I was told that symptoms don’t necessarily appear immediately—it can take up to seven days to realise that something is wrong. At first, the main thing I noticed was a headache, followed by difficulties focusing on anything for longer than a couple of seconds. I had a hard time looking at my phone, watching a film or even being a passenger in a car. There was this dull feeling of nausea and dizziness that would come and go. But to my luck, all of these symptoms were quite mild.
Misconceptions about concussions in cycling
One of the biggest challenges was knowing when to restart my training. I kept hearing that if you start too soon, all of the symptoms can come back stronger and more serious. That’s a tricky situation because, as athletes, we want to get back to training as soon as possible. We want to move past the setback, get back on track, and chase the next goal. Finding patience in that process is incredibly difficult.
I’m one of those people who has zero patience for recovery. I wanted to pretend everything was fine when it clearly wasn’t. Luckily, I had my coach, my team, and my husband keeping a close eye on me, making sure I didn’t do too much during the day and forcing me to stay in bed as much as possible. That support helped me give my body the time it needed to fully switch into recovery mode.
Why taking a concussion seriously is crucial
It’s very important! We’re talking about your head here. Besides listening to your body and paying attention to your symptoms, it’s essential to see a doctor, get an X-ray or MRI, and make sure there’s no internal damage before even thinking about training again.
Apparently, everyone experiences a concussion differently, so there’s no universal guideline on how to handle yourself. But the general rule is: the less you do, the better, and the slower you take it, the better. I remember hearing about a rider who got concussed, returned to racing too quickly, crashed once more—again on the head—and a few months later had to retire because her symptoms wouldn’t go away. A severe concussion can mean you can’t handle light or noise, you feel dizzy and exhausted, and all you can do is lie in a dark room. That doesn’t sound fun at all.
The recovery process
It was all about bed rest. After my hospital visit confirmed there was no serious damage, I was sent home, knowing I just had to be extremely careful for the first three days. That meant no phone, no TV, no loud noises—just pure rest. I spent my time lying in bed, listening to podcasts or simply existing. It’s funny when your body really needs rest; you don’t even mind just lying around doing nothing. Time just passes through you.
Knowing when to start light activity
My headaches stopped, my mood improved, and I could have a conversation without feeling exhausted. I could sit at the table, do dishes, and take care of small household chores without feeling drained. That was my signal that I was ready to try an easy ride.
For my first ride, I did 45-60 minutes, super easy—just rolling at 100 watts with someone by my side in case anything unexpected happened.
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Recognising when you’re pushing too hard
That’s a tough one because I always want to push harder than I’m supposed to. This is where having a coach made all the difference. It’s hard to judge for yourself because you always want to do more. If it were up to me, I would have started riding earlier and pushed harder, but I followed the exact power zones my coach gave me.
Returning to training
Every concussion is different, but I can share my experience with a mild one. I took six days easy: the first two were completely off, and then on the third day, I did a one-hour ride. The next day was two hours, then 2.5 hours—still all very easy, just soft pedalling and enjoying being outside. I had another rest day before resuming normal-paced rides, but still no effort. It took ten days post-crash before I reintroduced any intensity.
Warning signs to watch for
If your symptoms return—headaches come back, you start sleeping too much or you feel weaker and more tired—that’s a sign you’ve done too much and, unfortunately, need to take a step back.
Adjusting training after the injury
It’s been almost two weeks since my crash, and I feel like I’m nearly back to normal. The downside of crashing is that when you start training again, you often discover new issues. Your body has been compensating, which means another part of you is now tighter or tenser. After my first hard effort, I got knee pain. That meant going through a mini rehab process—strengthening certain muscle groups and visiting physios to release tension.
Mental and emotional challenges
It’s always hard to accept these situations. I kept replaying the crash in my head, analysing what went wrong. That kind of thinking kept me awake at night. Then, being stuck inside, waiting patiently for the green light to ride again—that’s its own challenge. But in the end, you don’t have a choice.
I’m incredibly grateful for my husband, my family, and my friends. They helped me get through it, offering different perspectives and making the whole period more manageable.
I’ve also had to accept that I will crash again—sooner or later, it will happen. That’s the nature of this sport. I think that acceptance helps me stay strong and take risks when I need to.
Advice for riders struggling with the mental side of recovery
Find one small thing each day that brings you joy. It’s hard to look for positives when you’re in the middle of it, but if you believe there’s something waiting for you, you’ll find it. Ultimately, this experience has made me feel even more grateful for what I get to do every day.
