Broken Foot Boot Biking

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When Carlyn broke her foot, she strapped her boot to her bike so she could still join the ride!

Y’all know that I love hiking, but road biking is my go-to cardio workout. 

I’ve been biking in and around Chicago for over a decade, but avoid mountain biking because I like to keep all my teeth intact. Yes, yes, go on and laugh at the dissonance of my logic, but I’ve never (*knocks wood*) been injured on my road bike. Now, riding injured… that’s another story.

Southwest Michigan is the playground for many Chicagoans. (I love it so much, I relocated here!) It’s an active, outdoorsy area where you can get as much fresh air and small-town charm as you can handle. One of my don’t-miss activities is the annual Apple Cider Century Bike Ride in Three Oaks, Michigan. (It pays to sign-up early so you don’t miss out!). Now, a century ride is not necessarily for the novice biker. And one hundred miles is not for me. I have always focused on and completed the quarter-century. (That sounds better than 25 miles, right?) I highly recommend this event – it’s an entire weekend of biking, good food, and fun. Plus, you meet new friends who also love the sport of biking.

I’ve done this ride a handful of times. I was so excited to do the ride one year, that I signed up 8 months in advance to take advantage of the ‘early bird’ discount. As luck would have it, I broke my foot about 2 weeks before the ride. It was either my second or third broken foot, so I was well-accustomed to “life in the boot.” (aka a CAM Walker). When getting fitted for yet another one of these fashion ‘don’ts,’ I asked my podiatrist, Dr. Supna Reilly at Performance Podiatry Partners if I could still participate in the ride. Cautiously, she agreed as long as I didn’t get off the bike on the broken foot.***

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Carlyn's boot strapped to her bike.

I strapped my boot to the back of my bike so I could follow doctor’s orders and was rewarded with cheers from other bikers as they passed me or I them. Many came up to me at the SAG stops to ask me about it. 

I’m proud to say that I completed my 25-mile ride with a broken foot and lived to tell the story.
*hair toss*

What’s the craziest outdoor experience you’ve had while injured? 

Leave a comment on Facebook and let us know!

Y’all stay wild.

Carlyn

***My particular injury allowed me to complete this activity with my doctor’s approval. Please do not attempt any new athletic activity without checking with your doctor. If you are injured or dealing with joint pain, ask your physician about biking.

It is a low-impact cardio and strength-building activity that might get you back out there!