OOPS....
If you are wondering why you have not seen me on my bike or even wrenching at Pro City I have a lil story for you. Mical and I had our usual mildly lazy morning and pre-ride breaky before heading out on what I think was one of my first no leg warmer rides of the year. It took till the second week in June but hey, its here! So a long ride on the road and the goose and on to Durance Lake road so Mical can do her Intervals with Partridge Hills being the End Zone. We entered Partridge the hard way climbing around the outside shoulder and with conditions being perfect.....it still sucked. But it brings you to the best single-track out there. We ended up on the Danger Trail so I figured why not, dump a bunch of elev. but its super old school techy trail and Mical dug it. Climbing back up the quad trail to the summit again i feel a pop and it was my chain had broken a link. So no biggy, Mical had a link so I installed it and we were again on our way oblivious to how abrupt my day would end. A bunch more single-track all the way back to the lake and out the lake trail to the road. ah yes the road. With a quick cookie and coffee stop at the Red Barn we were off again.
As we go past Camosun we pick up speed and go past the Yellow tow truck and through the dip. As i always do i stand to hammer up the other side of the hill. As everyone knows i am not strong on the road so i try and do little intervals to make myself stronger. But before you know it I am on my head skidding through the dirty corner. All I remember is seeing my glasses pass my eyes and a kind of flash as my head strikes the ground. I jump up not really knowing what happened as I hear Mical behind in a mild freak out. I jump up, grab my shoulder and scamper of the road knowing instantly that my collarbone was snapped. The big hump that wasn't there ten seconds ago was a dead give away. The scamper was to make sure my legs were still controlled by my brain and once that was out of the way I kneeled down and got Mical to phone 911, as my phone was ejected on impact it was easy to find. It apparently looked good from behind as i did not let go of the bike until my head hit the ground, still pedaling as I was inverted. No gloves, 40km an hour and barely a scratch on my hands. One thing I learned freeriding back in the day is that your ability land shit increases 100% if you keep a hold of the bars. The bike took little to no damage which is awesome as bike parts aren't covered under MSP!! The car that was in front of us stopped as she thought she clipped me going by. Bad part was that she was in the shop not 2 days prior looking at bikes. I fear I may have botched that sale. Sorry Bill.
As i waited for the EMT, kneeling in the fetile position with my head on my helmet I was surprised at how many people actually stopped. This gives me some optimism and hope for the human race. That people aren't so self absorbed that they still stop and check on a person in distress, well Mical was distresses, I was just in pain. A special thanks to Tom Moore of Kal-Tire who took his car home, grabbed his truck and to Mical and our bikes back home so she could meet me at the hospital. Very generous. It occurred to me as I had my head laying on my helmet that i had cracked the whole back quarter of it. I can't even begin to imagine how messed i would have been had I not been wearing it. SO another great big shout out to Lazer Helmets for saving me from eating out of a straw for the rest of my days.
The ambulance arrived and thankfully started me on nitrous to ease the effects of the bone on bone feeling in my shoulder. After some wry humor and lot of drooling ( this is pre nitrous) i was able to make it into the ambulance. After using my arm as a voodoo doll we were on our way to VGH and let me tell you, you never really know how bumpy the roads are here till every bump you hit hurts. Thankfully The H is not that far away. After a brief wait I was whisked in to be xrayed and cleaned. Big thanks to the nurse Jay, who was blunt in saying that the cleaning of my wounds would make me wish i was dead. I love non-sugar coated descriptions of pain, but it wasn't quite as advertised.....thankfully. The prognosis: a broken clavicle as well as a broken scapula, mostly seen in car accidents which made me proud! Fast forward two days to surgery with Dr. Charles Nelson where opened me up and put a plate as well as 9 screws in the clavicle. Just what my body needed was more metal!! Sadly you can't fix the scapula so as i write this I am approximately 6weeks away from just a spin on the bike. UGH!! As summer has finally reared its head this is what i refer to as " A Bummer". But as I think about about it, looking at my helmet i can handle the time off. I was lucky and I know it. Here are a few pics from my phone to document and make me not take for granted the healthy times!
As we go past Camosun we pick up speed and go past the Yellow tow truck and through the dip. As i always do i stand to hammer up the other side of the hill. As everyone knows i am not strong on the road so i try and do little intervals to make myself stronger. But before you know it I am on my head skidding through the dirty corner. All I remember is seeing my glasses pass my eyes and a kind of flash as my head strikes the ground. I jump up not really knowing what happened as I hear Mical behind in a mild freak out. I jump up, grab my shoulder and scamper of the road knowing instantly that my collarbone was snapped. The big hump that wasn't there ten seconds ago was a dead give away. The scamper was to make sure my legs were still controlled by my brain and once that was out of the way I kneeled down and got Mical to phone 911, as my phone was ejected on impact it was easy to find. It apparently looked good from behind as i did not let go of the bike until my head hit the ground, still pedaling as I was inverted. No gloves, 40km an hour and barely a scratch on my hands. One thing I learned freeriding back in the day is that your ability land shit increases 100% if you keep a hold of the bars. The bike took little to no damage which is awesome as bike parts aren't covered under MSP!! The car that was in front of us stopped as she thought she clipped me going by. Bad part was that she was in the shop not 2 days prior looking at bikes. I fear I may have botched that sale. Sorry Bill.
As i waited for the EMT, kneeling in the fetile position with my head on my helmet I was surprised at how many people actually stopped. This gives me some optimism and hope for the human race. That people aren't so self absorbed that they still stop and check on a person in distress, well Mical was distresses, I was just in pain. A special thanks to Tom Moore of Kal-Tire who took his car home, grabbed his truck and to Mical and our bikes back home so she could meet me at the hospital. Very generous. It occurred to me as I had my head laying on my helmet that i had cracked the whole back quarter of it. I can't even begin to imagine how messed i would have been had I not been wearing it. SO another great big shout out to Lazer Helmets for saving me from eating out of a straw for the rest of my days.
The ambulance arrived and thankfully started me on nitrous to ease the effects of the bone on bone feeling in my shoulder. After some wry humor and lot of drooling ( this is pre nitrous) i was able to make it into the ambulance. After using my arm as a voodoo doll we were on our way to VGH and let me tell you, you never really know how bumpy the roads are here till every bump you hit hurts. Thankfully The H is not that far away. After a brief wait I was whisked in to be xrayed and cleaned. Big thanks to the nurse Jay, who was blunt in saying that the cleaning of my wounds would make me wish i was dead. I love non-sugar coated descriptions of pain, but it wasn't quite as advertised.....thankfully. The prognosis: a broken clavicle as well as a broken scapula, mostly seen in car accidents which made me proud! Fast forward two days to surgery with Dr. Charles Nelson where opened me up and put a plate as well as 9 screws in the clavicle. Just what my body needed was more metal!! Sadly you can't fix the scapula so as i write this I am approximately 6weeks away from just a spin on the bike. UGH!! As summer has finally reared its head this is what i refer to as " A Bummer". But as I think about about it, looking at my helmet i can handle the time off. I was lucky and I know it. Here are a few pics from my phone to document and make me not take for granted the healthy times!
Hope the recovery is going well regan!! Get well soon :) must. drink. more. milk!!
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