Pain In The Neck - A Real One

[pdub]

Over the past few weeks I've been practicing wearing the racing helmet. I'd put it on and just BangShift or watch TV or whatever for maybe 20 minutes at a time.

The idea (was it a bad one) was to get my neck used to having the helmet on. I found out quick to not shoot pool with it. Lean way over to make a shot and essentially looking straight up to eyeball the shot...that was painful right away with the helmet on.

So yeah I practiced "helmet" alright. The early part of last week I had to take Celebrex to get the inflammation down to a point where I could at least sleep at night without rolling around yelling "OW" out loud.

This is not good. Today at work my hardhat made my neck crunch and hurt, and what that does that weigh, a pound?

This is not good. This better get better fast, but us old farts are slow to heal.

If you're going to run The Mile, how long do you have to have the helmet on at a time, bare minimum? I guess I'm asking how long do you typically sit in the staging lanes before getting turned loose.

[LORENSWIFE]

Sounds like a work-related hard hat injury, better go see HR...

[JOES66FURY]

I feel you man, often times I have to wear a hard hat at work and it jacks me up far days afterwards. I have DDD, degenerative disk disease and a few bulging disks in my neck, the additional weight of a helmet kills me.

I see guys at the strip that put their helmets on right before a run, but for the Mile...not a clue....glld luck man...keep some ice handy to keep the swelling and inflamation down.

[pdub]

I feel you man, often times I have to wear a hard hat at work and it jacks me up far days afterwards. I have DDD, degenerative disk disease and a few bulging disks in my neck, the additional weight of a helmet kills me.

I see guys at the strip that put their helmets on right before a run, but for the Mile...not a clue....glld luck man...keep some ice handy to keep the swelling and inflamation down.

I've never had any swelling throughout out all of the joint problems I've enjoyed. Just screaming pain, that you can't take an x-ray of.

This is not good, not right now, not this week. This is not good.

[pdub]

Sounds like a work-related hard hat injury, better go see HR...

Gail, I DID confer with HR this morning. I walked into my office and sat down in my chair and looked across the empty desk and said, "What do YOU want?"

I then got out of my chair and went around the desk and sat down in the visitors chair. I then said, "My neck hurts."

I swapped chairs again and asked, "Been doing anything unusual lately?"

Swapped chairs again and said, "Yeah, I've been shooting pool and BangShifting with a Bell racing helmet on my head."

I swapped chairs one more time and told myself to just get outta there and leave me alone.

[Deaf Bob]

Hmmmm.... Not good at all..
Better would be to push the compass points on your head, several seconds per point...

Since time is getting short.. Get a collar and use that...
Basically a soft or firm foam horse shoe wrapped in cloth you velcro on... Supports the helmet...

[STINEY]

Peewee, you are the ONLY person I have ever heard of practicing wearing their helmet....... seriously.

Trying them on, yeah. Putting it back and finding another that fits better, yeah.

Heck, my cousin even went through a few before he found on that didn't rub the skin off his nose (he has a large honker and would get a big open blister from the helmet).

But hurting their neck wearing the helmet around the house? You, my friend, win the booby prize today. That one is hard to top.

[pdub]

Hmmmm.... Not good at all..
Better would be to push the compass points on your head, several seconds per point...

Since time is getting short.. Get a collar and use that...
Basically a soft or firm foam horse shoe wrapped in cloth you velcro on... Supports the helmet...

I dunno if I could go with that - aren't those whiplash collars basically flammable?

[pdub]

Peewee, you are the ONLY person I have ever heard of practicing wearing their helmet....... seriously.

Trying them on, yeah. Putting it back and finding another that fits better, yeah.

Heck, my cousin even went through a few before he found on that didn't rub the skin off his nose (he has a large honker).

But hurting their neck wearing the helmet around the house? You, my friend, win the booby prize today. That one is hard to top.

Oh. Glad to be of comic relief Stiney....that's my primary job here anyhow, most days. Heck, how am I supposed to know what do? I've never done it (organized racing) before. Okay, I know that wimpy defense won't stand up in Texas, where "He needed killin," is a slam dunk. Just take me outta the gene pool, and I may already have. How do you spell "Darwin Award? "

[studemax]

I keep telling you to chill out, but you keep working yourself into a frenzy over NOTHING!
You don't NEED to practice wearing your helmet.....ceee-riminy.

[DanStokes]

Peewee - RELAX! You're gonna have fun and there's nothing to worry about. Remember, s-m-o-o-t-h transitions, especially at the big end. Don't jamb on the brakes - there's plenty of time.

You'll put your helmet on when you're 3 cars from the starting line (the volunteers will let you know if you're unsure) and you can take it off once you clear the track - at Maxton I pulled mine on the return road. We'll see what works at the new track but I'll wager something like that will work. So you won't have it on very long - 5 minutes max.

Sounds like you pulled a muscle. Call the masseuse (or Sue Unit if you can talk her into it) and get it worked out a bit. Anything OTC that works on muscle pain should help. But mostly - RELAX! You're gonna do FINE.

Interesting. I'm having this same conversation with a friend of mine who wants to come for the first time for the June meet. I've offered to tow his car out and he's nervous as a cat about the whole deal but really WANTS to do it. This may be the craziest thing he's done in his whole life. His wife is nervous about the whole deal too so that doesn't help. We'll get you both thru it.

Dan

[pdub]

I keep telling you to chill out, but you keep working yourself into a frenzy over NOTHING!
You don't NEED to practice wearing your helmet.....ceee-riminy.

Yeah yeah Stude, and I don't at all listen to good advice very often.

Look - I rode a touring bicycle 30,000 miles in another life. My longest straight-line trip was from South Carolina to Utah. I was going right along, riding about 100 miles a day until I got to Fort Scott, Kansas. My neck was hurting me so bad that day I had to stop. I thought sure the Big Trip was over.

But after a single day out of the saddle, I was good as new (and I was only 30 years old then). So I know I've done some it-will-catch-up-with-you-later grinding on my neck.

So I figured I'd better "get used" to wearing the racing helmet for this adventure, but it went the other way. No, my neck doesn't hold up that racing helmet after all.

My question would be, and I know it doesn't apply so much to LSR or drag racing, but what about the NASCAR and Indy and F1 and motorcycle road racing guys and stuff? They have to keep that helmet on for hours and get pounded all the while.

Yep, I'm a true loony ass. If I don't get near that helmet for the rest of this week and if I only have to wear it for just a very short while at The Mile, I may be okay.

I really am glad that I'm providing so much entertainment with the subject, after all. I love sharing smiles.

[A/Fuel]

I would come to the track with my suit and helmet on.....you never know, and it's always better to be prepared.

[Brian Lohnes]

Scott, you don't sleep in yours?

Peewee did the outhouse rental company charge you by the day or the week while you practiced using it?

[pdub]

Scott, you don't sleep in yours?

Peewee did the outhouse rental company charge you by the day or the week while you practiced using it?

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I mean....HAHAHhahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh gosh I can't breathe