I’m really sorry to hear about your spill on the uni, but glad it wasn’t any worse. I would guess if you broke your toe, you would be in more pain, but I’m not even sure that’s true. Either way, it sucks. It seems that I remember reading that you had injured your toe once before…?
I appreciate the pic. It’s funny you posted that today. I have been getting really depressed about my injury as of late. I have never broken anything, so I had no way to know what the recovery process would be like. Sloooowww…that’s what it’s like, slow as smoke off cold shit. I’m 9 weeks and 3 days from the accident, and I am still walking with a very prominent limp. It is so much more painful right now than I thought it would still be. The longer this process is taking, the more afraid I am of getting back on my unicycle. I realize the consequences of an accident could even be much more than just a sore foot for 3 months. Yet, at the same time, I also know that I could break my foot and need surgery just from walking across my lawn (wearing a boot in the grocery store has allowed me to hear lots of stories from others who have been in the same boot, so I now know that simply getting out of bed in the morning is risky business).
Anyway, that’s all to say that I am a bit scared to get back in the saddle. So, I guess I just have to lace up and get back to it when the time is right.
I’m happy to say that I have devised a way to safely mount my Oracle in my basement so that I can at least sit and balance between a post and a stair rail. I’ve been afraid that I would forget to ride, but I can tell that it’s all there, just waiting. So, maybe in a couple more weeks, I’ll be able to report that I’ve had my first ride since the injury.
Thanks again. I have been staying connected here, I just don’t have much to contribute.
That was just a toenail injury, luckily, and it didn’t stop me from riding the next day. The nail is still discolored after many months.
I’m going to use some of my free time for the next week practicing the guitar, another gratifying activity. I don’t have to use my big toe for that one!
I realize now that “Courage is being scared to death – but saddling up anyway” … could be replaced by “Stupidity is being scared to death – but saddling up anyway”.
So, no pressure…you’ll do the right thing for yourself. Happy healing!
That’s funny, I’ve used my recovery time to practice playing my guitar too… nice.
I have been letting a friend borrow my mtn bike, and just got it back this evening. Got on it just to see how my foot would do peddling… bikes feel so foreign to me. I think I’ll stick with the uni, despite the fear!
That made me laugh my ass off! I’ve never heard that one before. Love it!
Sorry to hear that. When my cousin broke his leg doin’ tricks on a bike years ago, he healed just fine, but his limp persisted because of muscle memory. He had to “unlearn” the limp to get rid of it. If you’re mostly pain free and still have the limp, you’ll want to talk to your orthopedic specialist, if you haven’t already, about therapy options for getting rid of the limp. You may have to unlearn it.
Also, as far as the fear goes, I hear ya. I rode a 36" for the first time this past weekend, and I was really scared. While I realize that is nothing like the fear you’re experiencing, the cure was to figure out how to ride it. At first, it was very scary, and I was ready to quit several times, but when I finally was able to ride it, I took off on it and rode it everywhere, even off road, and now I just have to have one! I went from being a little terrified of it to really loving it. I’m sure it will be the same for you after a while of being back in the saddle. It’s just getting going that will be hard, but if you have a nice healthy balance of bravery and stupidity (heh, heh), you’ll get there!
I’m also no doctor, so use your own judgement, but I’ve found that St. John’s Wort is a lifesaver for mild depression. I’m really an outdoor person at heart, and when I get shut inside for too long, I start feeling a bit depressed, and taking St. John’s Wort really helps. I take it in capsules for convenience, and I swear by it. You might give it some consideration.
I have my dad to thank for my sense of humor and totally inappropriate use of the English language at times. Here’s one that rolls off the tongue and I bet a coonskin cap full of rabbit shit that you’ve never heard it either… ok, that was it.
I don’t know how much of my limp is learned and how much is still necessary. I do a number of exercises to build strength and my foot is starting to tolerate more and more weight, but pushing off with the ball of my foot and toes when walking is still pretty dang painful. Then there’s the crazy swelling from working in a roasting hot wood shop. I have finally ordered some quite lovely compression socks. I will once again be the envy of my co-workers. Especially since I don’t need the socks on both legs.
I would say getting on a 36" for the first time would be terrifying. Good for you. I can say I have no plans to try that one out.
Hahahahaha! I’m gonna have to start usin’ that! Coonskin cap full of rabbit shit! Awesome! I don’t think I’ve heard that one before!
I guess bein’ on on that foot all day in a roastin’ hot shop ain’t helpin’ none, either. Gotta pay the bills, though, right?
I never thought I’d be riding that 36" either. I really have been incredibly critical of them for a long time, but I was too polite to refuse the offer to try, and when I realized I had an opportunity to ride with someone else and get a lot of daily exercise (something I’ve really wished for, for a while), it was hard to pass up. Never say never, right?
Two days after smashing my big toe, I’m limping around. I think some other muscles are starting to get tight from the lack of movement. So, there’s a kind of ripple effect. Maybe that’s what you’re dealing with. Combine that with some muscle atrophy in your case. I could probably ride more effectively than I can walk, currently, provided I rode with the pedals closer to the center of my foot. The problem is UPDs. That could get ugly.
Yes, there is a terrible ripple effect from any kind of foot injury. I have been very grateful that my back hasn’t gone out. I have had foot pain (non-injured foot) and hip pain from the limping around, but the back has managed to stay healthy. I also have these thoughts that I could get on the uni and just ride. But the thought of coming off is horrifying. I’m just going to wait until I’m pretty sure the foot can handle hard landings. I loaned out my mountain bike and just got it back. I hopped on it the other night to pedal around and it felt so weird to be on 2 wheels. But, I think to get my foot used to the pedal action, I’m going to start riding my dog around the park again on the mtn bike. Man I will be so happy to get back to the uni.
Bradford, I’m glad to give you a new saying for your arsenal.
Well, I’m coming up on 3 months since breaking my foot. It has been a long 3 months without my unicycle. This week, I started to get a little concerned and worried because I still have so much residual pain and I’m still walking with a pronounced limp. I’m told it’s all normal. Bleh. So, this week, I decided to start riding my mountain bike (bleh again) on flat paths. It’s the first exercise that my dog, or I have had since my injury. I replaced my clipless pedals with some platform pedals to avoid any possible mishaps. I haven’t ridden a bike since learning to unicycle. Wow, what a weird feeling. I kept feeling that my saddle was too low, but it’s the length of the crank arms that is so disorienting. Anyway, it seems to be exactly what my foot needs right now, some gentle strength building. So, I am setting a goal to be back out there within the next 2 weeks. I hope I can report something positive by then!
I was looking at that post yesterday…hmmm, it is tempting. But, unless I get on my uni this weekend, that seems a bit of a stretch for me. Who knows though. I’m walking pretty well for early morning. I’ll see how the week unfolds now that I’m at least on my bike.
Yahoo! I took my dog for another spin around the local park and high school this evening. Since riding, my foot has been feeling better and better, and today, I felt ready for a little trial ride on the 20" uni. After riding around on the bike for a bit to warm up, I went back to the tennis courts and gave it a shot. I couldn’t believe it… I still know how to unicycle after a 3 month break. The first trip down the courts was a little wobbly with some arm flailing action. I think that’s mostly from just being a little tentative. But, after a couple of laps, I felt pretty good. I came off 2 times in the beginning and landed a bit too firmly on my left foot, but nothing to worry about.
The invite to Lake Norman expedited my return to the unicycle a week sooner than I had planned. But in all honesty, I think it is going to be a bit too soon for trails. I think I’m just going to stick to the basics for a bit and get back on dirt/logging roads in a couple of weeks. I am so excited to get back in the saddle!
Great news, congratulations!
Don’t know how far is LN from you, but even if you don’t feel like doing that trail, it could be fun just to meet!
Always fun to get together with other riders.
I’ll definitely think about it. I’ve been looking at what the drive would be. Just in case, what are the trails like? I’m going to stay off anything technical for now. Thanks
Glad you’re back in the saddle Sukie! It was heartbreaking to see someone so excited about unicycling (and who wouldn’t be?) be thrown out of commission for an extended period.
I do not know you of course, but reading through your unfortunate experience has highlighted just how vulnerable we are as humans and, thanks to you, I am now being extra careful as I age. My heartfelt pleasure at your getting back into the fold as it were is almost tangible over here in Britain.
Good luck to you…
sukie47, for purely selfish reasons, I’m glad you’re back in the saddle, because I enjoyed reading your learning posts.
And to piggyback on your good news…after nearly a month without unicycling, after crushing my big toe, I went on a group mUni ride yesterday, down the Newport Coast, to the ocean. It felt great. By the end of the ride, I was wondering why I took such a long break. But I know that an awkward dismount could have re-injured the toe, so I had to be careful.
Thanks guys, it is good to be back in the saddle as well. Elpueblo, I totally understand why you would take an extended break. A re-injury of a healing foot or toe could be catastrophic and a month could easily turn into considerably longer. I had hoped to join the NC group next weekend at Lake Norman, but based on my experiences over the last couple of days, I think it would be better to not even show up. I would be way too tempted to ride. I went out today with my 26" road uni and pretty quickly put it away and opted for the 20". I dismounted to the front onto my healed, but tender foot. I’m just not ready to be even a couple of inches higher off the ground. At any rate, I rode about 10 minutes Thursday, and a little over 20 today. My plan is to slowly increase the amount of time in the saddle this next week, and then get back out to some paved paths next weekend. Glad to hear that you were back out on your Muni. I am excited to get back to it soon.
Geolojas, how has your riding been going? I bet you are so far out of reach right now.
Regina Wrecks, have fun with this. There is just nothing so excillerating as learning to ride a unicycle. Do be careful. At least wrist gaurds should be in order!
I’m glad to hear that you’re able to ride again! I’m not surprised that you still can, though. It stays with you for a while. I’ve been off the board for a bit, and I was wondering how you were doing. Just like elpuebloUNIdo, I’ve enjoyed reading your posts, and your enthusiasm has inspired me. Recently, I’ve been training for a bike race (I’m riding a 36" uni) called Hotter than Hell 100, and I’ve had some of my wort ever upd’s on the 36". It’s kind of intimidating to ride, and dismounts are still kind of scary at this point, especially when I’m tired, which is pretty much all the time. I kind of think I’m nuts for even trying this (I’m only doing 25 miles), but reading your post about getting back in the saddle has inspired me again!
I’m sure if you take it easy and go at your own pace, you’ll just naturally get back into it and probably be better than you’ve ever been. There was a post a while back about someone worrying about being out of the saddle for a bit, and my reply was that in many cases, you’ll actually do better than you did before. You kind of get to re-learn things better than when you first learned them due to the benefit of experience and a few other factors.
Wow, you just started riding a 36" recently if I remember correctly. That’s pretty crazy. I’ve been on the 20" for a week and just yesterday rode the 26" uni for the last 10 minutes of my workout. It is about as high as I can stand. I can’t imagine being on a 36". Talk about inspiring.
You are right about re-learning things. It has been a really good experience for me. 3 months was long enough that it felt like the first time when I finally rode again, yet I knew how to ride. Not sure if that makes sense. Anyway, it has been going well. I have been riding my dog around, so Turkey and I are both quite happy right now. I can actually ride better than I can walk, as I still have a bit of a limp, depending on the time of day, and whether I took my Ibuprofen or not. I have been able to freemount on the 20" uni, but it’s probably going to be a while for the 26ers. So, I am going to continue to wait before getting back out onto the logging roads. I still have a lot of fear about falling right now.
Good grief, I can’t even imagine a 36" uni. Good luck with your training and with the race!
When my cousin broke his leg doin’ tricks on a bike years ago, he healed just fine, but his limp persisted because of muscle memory. He had to “unlearn” the limp to get rid of it. If you’re mostly pain free and still have the limp, you’ll want to talk to your orthopedic specialist, if you haven’t already, about therapy options for getting rid of the limp. You may have to unlearn it.
I don’t think I’ve heard that one before!
