So this past Saturday I went out for what would have been the last training ride before my first half ironman triathlon. It ended up that one of the guys from Church who was with me had to call Kara & have her meet me at the emergency room. Although it is not a new thing for Kara to get a call from one of my friends telling her to meet me at the emergency room, this was the first time I had a wreck on my road bike...

We were 35 miles into a 65 mile ride. There were 20 of us, in a pace line going about 22 miles an hour. I was 6th in line when I heard the first few guys run over an object on the road. The object turned out to be a piece of rebar. The bike in front of me caught the rebar between its front spokes which then sheered off the front fork of the bike. The front of his bike dropped out from under him & I was about 10 inches behind him with no where to go...

Next thing I remember I am flat on my bike & guys are all around me telling me to stay still & stay down because I am bleeding badly. I must have blacked out for a while or even been knocked out because my bike had been moved to the side & was leaning against the guard rail. I heard the guys amazed at two things. The first was how they had never seen the front forks of a bike sheer off like that & the second was how much blood was coming from my face. I was laying on my back, hopeful that the bike they were talking about was not mine but pretty sure it was me who was bleeding like crazy!

I got to ride in the ambulance! Kara met me at the emergency room. It turned out that I had nicked an artery which explained the amazing amount of blood. I had landed on my right hip, then had hit the back of my head on the pavement. Apparently my own bike had hit me in the forehead which caused the gash. It took 14 stitches & the emergency room doctor is concerned that I might need the attention of a plastic surgeon because of the placement & shape of the cut. At this point, I am leaning toward the cool scar/war wound!

Below is the helmet. Yes, I am glad to have had one on!!! I have heard that Trek will replace a helmet when damaged like this in a wreck... That is good news to me in that they are more expensive then I care to replace (but would because of how it saved me)!

So, the cut above the eye was serious but the hip has proved to be the source of pain... This is only half of the bruise but I would not dare post anymore.... It goes above my hip/wasteline & wraps around the front & back. Pretty much the coolest bruise with the most coverage I have ever had! I may just have to measure it for personal record.
I had to drop out of the race for next weekend which is more then a little of a bummer. But I am glad that I did not break any bones nor was my bike damaged seriously! Of the other 4 guys who went down, they only had scraps on their knees/elbows. I do feel bad for the guy whose bike was totaled...

This is part of the mixed bag of riding in a group - on my own this probably would not have happened but if it had I would have been on my own...

Moral of the story is you could die sitting on the couch, get out there people & live - & wear a helmet!