents hasn't come easily for the grouch. Every tiny little detail has been an issue - getting started smoothly is a biggie, looking side-to-side for traffic is more difficult, drinking while moving, even shifting is a little different. I had a terrible time getting acclimated to my new SWB recumbent and I'm still not completely there. If riding a single recumbent was bad, trying to ride a tandem recumbent was doubly difficult. We seriously struggled.
All this adversity has been messing with my head. Several times Mrs. Grouch and I drove our Screamer tandem somewhere, assembled it to ride, and I freaked out and simply wasn't able to do it. I continued to struggle and had around 10 sessions with a Psychologist. I did make some progress and was able to complete several 50 mile rides last Summer, but I never regained that carefree feeling that I used to have when I rode. We continued to struggle with the tandem. We drove 35 miles for a ride on Mother's Day 2011, and never even got launched. We did a major Tombay and I got a serious concussion. We continued to try and attempted the same ride on Labor Day. Nearing the end we caught a wheel on the edge of the trail, fell and I broke my femur.
I haven't had a doctor's diagnosis of PTSD, but I'm pretty sure that I've got it. I rode this morning and did pretty well but, on my way to the ride, I could feel the tension growing in my arms and shoulders. I'm convinced that the anxiety and tension has contributed to all of the falls that I've had since the elbow incident. The question is: how to eliminate that anxiety and tension? I've visited a Psychologist but didn't feel she did me very much good. Maybe a different Psychologist would be better. "Getting back on the horse" hasn't been working very fell for me. So far I haven't tried any medications. As I posted in another thread, the most successful thing has been "EFT" as practiced by my son-in-law.
So that's the big deal. You don't get to 20,000 posts on a bicycling board unless bicycling is a pretty significant part of your lifestyle. Right now that part of my life isn't going so well and I'd like to get it back.
Peter Levine's Somatic Experiencing is one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatic_Experiencing
Another is Francine Shapiro's EMDR Therapy: https://www.emdr.com/francine-shapiro-phd.html
A book I would recommend is: Crash Course, A Self-Healing Guide to Auto Accident Trauma & Recovery by Diane Poole Heller, Ph.D.
It's based on Peter Levine's work.
Please PM me if you have any questions or want more info.
Edit: I just read some responses, and saw recommendations for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I second those recommendations, but will add that Francine Shapiro's EMDR combines CBT with some body-oriented techniques, and it's got a whole body of evidence supporting its effectiveness with trauma recovery and PTSD. So you get the best of both worlds...
Last edited by tony_merlino; 06-18-12 at 08:36 AM.
06-18-12, 12:36 PM
#28
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Today was good.
I did a 40 or so mile ride. That's the longest ride since I broke my femur and it was definitely the best ride since the High Bridge Ride with billydonn. I found some people who I can keep up with (with difficulty) so that's a good thing. I'll definitely try riding with this group again this summer.
Oh - did I mention that it was HOT! The last time I rode when it was this hot I got cooked. That didn't happen this morning.
I did a 40 or so mile ride. That's the longest ride since I broke my femur and it was definitely the best ride since the High Bridge Ride with billydonn. I found some people who I can keep up with (with difficulty) so that's a good thing. I'll definitely try riding with this group again this summer.
Oh - did I mention that it was HOT! The last time I rode when it was this hot I got cooked. That didn't happen this morning.
06-18-12, 06:23 PM
#29
Semper Fi
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RG, good for you, that ride sounds,......HOT.... sorry I had to. Glad you enjoyed the ride, good things will come your way.
Bill
Bill
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Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
06-18-12, 11:41 PM
#30
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First, you might want to decide if bike riding is indeed something you wish to pursue. If so, then keep in mind that continued avoidance tends to simply create more anxiety. Approaching another psychologist might be desirable to help you back into the biking venue and move you from the victim mindset to that of a survivor. This may take the form of some type of immersion therapy and dealing with the idea of post traumatic growth (PTG). Many an individual has used a traumatic event to create a new lifestyle.
You might think of reliving this trauma as an ABC sequence. There is something that Activates or sets you off such that a Consequence occurs in some form such as avoidance. You and your psychologist will identify and work with the Belief that is underlying this cycle. Is the belief that can be modified to bring about control the A and C. So, the issue is one of what you think, not what you feel. One way you can start to deal with this belief change is to put things into perspective. For example, consider the worst that could happen you when you go for your first ride ... perhaps another fall resulting in a fracture. On a scale of 0 to 10 consider the likelihood of this actually happening ... perhaps a 2? Now consider an alternative, perhaps you will have a safe ride. On a scale of 0 to 10 consider the likelihood of this actually happening ... perhaps an 8? Next, decide what you need to do to better bring about the alternative view of the safe ride. Perhaps starting slowly in a safe area away from a lot of potential hazards. I ramble, but be assured you can bring about meaningful change and post traumatic growth.
Oops, sorry I missed page two. Congrats!!!!
You might think of reliving this trauma as an ABC sequence. There is something that Activates or sets you off such that a Consequence occurs in some form such as avoidance. You and your psychologist will identify and work with the Belief that is underlying this cycle. Is the belief that can be modified to bring about control the A and C. So, the issue is one of what you think, not what you feel. One way you can start to deal with this belief change is to put things into perspective. For example, consider the worst that could happen you when you go for your first ride ... perhaps another fall resulting in a fracture. On a scale of 0 to 10 consider the likelihood of this actually happening ... perhaps a 2? Now consider an alternative, perhaps you will have a safe ride. On a scale of 0 to 10 consider the likelihood of this actually happening ... perhaps an 8? Next, decide what you need to do to better bring about the alternative view of the safe ride. Perhaps starting slowly in a safe area away from a lot of potential hazards. I ramble, but be assured you can bring about meaningful change and post traumatic growth.
Oops, sorry I missed page two. Congrats!!!!
06-19-12, 07:57 PM
#31
Procrastinateur supreme
Or maybe do it once and remind him a few times. Sometimes young'uns are a bit hard-headed and hold onto their fears.
Helping him may serve to help you too.
06-19-12, 08:17 PM
#32
rebmeM roineS
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I took three psychology courses in the last few years so pay no attention to anything I might say about that stuff.
(Continuing to talk to someone about your issues can't hurt.)
Continuing to ride something, somehow, someway is key.
In the best of circumstances, for most folks acclimating to a recumbent takes time and miles. Mastering a 'bent tandem is much more of a challenge. I still have some anxious moments on my single and tandem 'bents.
Keep riding.
(Continuing to talk to someone about your issues can't hurt.)
Continuing to ride something, somehow, someway is key.
In the best of circumstances, for most folks acclimating to a recumbent takes time and miles. Mastering a 'bent tandem is much more of a challenge. I still have some anxious moments on my single and tandem 'bents.
Keep riding.
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Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
06-19-12, 08:31 PM
#33
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Today was good.
I did a 40 or so mile ride. That's the longest ride since I broke my femur and it was definitely the best ride since the High Bridge Ride with billydonn. I found some people who I can keep up with (with difficulty) so that's a good thing. I'll definitely try riding with this group again this summer.
Oh - did I mention that it was HOT! The last time I rode when it was this hot I got cooked. That didn't happen this morning.
I did a 40 or so mile ride. That's the longest ride since I broke my femur and it was definitely the best ride since the High Bridge Ride with billydonn. I found some people who I can keep up with (with difficulty) so that's a good thing. I'll definitely try riding with this group again this summer.
Oh - did I mention that it was HOT! The last time I rode when it was this hot I got cooked. That didn't happen this morning.
06-20-12, 05:39 AM
#34
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I just thought of something. When it comes to anxiety track standing in clipless pedals and riding on rollers just "aint gona hapen". I was trying to learn to track stand on a hybrid and platform pedals and had been practicing for a month or so. Then one day I start a track stand and the next thing I know the bike is behind me and I am swan diving toward the earth. I still don't know how this happened.
I decided to try riding on rollers. I took a rope and tied myself from a rafter so that if the bike ran off the rollers then the rope would keep me from hitting to floor. After a few tries I decided that I was going to damage the bike so I canceled the endeavor.
A fellow has to know his limits.
It is good to see that you are back out riding. It appears that you decided that the risk is worth the reward.
I decided to try riding on rollers. I took a rope and tied myself from a rafter so that if the bike ran off the rollers then the rope would keep me from hitting to floor. After a few tries I decided that I was going to damage the bike so I canceled the endeavor.
A fellow has to know his limits.
It is good to see that you are back out riding. It appears that you decided that the risk is worth the reward.
06-20-12, 05:46 AM
#35
Semper Fi
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I have this mental image I cannot shake of you with a rope around your waist and then looped over the rafter, hanging there with your bike lying on the floor.
Sorry, just my warped mind at work. I loved riding rollers when I owned a set of Kriedler Rollers. for some reason my uncoordinated clyde body could balance on them and crank away. Too bad you couldn't use them, they are good for just spinning away a bit of time for me.Bill
__________________
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
