A bad run...

Not a good week on the bike...

This past Saturday afternoon I rode out to Lincoln Woods for a quick spin. It's funny because I was too lazy to put my roofracks back on my car, but not so lazy that I wouldn't actually ride my bike the 5 miles to get out to the Woods. Anyway, the ride went well for awhile, but then I got a pinch flat and lost my momentum and motivation. It was also getting late in the afternoon. No problem, I though, I'll fix this tube up and head for home. I shot through the pedestrian tunnel and out on to old 146 and was riding down the hill towards North Providence. As I was cruising along, some kids drove past me in a car and beaned me right in the back of the head with an egg! Assholes... I was actually pretty lucky, I think, because the egg hit me on my helmet. There's a cool looking circular dent with egg shell embedded in it... but it also stinks like egg now. As does the shirt I was wearing, as does my bike. Anyway, I was sort of hoping they'd be stuck at the red light at the bottom of the hill so I could drag them out of the car and beat them senseless, or at least get a license plate number, but no such luck. I'm sure the karma police will catch up to those douchebags... so watch out for maroon Jeep Grand Cherokees when you're in Lincoln. Crazy, no?

And then yesterday I went back up to ride Lincoln Woods yet again, although this time travelling to and from by car. I rode for awhile, just like Saturday, but then IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE I FLATTED ON SATURDAY, I crashed off a drop. Now I haven't actually crashed my mountain bike in awhile, so I think this one was designed to make up for lost time with its sheer bone-crunching force. This might be the hardest mountain bike crash I've ever had. I hit a drop I've never actually done before and got too far foreward. The landing is less steep than the takeoff, so you really have to get the front wheel up. I failed to do this, bottomed the fork out, and got catapulted over the bars. It all happened so fast I'm not really sure of the sequence... but I felt the bike bottom out, I heard a loud bang, and then I was on the ground.

Ouch, I thought. Let's see. The bike is over there, check. Let's see if all my parts work. I can move my hands and feet, my legs appear normal except for the road rash on my right knee. Hmmm, my right shoulder is numb, better check the collar bone. Tap, tap, tap, nope, doesn't feel broken. Range of motion? Uh, sorta. Hurts to take a deep breath, but not sharp pain. Let's try standing up. I think I hit my head because my teeth feel funny... they're all there, but let's take a look at the helmet. Scratches and dirt, but no cracks or dents. Still smells like egg. Owee! Shoulder's no longer numb, now it just hurts. Recheck collar bone, seems o.k. Gotta get out of here.

Let's have a look at the bike... Hmmm, the bars don't line up with the wheel. Maybe that's what the banging noise was from... Wheels are still true, not flat, chain is off, seat is still there, brakes work, we're in business!

I straightened the bars, tightened the pinch bolt on the stem, reset the chain, and cautiously remounted. I rode the rest of the way down the hill, but boy did it hurt. Pushing on the bars? Not good. Nonetheless it feels like it's all muscular, not bones or anything else. I managed to struggle my way back to the car, riding mostly on trails. This was maybe not smart, but I made it. Also able to put the bike in the car, drive home, carry the bike upstairs, and take a shower. Painful, but I could do it. I considered going to the hospital, but eventually decided against it.

I'm still trying to decide about seeking medical attention because this morning I thought I might throw up when I woke. It feels a little better now, a little looser. Now I'm just pissed off because I couldn't ride in to work today, I won't be able to climb this evening, and I should probably take at least a few days off the mountain bike. Maybe I'll set up the indoor trainer early... The climbing thing especially bugs me because I've had two good days in a row (Sunday and Tuesday), sending some boulder problems I have never even been close to getting. Damn! Oh well, I'll rest, try to rehab, and hopefully be back on it soon. My goal is to be able to ride to work on Monday... and climb by Tuesday. But we'll see. I still don't know how screwed up I am.