.: Ski XCOttawa.ca :: Skiing in Ottawa and Gatineau Park

Adventures on a mountain bike… to adventures on a bike trainer.
By:  Vesta Mather   (2011/07/07)

RSS

Summer is a great time to train for the upcoming winter race season – there are just so many activities you can do: run, hike, swim, rollerski, play team sports, tennis, hill intervals, plyos, tire-pulling, and things on tires…like biking! Having been road biking for a few summers now, I decided I wanted to take full advantage of the Gat’s trails in the summer as well, and got a mountain bike.

 Katie and I were out for one particularity nice (as well as hardcore, obviously) mountain bike when I had my first real fall and got a few war wounds. After some more biking and a dip in Meech Lake, it was time to head home. My wrist was a little sore, but nothing too bad. However, the next day when it was hurting a bit more, I decided it was time to visit someone who knows more than me about the insides of people. After a few hours in the hospital, I was on my way with a cast, and the possibility of an acute fracture on my scafoid. More x-rays next week will hopefully clear me, and make the rest of the summer cast free.

 

But in the meantime, I am all casted up (on my left arm, thankfully, as I am right handed) so I thought why not provide a few training ideas for others in similar situations, and just general life advice.

 

Some of my favourite training ideas so far include

- Going to the gym and doing lots of leg oriented exercises…I can still do squats, squats on the bosu ball, leg extensions (something John is always after us to do more of anyways!)

- Moderate running: taking it easy, since I have some knee and SI joint issues from previous summers of being a little too enthusiastic on running (all these injuries...I’m starting to sound like Megan!) I am not running much more. Also running = sweating = smelly cast = no more training buddies.

- …which brings me to another general summer tip, that is, always try avoid training in the heat of the day, morning and evening are more pleasant, and lower your risks of dehydration and sun damage. But always drink lots of water and wear sunscreen anyways.

- Ski walking with one pole: you think you get funny looks regular ski walking? Try this!

- Core: Googling and YouTubing lots of new exercises, adding in an exercise ball

- Biking. Yes…biking! I got some aero bars, so I can rest my cast more comfortably, and sit in a variety of different positions, making it a little less boring over time; I’ve got my road bike up in the trainer, so I can “multi task”

 

And for some general “getting along with a cast” lessons I have learned

- You CAN still go to the beach….and go swimming!

- Plastic bags from the ‘wine rack’ make great cast covers for the shower. So do bread bags – mmmm rye bread.

- Co-ordinate your cast to whatever is going on: see – Canada Day!

- Don’t fall asleep with your face on your cast – it will leave a funny pattern (no pictures of this…just too ridic!).

P1040510_1_.JPG 

Got anymore ideas for me? Email me: vesta.m.mather at gmail.com, I would love to hear from you – and I may even write another article about the rest of the “experience” later in the summer. 

 
Interesting Reading. . .
Interested in supporting XC Ottawa or advertising on our site? Email: info@xcottawa.ca.
© Copyright 2001-2006, www.xcottawa.ca. All Rights Reserved. Contact us before re-publishing anything seen here.