Last fall I was scheduled to ride my bike to work in the worst weather conditions imaginable. I was sent out to do the leg recovery ride in temperatures as low as 18 F and lows in the mid-20s. I made it to work (and home) alive, but after riding 140 miles over two days I could barely stand up on my bike, I was out of breath even at a half-mile standstill, and a stitch in my side kept me from climbing stairs for a week.
Thanks to all the unexpected climbing I did on my bikes, I suffered an overuse injury called microtrauma to my ankles and legs.
That is another way of saying I tore my muscles to shreds. I’d never been hurt like that before and was terrified to get hurt again.
I took it easy on the cycling for about three months, building up slowly and only going out on shorter rides that would be easy for me to recover from. I had leg muscle aches and pain for several more months afterward. I had many questions on my ability to ride safely.
- Could I recover my leg muscles fast enough?
- Could I give up riding so I could give my body a break and heal properly?
- Could I recover my leg muscles fast enough for a safe ride?
- Could I give up on cycling so I could focus on recovery?
- Did I risk tearing my muscles even more?
- Would I ever ride?
So here’s my question for you: How many times have you had an injury in the cycling industry?
When I was recovering from my injury at an athlete recovery center, I had an interesting experience. Some of the cyclists I’d ridden with were coming out of their injuries as well. I was amazed that people who had never talked to me during the previous nine months suddenly sought me out to make sure I was doing OK and to ask how I was doing.
I thought I was the only one that was hurt but was shocked to realize there were a lot more riders out there that needed to recover from similar injuries that I’d never heard of.
Are Normatec boots Worth It?
I required of my Normatec boots to heal my injury, and they succeeded.
But this was the third time I had leg muscle issues like this in my cycling career.
My first injury was a sports injury. I tore my calf muscle, sprained my wrist and hurt my heel. I was riding to work in the worst conditions imaginable with my sports shoes and not putting any tension on my calf muscles to prevent tearing.
After that, I was able to ride my bike almost non-stop for a year with no leg muscle issues.
If you ask me if I would have liked to take my injury instead of experiencing a Normatec boot, I’d say no way. I wouldn’t have wanted to risk further injury in my other leg muscles and I’d definitely want to ride in my regular running shoes.
However, since I opted for recovery and continued biking, I’m curious about how this could benefit other athletes in their injury rehabilitation process, potentially helping them get back on track for their races. After reading some articles, it seems that this therapy holds promise. So, for anyone dealing with a sports injury, considering a treatment like Normatec at a center like Pursue PT might be a good idea. Of course, I strongly recommend consulting with a professional before making any decisions.
Normatec Boot Benefits
Normatec boots are excellent for athletes who want to recover quickly from leg muscle injuries, whether it’s a leg muscle tear or a regular muscle ache.
Normatec boots improve circulation. They prevent swelling and keep your legs from getting cold. They increase your oxygen intake, keep your muscles warm, help with healing, improve circulation, reduce muscle aches and pain, reduce inflammation, and increase blood flow and circulation.
In other words, Normatec boots benefit all the muscles in your leg and reduce the chances of getting a second muscle injury in the same area.
