See that berm? Can you see the two tire tracks rolling into the freshly repaired divot? Well.. those are my tire tracks, and yes, I did replace my divot.
Two miles into what would become a 20 mile ride, I was rounding a bermed corner on a short downhill, eyeing up a small dirt table which I was about to attack, and suddenly, I am on the ground about ten feet downhill from my bike.
I managed to fly fairly straight, stayed on the trail, and didn’t run into anything but dirt. It was a spectacular landing with a pretty good thud, and fortunately, the air stayed in my lungs… although I did gain fresh series of scratches on my left forearm.
First things first. I was ok, the bike appeared to be ok, now to figure out what the heck happened!
From what I could tell, the berm was a bit soft on the exit and my tires sliced through a bit of the dirt and I washed out through/over the top.
That is where this little story begins…
I picked myself up, rode the rest of the ride (a double at Burchfield) and felt mostly fine. Toward the end of the ride, my pre-hops and manuals/wheelies approaching obstacles started causing a bit of pain in my back, but I honestly figured after being on the trail for that long, it was to be expected.
Later that evening, there was a constant dull ache in my lower left side. Well… I have bruised ribs before, I was certain that what had happened. Oops, I did it again?
The next day I was looking to log miles. My side was not really feeling the greatest so I opted to ride skinny tires and dropper bars to keep my training moving forward. I rode a half century that day!
Fast forward to Saturday, and I once again find myself on my MTB. This time, however, it was not single track. I was riding in the Barry Roubaix and embarking on the 36 mile version of gravel goodness. Lots of miles. Tons of smiles. Zero pain!
Then comes work. Four days of hauling luggage, moving about to articulate controls and change switch positions. Slight annoyances in my side, but nothing I would not expect from am bruised rib… Sleep… that was another story.
Then Saturday night arrived… 11 days after the crash. My side was aching while sitting and sleep was not getting much easier… laying on my side was not the most comfortable thing for my body. I thought that at almost two weeks post crash, I should be feeling a bit better than I was. And yes… I am fully were of that fact that I am not as young as I once was and things take a bit longer to heal…
Easter Sunday, I went to Urgent Care to make sure there was not something internally damaged or more going on that I had assumed…
After a series of questions, and a handful of X-Rays, the doctor came in with a smile on her face. She told me she knew exactly what was causing my pain… I had actually fractured a rib.
Really?!?
Yes. Really. But, here I am, back at work, and looking forward to the Yankee Springs Time Trial in a few days. The pain seems to be subsiding with a very occasional annoyance of, “oh hey, yeah… I’m still here” Hooray for Team Ibuprofen!
While talking about this with a friend and fellow rider, she suggested something to me… and I think I am going to adopt the theatrical superstition about not wishing someone good luck before a performance, but telling them to break a leg.
So, next time we ride together, if you hear me say, “Break a rib!” please know that I mean it as a term of endearment!
