Another crash and feeling like an idiot!

[emily_in_nc]

Thank you, friends.

Every single post here was so sweet and some made me laugh.

I just knew you all would get it!

And come to think of it, I did eat rather a lot of chocolate this weekend (70%, bittersweet, very dark). I didn't connect that with my crash until you did!

Thanks again - y'all are the greatest, as you remind me again and again! That's part of why I keep coming back to riding no matter how badly I mess up. I'd just miss you all terribly if I stayed away too long.

Hugs,
Emily

[jeannierides]

Emily, I worked all weekend, so just read about your crash this morning! What a bummer! Thank goodness you weren't hurt any worse! Take care, girl! Sending healing thoughts along with the others.

[7rider]

Bummer on the wipe out, Emily.

Chin up, tho. At least your helmet did its job.
It's easier to replace a helmet than a head!

Feel better soon.

[Jo-n-NY]

Oh Emily....I don't get to read the boards too much on the weekends and just say your post and let me say, reading those words made me let out a huge GASP and OH NO!!!! But I know read that you are feeling better. Thank goodness.

It sounds like you got all the bad feelings out of you. That is some nice chocolate that you ate. Oh how I love chocolate and ice cream. I know you will be back on the bike before you know it. Next time you will remember which bike you are riding and I am sure it will be just fine.

~ JoAnn

[yellow]

And I'm thinking, "Wow, only 3 crashes on the mtn bike since August? She's doing really well!"

Suffice it to say that I crash most times I go mtn biking. To the point now where I won't ride alone and won't do anything really technical (by my definition). It really messes with your head, as you've described. There's some "line" in your brain that makes it all better once you step over it...only you can fall back behind it or have a hard time going from toes-over to whole-body-over. I hear ya girlfriend! I hope to get over my mtn biking fuzz by spring; for now I'm going to give it a rest (which I'm fine with)!

You've been there before and jumped over the line. So you know you can do it.

I have gone down twice on my commute bike since August. It's an old mtn bike with slicks on it. It doesn't ride like my road bike OR my mtn bike, which I've learned the hard way. For a while there I had to tell myself, out loud, that I couldn't take corners like I was on my road bike. Now that the weather's changed and I'm focused on running (and hopefully skiing very soon), I'm not commuting by bike either. Also giving that a rest. My head is most definitely not into riding at the moment.

You are not alone! We shall persevere and take over the planet! OK, maybe not take over the planet, but take charge of that little portion of our brain that messes with us.

[emily_in_nc]

I have gone down twice on my commute bike since August. It's an old mtn bike with slicks on it. It doesn't ride like my road bike OR my mtn bike, which I've learned the hard way. For a while there I had to tell myself, out loud, that I couldn't take corners like I was on my road bike. Now that the weather's changed and I'm focused on running (and hopefully skiing very soon), I'm not commuting by bike either. Also giving that a rest. My head is most definitely not into riding at the moment.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, yellow. I hate to think of others crashing too, but it does make me feel less alone. And my more experienced mtb buddies crash too, but they crash riding teeter totters or really technical stuff, I crash because I slip on wet leaves or hit a tree with my handlebars or go too slow around a tight curve. Often they're just embarrassing things like that that make me crazy.

But I'm with you on the taking some time off....it's getting to be the time of year where more often than not it's too chilly for me to be inspired to ride on the weekends. I am definitely a weather wimp! And it's too dark to ride after work now, so I've got a road bike inside on the trainer. Believe it or not, I almost crashed on that on my first trainer ride this past week too! DH had put it on the trainer and must not have cranked it down tight enough, so when I went to ride out of the saddle for the first time, it slipped out of the trainer part-way, and I started going down. Scary! Thankfully, he was on that side of me on his own bike on a trainer, so blocked me from falling down to the ground! But it just hasn't been a very stable week.

We normally hike when it's colder (and yes, sometimes I manage to trip on a rock and fall doing that too, but it's very infrequent!!), but we had such lovely warm weather yesterday that the road beckoned. Too bad I never got there! We won't get too many days like that for awhile, I suspect. I have also been running, going to the gym, and we're going to Key Largo sailing right after Thanksgiving, so that will be a pleasant change of pace. So long as I don't get hit by the boom, I will hopefully come home in one piece and not too bruised/battered.

Thanks again for all the supportive words, everyone!!!

Emily

[Jo-n-NY]

Emily....I will let you know and admit to all that I have fallen on my trainer TWICE. Yes, it is ok to laugh because I do. Like you the quick-release was not in the trainer notch correctly or too loose. So once I went into our wall unit, it actually caught me and the other was on the couch and both times my husband had to come get me out.

Don't worry, I now make sure my bike is in there good and tight. Have a Great trip to Key Largo while I am remembering to mention it now.

I will be honest to say, I that I do feel better riding on the roads than mtn biking. Only because I am slow and if we ride a single track trail and someone is coming behind I get all nervous. I am luck to have found back roads through developments to make a nice route. It is only 20 - 30 miles with one or two road having mild traffic, but it is a most enjoyable ride for me anyway and enough miles to make me happy.

~ JoAnn

[IFjane]

Emily,

I'm so sorry to hear about your crash! It was indeed a beautiful day to ride on Saturday - sunny & 70's up here in VA as well. I am thankful you don't have any more injuries than you do. Heal quickly and get back on the bike - even if it's only on a trainer for the winter!