...about that little crash

After several seasons of cycling, it finally happened.

My first-ever crash, that is, and it was a doozy!

Care to hear some thoughts, reflections, and musings?

It started, innocently enough, as a long ride with friends (Amy and Mike). It ended with a nasty tug-of-war wrestling match of sorts, as I painstakingly (quite literally) attempted to change out of my sweaty (fitted) biking tank (with its own built-in fitted shelf bra, BTW) and bonus sweaty sports bra underneath. This was in the close confines of a narrow stall, in an (un)air-conditioned bathroom, off of the trailhead.

Talk about your first world problems!

We were about 21 miles into our 55ish-mile ride, and about seven miles past the most recent town. I was coming off of a gradual curve, when my front tire veered off the trail. There was a 5-6 inch drop-off, and then gravel. Lots of gravel. As is common with most freak accidents, things happened within a split-second, so I had no time to react to avoid injury. I tried to steer it back, and then Boom! I was down for the count. 

After the initial shock of what had happened dissipated, I was able to stand up (pretty easily, actually!). I could tell my shoulder had taken the brunt of the impact. My left arm had a nice array of road rash. My left shin had a big raised welt. And, the left side of my rib cage felt pretty achy. Nothing "felt" broken, but I knew the ribs had taken a big hit, LOL.

Fortunately, my bike didn't appear to have any damage, other than a missing end cap to one of the handlebars. Everything seemed to be still in alignment, so I carefully climbed back on. Whew! 

We had another 6ish miles to the next town (our ride's turn-around), where we were planning to have lunch (and then heading back afterwards). Thankfully, I had more dull aches than true pain, but I could tell my ribs were already making it difficult to take deep breaths...not really an immediate problem, but still a concern nonetheless.

The ride back went pretty well, all things considered. The trail was fairly flat, for the most part, so there weren't too many hills to battle. There was wind, though (seriously, I think wind is the one constant!). I'd brought a change of clothes to wear for the car ride back home (just under an hour of drive time). As mentioned above, it was a major battle getting the bike jersey off with the achy ribs and compromised shoulder! It felt like everything was super-glued to me, and I was afraid I'd have to sleep in it.

After showering, upon getting back home, it took me maybe 15 seconds to nod-off into a deep slumber for a couple hours. The 56-mile bike ride hadn't been too strenuous, but it did take extra effort with my stiffening shoulder and aching ribs. It was a hot afternoon, as well, so that added to the fatigue. 

The next morning, I felt like I'd been hit by a bus. I knew it would be a day of very easy-peasy, low-impact movement. And it was. But, I'd made it through the night without much discomfort. I'd had bruised ribs before, so this wasn't my first rodeo...I knew it would be awhile before things would be back to 100%. Oh well.

So, some reflections on all that's happened...

It was pretty empowering to (somewhat, LOL) simply get back on the bike and continue riding after the crash. I didn't have any reservations, or fear, in doing so. After Sunday's rest (the day following the crash), I did an early-morning ride AND an after-work ride, for 25 combined miles for Monday). I even ended the week with 83 cumulative miles of biking!

On Saturday's 25-mile ride, one week post-crash

Although my body felt progressively better with each passing day, I was amazed at how many new bruises kept appearing and how many color changes the "veteran" bruises could sustain as the week wore on.

As the road rash lightened, the bruising darkened

Thankfully, I am able to do most of my usual workouts. Granted, I have to modify some of the moves, though. For example, I can still hold a 2:30-minute forearm plank, but my 2.5-year daily push-up streak came to a crashing halt (see what I did there, LOL). 

The one exception is running. I have a 4th of July 5K race on the schedule, and its still a bit iffy if I'll be able to participate or not. Taking deep breaths is difficult enough, at the moment. Trying to run for 3+ miles, in the heat of summer, ups the intensity. Let's not forget the jarring motion of ones feet (as they pound the pavement) may not be too comfy on my sore ribs. The jury is still out on whether I'll be able to run it, walk it, or DNS. Yes, a first world problem, but a frustrating one.

All things considered, I was pretty lucky. Had I sustained more serious injuries, or my bike been unusable, things would have been drastically different. Not only were we 6-7 miles from civilization (in both directions), we also were a good 21ish miles from our vehicle. It would have taken a long time for me to get anywhere had I not been able to (1) get back on my bike, but also (2) ride it unassisted.

Although I am grateful to have many other fitness options to keep me entertained, I do sincerely miss running. And, I'd be lying if I didn't feel a little frustration in being sidelined from a freak accident as opposed to an actual exercise-related injury. Just keeping it real, LOL.

So, enough about me and my first-ever crash! At least now I no longer have to wonder when it's going to happen. Glass half full!

Have you ever been sidelined from running (or a favorite sport) due to an accident, rather than an actual injury? Ever bruised/fractured a rib?

 I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

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