IT CAN BE A REWARDING CYCLE; COMING OFF INJURY MAKES ONE TAKE STOCK IN ACTIVITY.

Byline: MARK LANGTON Cycling

Walking gingerly into my apartment after 10 days in the hospital, one of the first things to greet me was my trusty mountain bike.

I could barely look at it, hardly able to face the fact that it would be several weeks before any attempt to ride it again. The next day, however, I placed my hands on the handlebar . . . for as long as my tender ribs would allow me.

I've come to realize that I'm a very impatient patient. I don't so much mind the pain as not being able to get right back out and ride. Watching my fitness drain out of me like a bucket with a big hole in the bottom wasn't much fun, either.

Most adventurers rarely think about the consequences. I prefer to think of it as selective denial, a defense mechanism of sorts.

It's an interesting cycle. We participate in an activity consciously ignoring the danger. Then, when we get hurt, we again ignore the negatives in order to get back in the game. What makes athletes able to focus on the positives?

``Athletes seek the challenge of the activity; fear of injury isn't really too relevant,'' said John Ernst of Thousand Oaks, a sports psychologist and an active road cyclist and volleyball player. ``People are consciously pushing themselves to that edge.''

In my career as an athlete, I've had few injuries that have sidelined me for more than a few days. But this latest injury, which will keep me from riding my mountain bike aggressively - and sleeping comfortably - for at least another month, has come at a time in my life when I must seriously reflect on just how important being active is to me.

In speaking with several athletes who have endured long recovery periods, there seems to be a common theme: It's a matter of keeping a positive attitude, to ``take it one day at a time.''

``In terms of recovery from injury, it's just another challenge to overcome. The feeling that `I can do it' (is an overriding drive in athletes),'' Ernst said. ``The limitations are frustrating and they'll work to get past them, push themselves to get back. They approach it as another part of their training, a new challenge to work with.

``Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers is a good example of the athletic competition, pushing himself to come back from a serious knee injury the way he did.''

It can be very easy to sink into a game of wondering what could have been done differently to avoid the injury. But the bottom line is that there is nothing you can do except strive for perfection.

If you are prepared and well-equipped, then you've done everything you can do. Let's face it, you can get seriously messed up just driving to work. The fact is, most of us live dangerous lives just by being alive.

One of the first things my friend Robert said to me as I lay in the emergency room after breaking some ribs and puncturing both lungs was: ``Don't think about what you could have done. It's in the past; there's nothing you can do about it. From now on you have to think about getting better and know that you will.''

I've come to the conclusion that practicing a positive outlook carries over into all aspects of life. Achieving a goal, becoming proficient at a sport or activity, allows us to grow our self-worth and improve our self-esteem. In failure, as well as in triumph, one must find success. As the saying goes, ``No experience is negative unless you learn nothing from it.''

My doctors tell me to be as active as possible, that broken ribs don't take any longer to heal than other bones; they just hurt more during the healing process.

``There are all kinds of physical and psychological bonuses from exercise,'' Ernst explained. ``Athletes are simply looking to duplicate the feelings of well-being they get from exercise.

``And sitting around is boring.''

That's all I needed to hear.

First it was short walks around the neighborhood. Then a few days on a stationary bike. Last week I actually got on a bike for a short ride around the block. And for the last few days I've been doing easy off-road rides.

My senses are more alive than before I was injured, every movement being monitored, some feeling like I'm doing them for the first time. Trails that I've ridden dozens of times look more pristine; sunsets appear more vibrant than ever before.

And even though it hurts, it feels so good to be pedaling, breathing hard and filling my lungs not just with oxygen, but with a renewed joy of life.

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PHOTO (Color) Fear of getting hurt is not usually a problem for athletes. As this pre-crash mountain-bike racer likely realizes, recovering from injury is just another challenge to overcome, just another part of training.

Mark Langton/Special to the Daily News