How DID This Happen?

I have been sleeping about 10 hours a night. Wow. I guess I have really messed myself up. But when I got up I went right to Yoga in an effort to not let this thing beat me!

One thing I didn't realize was that I hadn't gone over how and when the crash happened. So here it goes because I keep getting asked:

The crash happened during the first lap of 3 laps on the downhill portion of the course during the national series race this last Saturday in NY. I was only about 20 minutes into the race, came around a technical (but not crazy technical) corner that I hit just fine but upon the exit I washed out on some of those loose flagstone rocks they put down (that were so fun to go over!) and put my hand out to break the fall as I tipped to the left with my bike (we have all crashed this way umpteen times). As I landed I heard a crack but unfortunately there were no twigs in the area! I immediately knew something was wrong but didn't feel pain at that point. I exposed the hand and saw a sixth knuckle (the displaced bone) and went "uh oh". I tried to keep racing but could not for the life of me squeeze the grip on my bike - it was just far too painful. And within a minute from the crash, I knew I was done.

I remember telling others racers as they rode by that I broke my hand. I just knew. After huffing it straight down a very steep ski run (the quickest way down) in agony with my bike I started to feel radiating pain in my wrist and thought "oh brother". I was never convinced my wrist was ok but my hand certainly hurt worse.

Near the bottom, some spectators of the race helped me with my bike and helped me get a ride from the on site medics. Dave McElwaine who was out there taking pics for the race took my bike back to Cannondale for me. I kind of can't believe I remember all this because I was in la-la land big time.

From there it was, grab Sara from the feed zone, make sure I wasn't on the drug test list, tell them I was DNFing, fill out paperwork for USAC, hitch a ride back to the hotel with Windham security guy, shower, grab food, clothes and magazine and then have our awesome Cannondale mechanic, Eric, drop everything to drive me to the not so local hospital:




Once at the hospital I found a great use for my SoBe/Cannondale hat as an ice holder.............which I proceeded to dump all over the floor in the waiting room. Can't take me anywhere I tell you.


Eric entertained himself by taking tons of not so flattering pix of me (I think I was snarling at him mostly).


And Eric even went out to buy lotto tickets that we scratched off as cheap entertainment while waiting. We were gonna split the win but we are still as poor as we were before buying them. Hmmmm? Actually poorer since $7 was spent.


After all this hoopla it was directly to beer-town.