Note to self: keep your eyes on the road

June

I piled up 96 miles last weekend and got a new nickname.

We’re rolling up an incline at about 12 mph on a shady back road somewhere outside Lloyd Harbor on Saturday afternoon, when Kenny the ride leader calls out, “Check out the driveway coming up on the left – this guy always has a pair of white Rolls-Royces parked outside.”

So I look, take my eyes off the road, bump tires with Kenny, and bam, I’m laying in the road, right foot still clipped into the pedal.

I get up with a little help and start assessing the road rash forming on my shoulder, hand, elbow and leg. (Tip: Always pack bandages and disinfectant.) My jersey’s ripped and my right brake hood is a little out of whack.

And then I realize: I landed almost directly on the hip I broke in December 2007. And I’m standing up. I’m a bit dazed, but my leg’s OK.

I manage to hang with the pack for the last 20-plus miles and when we get back to the parking lot Kenny’s giving me a new nickname: Rolls.

Sunday’s ride was flatter and faster – too fast to dwell on Saturday’s dopey mistake or to admire any roadside attractions.

This better be my last crash for a while; and oh, please let me land on my left side next time.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 11:17 AM by Robert Brum. Print This Post | Email This Post

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