Bike Crash - My Fault

Although I posted on Facebook that I'd crashed my bike, some people wanted to know what the heck happened, including whether or not my haircut had anything to do with it. To put that theory to rest, this is definitely not a Samson story. Here's what happened...

I was doing a long ride on Sat. in preparation for Ironman Calif. 70.3 (Oceanside). From my

house to the San Onofre (no)Power Plant is about 65 miles round trip. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I rode to the coast and then north through Carlsbad, Oceanside, and Camp Pendleton with many beautiful views of the ocean. The final few miles are right along the coast, through the San Onofre State Campground. Lot's of cyclists ride this section partly because there are few cars and it is a pretty safe stretch to ride.

As I rode through the campground I stayed well to the right, passing people on the left. Many were casually riding across the lane, leaving little room to pass. I would pass and then move all the way back to the right. During a straight section of road I got too close to the edge of the asphalt and my front wheel went off the side into the dirt that was 2-3" lower than the asphalt. I believe my attention had strayed just slightly. You cannot simply steer your wheel back onto the road in this situation, even at 18 or 20 mph, but unfortunately that's what I did. Actually, I'd probably started steering away from the edge before I went over but it was too late. Anyway, this forced the bike to lay down on the left, taking me with it. I hit my shoulder and head on the asphalt, sliding to a stop. My left calf was skinned up nicely. Though my head hit the pavement my helmet protected me well. No loss of consciousness, no headache, not a scratch. Glad I always strap on a helmet. I also carried my cell phone which had the eCrumbs app running. I also had my RoadID on.

Cyclists who rode up stopped and helped get me out of the road, get me to some shade, and get my bike off the road. One called 911 and made sure I was okay before leaving. Of course one person couldn't help but tell his own story about a broken collar bone. I also had Linda on the phone. At first I was just going to wait until she arrived but as each minute passed the adrenaline began to wear off and pain began to rise. In the end I let the ambulance transport me. Linda picked up the bike and then got to the ER at Saddleback Memorial Hospital (not exactly impressive medical treatment there by the way.)

My biggest injury still needs official diagnosis. My shoulder took much of the impact. Something may be torn but there are no broken bones. I am fortunate in many ways.

In the mean time I'm out of commission - no running, biking, swimming, or strength training. There is frustration, there is questioning of my decisions, and there is some depression thrown in. It's a significant setback from my point of view. Hopefully healing will go quickly.

#bikecrash