I'm going on an adventure!
Famous last words, heh.
The weather was GLORIOUS on Saturday and I couldn't in good conscience stay indoors or merely get a mani-pedi so I grabbed my trust Lily bike and took off for the trails. Because the sun beat down pretty mercilessly -- despite the cool temps -- I chose to head east on the W&OD trail which has more tree cover. As I approached the Sugarland Run Trail exit, I decided to change my plan and explore that particular set of trails.
The one and only time I've been through that area was when Scott and I explored during a fair day last December (or was it January?). Except for where I had to cross Elden Street, the trail area is completely wooded but not a close wood which would be stifling. The trees are tall and thin and the breeze coming through was lovely. Not much in the way of wildlife beyond squirrels. I overtook one jogger and passed another jogger and two cyclists in the secluded woodland (which is in the heart of Herndon, VA).
The trail system isn't well-marked and I wound up taking lots of off-shoot trails into neighborhoods which meant I had to retrace my path to get back on the route. Due to the trees, lots of areas of the trail are littered with leaves. It was in one of these areas that my adventure came to a much more exciting and painful conclusion.
A carpet of leaves hid broken pavement and I hit my brakes too hard as I lost control. I went over the handlebar and landed on the right side of my face and body. The bike then landed on me. It took a few moments for the initial shock to abate and then I wrestled my bike off me. I lifted my head and noticed blood on the leaves and pavement. A lot of blood. And blood that was still dripping from me. I checked my face in my bike's mirror and saw a giant gash in my chin. Great, I thought, I'm going to need stitches.
I phoned a few friends and finally found someone at home. hannnahkl was my savior. I pushed my bike about three-quarters of a mile out of the trail system to get to an actual street where she picked me up and rushed me over to Reston Hospital's ER. That stay took about three hours, I think? I got a CT which seems to be pretty standard after a bike crash and because the doctor worried I might have fractured my right cheek/orbital or jaw and x-rays of my right shoulder, ribs, right pinkie, and right knee which are all places with significant road rash/torn skin and where I winced when the doctor poked me.
Happily, nothing on me was me was broken and my chin required twelve stitches. As of Saturday night, the swelling started. My right knee looks like I have two patellae and my right cheek is HYOOGE. As of this morning, my chin is swollen into my neck and my right cheek was starting to bruise. I'm going to have SPECTACULAR bruising as the scrapes fade. The stitches should dissolve in a week or so and the doctor thinks the resulting scar will fade in a year or so.
I'm leaving my bike dismantled for a while (had to take the front wheel off to get it in hannnahkl's car) so I won't be tempted to ride before I'm healed and before my bike shop can check her out to make sure she's not broken. I'm very sore, dull surprise, but will live to ride again.
The weather was GLORIOUS on Saturday and I couldn't in good conscience stay indoors or merely get a mani-pedi so I grabbed my trust Lily bike and took off for the trails. Because the sun beat down pretty mercilessly -- despite the cool temps -- I chose to head east on the W&OD trail which has more tree cover. As I approached the Sugarland Run Trail exit, I decided to change my plan and explore that particular set of trails.
The one and only time I've been through that area was when Scott and I explored during a fair day last December (or was it January?). Except for where I had to cross Elden Street, the trail area is completely wooded but not a close wood which would be stifling. The trees are tall and thin and the breeze coming through was lovely. Not much in the way of wildlife beyond squirrels. I overtook one jogger and passed another jogger and two cyclists in the secluded woodland (which is in the heart of Herndon, VA).
The trail system isn't well-marked and I wound up taking lots of off-shoot trails into neighborhoods which meant I had to retrace my path to get back on the route. Due to the trees, lots of areas of the trail are littered with leaves. It was in one of these areas that my adventure came to a much more exciting and painful conclusion.
A carpet of leaves hid broken pavement and I hit my brakes too hard as I lost control. I went over the handlebar and landed on the right side of my face and body. The bike then landed on me. It took a few moments for the initial shock to abate and then I wrestled my bike off me. I lifted my head and noticed blood on the leaves and pavement. A lot of blood. And blood that was still dripping from me. I checked my face in my bike's mirror and saw a giant gash in my chin. Great, I thought, I'm going to need stitches.
I phoned a few friends and finally found someone at home. hannnahkl was my savior. I pushed my bike about three-quarters of a mile out of the trail system to get to an actual street where she picked me up and rushed me over to Reston Hospital's ER. That stay took about three hours, I think? I got a CT which seems to be pretty standard after a bike crash and because the doctor worried I might have fractured my right cheek/orbital or jaw and x-rays of my right shoulder, ribs, right pinkie, and right knee which are all places with significant road rash/torn skin and where I winced when the doctor poked me.
Happily, nothing on me was me was broken and my chin required twelve stitches. As of Saturday night, the swelling started. My right knee looks like I have two patellae and my right cheek is HYOOGE. As of this morning, my chin is swollen into my neck and my right cheek was starting to bruise. I'm going to have SPECTACULAR bruising as the scrapes fade. The stitches should dissolve in a week or so and the doctor thinks the resulting scar will fade in a year or so.
I'm leaving my bike dismantled for a while (had to take the front wheel off to get it in hannnahkl's car) so I won't be tempted to ride before I'm healed and before my bike shop can check her out to make sure she's not broken. I'm very sore, dull surprise, but will live to ride again.