Friday, August 29, 2008

Road rash.. check!


New rule: the bike hibernates on Labor Day Weekend. Last year Labor Day I did the same damn thing.

Forty miles into my 100 mi ride/5 mile brick this morning, I did this to my favorite shorts: 

Not only that, but I ripped the zipper off my Chuck's jersey. My favorite one! I may have ripped some skin off of my favorite shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and calf as well. I take it back, I didn't especially like that hip. 

I also hurt my brain. Not as bad as last year at Dick Evans when I took that header to the curb and couldn't remember how I'd gotten across Kailua. I remember this time. My head hit first. According to my powertap file (which never lies, even when I try to bribe it) I went from 20 mph to 0 mph in less than a second. The bottle from my back pocket landed 15 feet up the road. 

Nothing major happened. I was just riding along, hoping my last tube would hold after two flats, taking a drink from a bottle when I hit a crappy patch of new asphalt and watched my handle bars shoot out to the right. Oy ve. I clearly remember watching the pavement slide by an inch from my eyes and thinking "I love my helmet."

Huge thank you to Maggs, because of her I was able to send the ambulance on it's way. She rescued me and my bike and drove us the 40 miles back home. And didn't even get mad when I oozed on her car. Maggs rocks.

I've never had road rash before, so I guess this is a big day for me. Cycling right of passage! Here's my question of the day: Tomorrow do I start over? Or can I ride 60 and run 5 and call it a long ride with a big water stop?

23 comments:

  1. i think you might be too sore tomorrow to do either 60 or 100. i mean you're a beast, so maybe you'll be fine, but usually crash and road rash = easy day

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  2. Oooh...heal up quickly and I hope both you and Clementine don't wake up sore tomorrow.
    -Danielle

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  3. rr, glad you weren't seriously injured, tho can't say the same for your head gear.....I think you can dip your hand in the M&M jar just this once.

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  4. Ow! Did you do that to your helmet this time, or last time? Either way, yikes! I think you get a pass on tomorrow. Glad you're OK.

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  5. Oh no....:-( Take care of yourself and no more crashing. Hope you heal fast and I totally think you can call it a long water stop ;-)
    Tracy

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  6. Oh. My. God. Look at your picture. "Hi. I just crashed, but look at how beautiful I am". Now that's modeling road rash. haha
    Maggs rocks!

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  7. i'm glad you're okay but be easy on yourself tomorrow cause you'll probably be a little stiff. in a couple of days you can think of how to punish your bike for misbehaving.
    maybe you had the shakes from sugar withdrawal?!?!?

    yay for maggs.

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  8. I am glad you were wearing cycling attire and not a Splish suit, otherwise you might have had a lot more road rash. I hope you recover in time for the Waikiki roughwater swim. Wish I could do that. Maybe it's now time for you to buy an aerohelmet. Hope you ride a bit safer next time!

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  9. thank GOD you are okay! I have some helmets here if you need them! Keep that Road rash moist! Neosporin!!!

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  10. Yay helmet!

    Keep the rash clean and moist for awhile. Neosporin and a coverage of gauze will do the trick. Or you can go the Nu-skin route. If you let it get crusty and scab it will scar. So glad that you are ok!!!!!

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  11. Yikes! This is why I'm scared of the bike. I think someone deserves some peanut butter M&Ms for her pain and suffering.

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  12. Ouch!!!! Glad you are okay and the brain is intact (if not a little sore)! You amaze me...you just take it all in stride!! Hang in there and rest up and heal up! Thinking of you!

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  13. RR! Oh no, every year huh!? I remember you on the side of the road in the road race last year. I am so glad you got your road rash outta the way (and have a photo to prove it)! NOW you can ride without that fear of it!

    Okay tuff nuts, if you wake up feeling good go ride the 60 run 5, if you feel like poo don't and just wait to swim (can you swim on Sunday still??? yikes!).

    HEAL quick, glad your humor is still in tack!

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  14. Glad to hear it is only road rash and nothing worse. When I crashed earlier this year, I was quite sore the next day. So, you will probably need an easy day or two.

    At first glance in the picture I didn't notice the road rash and was wondering why you had an off the shoulder bike jersey. Going for stlye points perhaps? Once I read the broken zipper thing it made sense.

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  15. why don't you just retire from tris and start modeling?

    and train-this is spot on. keep it moist - neosporin day and night.

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  16. OMG! I'm really sorry you fell but especially grateful you captured your wounds on film-good shots. you're a superstar.

    jeez lady, you're tough.

    xo,
    P.

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  17. Rach,
    Oh man... Hope your feeling ok today. I know I was "fine" the day of my recent crash, but man my body was hurting day 2 and 3.

    Tegaderm Is an awesome bandage for the wounds!

    ...and the classic line I heard after my crash.."real girl sport road rash"

    Heal Up!!

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  18. Ouch!! Girl, you are LUCKY. Glad you're ok.

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  19. Hope you are feeling better, your bill is in the mail (or on my blog).

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  20. Nice! love a girl with rash! keep the fashion statement coming!! LOL!

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  21. OUCH!! And you are one tough cookie - how are you still smiling in that picture with all that road rash? Hope you are okay and on the mend.

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  22. Uuuuh Rachel, since this is your first, I need to warn you that you're gonna wake up tomorrow and feel like a MACK truck hit you overnight. Usually, your body feels OK after a crash because the endorphins are still kicking in but the next day...yikes. You might just want to leave tomorrow open and not have any expectations for training...but then again, you've proven to be pretty tough. Wait until your first shower, the water spraying on the road rash, consider taking a bath. And keep the rash moist if you don't want scarring on your body but it will take a bit longer to heal. Welcome to the club.

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  23. Scrub it clean with a stiff brush!

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