We all do it at some point.
Not sure if this is the best spot for this discussion, but one worth having nonetheless.
Today I had a decent little spill. Went over the bars on a steep pitch, bounced my head off the ground a bit. Soft dirt, mostly winded, but gave myself a scare. Glad I was wearing a helmet with a bit of side-protection (Troy Lee A1).
I remember my old habits when I crashed used to be to bounce up as quick as I could (if I could) and get riding as soon as I was sure all mechanical systems were functional. I think a lot of people have that "I'm okay man" reflex to shake it off right away and get going. Part of it is probably bravado, part of it may be the idea that it's the best way to recover or else you get spooked, and part of it is that surge of adrenalin you get when you give yourself a jolt or a scare.
However, I began to notice after a few years (and a few crashes), that I would have a quick burst of crazy post-crash energy, inevitably followed by a major comedown. Might be the parasympathetic system finally kicking in, call it what you want, I'm no doctor. Whatever it was, that "comedown" would often leave me feeling weak and just plain crappy about 15 minutes later or so. So there's a great big crazy adrenal burst of "Hey I'm okay!-I'm good -let's ride!" followed by a "I really don't feel so good". In one case, a seat stuffed into my ribs mid-race sent me to emergency 4 days later with a bruised liver. Felt a bit stupid after that one….lucky but stupid.
After a few (okay more than a few) of these events (mostly less than the hospital tale above), I started to think about crashing differently. Now when I eat dirt, the first thing I think of is to relax, chill out, stay calm, stay still. Once the crash is over, and I'm sure I'm not going to get mowed over, I just lay there, see how I feel, slow my breathing. No rush to get on the bike and go. If it's a group ride, whatever, friends will understand. If they don't, they're not friends. Literally, I will just lie still where I fell, and settle in for a minute or so (Probably not easy to do in the park). Sit in the dirt, and even if I think I'm okay, wait for that adrenal reaction to dissipate before I start moving around again. Assuming nothing is bent or broken (on me or the bike), the rest of the ride inevitably will go much better than if I just bounce up. Today, good example. I sat there for a few, chatted and laughed with my friends, another group went by. My friends asked all the right questions, and eventually we resumed, ended up riding another 90 minutes, felt fine. Ripped my favourite jersey a bit, but all systems are normal.
Of course, it's really good to check the bike really close too- make sure everything is still tight and works. Most importantly though, check yourself.
This is sooooo critical with any type of headshot, but also any type of blow to the neck or core. I've seen numerous examples of people going down a few days later after what seemed like a relatively mild biff. If you see a friend (or even a stranger) take a significant shot, take the time to assess them as best you can, and get them to assess themselves. We can't exactly run NHL concussion protocol, but resisting that "I'm-okay-man!" reflex might not only save them from a major comedown a short while later, but in rare cases might clue them into something more serious that is wrong.
Anyway, it's a bit rambly, and I acknowledge that different people adjust to physical trauma differently. My experience over the past few years, however, is that thinking first to relax-and-chill rather than recover-fast-and-ride seems to serve me better. I found this new approach went against everything I had taught myself growing up as a stubborn and somewhat reckless risk-taker. But eventually it seemed to sink in that relax and chill is better…..for me at least….or maybe this monologue is just my concussion talking.