Stiches

Crashing is the worst part about cycling.  Often unavoidable, rarely controllable and always absolutely miserable.   Today, I crashed my bike.  It was not spectacular, it was not even in a race.  I needn't tell you that it was not worth it.

I was, as you say, "Just Riding Along".  There was train tracks across the road, at a very foolish angle.  It was raining, the tracks were slick.  I do not know why I fell.  I have crossed these and other train tracks many times.  This time my front wheel washed out on the tracks.  That was it.  I was head first face down smashing into the pavement.

The immediate sensations I think would have been similar to being hit with a stun grenade.  I stood, reeling and stumbled to the side of the road.  With my ears ringing, head spinning and seeing spots I sat down on the curb and began to figure out what was going on.

Someone was yelling at me from a car.  My bike was not in the middle of the road, which is I assumed where I left it.  This had been one of those falls with very little skidding, just one dead stop impact.  My entire body ached and I could feel precisely where my head had hit the ground.  As the stars and bells where clearing Mike says "Hey man your bleeding... your gonna need stitches."  Sure enough I look down and see a pool of blood forming.

Sara says that there is a hospital a couple blocks away.  My bike is ride-able.  Sara will lead me there.  At the hospital I am cold, wet and bleeding.  I no longer have pain every where it seems to have all migrated to my knee.  I wait two and a half hours to see a doctor, then I wait another hour for X-rays and stitches.

The X-ray was for the patella.  It was clean.  No fracture, just swollen and tender.  The seven stitches where for the deep jagged cut on my chin.  This was all followed by a healthy dose of the concussion riot act.  I seem to have this lecture memorized.  The damage total includes 7 stitches to the chin, a minor concussion, and swollen tender knee.

check the pics.

 No further explanation.

 7 stitches.

Ready for my close up.

I want to give very big thanks to Glen and Kelly.  The owners of Westwood Cycle.  I called them and they came with the Team Van to pick me up from the hospital.  They are super sponsors.  

http://westwoodcycle.ca/

Great big Thank You!  I will repay them both racing and volunteering.  Starting now!  Check out the Wheel to Heal.

http://www.wheeltoheal.ca/

This is going to be a great community event to help raise funds for the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.

Wish me a speedy recovery.  I hope to bounce back in a couple days.

 Training shall be based solely on feel,
while racing shall be guided by sensations and instinct.



Cuylar Conly