Hey Eddie, I’d be happy to share my story with you.
I started racing in the mid 1990s but work and family commitments put the bike on the back burner until COVID. Without a commute or shuttling kids to activities I had ample time to train, and I chose Sufferfest after checking out Zwift.
The fitness I gained through structured plans and regular FF testing convinced me to line up for some races.
Last year I did some early season criterium races at the State fairground. It was super fun to go fast and ride in a pack. At 54 I was riding against guys half my age (and actually beating some of them). I also started doing gravel races. Totally different vibe but also a ton of fun and great scenery. I was able to get in almost 5000 miles and over 100k feet of climbing and have never felt better.
This past winter I again did structured training with Sufferfest and used Nordic skiing as an additional training activity for variety (I’m in MN andcwe had PLENTY of snow). I committed to doing regular core and yoga exercises. I also managed to lose about 12 lbs of excess weight.
It’s been a cold, miserable spring here but for the first Tuesday crit we had a brief heatwave and I had a blast riding in a field of about 30 or so. Felt strong and confident in my bike handling through the corners.
The following week was cooler and windy, but I got a better jump off the line and gained 7 places over the previous week.
Last Tuesday was a much bigger field (45?) and though I lined up near the front I knew there would be a fight to get to the first corner (which was only a couple hundred meters from the start line).
I clipped in at the gun and ramped up my speed out of the saddle, keeping my head up as we neared the corner to take a good line into the turn. A guy to my left must have touched wheels and over-compensated to try to stay upright. He plowed into my left side and I went flying over the bars, coming down hard on my shoulder, back, and hand.
My head hit (cracking my helmet) but not hard enough to knock me out. I did get the wind knocked out of me and stayed in the fetal position till the race first aid folks came over and stabilized me. One of them realized right away that my collarbone was broken and they called an ambulance.
ER X-rays confirmed segmental clavicle fracture and 4 broken ribs.
I spent three days managing serious pain with Oxycodone. After that I’ve been getting by with ibuprofen and ice.
Saw an orthopedic doctor today who said I could let the collarbone heal on its own, but that because of the nature of the break it would take a while and would likely lead to some deformity.
The other option is surgery, which will stabilize the shoulder by connecting the bone segments with a metal plate. This should guarantee a better, faster recovery so that’s the direction I’m choosing.
Here are some topics that have been on my mind as I think about coming back:
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What are good technique drills or other workouts to do that won’t stress my system too much as I recover?
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The psychology of returning to competition–how do you line up at the start again after a bad crash?
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Recovery nutrition: what should my diet look like to maximize healing and minimize weight gain? Are there any supplements that help (collagen, calcium, etc…)
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What is the best way to assess my (carbon fiber) bike for damage after a crash to determine if it’s safe to ride?
Feel free to use any/all of this as you see fit. Attaching my xray for your viewing pleasure (horror?)
Best,
Mike Robertson
Hope you’re back on the bike soon after a successful surgery.
