truespode
Moderator / Wheelie King
- Jun 30, 1999
- 7,981
- 249
I'd say for the past two years I've been ambivilent about riding. I've had some REALLY good times and some OK times. I never lost the love of the sport but for a while I started to feel like something was missing. I had several periods where I wanted to just give it all up.
I then went about 3 months without riding which was the longest I've gone without riding since 1999. I still didn't seem to want to ride as much as I used to. It was odd. I missed my riding buddies more than I missed the actual riding and it was them that kept me from just calling it quits.
Well, at the beginning of this month I got sick. I had a reaction to some meds and was really out of it for 4 days and still sick for another week (missed almost 2 weeks of work). I am just now getting my strength back. It was the worst I've ever gone through in my life. Fortunately, it did not appear to be life threatening and I never needed to be admitted (even though my family doc almost did) but still it was a horrible time.
Sunday I tried to meet up with the guys just to keep busy even though I really shouldn't have been riding b/c I was (and am) weak. I was only going to ride the wife's CRF150 but did take Gomer's son's YZ250 for a small spin. Of course I ended up pulling off my patented wheelie (which is bad when I'm on a 2-stroke) and the bike came down on my left foot and ankle.
I thought it was broke but fortunately it is just a bad sprain.
Now where am I going with this... well, I really do miss riding. The fall was probably THE BEST thing that has happened to me in riding in a long time. Especially after being sick and not feeling normal for almost 4 weeks.
I remember 2 hours after the pain started to stabilize instead of intensify I started to feel good. Really good. Even though I could barely walk I felt good like I haven't felt in a LONG time, a really long time (and no pain relievers were involved, I swear). I can still remember as I felt the blood leave my face and I started to go into a little bit of shock that I stuck my hand out to Gomer's youngest son for a high five and getting it. I did not go into complete shock but as I faded towards it a few times I actually was more comfortable with all that than I was when I got sick... being hurt and almost passing out from the heat, pain and swelling made me feel normal. I'm not saying I was all tough and cool about it. I was in pain and did get a lot of support b/c I was scared I had broke my foot but it certainly was better than when I was sick.
It is odd but I feel like I first did when I joined DRN a long time ago. I am enjoying talking about bikes and being a goof again. I am happy to have the friends I have and am really looking forward to riding with them again.
Mostly, I'm just enjoying the sport now more than I have in a long time. Not just the talk, not just the mechanics, not just the questions about this or that and not just about the bikes. I'm enjoying all of it and looking forward to riding again like I have not looked forward to it in a really LONG time.
It's odd that a busted ankle/foot can be the catalyst to all this but it seems to be.
Also, when I was sick I had so many good riding buddies show how true of friends they were. From the Gomer clan providing UNBELIEVABLE moral support and insight into what was going on to James driving down over an hour to take off my trash and help me out (and then he went 90 minutes out of his way when I hurt my foot just to help me get things unloaded and make sure I got home safe). Also, the rest of the Team Turtle crew who kept e-mails going with the Vince font and talk about bikes (especially Trout and his reports about his family getting in the sport... their enjoyment of the sport is infectious). My wife of course has been great. When I was sick she helped me and when I hurt my ankle she ridiculed me for my stupidity (trust me... that is a good thing :) ).
I can honestly say that me busting my ankle was a good thing! Not something I really want to do again but it was something that really made me feel normal again and made me enjoy bikes like I have not enjoyed them in a long time. And to top it all off I was only on a bike for less than 5 minutes the whole time before busting my arse!
Not sure if any of you have felt this way or understand what I'm saying but getting sick and busting my butt has rejuvinated my desire to ride and made me more aware of what I enjoy in life!
Ivan
I then went about 3 months without riding which was the longest I've gone without riding since 1999. I still didn't seem to want to ride as much as I used to. It was odd. I missed my riding buddies more than I missed the actual riding and it was them that kept me from just calling it quits.
Well, at the beginning of this month I got sick. I had a reaction to some meds and was really out of it for 4 days and still sick for another week (missed almost 2 weeks of work). I am just now getting my strength back. It was the worst I've ever gone through in my life. Fortunately, it did not appear to be life threatening and I never needed to be admitted (even though my family doc almost did) but still it was a horrible time.
Sunday I tried to meet up with the guys just to keep busy even though I really shouldn't have been riding b/c I was (and am) weak. I was only going to ride the wife's CRF150 but did take Gomer's son's YZ250 for a small spin. Of course I ended up pulling off my patented wheelie (which is bad when I'm on a 2-stroke) and the bike came down on my left foot and ankle.
I thought it was broke but fortunately it is just a bad sprain.
Now where am I going with this... well, I really do miss riding. The fall was probably THE BEST thing that has happened to me in riding in a long time. Especially after being sick and not feeling normal for almost 4 weeks.
I remember 2 hours after the pain started to stabilize instead of intensify I started to feel good. Really good. Even though I could barely walk I felt good like I haven't felt in a LONG time, a really long time (and no pain relievers were involved, I swear). I can still remember as I felt the blood leave my face and I started to go into a little bit of shock that I stuck my hand out to Gomer's youngest son for a high five and getting it. I did not go into complete shock but as I faded towards it a few times I actually was more comfortable with all that than I was when I got sick... being hurt and almost passing out from the heat, pain and swelling made me feel normal. I'm not saying I was all tough and cool about it. I was in pain and did get a lot of support b/c I was scared I had broke my foot but it certainly was better than when I was sick.
It is odd but I feel like I first did when I joined DRN a long time ago. I am enjoying talking about bikes and being a goof again. I am happy to have the friends I have and am really looking forward to riding with them again.
Mostly, I'm just enjoying the sport now more than I have in a long time. Not just the talk, not just the mechanics, not just the questions about this or that and not just about the bikes. I'm enjoying all of it and looking forward to riding again like I have not looked forward to it in a really LONG time.
It's odd that a busted ankle/foot can be the catalyst to all this but it seems to be.
Also, when I was sick I had so many good riding buddies show how true of friends they were. From the Gomer clan providing UNBELIEVABLE moral support and insight into what was going on to James driving down over an hour to take off my trash and help me out (and then he went 90 minutes out of his way when I hurt my foot just to help me get things unloaded and make sure I got home safe). Also, the rest of the Team Turtle crew who kept e-mails going with the Vince font and talk about bikes (especially Trout and his reports about his family getting in the sport... their enjoyment of the sport is infectious). My wife of course has been great. When I was sick she helped me and when I hurt my ankle she ridiculed me for my stupidity (trust me... that is a good thing :) ).
I can honestly say that me busting my ankle was a good thing! Not something I really want to do again but it was something that really made me feel normal again and made me enjoy bikes like I have not enjoyed them in a long time. And to top it all off I was only on a bike for less than 5 minutes the whole time before busting my arse!
Not sure if any of you have felt this way or understand what I'm saying but getting sick and busting my butt has rejuvinated my desire to ride and made me more aware of what I enjoy in life!
Ivan