CRASH
Due to paint, wet pavement, and pilot error, I fell down HAARD today. Dislocated shoulder, overextended ankle, road rash on lower leg, hip, and elbow. In a bizarre crash damage thing, my front derailleur was somehow moved and in trying to get the chain back on from the outside, we broke the (carbon) cage. I always thought that was a dumb idea anyway so I'm gonna replace it with a Chorus instead of Record which is a nice aluminum thiing that weighs about the same anyway. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should, which pretty much describes my decision to race today. I was feeling overwrought and out-of-focus, and in trying to close a gap, I went too fast in turn five. I didn't make that little nuanced move you have to do when crossing a wide swath of paint, and the front wheel slipped, I guess. So I'm laying there and my shoulder is out and guys are going around me which was cool, and I get my should back in ok. Finally get the chain on by breaking the cage of the FD, get to the pit and restart. I hang for six or eight laps but I'm not feeling good aside from the crash, and my shoulder and hip are hurting. Then I get a front flat and decide it is time to quit. Eventually I get dry and cleaned up and go home. Thanks to the people who helped me, wifey Holly, Jonas who made me lighten up, Andy MacDonald and his friends who found them, the EMTs, Bryan, other teammates too, also Kirsten Grove. Andy said "that's so Mark" to get up and go again after a hard fall like that.Anyway the better part of valor would have been not to start a decision I will feel free to make in the future. It really wasn't the conditions that were the problem. I have done technical races in the rain this year without incident, it was just that I didn't seem to be able to maintain situational awareness due to some fatigue. So I am going to take a break. Fix my bike. Just ride to work. Focus on the MABRA TT and getting in sync with the new TT bike. Do some weekend rides. Be with the FAM. EM me if you want to go for a spin flythebike at gmail dot com. I will try to get back in shape for the MABRA RR too, plan on kicking some butt at track championships and defending my title at Turkey Day. But I think that for the most part, I've done enough crits for the year.
As for the BAR, Evan is the real winner, Freddy will probably take the title, or maybe Wade, Bo took a nice third today but anyway I am letting that go. Too grueling and the damage I took today isn't worth the prize to me anymore.
So I'll look forward to enjoying the TdF which starts next Saturday, can you believe it? I will be blogging the heck out of that race, so if you liked what I had to say about CSC and all my tactical insights and all that good stuff, be checking back.
Licking my wounds and taking a week off the bike,
Mark
posted by Mark @ 1:25 PM
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