MinnMan

Considering where you live, you must be on your guard every time you leave your house.

canklecat

That was Oliver McCall who broke down in the ring, in their rematch after McCall knocked out Lewis. McCall wasn't in any particular physical pain -- he was a tough summagun, one of Mike Tyson's fiercest sparring partners -- but he was mentally a mess.

That's why I'd rank Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis among the all time great heavyweights. While both suffered knockout losses, they seemed mentally indomitable. While many boxers never mentally recover from KO losses, Holyfield and Lewis had a knack for shrugging off defeats and coming back stronger.

Guys like Oliver McCall, Riddick Bowe and Mike Tyson had talent and were exciting fighters in their primes, but lacked that mental toughness and tended to self-destruct.

Otpcoolkat

This is an interesting thought i've had myself, i often think about how much i want to avoid getting injured, all the things that could go wrong, but then find myself riding like a maniac soon after...
I guess the mind gets lazy and we seek excitement. But like other people have pointed out, once you hit a certain level of pain you probably wont forget

Speedway2

Why? Same reason(s) why we elect the same politicians and expect different results......
We forget about the "pain".....but I digress.

big john

I worked with a guy from England, a huge Lewis fan. I was not impressed with Lewis until later in his career. I always liked Holyfield. The fights with Bowe were incredible.

5 mph

I think I wrote my original Post incorrectly. Climbing a tough Hill on a Bike is hard, but I've seen lots of more valiant behavior.
Its all relative to who you are..
A couple of weeks ago I saw an 80 plus year old man using a walker in the dead of Winter get out of his Car and go on his errands. That was truly brave.
I saw a Gentleman with an Oxygen tank on a Cart get on the Bus..
I see a 80 year old frail lady taking a walk everyday in my neighborhood .
Why do we all do such brave and painful things in Life?

canklecat

Because the alternative -- indolence and slowly fading away -- is worse. Between an autoimmune disorder and injuries I'm in pain all the time, every day. The wee hours and mornings are worst. Exercise is one of the few things I can do to relieve the pain that doesn't require a prescription. I had prescription pain meds for years and it wasn't better. It made me sluggish, lazy, depressed, fatter, unhealthier and unhappier. I still have those prescriptions but rarely use them. It's gotta be really bad before I'll take one because it'll make me dopey and lazy for days.

A good bike ride, run or walk is the best thing I've found for reducing chronic pain. As long as I'm able to stumble to the bathroom, I'm only a step away from dragging my carcass outside for a walk, or onto the indoor trainer for a spin. If I feel better after an easy warmup -- and I usually do -- then I'll continue with a harder workout. Nothing beats the buzz from brain chemicals generated by physical activity.

5 mph

I'm a fan from now on., because I'm riding for escape also.

indyfabz

How do you know their ages?

5 mph

Good question. The man with the Walker was at the pharmacy asking about the Vaccine and gave his age which was actually 80+
As for the other two, I'm judging by appearance . 70 still looks young these days. 80 is much harder on us . They may actually have been older. Lady that takes a walk always has a Nurse ? Social worker? with her and is quite frail.Lives in the nursing home next to my house, see her returning from my daily bike ride everyday.
Always get a laugh about journalists who fabricate news stories.

rsbob 

I believe, as pointed out here, that human memory is relatively short lived unless the trauma is deep. That encompasses the spectrum from personal memory to “history repeating itself”. There also is a risk - reward component. If the reward outweighs the risk, the perceived risk is minimized.

The effort of climbing with toe clips (an admitted risk in a slow speed tumble) has an element of risk. Vehicles zooming by add yet another. Getting to the crest (yippee, I did it!) and zooming down (the reward) minimizes the risks (dopamine). Aging and memory (booo hiss) might also play into repeating risky behavior.

At 66, I still like to single track mtn bike down steep dirt tracks through the woods. Risky? Very. Foolish? Yup, but I absolutely enjoy the thrill of it and the challenge involved. It beats me up, but I go back for more. But then I am attracted to activities involving moderate risk, like fast skiing, doing 45+ on my road bike, driving my sports car quickly (but not unreasonably so) out in the boonies when there are no people or cyclists. So it comes down to calculated risk/reward, and my short memory of a few minor mishaps, when boundaries are pushed, just like climbing your hill.

rsbob 

As a side note, I have to comment that the level of civility and respect afforded within this specific sub-forum is a refreshing change. Well done all.

Papa Tom

To answer your question, YES, I have had this happen many times. Just about every time I take one of my mini tours, I find myself gasping for breath fighting what feels like a gargantuan hill, just barely avoiding a collision with a pickup truck, or silently praying that I get out of a bad neighborhood alive. Each time, I say to myself, "No more of this! From now on, I'm just going to stick to the bike paths close to home!" Ten minutes later, I am already planning my next trip.

When the fear of what can go wrong on a bike ride outweighs the joy of what always goes right, I may finally reconsider whether to ever put myself in that position again. For now, I don't know why, but I only remember the good stuff.

patnoe

A few years ago I took a left turn too quickly on a wet road to beat an oncoming car. Wheels flew right out from under me and I slammed down on my shoulder. I was able to ride home, but knew something was wrong when I couldn't lift my bike onto the rafter hook in my shed. Turned out to be a broken collarbone. I still am more cautious than I probably need to be cornering on wet roads.

However, I understand what you are saying. I don't seem to learn from the close calls where nothing bad happened.

5 mph

That’s why I like this forum a lot and try to keep it bubbling. The members are very polite and genteel.

MAK

Two years ago I had a crash where I fractured three ribs, a concussion and some impressive road rash. Quite frankly I didn't dwell on the pain but for a year I kept seeing the cause of the crash. I had been riding in a utility lane and up ahead, I saw that it was under construction so with no traffic coming, I veered to move into the road's right lane. At the very last minute, I saw that the road was about three inches higher than the utility lane. Down I went at about 18 mph. My fault which I won't let happen again. I still occasionally 'see' my tire hitting the three inch wall.

I think that humans are just wired to suppress the memories of pain. We know we were injured but time lessens our fear of repeating the physical trauma. Otherwise, many/most people would never return to a dentist after one or two visits and many/most women wouldn't have a second child. Perhaps scientists would consider it a survival of the human species instinct?

rsbob 

In my 30s, used to do 150 and 200 mile one days events. I was usually suffering so badly on the climbs, or with cramps, that I vowed to never do them again. That is until about nine months later, when sign-ups opened and I rode them again, and again....

Hondo Gravel

Accidentally stepped off my scooter a few days after a fairly major foot surgery. I forgot about it I stood on it as normal Cursed for an hour before the double dose of pain med took a hold. Not as severe as some of the other cases posted here but hurt enough to remember.

Elbeinlaw

Hell, my mind forgets everything quickly.

Bassmanbob

Without reading the entire thread, my quick answer is so that we don't become extinct. Can you imagine women clearly remembering the agony of childbirth? Thank God the stronger sex carries children for nine months and gives birth! I know I'm grateful.

Bassmanbob

I don't remember what I forget.

Retro Grouch 

I have no idea of the answer to your question.

25 years ago (more or less) I crashed on my bike and seriously broke my collarbone. It took 2 surgeries to get it stabilized properly. My insurance company excluded that bone from coverage but I couldn't wait to get back on my bike. Naturally, I went over the bars mountain biking and broke it again. I had it X-rayed for free by a chiropractor and my orthopod confirmed it was broken but would probably heal okay by itself. He didn't charge me anything either. Incidentally my son bawled me out for being so irresponsible. Ever been bawled out by your kid when they were right? I can't remember how long I was off my bike this time, but it wasn't real long.

10 years ago (more or less) I crashed while cycling with my grandson and broke both elbows. The injuries themselves were less serious, but I needed to have a home healthcare aid baby sit me while my wife was at work. After the physical injuries healed It took years and two thearpists for me to overcome the psychological trauma.

My point is that having personally seen both sides of that "get back on the bike" story I wouldn't be too judgemental of how other people react after a crash and I wouldn't expect your reaction to necessarily be the same every time.



Check out my sig line, by the way.

Hondo Gravel

Males are big babies when sick or in pain. I see that in Tom cats the female cat takes an injury in stride the Tom is whining and wants full time attention. I’m guilty of this as well

5 mph

You pretty much caught the gist of what I meant. (I was the OP)

big john

As someone with an extensive dental history, I disagree. When we go in for a root canal, for example, we know it's going to be uncomfortable. We do it anyway because of the benefit to us.

Women don't "forget" the pain of childbirth. They are willing to endure it because they want another child. They willingly trade the pain for the benefit
.
When we get injured doing something we love, like bicycling, the memory of the pain and injury will hopefully teach us to be more careful.
I can't speak for anyone else but some of my injuries have left vivid images of pain in my brain. I smashed my big toe on a rock while motorcycling in the desert. I didn't forget that pain and I never will but you can bet I think about it when my feet get near rocks when I'm on my mtb.