Karma must be one helluva bitch. Here I am trying to be health-conscious and environmentally-aware by biking to work, and I crash on my bike. On my way home last Wednesday, I rode through a swarm of insects that covered my face and shirt. As I tried to swat them off of me, I hit an uneven patch on the road, lost control, and hit my right shoulder directly on a pole lining the bike path. My knee hit the bottom part of the pole, along with the cable tied between adjacent poles. There was a dime-sized patch on my knee where the top layer of skin was sheared off, along with a small gash. Four more small patches on my shoulder are also without skin, and most of it turned into a lovely shade of blue, red, and purple.
Instead of asking for help, I picked up my tattered self, shook the remaining bugs off of my shirt, and rode 2 miles back to my house. Blood streamed down my leg, abrasions covered my right arm, and dull pain spread across my right shoulder. Initial assessment of the damages didn't seem that bad, but the pain got worse to the point of tears. I got a ride to the ER, and spent the rest of the evening in pain. Thankfully, the physicians found no dislocation or fracture.
My bike survived for the most part. The wheels might need to be trued, but otherwise just small scratches. Thank goodness, because I will be going to Mexico this next weekend for a 50-mile bike ride. Let's hope the gigantic bruise on my butt is going to heal by then. The bruise back there is entirely black. Not a shade of gray or blue, but black. I'd take a photo of it, but then I think that is outside the bounds of decency.
Will this experience prevent me from biking to work? Probably not, as I'm debating whether I will get back on the saddle tomorrow or Tuesday. We'll see how my ass feels in the morning.
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