Give your face a sporting chance
By JAMES A. HAMP, MD

Summer is a great time for bicycling enthusiasts to get out on the road for a recreational or competitive ride. It's also a time when riders get thrown over their handle bars.

Facial injuries are more common than most people realize as competitive and recreational athletes spend their summer days biking, playing catch, shooting hoops or kicking a soccer ball around a field. When an accident happens, one's response can make the difference between a temporary inconvenience and permanent injury. Knowing how to respond is key.

Sports injuries can cause broken bones or fractures of the face. Common symptoms include swelling and bruising such as a black eye; pain or numbness in the face, cheeks or lips; double or blurred vision; nosebleeds; changes in teeth structure or inability to close the mouth properly. It is important to pay attention to swelling because it may be masking a more serious injury. Applying ice packs and keeping the head elevated may reduce early swelling.

If any of these symptoms occur, be sure to visit the emergency room or the office of an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon where x-rays can be taken to determine if there is a fracture.

Fractures of the delicate bones around the sinuses, eye sockets, bridge of the nose or cheek bones can occur when you are hit in the upper face (by a ball for example). A direct blow to the eye may cause a fracture, as well as blurred or double vision. If this is the case, visit an ophthalmologist immediately.

In the case of injury to your jaw or lower face, see your doctor to discuss treatment options. The injury may change the way your teeth fit together. To restore a normal bite, surgeries often can be performed from inside the mouth to prevent visible scarring of the face; and broken jaws often can be repaired without being wired shut for long periods.

Bruises, cuts and scrapes often result from high speed or contact sports, such as boxing, football, soccer, bicycling, skate boarding, and water skiing. Most can be treated at home, but some require medical attention.

Get immediate medical care when you have deep skin cuts, obvious deformity or fracture, loss of facial movement, persistent bleeding, change in vision, problems breathing and/or swallowing, alterations in consciousness or facial movement.

Bruises result from bleeding underneath the skin. Applying pressure, elevating the bruised area above the heart and using an ice pack for the first 24 to 48 hours minimizes

discoloration and swelling. After two days, a heat pack or hot water bottle may help more. Most of the swelling and bruising should disappear in one to two weeks.

Cuts and scrapes may cause external bleeding that can be stopped by immediately applying pressure with gauze or a clean cloth. When the bleeding is uncontrollable, go to the emergency room immediately.

Scrapes should be washed with soap and water to remove any foreign material that could cause infection and discoloration of the skin. Scrapes or abrasions can be treated at home by cleaning with 3% hydrogen peroxide and covering with an antibiotic ointment or cream until the skin is healed. Cuts or lacerations, unless very small, should be examined by a physician. Stitches may be necessary, and deeper cuts may have serious effects. Following stitches, cuts should be kept clean and free of scabs with hydrogen peroxide and antibiotic ointment.

Bandages may be needed to protect the area from pressure or irritation from clothes. You may experience numbness around the cut for several months. Healing will continue for 6 to 12 months. The application of sunscreen is important during the healing process to prevent pigment changes. Scars that look too obvious after this time should be seen by a facial plastic surgeon.

Dr. James Hamp is a board-certified otolaryngologist, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy.


Secrets of proper stretching

Regular stretching can keep you flexible, release stiff joints, and make exercise and everyday activities easier.

Other benefits include improved range of motion, circulation, and muscle tone. When you stretch:

• Warm up with a short walk before stretching
• Stretch major muscle groups first, like thighs and legs. Then stretch specific muscles for the types of exercise you plan to do
• Your muscles should feel a gentle pull, but no pain
• Avoid bouncing. It can tear muscle fibers, which creates scar tissue when it heals and in the end may make you less flexible
• Stretch muscles on both sides of the body evenly
• Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds and complete six to eight repetitions
• Never hold your breath while you stretch. Deep, easy breathing is the key to relaxation.
• Some experts recommend stretching after exercise, when the muscles are heated by blood flow and move more easily

Source: All About Joints, How to Prevent and Recover from Common Injuries by Irwin M. Siegel, MD, Demos Medical Publishing, Inc.


ROAD RACING ON OPEN ROADS

Skills of Riding-very often not practiced!

Varick L. Olson, PhD, PT, Level 2 USA Cycling Coach
varicklee@comcast.net

Training is �the ride�, number of miles, intervals, H/R, power, etc. Too infrequently the skills of �bike handling� are not practiced. Skillful bike handling makes you a safer rider whether in a race, on a training ride or just riding. Bike handling skills need to be part of your training program.
Skill practice can be divided into three categories: those to do alone, those to do with a partner and those to do with three or more.

All skills have two basic principles. Keep your bike perpendicular to the road, leaning the bike means you are closer to the ground and will more easily crash. Keep pedaling, power to the rear wheel keeps you upright, no power and you lose control.

Skills need to be practiced in areas of minimal to no vehicle traffic.

Skills to Practice alone:
 

Place 6 sponges in a line about 1.5 bike lengths apart. Ride the line steering between the sponges, do not hit the sponges. Do not lean your bike, keep it perpendicular to the road and learn to steer your way through the line of sponges. Practice various speeds. At higher speeds you may feel you need to lean your bike-DON�T-learn to move your body and keep your bike perpendicular to the road. This skill will help you avoid debris on the road, sudden movements of other riders and maybe a fallen rider.

Place a water bottle on the road. Ride toward the bottle and reach down and pick it up. Turn around and ride back and place it on the road. Become good reaching left and right. As you improve place a riding glove on the road and pick it up. To make a few dollars tell a friend you can reach down and pick up a 5 dollar bill placed flat on the road, if you can�t you owe $5. Just make sure you have practiced so you can�t loose.

Ride along the edge of a road with a minimal drop-off. Drop-off the road and learn to keep pedaling, shift down and spin, and RIDE back onto the road. Practice RIDING back onto the road rather than �bunny hopping� as �bunny hopping� requires you to stop pedaling and you will have poor control when returning to the road. As you improve try dropping off at higher speeds and different terrain. This skill will make you a much safer rider no matter where you ride.
Cornering: Turning left move as far right as possible, into your drops shift down and turn into your lane, spin to accelerate up to speed. Turning right move as close to the center line as possible, into your drops shift down and turn into your lane, spin to accelerate up to speed. DO NOT CROSS THE CENTER LINE! Practice this skill as if your life depends on it-as it does!

Practice corning two ways. The most frequently used method is to lean your bike into the turn with the inside pedal up so it does not hit the road. This is an exception to the rules of �keep pedaling� and �keep the bike perpendicular to the road�. Beware that you need excellent control as this method places you closer to the road with minimal control over the direction of your lean. Another way to corner is to keep your bike perpendicular to the road, into your drops look over the brake hood in the direction of your turn, pull up on the bar toward the turn and push down on the bar opposite (this keeps your bike perpendicular to the road) and steer your bike around the corner -- KEEP PEDALING. This method is very useful in wet conditions, loose gravel and when the group has slowed a bit as you now keep your bike perpendicular, pedal through the turn and can accelerate away from the group
 

 Skills to Practice with a partner:
 

Put the sponges on the road. One of you slaloms by steering between the sponges, the other rides as close as possible leaning his body, not the bike, toward the slaloming rider. By leaning with the body and keeping the bike perpendicular to the road the leaning rider can support the slaloming rider if the need arises. Try it. Practice picking up a water bottle from the road with your partner riding beside you, first left then right.

Practice dropping off the road with your partner beside you and �riding� back on the road without disrupting your partner�s line.

Practice cornering riding side by side. Which method (leaning the bike or steering) works the best when you are the outside rider or when you are the inside rider?

Practice cornering following your partner and learn how to accelerate to get on her wheel. Not only will you become more skilled at staying on a wheel but also your skill of cornering will improve.

 Skills to Practice with 3 or more:
 

Practice riding a revolving pace line. When you reach the front LOOK under your arm and when you see the front wheel of the front rider in the slow line, move your bike over then your body. By moving your bike first you are able to keep your bike perpendicular to the road. When you are at the end of the slow line accelerate and move your bike toward the fast line and move onto to the rider�s wheel. Again by moving your bike first you are able to keep your bike perpendicular and KEEP PEDALING.

Bump and Out: In an open grassy area make a large circle marked with water bottles. Riders ride the same direction inside the circle and attempt to ride other riders out of the circle. The last rider in the circle wins.

 

PRACTICING BIKE SKILLS IS PART OF TRAINING!
Safety-Your Responsibility

Varick L. Olson, PhD, PT, USA Cycling level 2 Coach

ALL road races are on open roads, open to all traffic, unless stated by the race director at the race start!!!! No exceptions!!!

This means that all traffic laws are applicable. In Wisconsin, as in most states, the bicycle is a vehicle and each rider is responsible to obey the law. The basic reason vehicle laws work is that each vehicle operator is predictable. Each vehicle does not cross the center line. Each vehicle stops at stop signs. In the case of bicycles, only two riders abreast are allowed so motorized traffic is not delayed. Turns are signaled.

It doesn�t sound like much of a road race would be possible. Yet we have the opportunity to race because local authorities and volunteers make it possible. They direct motorized traffic, provide road signs alerting drivers to �bike race in progress�, marshal corners, provide lead and follow vehicles and safe start and finish lines.

We have a responsibility to race safely within this framework. To do otherwise is to risk our lives, the lives of our friends and the possible elimination of open road racing!

Road racing safety is about tactics, tactics are about physical and mental skills. You must race �savvy� to stay upright and finish. If you don�t finish you can�t win. Plan your race around this concept. Find a place in the pack so you do not EVER need to cross the center line. When you come to a right turn move as close to the center line as possible. Make your turn into YOUR lane. When you come to a left turn move as close as possible to the road edge. Make your turn into YOUR lane. Practice these skills. Practice accelerating out of turns so that you can �catch� onto a wheel quickly. Practice riding a straight line. In group rides learn how to be predictable, no quick moves. Train to be safe. If you don�t train it you can�t race it.

Safety requires excellent bike handling skills. Place a water bottle on the road and practice picking it up. Learn to do this equally well from the right and from the left. Learn to make turns with minimal lean of your bike. Keep your bike perpendicular to the road and first lean your body not your bike when changing positions in the pack. The more your bike is perpendicular to the road the more control you will have.

As you can see safety is YOUR responsibility. To be competitive you need to out think your opponent not just out pedal them. What are the primary goals in every race? Finish is number 1. To place is number 2.

Cross the center line and you are disqualified or dead!!!

"You have the brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose."
Dr. Suess