minor setback

Well...here's the story:


Yesterday's ride was a scheduled 3-5 hours. I felt awesome after having a rest day so I decided to do closer to 5. I had ridden about 65 miles so far and was starting a lap of that 8-mile road in Saguaro. About a third of the way through, I had gotten my speed up nice and high (about 55km/h) and was just having a blast whizzing around these rolling hills and corners. There is one left hand corner however, that is mighty tight and at high speeds and I was forced to take it wide, but well within means of making it. As I was coming around the corner, in my drops head tucked down close to the bars, my front wheel nudged a very small rock that didn't knock me off or really do much more than to change my navigation about 4 or 5 degrees. That being said, it was enough to drastically alter my turning radius, thus sending my front wheel off the course to dig into the sand and throw me onto my shoulder/face to slide along the ground for a bit. When I stood up to gather my wits and things that has scrawled along the road, like my glasses, bottles and pump, I started to feel outrageously nauseous...like the "oh shit, im going to puke" kind and sat down right away.

It was then that everything that had led up to me being in this situation started to flood into my head: working seven days a week for months and moving back in with my parents in order to save up enough for this trip. Barely spending enough time with my girlfriend in the months prior because she knew how important it was to me that I go and that I work to save up enough money. Training my ass off for several hours a day since I've been down here for three weeks and seeing huge improvements - BAM...thrown away because i knew as soon as I put my hand on my shoulder, I had broken my collarbone.

In place of where a smooth surface used to be sat a bone that still is now, "tenting" my skin up into the air. I didn't write about it yesterday because not only was I in a horrendous amount of pain, but I was devastated. As I gathered my things and started to walk back to the ranger station I was lucky enough to come across a lady named Eileen who generously offered me a ride back home and then to the hospital. So thank you very much Eileen. Still sitting in my bibshorts, leg warmers and ripped jersey, but now running shoes instead of cleats and booties, I sat patiently with my travellers insurance papers waiting for diagnosis. Just before I got the X-rays back I guess there was still a shred of hope in me that it had been dislocated instead of broken and could be set and see me ride again this week...not so much the case, as you can see.


Last night was spent in a lot of pain trying to get hours of sleep I will inevitably need for recovery. Today's task was to get to the orthopaedic surgeon so he could give me all the gritty details about my recovery time, methods, and if surgery will be required. I can now say with the first bit of optimism that has cruised through my head in 24 hours, that everything should be OK, in time of course. We are 95% sure that surgery will not be required, I can start very easy stationary cycling as early as a day or two from now and I could be back on my bike in as early as 2.5-3 weeks.

Although this will alter my training program, let me clarify that I'm looking at this as an almost insignificant setback. I came into this season with certain goals and if anything, this only makes me more hungry to achieve them. The next few days will be focused primarily on keeping my shoulder raised and immobilized, getting whatever exercise I can (today was step-ups), and eating as healthy as possible. I'm not burning nearly as many calories as I was previously was so smaller, calcium rich meals are on order for the next while.

This whole experience has me sympathizing even more with my good friend Zach, who is recovering from a broken elbow and probably going through a lot of the same annoyances with having to stay docile when all you want to do is train. Get better soon Zach.

Another high point is that I should receive a stationary trainer at my door sometime soon courtesy of the amazing management at The Trek Store of Toronto. This sucks wayyyy less now so thanks a million.

Needless to say I intend to keep myself very busy during my recovery and am still very much looking forward to the upcoming race season.




24 hours after accident...