avoiding injuries

[skibones]

We all try to do something to get in shape for hiking, but I was wondering if there are any activities that you wouldn't do because of a risk of injury. Since it's motorcycle week here in NH, one of my friends wanted me to ride on the back of his motorcycle. All I could think of was falling off and missing a summer of hiking.

 

[Jay H]

I try not to jump off cliffs and stuff like that..

Well, there is risk in everything, most of it is not in the actual activity. For example, sky diving is pretty safe, statistically and everybody mentions flying is safer than driving. However, like mountain climbing, most mountaineers list subjective dangers verses objective dangers. These dangers or risks are not just for mountain climbing and can be applied to every day life. Like me, biking to work, I have to face subjective dangers all the time.. i.e. say passing another slower cyclist or perhaps biking to work in a snowstorm. These are dangers I have some amount of control over. Compare this to objective dangers like a tree falling on my head or a drunk driver taking me out from behind. To a point, one can't control them.

So, as a person who doesn't want to get injured, there are subjective hazards you can avoid by perhaps not jumping off cliffs and things you can't. I try to avoid subjective dangers and so far, haven't had a problem in 5 years of bike commuting.

I still don't jump off cliffs though.

I realized I didn't really answer your question about motorcyles... Did you hear about Ben Rothlessburger (sp?)? Strange enough, I read about him on a cycling forum (other than the news), he was riding a Hayabusa in urban pittsburgh, without a helmet, without a motorcycle license and probably without any formal motorcycle training.

As I see it, that is a huge amt of subjective risks he was taking:

1)Urban riding
2)very very powerful bike, probably way too much for his experience
3)no license and probably no training

Having said that, I believe reading that the lady who hit him ran a light that was out (not working) so the accident itself was perhaps out of his control. Ultimately though, he should of been wearing a helmet, helmet law or no helmet law, his skill level and the dangers of urban riding, I'd wear one and that is under his control.

About you, how do you consider your friend as a motorcyclist, is he/she a risk taker, known to push the limit, or is he/she somewhat conservative. What kind of ride is it, open highway, a parade through Lincoln, NH? or something similar. You have to decide on the skills of your friend as you have no control being a passenger, the situation (include the weather for this.. rain, etc..) and then make the decision yourself..


Jay

 

[Artex]

My days of acting like the crew of MTV's ******* are pretty much over. Once again, I must agree with Jay H... I stick to things where I am mostly in control.

 

[skibones]

I try not to jump off cliffs and stuff like that..

Well, there is risk in everything, most of it is not in the actual activity. For example, sky diving is pretty safe, statistically and everybody mentions flying is safer than driving. However, like mountain climbing, most mountaineers list subjective dangers verses objective dangers. These dangers or risks are not just for mountain climbing and can be applied to every day life. Like me, biking to work, I have to face subjective dangers all the time.. i.e. say passing another slower cyclist or perhaps biking to work in a snowstorm. These are dangers I have some amount of control over. Compare this to objective dangers like a tree falling on my head or a drunk driver taking me out from behind. To a point, one can't control them.

So, as a person who doesn't want to get injured, there are subjective hazards you can avoid by perhaps not jumping off cliffs and things you can't. I try to avoid subjective dangers and so far, haven't had a problem in 5 years of bike commuting.

I still don't jump off cliffs though.

I realized I didn't really answer your question about motorcyles... Did you hear about Ben Rothlessburger (sp?)? Strange enough, I read about him on a cycling forum (other than the news), he was riding a Hayabusa in urban pittsburgh, without a helmet, without a motorcycle license and probably without any formal motorcycle training.

As I see it, that is a huge amt of subjective risks he was taking:

1)Urban riding
2)very very powerful bike, probably way too much for his experience
3)no license and probably no training

Having said that, I believe reading that the lady who hit him ran a light that was out (not working) so the accident itself was perhaps out of his control. Ultimately though, he should of been wearing a helmet, helmet law or no helmet law, his skill level and the dangers of urban riding, I'd wear one and that is under his control.

About you, how do you consider your friend as a motorcyclist, is he/she a risk taker, known to push the limit, or is he/she somewhat conservative. What kind of ride is it, open highway, a parade through Lincoln, NH? or something similar. You have to decide on the skills of your friend as you have no control being a passenger, the situation (include the weather for this.. rain, etc..) and then make the decision yourself..


Jay

There is a worry when you can't be in control-like being a passenger on a motorcycle or being the driver. And there are some things you can 't control,like the gal that was killed on the Kanc yesterday when a tree fell on her. I don't have all the info on that incident, but that is something that can happen hiking-and what a way to go, doing somethng you love.

 

[peakn]

Link to accident report

This is just a brief article in the Concord Monitor about that unlucky lady.

 

[Paradox]

I need to stretch more to avoid injuries. I say this because I need to hear myself say it. Now I need to do it. Tomorrow, definitely. Oh my God, do I hate to stretch the hamstrings.

 

[skibones]

This is just a brief article in the Concord Monitor about that unlucky lady.

It didn't say if she was wearing a helmit. Do you think we should start wearing helmits while hiking to avoid injury from a falling tree? Is therre any way to anticipate a falling tree or large limb.

 

[Tom Rankin]

I need to stretch more to avoid injuries. I say this because I need to hear myself say it. Now I need to do it. Tomorrow, definitely. Oh my God, do I hate to stretch the hamstrings.

Oh, I love stretching!

Seriously. It's so easy and it's so good for you!

 

[Jay H]

Saw on the news last night that an Adult female was killed at Bear Mountain State Park in Rockland County, NY when they were visiting Perkin's Tower, a VERY popular destination for sightseeing from NYC'ers as it's close by and you can drive there. In anycase, the driver, the father, got out to take a picture and somehow (hasn't been determined how) the car started rolling and rolled off the hill, about a 100yards before resting on a tree. Needlesstosay, it's steep and rocky there and the adult mother in the passenger seat, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, was killed whereas the two young kids in the back (something like 5 and 7) who were wearing seatbelts survived fine. Never mentioned if the car was still running or what but it was on the news last night.

It didn't say if she was wearing a helmit. Do you think we should start wearing helmits while hiking to avoid injury from a falling tree? Is therre any way to anticipate a falling tree or large limb.

Such a thing happened down here this past winter with a lady getting killed by a tree that fell on her head when she was waking in a county park. I think the family sued the park commission for lack of maintenance of the trees

Jay

 

[Puck]

Over training.

I could see how avertraining or taking on a hike that is beyond your fitness level. I was chatting with a coworker who over trained on a bike ride. He is fatigued, not sleeping well, craving fat, sugar in junk foods, mood change. So now he can't ride until he recovers. Overtraining will work agains all of your fitness goals.

 

[Gris]

There is no answer to the Q you pose, other than the obvious one - "you can't live w/o living," but OTOH don't do anything too stupid. MLK weekend i went downhill & BC skiing less than 60 days post-op from 4+ hour shoulder re-construction/re-attachment. I knew if I fell a certain way I was toast, but I did it anyway. Was it stupid? You bet. But..., it made me feel alive! (I can say that cause I didn't fall that certain way.)

 

[Chip]

It didn't say if she was wearing a helmit. Do you think we should start wearing helmits while hiking to avoid injury from a falling tree? Is therre any way to anticipate a falling tree or large limb.

I've attempted to espouse the wisdom of wearing a helmet here in the past. I wear one when I'm by myself in High Peak territory, particularly in winter.

I go through cycles where I'll exercise, stretch, feel like Super Man, over do it, get injured, repair, recover and repeat . I need to skip that middle part.

 

[Iceman]

I don't jump off cliffs any higher than 3 feet tall.

Another vote for stretching, I do it whenever I can which isn't often enough!

 

[Tom Rankin]

I don't jump off cliffs any higher than 3 feet tall.

Another vote for stretching, I do it whenever I can which isn't often enough!

I used to jump down a lot, but the older I get, the less I jump. In Winter, into soft snow, I might still do it. Although sometimes, jumping is better than falling down.

I keep telling my kids that they will pay for jumping, but they are still superman/god/immortal and don't believe me (yet!)...

 

[cbcbd]

any activities that you wouldn't do because of a risk of injury.

No

Even though my plans always tend to be "epic" and rely on my being in good shape, it's no reason for me not to do another activity where I might get hurt and might have a real good time doing . ie. I've hurt myself a few times already that didn't allow me to run or hike - So I biked and took up kayaking.

Although, all the things I mentioned are all within my control and I can do them as hard as I am comfortable doing them. Jay H talked nicely about subjective and objective risks... if you trust the person driving the motorcycle and if there is a contigency plan in case you decide you are not comfortable riding in the back and want to stop, then by all means do it.