Born2Ride

Heist op den Berg pro kermesse

09Jul09

Heist op den Berg Kermesse from Nick Mitchell on Vimeo.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Specialist

09Jul09

I just recieved a call from my doc asking me if it was okay if I could come in on Monday instead of today. I am usually pretty good with these things but right now every day counts and this delay is extremely frustrating.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Riding in Circles

09Jul09

Sorry for being so slow with the updates. I have been keeping myself busy with work and training. Life is a lot busier here than it is in Belgium. Training has been the most exciting thing for me. I have been in the pool almost every day for a 1hr or so, which, has consisted of a lot of aqua jogging, freestyle and lately some walking and squats. My skin constantly smells of chlorine now. It has been such a buzz to have the endorphins running again.

On top of the pool I have been doing core stability sessions every day and isometric exercises on my left leg to maintain what strength I can.

The most exciting thing I have been doing is the single leg cycling. Thanks to a man called Raoul Luescher’s (www.luescherteknik.com.au ) I have gotten back on the bike. The biggest problem I have faced so far in rehab has been the lack of movement and flexibility in my ankle joint, which has meant I can’t pedal with my left leg. I had thought of getting on a bike and doing some one-leg stuff but I had stayed away from it because of how bad it can be for your back, hips and hamstrings. Then Raoul came along with SLAM. Basically SLAM involves putting weights on the left crank arm. My left leg rests on a chair in a neutral position and away I go with my right leg. The weight continues the momentum of the crank and allows me to pedal at normal cadences for extended periods of time while keeping my hips neutral and with no need to recruit new muscles groups to help with the pedalling action.

Setting my old bike up for SLAM

Back on the bike with 11.25kg attached to the left crank

The first benefit is that I can start training my left leg before I am allowed to ride again. Secondly I am training my aerobic system again. And finally the research shows cross over benefits for the left leg thanks to neural activation and muscle recruitment to deal with metabolites. Note I am not a physiologist so I can’t guarantee the exact science of how it helps the left leg but the research certainly shows it does.

SL371400

SL371401

Close up of the weight and cranks

The best bit is when I can ride with my left leg again I can use the pedal system to help the left leg catch up to the right leg.

Raoul's new cycling shoes. Check out his website for what else he makes. These weighted under 190g.

Raoul's version of the wind trainer. It carries momentum to give the most accurate road feel I have had on a trainer

Anyway I am off to the specialist today so there will be so more news later today.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Tags: luescherteknik, Raoul Luescher, Rehab, SLAM

Sorry

08Jul09

Sorry for the lack of updates. At least two posts will be up in the next couple of days along with another video.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Gullegem Pre Race Briefing

24Jun09

Gullegem Pre Race from Nico from Nick Mitchell on Vimeo.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Tags: Cinelli, Cinelli-DownUnder, Gullegem, Nico Mattan, Tom Boonen

Partial Weight Bearing

23Jun09

Going for my first swim last night was the first exercise I have done since I broke my leg and with the endorphins still fresh in my system I had an awesome session with my physio.

I am now allowed to partially weight bare and go a little further with my ankle mobility exercises as well as specific exercises for the major muscle groups.

As far as the bike goes it is still one week away just because of ankle flexibility issues.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Having a real shower- well kind of

18Jun09

Monday marked the day when the dressings could off the incisions made during the operation and I could have a shower that involved me standing normally. I am still not allowed to put weight on my foot but at least I can get my leg wet. This means I no longer have to have my leg wrapped in plastic while sitting in a chair (method I used whilst in Belgium) or standing on one leg with the other one outside of the shower (method used in Australia). This is a big relief to me as I can actually enjoy the showering again.

Strange looking leg in the shower

This week has seen a number of firsts. Not only did I have my first shower, I went to a proper job for the first time in months. The boys at Podium Bike Hub have opened Podium Bike Hub version 2.0 in Clarendon st, South Melbourne and I am now working there a couple of days a week serving customers. I am not the best advertisement for the safe and healthy sport that is cycling but as far as I am concerned it is a good thing that I am out of the house doing something other than going to the coffee shop.

One of the new scars

I also had my first session with the physio this week. I was expecting a lot of pain. To my surprise it was actually nice and by the time she had finished with my leg was feeling so much better thanks to her massaging a lot of the crap (blood and who knows what else) out of the ankle and calf. Speaking of calves my once small left calf is now non-existent.

The long scar

So from here on I continue with my ankle exercises to help regain mobility in the ankle. I should be in the pool within a couple of days. I just have to wait for the cuts in my leg to heal a bit more. Within in another week I will begin partial weight bearing and once I get enough mobility in my ankle I will be pushing a 39×23 on a wind trainer with flat pedals.

Sorry to bore you all. I should have a couple of videos up from some races and life inside a team within a couple of days once the upgrade to this blog goes through so stay tuned for something a little bit more interesting.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment

My new boot

13Jun09

My new boot

After seeing the doctor yesterday there isn’t a huge amount extra to report. He took my staples out and I got my new boot. It was good to see that there wasn’t any infection. My leg is now in a boot that acts just like the cast but can be removed. Fantastic news because now I can have a proper shower instead of one balancing on one leg with the other wrapped in a garbage bag sticking outside the splash zone. It also means that a physio can get access to it to start mobilising the ankle joint and I can take it off and do some exercise of my own. Once the staple holes have healed up I can start swimming so finally I get to exercise.

The new boot wrapped around my tiny calf

My first goal is to have enough movement in my ankle joint that I can ride a bike in a wind trainer/stationary bike with no resistance within one and a half weeks. At the moment I have very little movement and what movement I do have is stiff, foreign and painful.

My ever shrinking left leg compared to the right.

Many people have there own view on how long my recovery will take. Everyone seems to be an expert and there views range from never riding a bike again to being back racing by August. At the moment my goal is still to be back in Europe and racing by mid August (not racing well).

Time will tell

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Still Racing

09Jun09

Even if the leg is broken the will to race is still well and truly there. Within one week of breaking my leg I was looking for a challenge. The course was decided upon the finish line marked the watch made ready. The course started and finished in front of the TV and went through the lounge room towards the kitchen and then through the garage and ended up back in front of the TV.

Kea, Chris’ girlfriend, was off first and set an early time of just under 30sec. Tom Snape was able to lower it to 25sec before I took to the course. I had more experience than anyone else after training on the crutches for a week but I was worried that I may have been a bit over trained. I was pumped when I set the new best time of 18.3sec. Matty was up next and made it a close run thing coming in at 19.1sec.

No one else was able to get any closer despite some cheating from some of the boys. I feel that I have perfected my technique now and I am willing to take on anyone.

In other news I am off to the Doc on Friday and begin my physio shortly after.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Gullegem

07Jun09

Gullegem was Tom Boonen’s first race back from a short break from racing thanks to a positive control for cocaine use. That combined with beautiful weather and the Flemish public made for an awesome atmosphere.