I was very silly at the weekend, and ended up with a broken metacarpal (pinky side), and a big bloody cast for 4 weeks.
I totally get cycling outside will be off for some time, how about training inside? Is it advisable, or do i just take the hit and train even harder when im back?
Frustratingly training has been sporadic at best due to other unrelated illness etc over the past month im feeling a bit down and sorry for myself to be honest, even though its all my own doing!!
Im hoping i make a full recovery and it wont affect riding long term, ill have to cross that bridge when i come to it i guess.
I’d personally recommend taking some time completely off of exercise for a while as your body needs to focus its energy on healing. It’s amazing how much energy this can take, so make sure you’re getting enough calories! A big mistake many athletes make is thinking that since they are more sedentary after an injury, they don’t need to eat as much as when they are active. Healing bone injuries is serious stuff, so I’d ask your doctor and/or do some research on a healthy diet for growing new bone.
As for when to get back on the bike, I’d also ask your doctor about this, but it’s very likely that you’ll be able to get back on an indoor bike before you are cleared to ride outside. Smart trainers are fantastic tools for these types of situations – I definitely relied on mine while healing a broken clavicle last summer!
If you’re getting some cabin fever I might recommend going on some long walks while you’re in the early stages of recovery. It’s a new way to look at the world and was actually really enjoyable for me last year.
Eat well and follow your doctor’s orders and I imagine you could be spinning inside before too long. Just make sure to take it really easy at first!
I broke a couple bones in my hand back in January and I continued training (indoors only). I used my gravel bike with aero bars, so was able to keep all weight off the hand. It definitely changed my workouts a bit since I struggle to hold big power in the aero bars for extended periods, but it actually helped me improve on that a bit. I had to get a fork stand for my rollers because I didn’t want to risk a fall, but it actually turned out OK.
I had a removeable soft cast/splint, so not exactly what you are dealing with. The worst part will probably be the sweat build up. At least I could take mine off and dry it out after.
I trained indoors for a couple of months with a broken thumb (with doctor’s permission, of course). I rigged up something similar to what Matt Hayman has above, since leaning on my road bike’s bars put me in an uncomfortable position.
My solution was to duct tape a large car washing sponge (still in the plastic packaging) to the top of my park tool workstand’s arm. This created a sort of waterproof cushion I could cantilever out over my bars. I’d drape a towel over it and at the hight I had it set I could hold my shifter with my uninjured hand normally, while resting my injured arm’s forearm on the cushion. It put me into my normal riding position and after a workout or two to get used to it, it really became a perfectly comfortable way to train.
I was only in a hard cast for a few days; eventually I switched to a removable soft cast which made things more manageable. With a hard cast, the sweat/moisture issue would have definitely been the most challenging problem.
Take it easy for a few days. Pressure the doctor about indoor training if you are going nuts not riding. They tend to error on the safe and sane side. Some people heal fast some do not. Nutrition is important. Your body will need a bit extra to repair the damage.
As one who broke my cast 2 days out of surgery maybe my advice is questionable.
Plus I’m old. Back in the day, you cut off your cast to race and caught hell from the doctor.
I had this same injury, but in my case had a pal who had worked at the place that did my cast. He said to ask for the cast to be as minimal as possible. Mine did not extend up the arm like yours did, and I was able to ride inside without issue. I rode outside too, and was able to adapt without issue.
One other thing: do not hesitate to get your hand recast when you want to. I had mine redone multiple times when it got wet or gross. Once I rode outside the day after I got it cast, the lining got wet in rain, and I went in the next day to get it changed.
You can train through this for sure. It was a stupid pain in my ass and my fault I broke it lesson learned.
Very timely post, I’m in a very similar situation. I broke a bone in my wrist about 10 days ago and have a cast on my hand. Four more weeks before I go back for a follow up x-ray and hopefully lose this thing. Boy is it a struggle trying to do things with only one hand? It’s easy to underestimate the importance of that opposable thumb. On top of this, I’m new to using an indoor trainer, actually just picked up a Wahoo Move and had my first ride last night. Elbows on the bar tops is not the most comfortable position for me to be stuck in for an hour+ stretch. I’m also brand new to TrainerRoad, but it looks like it will be a good app for me. Questions regarding training plans while working around this injury:
Would it be wise to create a training plan or just use the train now feature?
Since it is difficult or not possible to use one hand to hold onto the handlebars or hoods, hard efforts and/or moving around, seem like they will be impossible to achieve. What training workouts should I target?
Thanks all any advice, and hope your recovery goes well timnorman.
Thanks @eddiegrinwald , i think having read this its what i needed to hear. Worried about going crazy, but giving myself some time off at least may help. Maybe ill take it a week at a time and ee assess each week
Thanks for the advice. I didnt know cast size could vary/ i had a choice, but i may try and get a smaller one if thhis one gets nasty, as it died feel quite excessive for what i have!
Thanks! Sorry to hear about your injury. Seems like ive come off easy compared to you! Im sorry im not best suited to answer your question, i just use plan builder ! Glad youve found TR and it seems to be working for you!
im feeling a bit down and sorry for myself to be honest, even though its all my own doing!!
On top of this, I’m new to using an indoor trainer, actually just picked up a Wahoo Move and had my first ride last night. Elbows on the bar tops is not the most comfortable position for me to be stuck in for an hour+ stretch. I’m also brand new to TrainerRoad, but it looks like it will be a good app for me. Questions regarding training plans while working around this injury: