Handlebar Palsy : Don't hang on tight!

Fish and Shellfish

A few weekends ago I challenged myself to do the Sherman Pass Road Race.   To find out it is considered to be one of the most if not most difficult single day road races in California.  From everyone that I talked to who had done far more racing than myself this is the big one.  But this isn't about the race itself it's what happened to my body because of the race.  

Cereals

        I went slow, I was out just to finish this one and I did finish and I didn't get last place.  I was tired after about 9,000 ft of climbing in 53 miles and I needed a ride back down to my car.  Was there any room in the 'inn'(cars) for me?  Of course not.  Luckily a guy who finished around the same time as me was also looking for a ride down to his car which was parked at the 30 mile mark and he also didn't have a ride.  We agreed to ride down to his car and he would give me a ride the last 30 miles to my vehicle.  A couple more guys joined us though they road down ahead of us to the 30 mile parking area.  After an additional 15 miles and 1500 ft of climbing my body could handle no more, literally.  I about fell off my bike from passing out.  I was nourished enough and had water, but my body was aching namely my back arms and to find out my hands which would be the biggest problem.  I got off my bike and told him (Terry) I couldn't go any further.  I asked if he could come back up for me and thankfully, he agreed.  I laid on the ground 9000 ft up in the Sierras amongst the redwoods and stared into the sky as I had a gel and water, then later a banana that a van of riders going down the mountain threw my way.  I felt alright by the time Terry got back up to me with the other two riders in his van.  I piled in and down the mountain we went.  It was at this point going down the mountain that I really realized that something was wrong.  I couldn't feel my hands.  At least not completely.  They were in that numb half asleep way that you get sometimes when you ride, but then you just shake it out and it goes away.  This wasn't going away.  Forty-five minutes later when we got to where my car was my hands were still numb and tingly.   I promised Terry $20 bucks for gas, but he wouldn't take it so I threw it in his van.  He really saved the day.  I couldn't and can't thank him enough.  I got my car made some calls then drove home with numb hands.  

Cheeses

         Once I was home and my kids were in bed I really had a little time to pay some conscious attention to my hands.  Where could I feel? Where couldn't I feel?  Turns out my pinky and ring fingers on both hands seemed to be the worst off.  I didn't think too much of it and decided to sleep.  Nothing heals the body better than some good solid ZZZZs.  

Milk and other dairy products.

        When I woke up it was more of the same.  I decided I'd like to find out what could be wrong.  A quick search online did the trick.  Apparently there are a couple important nerves in your hands  and one of those is the Ulnar nerve shown in the picture.  There's also the median nerve but I didn't seem to have any problems with the feeling in my middle finger, index finger, or thumb, which ruled out the problem being the median nerve.  If I remember correctly if you have a problem with the median nerve it is carpal tunnel syndrome, not handlebar palsy or cyclist's palsy.  As I said it was my pinky and ring finger giving me the most numb/half asleep sensations almost constantly and this is due to the ulnar nerve being damaged.  The nerve can either be stretched thin or smashed to where the outer sheath of the nerve is damaged.  This is what causes the problems.  I read up that it could be days to months until my fingers would be back to normal (not very conclusive - I'm guessing it's just due to however badly the nerve has been damaged).  So it would be a waiting game.  I didn't know how bad it was or how long it would be until I could feel again.  Next was to see how I could shorten the numbness period and help the healing process.

eggs

         To lessen the period of half-way pain all I had to do was not use my hands.  Not fun if you want to get out on your bike.  I tried several different positions on the bars but nothing was comfortable so I made the choice not to ride and would workout in other ways instead.   The other thing that I thought was important to know is that B12 is vital to nerve regeneration.  So I went about finding from which foods I could get some nerve regenerating B12.  I wasn't very happy with the results of my search, not that I was unhappy, I just wasn't happy.  The answer is not ice-cream (though B12 is in most dairy products, i.e. milk, cheese, and yogurts).  B12 is a bacteria so it's totally vegetarian or vegan but... it's found mostly in meat products (seafood and beef).  Some of the highest levels of B12 are found in foods that are fortified with it, like cereals and tofu.  Most multivitamins will contain B12 or you can just get a B-complex vitamin.  It's pretty easy to get your B12 fix.  I get my B12 through almond milk and a multivitamin.  I wasn't happy because I was hoping for something green be high in B12, but I guess many of the veggies in which B12 can be found is actually not a complete B12 (at least that's how I understood it).  "Eat some good healthy food and your body will get what it needs to grow the nerves back," is what I thought.  It worked.  I kept eating what I normally eat and in one weeks time to the dot (Saturday to Saturday) I could feel my hands and could go out and ride.  And ride I did.  Hope you can get out and ride too! Just don't hang on too tight.

yes. B12.