Pages

Pages

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Embarrassing injury

Date: Nov. 20
Mileage: 23.0
Hours: 2:00
November mileage: 498.7
Temperature upon departure: 34
Rainfall: 0"

I was strolling up to ask a co-worker a question today when he blurted out, "Are you limping again?"

"Huh?" I asked, confused. My knee felt great. My foot felt great. I'd been gimp-free for more than six weeks, just about a personal record.

"I don't know," he continued. "You're kinda limping. What happened? Is it that bike thing again?"

I suddenly realized the acute pain I was feeling must be physically manifesting itself. But what could I say? That bike thing? You mean that bike thing where I grunt on my heavy bike all the way up to Eaglecrest just to look for snow, and there isn't even much snow up there, but I ride anyway on a faint trail across the frozen tundra and I manage to ride really fast until I hit a puddle that isn't completely frozen and plant my front tire 8 inches deep and my bike stops cold but my body flies forward and I'd probably still be spiraling into space if I wasn't stopped abruptly and painfully by my stem slamming into a very personal place that I can't describe in this place of business except to say that if I were a man, I would probably never have children ... That kind of bike thing?

But instead I just said, "Yeah, it's that bike thing again."

14 comments:

  1. When I moved to Flagstaff the first time, I experienced this new thing they call 'landscaping with cinders'. I was riding from downtown via the path along Route 66, and secided as traffic was clear on both sides that I should ride off the curb and across four lanes of road. I discoverd that when riding like a bat out of hell it is bad idea to ride though the cinders edging the bike path to get to the curb...I did make it all the way over the handlebars and cleared the first lane before I hit in the second. Laws of Physics, how doth I hate thee? Let me count the ways...

    But yeah, OUCH!

    Craig

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm betting that Geoff gets you a stem pad for Christmas! Or maybe sooner.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have totally done that. It freaking HURTS.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I may have come up with something that will help you out in a situation like that. :)

    http://50kloopns.blogspot.com/2007/11/helmet-for-fatty.html

    -Bluenoser

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh for krysake! I had instant shrinkage when I read that last sentence. I'm holding myself right now.
    Oh god, here come the flashbacks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wait - so NPR set up a blog to blog about your blog? Awesome! Have a nice Thanksgiving Jill!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Recover well and quickly, then pedal on in your Alaskan paradise! I hope you enjoy a nice Thanksgiving!

    If you still don't like the "death sticks", here's another thing you might like to try in the snow:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3flztm1fF6s

    ReplyDelete
  8. What? No pictures of the carnage??? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. It is so un-satisfying not to tell your co workers how you were really injured. I miss being able to do that, I have one co worker who habitually falls down drunk, and she limps a lot. I have to listen to her crappy stories - yet when I want to talk about putting my knee into the stem because i slipped going around a burm, they just don't care. It's the bike thing.

    There aren't that many of us out there, but I am glad that you are writing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh yeah, ow. I just did that yesterday while mountain biking (for the first time ever). Ow. And still, ow.

    ReplyDelete

Feedback is always appreciated!