I just had a baaaad crash...

[run it, ride it]

Today was about my 5th time mountain biking. My friend Derek and I were nearing the end of our route, speeding down one last downhill. There were two jumps right in a row at the bottom. Derek cleared them both. I only saw the first one.

The bike's front tire planted between the jumps and acted as a catapault. My head slammed into the ground hard--the same place I hit it coming off my horse last week. Thank god, no concussion. Thank God, helmet. But it was one of those falls I knew I wasn't getting up from. My left shoulder was not sitting right. Pure determination kept me from blacking out from the intense pain.

It became clear I was far from mobile. Thank God, though neither of us had cell phones a runner stopped on the trail and called 911. The paramedics arrived within half an hour and managed to maneuvre the ambulance to within 20 feet of the trail I was on. Derek's brother came to pick up the bikes--no damage to the one that flung me, of course.

The ambulance ride back up the trail made for the absolute worst pain of my life. Indescribable. I moaned and yelled, came close to blacking out... but never screamed or shed a tear. I rationalized myself through the pain and made it where I had to. The paramedics were impressed.

I got a bed right away at Guelph General. The hospital staff threatened to cut off the jersey I was wearing and I would have none of it. I made them pull it off me in one piece even though it hurt like nothing else.

When they finally injected me with pain killers, after nearly two hours of agony, I just moaned "thank god" over and over as I numbed and stilled. My exhausted body could finally relax. I am still really hurting, but no pain now can compare to the initial trauma.

It was all I could do to stay conscious for x-rays, which confirmed a broken clavicle.

I'll be off the bike a while. And the horse, and running, and probably work when it starts. I pushed too hard too soon on the bike, made one misstep. And paid for it.

What an awful crash... but I will recover. The pain is bad but managable. I will have to take it slow, learn to listen to and appreciate my body. I have friends to help me get by, the amazing support of you ladies on the forum, and a whack of T3s.