Tough Luck :-(

Tuesday night after work I went out and did the best brick I've ever done. My times were better than ever and I felt strong the entire time. I rode 20 miles on the Staggerwing course and followed immediately with a 4 mile run. I saw what I had and I predicted exactly how I would do this Saturday. This was my 6th week of "official Staggerwing training." I felt great about it and was really looking forward to the race.

So Wednesday after work I jumped on my bike for a short and final ride before race-day. I want my legs to be rested, but not so rested they forget what it feels like to be on the bike. I was just planning to ride to my parents' house - probably woulda been pushing to make it a 10 mile ride. Just a good warm-up.

As I proceed down Ragsdale rd and turn onto Taylor Rd, the thought crosses my mind that I've never ridden this road before - well not since early last year. "I wonder if there are dogs out here??? I'm not able to get a ton of speed up because the road is so curvy..... so I hope not. Stay on top of your game Holly.... be aware of your surroundings." Cruising along around 18-19mph...... Approximately 45 seconds after those thoughts permeated through my brain BOOM! OUT OF FREAKIN NO WHERE! THE DITCHES! On me like white on rice!!!! 2 dogs - 1 which is very large and black and is almost as big as Black Betty. RUFF RUFF RUFF RUFF!!! GRRRRRRRRRR..... GRRRRRRRR.... OMG........ they're going to KILL ME! And they are not AFRAID. THEY ARE OUT FOR BLOOD!!!! OMG, OMG, OMG.... NO!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! WHAM! (black betty runs over or into very large black dog) and UP UP AND OVER the bars I go and BANG onto the pavement on my right hip and shoulder and I slide..... and slide....... as the skin on my shoulder, hip,, elbow knee & calf sloughs off into the tar & chip road and I finally lose momentum and I'm flat in the road - on the opposite side of the road I might add - and I look up and dogs are barking and growling and Black Betty is on her head in the ditch.
So I pull my backpack off and attempt to call my mom but she wasn't home - she was at the rec. A very nice lady, Renee Taylor, pulled up and helped me. She wanted to clean me up. She insisted to load me and Black Betty up in her van and take us home, but I played it off cool.... and told her I was fine and I pulled Black Betty outta the ditch, put her chain back on and proved to her that she was rideable and I finally (after catching my composure and remembering my address) jump on the bike and head BACK to the house. As soon as Miss Renee was out of sight, I lost it. I cried. Hard. Like... the kinda crying that makes you lose your breath!!! I was in a lot of pain, but that's not what I was crying over. I was upset because I know the blow my body had just taken - and I knew there would be no Staggerwing race for me. I am so close - 3 days from race day. What about all those 5am mornings to brick? All those evenings when I really wanted to veg out on the couch but I was counting the weeks till the Stag... and I knew it would pay off. So I trained. And I trained harder than I've ever trained for anything. I am stronger than I've ever been. I am improved all the way around. And who knows... I may have gotten there on race-day and done terrible and God may just not want my pride to be hurt. But still.... it sucks to have your plan shot to hell. Especially when you've put so much into it.

But whatta ya do?? First, you thank the good Lord that you survived your road crash. Not everyone is as lucky as I was. Second, you call your sister and she rushes over and helps me clean my wounds. Lana just went through a similar crash (minus the very large dog) a few weeks ago and is just now healed. She peroxided me, aka SET ME ON FIRE. LOL. And she felt my pain..... physical and emotional.I was in a mess. My parents came over and brought bandages and tape and more peroxide and hibi cleanse and a bag of reeces :-) Chocolate heals everything, right?

So, I tried to sleep that night but it just wasn't happening. I was in a lot of pain - well everything on the right side of my body. My hip has 2 large bruises, my shoulder is bruised and less 1 layer of skin and my knee (as of Friday morning) has finally stopped bleeding. I am worried that I am going to be timid on the bike now. :-/

K and I spent Thursday just kinda.... doing nothing because there's not much I can do. We are both on vacation and we had planned to go hear 'the band' play that night. We ate dinner and then it started raining and there was someting more appealing to just staying in and watching movies. Plus I was still in a lot of pain. We rested up and got up this morning for a round of 9 holes of golf! alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229651238428571634" /> This is about all the activity my knee can handle right now. I guess this might be a great week for sharpening up my golf skills? We both did pretty good and it was fun to be doing a sport that isn't taxing the body to it's maximum effort! Hmmm... I could really get into this?!?! :-)

So I'll be heading out in the morning to watch my training peeps setup their transitions and compete in the Staggerwing Du. I am thinking of this as a great opportunity to volunteer. And hopefully.... it won't bum me out too bad to be standing on the sidelines. Goodluck to Tim, Lee, Eric B, Michele, Tracy, Lana and anyone else participating tomorrow. Once AGAIN, I hope to get some great pics of you guys! :-)