A New Bike and A Broken Bone

So, if you follow my Facebook page you might already know all of this, but if not this is a story for you. 🙂

Last weekend my husband and I went bike shopping. We have been talking for a couple of years about upgrading to road bikes. Last year Ben got his, but since I wasn’t riding because of newborn Cameron we held off until this year for me. If anyone needs a road bike out of the group it is me. I ride with guys, not because I’m trying to prove anything, because I can’t keep up with them very well, but because they are my family and I love them and riding is something we do together. Anyways, they all have road bikes and are super strong and fast, then you have me, not so strong on a cross bike. Definitely time for an upgrade. So we went shopping. It was tough. There were so many pretty bikes to choose from.

And I would have chosen a bike because of the pretty flowers it had on it, or the fact that I liked the paint job. Thankfully my husband was looking out for me and steered me to the bikes that we would get a good deal on,  would help me to keep up, and had all the specifications that he wanted. It was hard people. I told Ben that I now know what it feels like to be the Bachlorette. So many to choose from and I had to narrow it down without getting to know everything about each one.

At the end of the day we ended up with this one, it was a great deal and I loved it! It’s a Trek, full carbon and has 105 or is it 10.5 gears. I didn’t really care about all that, I liked the way it rode. And it was great! We took it out for its maiden voyage that night. It was a little chilly but it went smoothly.

And then the fateful day. I have not wiped out badly before, so I should have been prepared for the eventuality. Monday night we decided to go for a ride. We have a few new riders in our group this year and I was drafting off one of them much to close. He slowed down and I ran into his tire. Fell. Broke the bottle cage off my bike. Bruises and scrapes on my arm. Road rash up my left leg.

 

After getting home (we had my MIL come get me)and cleaning up, I decided to have my mom, who used to be a nurse, come over a check out my elbow just to be on the safe side. I had some movement, but certain ones were very painful. I was sure it was just bruised and sore. Mom came over took a look and suggested we go in just to make sure. So we did.

 

And it was a good thing we went, because my elbow is broken. 🙁 I don’t remember the name of the bone, the bottom one of the forearm. I get to go in for surgery to repair it next week Tuesday.

It was a good lesson, for me and for the new riders. for me I learned that I need to give new riders more room give them more than one ride to turn into seasoned riders. For the new guys a lesson in what not to do and we will probably talk about communicating with fellow riders if/when you decide to slow down.

 

I’m thankful that: there were no cars coming, that no one else was injured, that we decided to go into the ER, that recovery time doesn’t look to long and that this happened at the beginning of the season instead of the end after I had trained all summer and wouldn’t be able to participate in the rides that I want to. I’m thankful for the people who are praying for me, for those who have offered to help and are helping.

So this is my exciting life. Learning how to do things one-handed. Trying to nurse a one year old while I have my arm in a splint. Allowing other people to help me. Reading book that are on my goal list. Watching girl movies. Doing squats, lunges and wall sits.

Soon I will be back on the bike, my hubby is putting it on the trainer, When I get back out on the road I know there are fears that will have to be conquered. Right now I’m trying to look at this as an adventure and a story to tell my kids when they get older.