oops…actually..the mis-placed paragraph is my bad..sorry guys - it's caus' I used another php article as a template. me fixy!
hahahaa some newb action there ;)
oops…actually..the mis-placed paragraph is my bad..sorry guys - it's caus' I used another php article as a template. me fixy!
hahahaa some newb action there ;)
That is a very well written article that explains why many people ride and how things can go bad really, really fast.
I am very glad to hear that Mark (Baloom) is recovering well. This article is one that should make everyone aware that no matter how good a rider you are at some point things can go wrong and that the consequences are something you have to live with.
"If everything seems in control, you're not going fast enough."
-Mario Andretti-
Healin' vibes to Mark… keep on keepin' on.
One thing we should all do on occasion is asses the risk/reward factor in our riding. We all can get caught up in the spirit of improving skills and pushing ourselves and for the most part that's a good thing…
but this can also lead to pushing ahead just for the sake of pushing without thinking about consequences.
Just becouse our skills are at a certain level and we can clean a certain section or stunt or whatever we should still take a moment to think about the possible consequences of NOT making it. And sooner or later we all crash, lapses in focus or consentration, mechanical malfunctions, or just a bad bounce off a loose rock or stick can be the difference between landing on our wheels or landing HARD.
Maybe I'm a little bit of a pussy sometimes or maybe cuz I'm a little older but I tend to err on the side of caution a lot of times. I mean I plan on still riding 20-30 years from now so I want to stay healthy.
Originally posted by Smoke
8 weeks in Whistler + greenhorn English boy = venereal disease + compound fractures + angry collection agency pursuing you around the world.
Good read.
As 24/7 pointed out, this is why I find myself more and more just riding past stunts that I have cleaned on before. For me it's skinnies. Not worth the nasty fall off those things.
Good to see photos of you getting on your feet, Mark. I hope the next photos we see of you here are of you on your bike, riding.
***Disclaimer: this post is in no way, shape, or form intended to insult anybody, anything, any animal, any lifeform, or non lifeform, or otherwise, of any kind.
Nice article, it's good to have the wider community aware of the experience.
The scary thing is, I am starting to think that a broken-back-only XC ride would actually have a decent turnout!
That image looks a little too similar to what I have: http://koti.welho.com/akemppa5/images/jokujuttu.jpg
:(
How scary it must have been to be paralyzed for a short time and being conscious to remember it all.
"Luckily" I dont remember anything about the immense pain I was in when my buddies had to keep me from trying to get up, screaming to the top of my one functioning lugn.
The trade-off for not remembering that is permanent braindamage though, so..
8 months have passed, and I have gotten used to the constant pain my back is giving me.
Still, I have been getting back to riding my bikes as much as I can from the pain in my back and tiredness which is a symptom of braindamage.
I found dirt jumping and street/park riding the hardest, because you have to re-learn the finesse and confidence you had before the incident.
Trailriding was quick to pick up though.
Anyways, you can find the details of my accident here: http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=52840[HTML_REMOVED]highlight=broken+odi
(Yes, "Ari" is my other account here, to which i forgot my password, so i had to make a new one)
Get better Mark, and ride smart for the time being.
Best of luck with your recovery!
Damn! I know how scary that pain between the shoulder blades is from my "torpedo" on Dirt Merchant a couple years ago. Luckily for me, everything worked right away so I knew there was no spinal damage. 5 compressed vertebrae doesn't feel good, but it's a hell of a lot better than what could have happened.
Glad to see he's up [HTML_REMOVED] walking. It's a relief for all of us, I'm sure.
Now if only I would learn my lesson. Surgery tomorrow morning to get a plate put in my wrist to hold all the little pieces of bone together. I did it on Dirt Merchant again, too. Already can't wait to get back on my bike…
I'm quitting organized crime; from now on I'll stick to the regular kind.
Thank you all for your kind words.
As a bit of an update, I have been involved in physio for about 2 weeks now and have the greenlight to ride my bike. I have laid down 11 rides in 14 days. These have been some of the most painfull crashless rides I have ever experienced (i'm pretty much sticking to the road for now). Having said that, each one has become easier and easier. The surgeon has said that the more I push myself, the faster the pain will diminish.
I rode my first trail yesterday (a 30 minute climb called the Seven-sisters trail up behind the Cultus Lake Prov. park below international ridge). This is pure xc stuff that I used to rip up and fly down. The best descriptor to use for this ride would be "plodding".
I am staying positive and will push along to get my fitness back. I have a goal to ride Whistler by the end of July and will be up on Vedder hopefully in the next 2 weeks or so. If you want to see a suffer-fest come out on a Saturday in a couple of weeks to watch me try to ride my VP-free up Parmenter Road to the Vedder Trails. I'm going to be lovin' every minute…..
"Walk a mile in another man's shoes. Then, you'll be a mile away from him and have his shoes."
nice nice nice!
glad to hear you are where you are with recovering :D
dear DW,
since you got like a million bucks now, can i borrow $2850 for a Revolt frame?thanks,
steve
good for you baloom. i'm beginning to think mtbikers are among the toughest people in the world - who else would put up with pain in order to have fun.
Mark, the best to ya buddy….this has been a HUGE recovery!!
Great article and well written .Like was said before, it made me think of some of the nasty ones I've had and walked away from.
Keep it going Baloom your nearly there.
Sorry to revive a dead old thread, but I just found this now. Congratulations to you Mark for your excellent recovery. I also wanted to thank you because this quote: "This is where personal responsibility comes into the dialogue. There will always be someone who can ride the line that you will never be able to do. That person's boundaries are different than yours. If you start colouring outside of the lines delineated by your experience and skill-set you must accept the inherent risks and potential outcomes." is going to change the way I ride from now… Thank you.
-m
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