why you should always carry your phone while biking

So today, I met up with Pete the bike coach for another ride, during which he took me up that freaking hill again! I was still super sore from earlier in the week and I didn't think I'd make it up that hill, but I did. When I told him I didn't think I had it in me, he said, "You always do." Good mantra right there. We went back to the end of the bike trail, but I decided I wanted to do 30-40 miles today and I was almost to 20. So he left and I took back off down the trail.

I then decided to get off the trail about 5 miles up and take a different route home. The problem is that I've never exited the trail at that spot and couldn't figure out where the route out of the parking lot was. I saw it and realized it was a pretty steep downhill and I wasn't sure if I could navigate it without inadvertently flying out into traffic. (as it turns out, it doesn't go right into traffic, but I couldn't tell from my angle.) As I was coasting into the parking lot and entertaining these thoughts, I lost too much momentum, and, still clipped to my bike, I fell over. I caught myself with my left hand and stood right back up. I thought I was fine, then I looked down and saw this:


Called my husband, told him to come pick me up with a bag of ice, flip flops, and my insurance card. It was surprisingly nearly painless. It's very surreal and WTF inducing - looking down and your finger looks like THAT, but you hardly feel anything!! The people who passed me on the trail while I waited for my husband were smiling and waving, and I smiled and waved back - I'm sure they thought I was just chilling there!!

So we went to the ER, where I found out it was dislocated (I was SURE I broke it). The doc shot it up with something to numb it, put it back into place and happily, my rings came off with some ky jelly, rather than having to be cut. They're worried I may have torn the tendon, so I have to see a specialist for that, back at the same office with my leg doc.

The worst part of the ER was that we had ridden through a downpour, so I was soaked and freezing. I hadn't thought to ask the huz to bring me dry clothes, so I sat there wrapped in a blanket and husband's jacket the whole time.

It's splinted and I have a script for some painkillers that I hopefully won't have to take, although they have a decent street value. ;) KIDDING! (Not about the street value, about the implication that I'd do anything with that knowledge!) It hurts a little but not obnoxiously so. The good news is that I'm still allowed to run (duh) and swim and bike!! And I do plan on biking again soon!! And I'm still doing warrior dash tomorrow - if it comes down to it, I may have to skip the wall climb, but I'll do the rest of it!!