by Patricia Schwager

My July blogpost is about how to deal with an injury. I chose this topic because I’m just getting back from an injury and that’s why I’d like to write about it. Being inured was a hard time for me and I learned a lot about myself during this time.

Being injured probably taught me a lot more than if I would have been racing and training like planned. I think that I’m an easy athlete to work with but things are definitely different when you are injured. Have you ever been injured and had to take time off the bike?

Of course, I have been injured during my long career as a pro cyclist. I’ve crashed, had broken ribs, injured my knee(s) etc. But as crazy as it sounds, I never actually had to take a lot of time off or miss races due to it.

So this situation was all new to me. The difficult thing was that my injury was an old injury that had returned. This means I made the first mistake by getting back on the bike and I kept racing even while the original injury was happening. Now I was forced to pay for that mistake. The only thing we could do was to figure out what is causing that pain in my right thigh and how to solve it. I could not keep riding my bike through the pain.

Yes, I was struggling with just riding easy, resting a lot, and not racing for almost 2 months.

I just love to ride my bike and if I don’t ride my bike, I like to be active and do other things. I can enjoy a rest day and taking it easy, but spending a whole day on the couch, watching TV just isn’t my thing.

Of course, as a pro athlete it is even harder if you are forced to take time off during the race season. There is a lot more pressure to perform or deliver results. Everything you think about is to be back on the bike and racing as soon as possible.

I still hoped to be able to race my Nationals, but time was running out to get fit and ready to have a good race. This added even more stress on me.

ABOUT PATRICIA SCHWAGER

Patricia Schwager began cycling in 1998, racing as a junior. After racing on the domestic level and completing her Diploma as Pastry Chef, she got her first pro contract in 2006. 2015 will be here 10th year of professional racing. Patricia has a lot of experience racing in the European peloton. In 2013 she started working with Shawn Heidgen (Current ALP Cycles Coach) as her personal coach. In 2014 she changed her focus to racing in the US. Patricia is a 6 time national Swiss champion and has represented her home country, Switzerland, at the World Championships 12 times.

For 2015, Patricia will race for Team Tibco. Along with racing she’s looking to share and pass on her knowledge in her new role as an ALP Cycles Coach. Visit her online at https://indyfreelance.com/

By: Jennifer Sharp

Last Monday morning hit a little harder than usual. And no, it wasn't from post Super Bowl festivities. As a full-time coach and endurance cyclist, the bulk of my workouts are completed on the weekends and come Monday, I'm more than ready from a rest of day. But this Monday was different. I had some lower back pain and given my chronic trouble with my lower back, I assume I'd be okay given my daily core regimen.

Injuries come in many shapes and forms. Some are visible to the naked eye, some from over use. Regardless of how they occur one thing remains constant. REST is an important component for recovery.

Yet things persisted. That night when I taught a yoga class, I noticed a new pain when forward folding. It heightened my awareness to the sensations in my body but still, I continued with intervals on the trainer the next day and upkeep my strenuous Ashtanga yoga practice. If it doesn't hurt while you're on the bike - things shouldn't be that bad, right? On Thursday, my back had enough. It had been trying to tell me to slow down and this time it put me on bed rest lockdown.

The Erector Spinae runs parallel to the spine and is a back workhorse. Practically every move you make involves it.

Injuries are tough. Cyclists are tough too - often battling through pain while on the bike: lung-busting intervals, mountain top summits, FTP tests, pushing through when everything in your body is telling you to stop. Admittedly, cyclists/endurance athletes pain scales are skewed as a result. It's hard to know when to push through the pain and when you need to back off. Yet the body knows. The body always knows.

A visit to a chiropractor is a blessing and a curse. Turns out this is a new injury and not the chronic back pain I've dealt with in the past. I sprained my erector spinae muscle on the left side of my spine and the only way to heal is through rest. Rest, just so you know, is a four-letter word.

REST?!? You mean stick to just easy recovery rides on the bike?

Nope. Rest. Stay off the bike.

Okay. But what about x, y, or z races? What about this huge foundation of training I did? What? How? When? Why?

Encountering an injury is similar to the stages of grief: shock/denial, pain/guilt, anger & bargaining, depression/loneliness, testing, and acceptance. You may experience one or all of the stages and not necessarily in order. One thing remains constant: the more you lay off now and address this minor acute injury the sooner you may be healthy again.

And one thing is for sure, if you've been doing a sport for long enough, you're more than likely going to encounter an injury.

One thing I've found that helps navigate the emotional trauma associated with forced time off the bike is instead of focusing on what you can't do, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO.

Here are some things you can actively do to improve recovery:

1. Just as in sport, nutrition and hydration impact your ability to recover. During the initial phase of injury, inflammation occurs as the body's natural response to heal the injured area. Pain, swelling, redness and heat occur. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods such as olive oil, avocados, flax oil, oily fishes, and mixed nuts and seeds while avoiding processed foods high in saturated fats, vegetable oils and foods with trans fats. You can also include garlic, curry powder, and berries. Icing those tender areas for 15 minutes every hour can greatly reduce swelling and get you on the road to recovery.
   
   
2. Once the pain and swelling has reduced, your body enters the proliferation and remodeling phases. Your metabolism can increase 15-20% from being sedentary so it's important to fuel yourself enough protein, balanced dietary fat, eating a diverse mix of fruits and vegetables and eat enough whole grain minimally processed carbs.
   
   
3. Have extra downtime now that you're not doing the sport you love? It's time to sharpen those often neglected mental skills. My favorite book of all time is, "Thinking Body, Dancing Mind" by Jerry Lynch. And another favorite by Steve Peters: "The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Program for Confidence, Success and Happiness." Stay off social and educate yourself in the meantime!
   
   
4. Get body work. Massage, acupuncture, and cupping. If you've had trouble finding the time to fit these into your schedule, now you can. Find out from other cyclists who their favorite body work person is and give it a try.
   
   
5. Be diligent about your physical therapy. If you've been shown various exercises to increase your mobility - do them!

Happy healing friends. And if you have an injury healing tip you'd like to share - pease do!

ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

Jennifer Sharp, a USA Cycling Level 1 Coach, started racing in 2004 as a means to fulfill her competitive itch. Previously a national level boxer, she grew tired of getting hit in the head and decided to pound the pedals instead. She bought a pink Kona road bike completing several recreational rides and found herself passing as many people as possible. Since then she has multiple podiums at elite track national championships, master track national championship titles and world cup finishes under her belt.