WildBettys posted on June 10, 2011 06:28
Nursing an injury is difficult on many fronts...first of all it hurts, second, it limits what you can do, it’s disappointing and it kind of forces you to focus inward.....but, it can also afford you an opportunity to look at things from a different point of view.
This past two weeks I have been continuing to ride my bike, after all my injury is upper body, just not on all the trails I’ve wanted to. The first few days were strictly road rides and I sat out of the Canada Cup race (which was just weird) but I have slowly ridden more and more on the trails as I heal, cognizant of course, that another spill on a wounded part could really be a problem.
This week I led one of the Betty’s rides on Tuesday and then went to our social afterwards at the pub. It was a great evening, again really warm and there were lots of Bettys rocking our sleeveless jerseys, but there were three of us at the social with a little more colour.
Melissa and Shannon couldn’t ride but came out to join us. Melissa, who took a tumble at the Canada Cup, was sporting some bright blue tape on her right shoulder and Shannon wore her navy blue sling, a gift from the hospital after they reduced her dislocated left shoulder for her a couple of weeks ago. I sat in between them with my bright pink Spidertech tape over my left scapula peeking out from my jersey......this tape stuff really is supportive... the marvels of sports medicine in the new century -much more colourful than the ‘tensor bandages’ from back in the day!!
Of course, time is the real factor that allows the body to heal itself and keeping a positive mind while that happens is extremely important. As I sat at the table of 15 Bettys the other night, I noticed everybody enthusiastically chatting about biking, and upcoming events, by the way, we’ll be at the Toronto Mountain Bike Festival this Saturday, the Ocup on Sunday and the Lake to Lake next weekend , but there was also chatter about new jobs, old jobs, new beaus and old beaus, new booboos, old booboos and stories of travels past and travels planned, it was striking to see how biking has brought us all together...we really are a group of “all ages and abilities”.
Each Betty is so very impressive and unique and simultaneously a part the whole. There does seem to be a common quality we possess - the desire and ability to rise to the occasion and take on a challenge- be that just signing up and coming out to meet new friends, or riding the trails you didn’t think you could and then working on going faster on those trails, or coming back from injury. We all have our personal challenges but it is clear to me being a Betty is proving to be very healing indeed.
Ride On!
Melinda.