07 Feb Coping With Injuries

Bike racing is inherently dangerous and as a rider learning to cope with injuries is a very important part of an athletes development.

We recently caught up with our #mentorToSUCCEED program mentor Mikayla Harvey to get an insight into the processes she followed after her recent crash and recovery.

MGH: You recently were involved in a bike crash that resulted in a broken elbow in your build up to NZ Nationals and the Gravel And Tar before heading of to Europe in Feb.  Obviously this would have been a big blow for you both mentally and physically heading into your first year as a fully professional rider.  Seeing you on the start line of the TT at Nationals only 4 weeks later was very inspirational and shows you obviously put in place a great process to recover and rebuild.  As part of our @mentorTo Succeed program we would like to ask you a few questions on this process.

What was your immediate reaction after the crash?

MH: Immediately after crashing, I was in a bit of shock. I was trying to believe that I was fine, and I could just get back up and going with my training session. But as I lay on the ground, I knew it wasn’t going to happen, and the fact I couldn’t move my arm was a little scary. My mum came to pick me up and took me straight to the emergency centre, where I was hoping that I was just being pathetic, and my arm was fine. However, the x-rays came back, and I discovered I had fractured my radial head. In the moment I was upset, but extremely determined to recover as quick as possible. 

MGH: In the weeks following the crash what were the most important things that you put in place to positively begin the rehab both mentally and physically?

The first few weeks following the crash became a rollercoaster journey. Some days where great and others felt like a never-ending battle. I discovered it was important to focus on what I could do to positively improve, rather than focusing on any negatives that surrounded me. One thing I focused on was my diet and fuelling myself to increase recovery. Bone broth and high-quality gelatine became part of my daily diet, alongside heaps of other nutrients to help increase bone repair.

Mentally, I set myself small, achievable goals. Setting goals are an awesome way to help motivate yourself. And once you accomplish something, whether it’s small or big, the endorphin hit you get helps so much with maintaining a positive mindset. Also, I found that meditation really helped to calm and bring some clarity to my thoughts. Meditation can sometimes be a bit of a struggle. However, just putting aside five minutes of ‘mind time’ can really help broaden your perspective.

Physically, I found that staying active helped mentally and kept my body in tune. The first few days I was stiff and sore, so I could only manage a few little walks, I had a lot of bruising which made most exercise very uncomfortable. However, as they days went by my body healed up and I could handle more activity.

I got back on my bike as soon as possible. It helped clear my mind and bring back some normality by just spinning my legs out on the indoor trainer. I spent the next four weeks on my indoor trainer and in the gym – a good excuse to really focus on developing more leg strength!

Once my arm was out of its back slab, I could begin specific rehab. I took this seriously, as elbow injuries can take a long time to heal properly. Also, I didn’t want a weakling arm before taking on the Belgium cobbles.

MGH: Did you follow traditional methods for your rehab or did you add in alternative approaches to speed up the recovery process?

MH: I am a great believer in holistic ways of healing. My entire recovery process was focused on many aspects from nutrition to overall wellbeing. For example, I did lots of mirror work with my right arm. When set up correctly, it appeared as if my left arm was moving. This triggered the mind into believing that the fractured arm was moving. Helping to stimulate connections between my fractured arm and brain.

How important is it to have a great team around you when suffering a major injury or illness and who do you call on during yours?

MH: Being surrounded by people who cared for and helped me, made the whole recovery process so much easier. I never felt alone and had many different people feeding me knowledge along the way.

MGH: Do you have any suggestions for others that face similar injuries?

MH: Remember that the road to recovery is never perfect. It is alright to have bad days and cry, so long as you pick yourself up and carry on. “Get knocked down, get back up”.

MGH: Would you do anything differently next time?

MH: This is a tough question. I believe mistakes are important, you learn from what you do wrong. They helped shape me into who I am today. However, maybe I wouldn’t be so harsh on myself when things aren’t going perfectly.

MGH: Now the injury has healed what are you next goals and what do you hope to accomplish in 2019 with your team Bigla?

I have an entire season of racing ahead of myself, and I have never been so excited. I plan on soaking up as much knowledge as possible from my team and use what I learn to be an integral part of Bigla. Being in a professional environment, will help improve my cycling both physically and strategically. I am determined to do what ever possible to get the best outcome for my team and enjoy every moment of it.