I crashed twice this weekend. Sat a friend took me on a technical ride (no one remembers I've only been mtb'ing for less than 2 months!). My front week dropped down a ravine off the track and I flew over the handlebars. Nothing more than new bruises. Sun I ran last years race course with one of my team mates and her husband. These guys were flying! It's a 12 mile course and we did it in an hour and a half even with my crash. I made it through the technical stuff and toward the end I must have been tired when I hits the rocks. I think I was sitting too forward on my seat when I hit the first rock because all I know is I flew off to the left. I hit a boulder with my chest and left shoulder knocking the wind out of me, and my left knee hit the boulder too. I put two gashes in it and bruised it but good. I finally went in last night and got it checked out - they would have stitched it if I would have gone in on Sunday but it's starting to heal. Nothing broke but swollen to beat the band. If the swelling doesn't go down in a day or two I need to get rechecked.

UGGHHH. I'm 3 weeks out to race day (12 hour race, 4 person team). I won't get into why this race is so important to me to finish but it is. Now all I want to do is finish a lap and have the team complete the race. I was told to stay off my bike for a week. How much of my legs will I lose in that time? Is there something I can do without my legs to try and stay in shape?? I can't ride until the swelling goes down so I can bend it and the pains gone. Maybe I just need a mental boost. I will be all over that section, back and forth until I lose my fear of the rocks once I'm up and running again. It's so frustrating for me not to be good at something which I'm sure you guys can relate to. A guy in the parking lot noticed I was frustrated after the ride (my riders went back out and I was able to ride out). He couldn't believe that after less than 2 months biking I was entering this race so he told me that's an accomplishment in itself. Which made me feel better until I learned I needed to stay off my bike for a week.

Thanks for letting me vent. I must have gotten the bug bad because all I want to do is get back on my bike I think I'll start on the road first then back to the trails. I'm sure I'll be a little aprehensive in the woods. Heck, I'll probably be wearing a knee pad on that knee, lol. I seem to always fall to the left. Any idea why that might be? I'd like to think it's something with the way they fit my new bike but I can't rule out operator error either!

Thanks for listening. I may need to order that Go Girl jersey to make me feel better, lol.