It seems you are getting good advice from others. I have no bike crash story to tell, but as I mentioned in another thread, I have spent some time in the Middle East and I do have a tale or two. A year in Mosul and another six months in Baghdad led to some rather lively situations at times. Mosul scared me badly; in the fall and winter of 2004 the violence level was unbelievable. I was shot at, mortared, rocketed, and car bombed. I am not in the military- I went over as a civilian contractor; I was in dire financial straits and needed the money. As bad as things got- and they got bad, I had four friends killed up there- the fear wasn't as bad as going home and living with the financial worries. I don't need the money anymore, but I still go back in from time to time for a month or so. Why? Mostly because it's better if I go than someone else; I know what I am getting into. I don't like it, but I do it- someone has to, and it may as well be me. If these experiences have taught me anything, it is that misfortune is often the result of random caprice. Things happen and there isn't a thing you can do about it, so it's useless worrying over it. You can control how you live, and I am betting you will rise to the challenge.

You will be fine- just give yourself a bit of breathing room then step up and take another shot at it. Your three-miler is a start; I wasn't kidding when I said it does get better

wendy