Uh Oh!

Well, it had to happen eventally... I crashed my bike today. I am feeling pretty sore and sorry for myself with scrapes on my left arm, left leg, right leg, right arm and my right hand is quite cut up on all the fingertips rendering it next to useless - this is the most painful. My hand was throbbing all day until I got some painkillers into me! I also copped some small marks to the head and upon close inspection of my helmet Dad detected a crack - so a new helmet is on the shopping list. This explains the stars I was seeing afterwards! I had already decided to replace the helmet as I knew that I hit my head, so a wise decision indeed! e

I was really looking forward to the ride, it was with some friends whose company I enjoy who are all competent riders. The sun was shining for the first time this year and we made a nice early start of it. However 10 minutes into the ride with the sun in my eyes I clipped the wheel in front of me over some pot holes and came to a screeching, grazing abrupt end to the ride! Unfortunately it ended the ride for everyone else too, so I went from a feeling of wellbeing and anticpation into pain and feeling quite low. Bugger...

Lessons learnt:

• Don't follow too closely to the wheel in front when going over pot holes
• Ride with caution when the sun is in your eyes
• Take pain killers as soon as you can get them - Panafen Plus is nice!
• Do douse all wounds with Betadine
• Replace helmet even if you didn't hit your head hard
• Practise writing with your left hand before you need to and realise that you can't!

So my training session for today and tomorrow has been curtailed slightly - not the best preparation for Hell of the West - 3 weeks to go... As soon as my sores stop weeping I'll jump on the wind trainer, I don't hink I'll be able to change gears too well with my right hand for a little while, so I'll probably do wind trainer sessions until I am right, but I know that I need to jump back into a group ride as soon as I am able or risk losing too much confidence - I don't have swags of it to lose!