We woke up this morning and there was a light drizzle outside. We put on our rain coats and started out. We had heard that there was a good chance there would be thunder storms around 10:00am. The temperature was in the 60s, so it was only a few miles out that we decided it was better to be wet from the rain, then to be wet from the sweat created by the raincoats. We took them off. This was going to be a 93 miles day so we started early and at an easy pace. We didn't stop for too many pictures. I had decided to take some towards the end of the ride when we knew how much time we had to play with. We are really getting into some beautiful country. It just gets better everyday. We stopped at about mile 62 in the little town of Lockhart and had lunch at the Sunshine Cafe. Shortly after lunch we ran into several patches of road that were graded and very rutted. It was in the last one of these patches that I hit a rut and went down. I wasn't going very fast because of the road, so I wasn't hurt very bad. My left arm and the knuckles on my left hand got a good case of road rash, but that's about it. It was bleeding and looked ugly, so I got on my bike and hightailed it in that last 20 miles to our hotel. I got in the shower and thought I could wash it off. Dumb idea. As soon as the water hit it, I knew I needed something to kill the pain before washing it, so I had Carol take me to the ER. After four hours and a good cleaning, they sent me on my way. I attached a picture of the wrapping they sent me home with, and another one of the wrapping Shelley, the nurse, put on for me the next morning. I think they had kind of overdone it. This is my third injury and I do believe, my last. Anyway, the girls saved Carol and I some dinner and some Champagne. We ate, drank, and called it a night. Total elevation gain for the day was 2600.
Carol Wilder, the one in the picture with me, is one our guides for this trip. She is retired from the military and has been with Womantours for a several years. She is as good a bike mechanic as I've ever seen. She has taught us how to easily change tires, clean and lube our bikes, how to know when you are using the proper gears etc. I can't thank her enough for taking four hours out of her already busy day and missing happy hour to sit with me in the ER.
25 days down and 25 days to go.
Whew! When I saw your picture, I immediately showed my girls and said, "Oh, that can't be good!" It looked like it was wrapped as though it were broken. We were very relieved to read it wasn't that bad and you're still in the ride. But, ouch, anyway! Carry on and be careful ;-)
ReplyDelete