Hey all,
17 days ago, I was doing a local master men's crit, just for fun and
training. Was going to do the master-A's, but didn't was still warmed up
from the women's race, and didn't want to wait around for another hour. I
looked around at the start line, saw some sketchy looking riders, and
wondered if I was making a mistake. But I figured I'd be okay if I would
stay up front, or maybe try to get off the front. Well guess what- one of
the sketchy guys was also pretty strong, and marked me the entire first half
of the race. As I was rounding the last corner, going for a prime, he tried
to come up the inside, clipped my handlebars hard, and sent me flying toward
the pavement. Witnesses say he landed on top of me, though I don't remember
this.
Anyway, he got up, got his free lap, and finished the race, in 2nd or 4th
place I think, ( i know the guys who were 1st and 3rd) while I went to the
hospital with a broken rt. collar bone (two places, displaced), at least 3
broken ribs on the rt., maybe more, and a pneumothorax (punctured rt. lung).
Was hospitalized for two days with a chest-tube to re-inflate my lung. I
don't think the pneumothorax is holding me back much now. The collar bone
is mending- it seems I can do a little more each day, though I'm not yet
ready to hold the handlebars. I've been on the trainer daily since day-6.
(I can do a little intensity now, for short periods of time, as long as I
don't hold the handlebars.) But the ribs, they feel fine when I'm just
walking around, but they don't seem to be improving much. I still can't
roll over in bed, or lie on either side without feeling like my chest is
caving in..
Has anybody had similar injuries? If so, how long did it take for you to
get back to racing, or even riding? Any ortho or sports med-types out
there? Murray? My ortho docs are always so conservative, one is saying
possibly 3 months, but I don't buy it. I want to be ready to compete by the
"Tour of Altoona" a 7 day stage race, which will be 7 weeks post-injury.
Realistic?
I'm supposed to be at Elite Natz this week, but instead am sitting here
writing to RBR. Man, my life DOES suck!
crash pics:
one lap before the crash: http://www.wheelsinfocus.com/img_7187vp.jpg (see
the dude in on my wheel?)
~10 seconds after the crash: http://www.wheelsinfocus.com/img_7192vp.jpg
(same dude)
finish: http://www.wheelsinfocus.com/img_7241vp.jpg (same dude in 2nd wheel,
~20 meters from finish line)
thanks, suz
p.s. I had a lot of friends at the race, but nobody knew who this guy was.
The official said he was an out-of-towner, probably from Oregon. Any of you
OBRA people recognize him, or his team kit?