Accident

I've been keeping myself busy lately.  Not just to fight off depression, summer is coming and I have a gut. A little one but it's there.  I've been doing 5 and 6 mile walks once or twice a week.  Making it to the health club 3 and 4 times a week.  Mostly I was getting miles in on bike.  Until Wednesday.  That's when it all came to a painful stop.

It was on a Evanston Bike Club fast Wednesday ride.  40 miles round trip from Wilmette IL to Lake Bluff and back.  I did half the ride.  We were on the Skokie Vallie bike trail doing a pace line.  The rider ahead of me, don't want to name names, (Alice) clipped the rider ahead of her back wheel and down she went.  With my front wheel less than a wheel length from her's, and moving at 17.5 mph, when she went down blocking the path I went down.

Gloved hands on the ground no problem. Right knee that I had wrapped an ace bandage around because it was a little sore before I pulled on my cool weather tights, hit the ground ouch! big time.  I thought I'd really recked my knee for a few mins. I saw a peace of my bike on the ground and felt nothing.  Alice kept apologizing  to me to the point where other riders were telling her to shut-up!

I got up, checked my bike, my body and was ready to ride.  Alice bleeding from a knee, took a couple riders back with her.  I went on with the pace line to lunch and the inevitable stiffing up.  I knew it would come down fast hard. By the time we were ready to head back, about half hour after we reached the restaurant I ached big time.  I headed for the train home. What mentally hurt was the woman I thought of as my girlfriend road on without me. A new girl in the club offer to stay with me.

Later I assessed the damage. Monetary, it comes to about $80. Not including the emergency room visit.  Hopefully Medicare will take care of that, and they did want Alice's full name. No I didn't give it up but I will talk to her if my out of pocket cost escalate.
Physical damage; sore right knee and shoulder. No rides or workouts for a week. Which will set me back for the century training that I was doing.
Mental damage; Of course this is depressing.  I have to sit at home alone for a longer time than I normally would.  In pain.  Maybe it will do me some good. Maybe I'll find something to do that will keep me from gaining weight. Maybe I find some of the important papers I need.  Do some work on the web site that I've been putting off.  Fix the bad relationship with my brother...Maybe not.