Terror on the Road…

Ok…maybe that’s a tad bit dramatic…but yesterday’s ride had twists, turns and plenty of blood.

Chesty and I headed out to the event at 6:30am (listening to a little motivational EWF). I had the usual pre-ride butterflies, but I felt ok. Mild congestion, but no sore throat. Friday’s weather was beautiful…80+ degrees and sunny. Saturday morning was cloudy, windy and cold (I hate Texas weather…with the heat of 1,000 suns).

The ride was a small, family-oriented event and started with no issues. There were a few kids on the route, but they stayed close to their parents…with the exception of Little Johnny. He was eagered to show everyone how fast he could ride on his new Trek and broke away from his dad. He ended up cutting across a row of riders and came to a complete stop (no warning) in front of me. My cycling shoes are clipped into my pedals…and his sudden movement didn’t allow me enough time to unclip and stop. I couldn’t swerve without hitting a cyclist on either side…so I went crashing to the ground. The little boy was fine…he didn’t even get knocked off of his bike…but he caused 3 adult cyclists to wipe out completely.

It took everything I had (and most likely the Lord holding my tongue) not to spew all kinds of nasty profanity at the little boy and his irresponsible father. My palm is swollen and bruised and my elbow is scratched up. My knee took the worst hit…

LOL Y’all know I had to take a picture of my first sports injury. I think this officially qualifies me as an athlete (Buddha Belly be damned). Sorry if some of you are squeamish…

Anyway, today I feel like I’ve been in a car accident. My entire left side is aching and sore. I’ve been alternating heat/ice, taking ibuprofen and using Icy Hot. The anger is gone and I’ve turned this into a learning experience. Yes, the little boy was at fault, but he was young (10) and didn’t know the rules of the cyling road. I should have made a conscious effort to avoid him at all costs (hard to do considering how erratic his riding was…but whatever). Despite the injuries, I can still find the positive aspects: I completed the first ride of my 2006 season and despite crashing early (mile 5), I finished the course…with a constant stream of blood running down my leg. CyclingChick is tough a cookie…

Well, I’m going to go soak in the tub and get ready for Mommy’s visit.

Until next time…
C