In response to your reply to the "hitting on boys" thread, this is for you verslowrdr. It happened yesterday, not today...and I don't have any landscape shots, but I'll do my best to make the story exciting! 
Was tackling the front half of the set of trails that I'll be tackling in my first (and perhaps last) ever race. I've been doing the back half for months so feel pretty comfortable with it. Over the last two weeks I've been averaging about 3-5 falls per ride while learning this section. So I was prepared for a fall or two. To my amazement, I made it throught he entire front section without falling. Sure I dabbed a time or two, but I'd taken a couple of rooty downhills that normally freak me out and had finally nailed a weird drop with roots followed by a hair pin curve into a rooty slightly off camber climb. I was feeling really positive, smiling and laughing and telling myself I rocked while I rode.
So I finished the front without falling and was thrilled that I'd managed to add an extra mile per hour to my average speed. I went into the second half feeling really good, but I don't think I was being cocky. Narrowly averted disaster on one blind curve where another rider and and I managed not to play an unannounced game of chicken.
Then...it happened. Murphy's law...karma, whatever. I took a curve a little fast, not scarily or cockily fast, just a little swift. My back tired fishtailed in some loose dirt (I thought it was all hard packed as per usual) and the bike went left while I went OTB and to the right. Managed to nail the inside of my knee on some part of the bike as I went over and the outside of the same knee as well as my forearm and elbow when I landed in the hard packed earth generously populated with big, gnarly Georgia pine roots. Ouch.
Got up and started brushing myself off when I realized my elbow really hurt. 30 seconds post crash I had a huge goose egg already in evidence and I'd hit my elbow so hard on a root the skin had split. The last mile might be pretty touchy. I picked up the bike and the handlebars were totally tweaked. My brake levers were pointing at the ground. I grabbed my allen wrench tool, but twisting it caused twinges in my elbow. I realized I was walking out. Sigh.
Did I mention there are two last steep climbs on the way out. Short, but not fun when pushing your bike up with a marginally functioning arm. Luckily two very nice guys helped me load the bike in the back of my ride, or else I'd have been sitting there for a while.
Tried to take pics of the knees, but the lighting wasn't cooperative. So here's the elbows. It's nothing major. I managed easy 6 mile ride this morning. I know armor would have helped, but I can't stand wearing it in 99+ degree weather with Georgia style humidity.
verslowrdr...this is for you!!!
Was tackling the front half of the set of trails that I'll be tackling in my first (and perhaps last) ever race. I've been doing the back half for months so feel pretty comfortable with it. Over the last two weeks I've been averaging about 3-5 falls per ride while learning this section. So I was prepared for a fall or two. To my amazement, I made it throught he entire front section without falling. Sure I dabbed a time or two, but I'd taken a couple of rooty downhills that normally freak me out and had finally nailed a weird drop with roots followed by a hair pin curve into a rooty slightly off camber climb. I was feeling really positive, smiling and laughing and telling myself I rocked while I rode.
So I finished the front without falling and was thrilled that I'd managed to add an extra mile per hour to my average speed. I went into the second half feeling really good, but I don't think I was being cocky. Narrowly averted disaster on one blind curve where another rider and and I managed not to play an unannounced game of chicken.
Then...it happened. Murphy's law...karma, whatever. I took a curve a little fast, not scarily or cockily fast, just a little swift. My back tired fishtailed in some loose dirt (I thought it was all hard packed as per usual) and the bike went left while I went OTB and to the right. Managed to nail the inside of my knee on some part of the bike as I went over and the outside of the same knee as well as my forearm and elbow when I landed in the hard packed earth generously populated with big, gnarly Georgia pine roots. Ouch.
Got up and started brushing myself off when I realized my elbow really hurt. 30 seconds post crash I had a huge goose egg already in evidence and I'd hit my elbow so hard on a root the skin had split. The last mile might be pretty touchy. I picked up the bike and the handlebars were totally tweaked. My brake levers were pointing at the ground. I grabbed my allen wrench tool, but twisting it caused twinges in my elbow. I realized I was walking out. Sigh.
Did I mention there are two last steep climbs on the way out. Short, but not fun when pushing your bike up with a marginally functioning arm. Luckily two very nice guys helped me load the bike in the back of my ride, or else I'd have been sitting there for a while.
Tried to take pics of the knees, but the lighting wasn't cooperative. So here's the elbows. It's nothing major. I managed easy 6 mile ride this morning. I know armor would have helped, but I can't stand wearing it in 99+ degree weather with Georgia style humidity.
verslowrdr...this is for you!!!
