Go Big or Go Home

This morning the Wingman and I went out to Cathedral Pines to meet up with Tom for a MTB ride. It was pretty chilly this morning, but we were eager to ride. The last time we rode with Tom he snapped his chain and then we took a little time off from riding because of some races. But now it was go time!

The main loop is 6 miles and you can add some additional mileage on if you do any of the black diamond sections. We decided early on to stay on the main loop for the first lap. The very beginning of the ride is uphill and then it flattens out and has some rollers in . The sun was hidden for most of the loop so I had no trouble seeing the trail. The only trouble were the leaves covering the roots. Made for a bumpy ride. I felt at ease and paced us well first time through.

When the loop was done, we circled the parking lot and then went back for the 2nd loop. This time it was a little more difficult. The sun was a little higher in the sky and made for some difficult sighting as we made our way around the trails. I was still out in front but I tried to slow it down a little. We crossed over a fire road and I heard a loud thud behind me. On a turn, the back wheel of the Wingman's bike caught some leaves and came out from under him. He lucked out that he hit some 'soft' ground so the fall wasn't too bad. We all breathed a sigh of relief and continued on. Less than 2 miles left in the loop, I was coming around a turn and tried to navigate through a heavily rooted area. It was hard to find a line, especially since I was coming out of a turn. The roots are big so it was best to hit them straight on. I wound up clipping it on an angle and next thing you know I hit the ground hard. My 'cat like' reflexes did not kick in. Not even my 'non-cat like' reflexes. When I hit the ground I was still 'on' the bike. Couldn't try to break my fall. All I felt was pain from smashing my leg and elbow on the roots. After ~10 seconds my PT brain kicked in and I started an evaluation of my pain and range of motion. I was hoping for no tibial plateau fracture  since that is where most of the pain seemed to be coming from. But once I got up and walked it off, I felt better. But I rode the rest of the course like a big chicken, but I made it to the car without another incident.

Next ride I'll be fine again. I would have forgotten just how much it hurt to hit the ground and will be able to ride without worry.

Once we got home I changed into some warm clothes, grabbed an ice pack, and we started watching the NYC Marathon. Liliana and her sister Raquel are running today so Wingman and I are glued to the TV trying to see if they are on TV. Run Lil, Run!!!!!

Raquel and Liliana, a couple of Badass Women!! 

(photo courtesy of Liliana)