Sometimes it does all go wrong. Both of us have spent time in A&E following mistakes that have separated us forcefully from our bikes, and both of us have experienced the slow recovery from a broken collar bone while you think about the split second decision that went the wrong way.
Whether it’s a fantasy about chips and then swerving too hard to avoid someone coming towards you that put you on the tarmac, or a slight misjudgement over your ability to ride off a drop and avoid a tree, the end result is pain. It’s also having to call an ambulance, be taken out of cycling clothes which are really too tight to be manipulated over a damaged shoulder and sit around in casualty waiting for x-rays and diagnosis before being sent home to recover.
It’s also six weeks of boredom and discomfort and not being able to sleep properly and a world of pain killers. But in the end it makes you keener to get back onto your bike. You also feel like something of a hero as you survive and have a story to tell, and join the realms of those cyclists who’ve broken a collar bone, like the pros do. You also seem to realise that deep down you will heal from the injury and so, after the inevitable period where you balk at any technical section, you grow into a better, braver rider.
If it happens to you take solace in the fact that it even happens to the best riders, and there are people who get it wrong-er and bigger than you.
A
No comments:
Post a Comment