If only I knew what was about to happen that day I would not have contacted our Master and Commander 'Johnson' to request that we push back the Sat. ride to noon so I could join the crew after my shift in the blood lab. There were only three of us that showed up on this absolutely perfect day, 'Banana', 'The Tool', and I. We started out in the usual manner circling the parking lot like a native american tribe around the tribal fire before a hunt. Once our cycling juices were flowing we headed down the south entrance in search of adventure. As we approached Clarkson Rd. 'Banana' suggests that we take on the larger 27 mile route since it was such an amazing day and we seemed to have the time for it. I had not informed them that I had dropped my wife off at the Pure Harmony Day Spa before my shift and needed to pick her up by 3ish, so I took the lead and tried to set a quick pace. This was no problem for our manly crew, and so the pace was kept with such professional drifting and repossitioning as I've ever seen. The winding downhill of Clayton just before Strecker is a nice place to pick up some speed to carry through the flats before you hit the first Boss(large hill) as noted in the previous blog-Night Ride Two-TMNT. That is unless you catch the light red as we did on this fine day. So our momentum was deminshed and the lead into the Boss was not going to be as pleasant as hoped. I decided to take the lead from here and gather up as much momentum as I could so the 'kick punch combos' wouldn't be so bad to start off.
I however was unable to make it to the Boss...
Just after McBride Pointe Dr. I had lowered my head and devoted all of my energy to getting up to an optimal speed. I looked back in my rearview to check where Banana, and The Tool were, only to look back up in time to see that someone had parked a landscaping trailer on the side of the road. I had just enough time to think "Damn this is going to hurt", and CRASH! Luckily I was wearing a helmet and it took the brute force rather than my skull. Had I not been wearing it I would not be typing this today.
As I dismount the bike in excrutiating pain, I notice a girl walking in the opposite direction about to die laughing, and remember thinking "yeah I'd be laughing too if only I could breathe". I drop to the ground and lie on my back and finally catch my breathe. The two other stop, dismount and rush up to assess the sitation. In no time a cel phone was whipped out and 911 was on the phone. These guys are studing to be medical professionals after all, and I was in good hands.
Then the thought runs throgh my head 'Shit, this is really going to screw up my wifes day at the spa', not to mention I had dropped her off... she was stranded at the day spa. If you really think about it, if I were to be stranded somewhere a day spa isn't all that bad!
Luckily the Chief of an ambulance company just so happened to be driving in the area and was the first on the scene. In no time at all an ambulance arrived, I was on a backboard and rushed off to St. Johns Mercy Hospital.
I've been in the ER a few times, as I'm sure you can imagine by now, but I was in CT'd and out the door in under two hours, that's impressive! Luckily my CT scan came back showing there was nothing broken. By the time I was signing my release papers our fearless leader comes walking in with our "First Lady". They escort me outside where 'Banana' and 'Tool' were just walking up. These two manly men had shaken off the incident and decided to go on and defeat the rest of the 27 mile route as a duet. They then informed me that it was just not the day for me to be out there on the ride, because as they rode up to Kehrs Mill Rd, there stood a deer. I'm thinking it was the same one that had tried to take me down last September, and since she had not been successful was back to finish me off.
For those of you wondering what ever happened to my wife the lovely ladies at Pure Harmony Day Spa were kind enough to drop her off at the ER. A special thanks goes out to them for taking such good care of her that day, and also the lady who held my bike for me while I was at the ER.
Unfortunately my steed was injured on this ride, and I am back to riding the '75 'Mean Green Machine', until I am able to replace her front forks. I have also found the jersey I am saving up to purchace, I think it suits me...
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