ASPHALT JUNKIES Summer Bronzing Crew - CLOSED (Page 66)

Brenda......here is my 2 cents regarding the cassette.  I just recently changed my 12/27 cassette to an 11/28.  (I wore out the other one.)  I have the strength and fitness to deal with hills just fine with the 27 but I wanted to be happy with climbing multiple hills in succession.  Sure, I might be a little slower climbing the hills but at the end of the day, I feel much more fresh and less trashed.

I have noticed some clunkiness on shifting, with the switch.  I think it is due to the derailleur needing to move a larger distance between a couple rings on the cassette.  The new cassette has the same number of rings (10) but the number of teeth between each ring is not tight.  (I feel like I am not describing this very well.  Let me know if you need clarification.)

Short story.....I'm glad I made the switch to the 11/28.  I don't always use the 28 but it's nice to know it's available.

WHAT??????  You went to Summit????  There's your mistake!!!!!  Since Human Motor Works opened up I refuse to go to Summit!!!  I think their a greedy store and less than friendly to their customers.  Next time you come to Fort Wayne and go to the bike store let me know and I'll meet you at HMW or at least make sure you have good directions.

NEVER GO TO SUMMIT AGAIN!!!

I got this route already to my phone and should be ready to go in the AM.  I'll shoot you a text later this evening to make sure we have a god time set to start.  BTW, Kyrie has assured me that she will be sleeping in tomorrow but only until I get back and shower.  After that we'll be on the road fairly quickly.

Another record breaking heat day!  It topped out at 74 degrees today!  No wonder I said "screw the stroller run" around noon!!!!  I'm hot and cranky!

Edited to say that it is 83 degrees on my deck in the shade!!!!

I....would.....die!!!!  That's insane!!!

Our temperatures are a good 25 degrees higher than what I'm used to!  I sucked it it up and went for a run this evening.  It was 70 degrees!  It was bad but not horrible.  It's super muggy, too.

I think I'll have some cheese with that w(h)ine, now.

Welcome back, Matt!

Tracy, here in Redding it should be a nice dry 99 degrees today. It should only get up to 85 or so Sunday in Mt Shasta for the Tinman, but at race time it will probably be in the low 50s.

So I just saw some pictures on Facebook of Dirk during a "pause" on the bike ride with Jeff. Ouch! I think I'll skip riding with you two based on that.  

I'm all done. I did not see my official times but my goal for this race was to push myself out of my comfort zone. Swim hard, bike harder and that is what I did so regardless of results I am happy with this race. And best of all, no mechanical issues, wrecks or issues of any kind on the bike! Woo Hoo!

Think of those still out there on the course trying to complete the run. The heat was really getting to me on the 2nd lap of the bike with cold chills even though I was obviously sweating but I knew I was going to stop soon. The run is on a country road surrounded by corn fields so the airflow will not be good. My van said the temp was 95 as I was leaving the race, full sun, running on asphalt, well you get the idea.

This, yes. I heard there was a lady in the race today with multiple flats. Other racers were giving her tubes and she kept changing the flat but then she would flat again. So somewhere in all that frustration she should have been looking for the reason for the flat but it is so hard to focus in the middle of a race.

The other thing I keep hearing about is loosing the screws from the cleats in the bottom of cycling shoes. Tiff had 2 screws fall out on a ride we had a couple of weeks ago and I read about the same thing in a race report. Not to make you paranoid or anything, I'm sure you have enough on your mind right now but just something to check off your list .

As most of you know, Jeff and I were able to get a ride in.  The ride was, well, epic!!  It was a great start to the ride and we were cooking for the first half.  I had been noticing speeds were pretty quick for both of us being on road bikes (or at least for me).  Jeff told me later that we had been slightly climbing for most of the first half of the ride.  That must have been why I was having higher than normal HR's.  I was beginning to think that Jeff was going to try to murder me by cycling.

Jeff and I had left the hotel just a few minutes before 6 AM and there was low light for the first few miles.  The roads were very lightly traveled during this time.  As the sun came up I was able to get some really nice views of some of the Tennessee countryside.  At one point I dropped back and took a pic of Jeff riding in front of me.  He was talking to one of his girls on the phone as we were riding (because she had car trouble) and we were going slow enough to get the shot.  (I'll try to get that pic up with this post.)

Once we were moving at breakneck speeds again things were moving fast, except for a couple of small climbs.  These small climbs were a nice change from my normal terrain.  I was looking forward to making a bigger climb that I had noticed as I reviewed the map posted on here.  I didn't want to have a ride that was anything like back home and Jeff was lining me up to make sure that didn't happen.

We were about 16.5 miles into the ride and Jeff spotted a bigger climb that he hadn't placed on the agenda for the day.  He said it wasn't the biggest climb in the area but it was kind of a big deal to people who aren't animal's in the local cycling area.  He asked if I was up for it and I agreed that it was a good idea.  At this point we weren't at the foot of the hill but were climbing in elevation nonetheless.  The real climb started about 17.25 and I was beating myself to death trying to climb.  I could see the top of the hill and the overlook that was near the top.  I was looking forward to getting a pic near the crest and taking the view in......It was all part of the experience!  I was loving the trashing I was doing to myself and the challenges that I knew were lying ahead.

Once at the top of the climb we stopped for a couple of pictures of the valley to the southwest.  The area looked great and I commented to Jeff that it would be quite the feat to have shot a deer at the bottom of the valley and have to drag it to the top.  I guess I was reflecting on the days when I used to hunt.  We had climbed 400 feet in 1.75 miles with the last quarter mile climbing just short of 100 feet.

After a few moments we turned and began our descent.  As I started down I began going through the gears rather quickly, as you might expect when descending a large hill, and I was cruising before long.  I remember wanting to look at my watch to check the speeds but I knew I was moving to fast and there was a curve coming up.  Jeff had been only slightly in front of me, maybe 10 feet at the most, but I decided to slow a bit and allow more of a gap incase something happened as we approached and proceeded through the corner.  Once I had about 30 feet or so, which only took a few seconds at the most, I pressed on the pedals again and accelerated. 

Now I as getting very close to the corner and was carrying a lot of speed but I had no idea just how fast.  I picked a line to begin the corner and checked the possible traffic that might be coming at us, which was clear.  But it became very clear, very, very quickly that I had picked a really poor line.  I had picked a line closer to the yellow double and planned to cut the corner down to the inside and come out back closer to the yellow line again.  I believe I saw a small patch of possibly rough chip and seal or something that made me want to change something, but it was far too late to make any changes at the speed I was going.

With my line determined and for me now I felt very uncomfortable heading into the corner but it was too late to make  much difference.  I grabbed the brakes..........Rear only (yeah, I know!!) and tried to slow as much as I could.  I sent the rear into a skid and my wheel slid probably only 6 inches out from under me.  I was still moving very, very fast but the rubber side was still down.  But I was not feeling comfortable about anything.....AT ALL!!!!  I tried reaching for the front brake and try to slow as much momentum as possible but I couldn't get my fingers on the lever. 

If you're not scared now, you SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!

AND THEN................

I began to look for another line that wouldn't kill me.  I knew I was not going to make the corner and I was trying to find the best place to go down.

You know, it's funny, if you've ever had a moment like this, when fractions of a second seem to turn into minutes and even the most small things that you could never possibly remember are vividly clear, concise and specific.  Time seems almost to stand still as your mind seems to catch a glimpse of every single thing that is near you, around you.  The details of the landscape become incredibly more vivid almost to each blade of grass and if it's been mowed recently.  There are so many details that are very, very clear in my mind and it's almost mind numbing.  I literally cannot fathom how quickly God created our minds to work when they have too.

I could see in front of me and down the road, around the corner and what was coming at me.  I had a guard rail that wouldn't end as soon as I would like, a small grass strip that looked like the best spot for me to go except for the wooden fence with 4 boards between each post.  (Yes, I can actually remember the number of boards without the picture.)  I also noticed an asphalt drive that came into the road (the one on the pic) from the west and the same fence on the opposite side.  Then just beyond the asphalt drive on the right side of the fence was a road sign.  I really knew there was no good place to go but here's where I don't remember being able to make a firm decision where to go.

I was going down and I don't think there was anything I could to avoid it at this point.  As I drifted toward the edge of the road I clearly remember thinking that I had missed the guard rail and now I had to miss the corner fence post on the opposite side of the driveway.  But that was not under my control now because I was on the ground.  As I have had some time to work through some of the details of the incident, I now know that I landed with my right side, above the waist, on the edge of the road and my legs in the grass, about right at the end of the guard rail but sliding away from it toward the asphalt drive.  As I hit the pavement I can remember thinking I really don't want to slide into the corner post on the other side of the drive.  It was as if every second allowed me minutes to think about what was about to happen or what could happen.

Once on the ground and sliding, while still on my bike, I was "comfortably" (???) in the grass.  And then I hit the south end of the driveway.  At this point I think I came off the bike and began to slide on my right side across and through gravel.  Now, believe it or don't if you like, I literally heard my shirt ripping through this section of my slide.  Of all the things to remember!!  My shirt ripping??  Really??

My head was now resting/sliding on the ground following a bounce or two but I now had my eyes opened.  I had not put my sunglasses on because of the early start on the ride in low light so I could see clearly.  (The top of my head was leading my direction of travel and I remained on my right side throughout.)  I watched the asphalt come and go and I was into the grass, now hoping I was missing the corner post.  I am sure it was fractions of a second before that post came into sight but it was far too long a time frame.  Once I saw it I knew I would be alright.  I was still sliding but conscious and alert enough to recognize the sights I had taken in in the immediate spit seconds before going down that I was clear of the worst of the obstacles that would cause the most harm.

As I slid to a stop in the cool grass still with the morning dew I began to assess my physical condition.  As I laid on the ground for what seemed like a very long time, I remember thinking about where Jeff might be, hoping he would make it back to me quickly if I were unable to get up.  I felt no pain.  I don't think I lost consciousness.  I only remember feeling dazed and lethargic.  With no pain in my lower extremities I rolled to my back for a second and then sat up with my arms posted behind me and feet and legs outstretched on the ground in front of me.  I was thinking about how surreal everything seemed to be.

In the minute or so after the crash a lady that lived in the house on the opposite side of the road came out because she heard the noises of me going down.  She asked me a couple of times if I was alright and my first response was that I thought I was, but I have to be honest, I wasn't so sure.  She was there to see me when I got off the ground but she was still across the road and about 50 yards or so away.  I suppose she was staying close to her house in case she needed to call 911.  In another minute she was crossing the road and Jeff came riding back to me and a look of very obvious concern was on his face.  He asked if I was alright and told me that he was glad to see me standing at this point.  (Hmm? I think I was a little more happy than Jeff that I was standing!!)

I could, and probably will, make an already very long post longer but I really need to cut this novel down to a Reader's Digest version.  The lad went back to her home and got some alcohol and hydrogen peroxide and a towel.  She stuck around and asked me many more times if I was okay.  she was a wonderful blessing to have there.  While she only provide a couple of items there were truly beneficial to me.

Jeff was my life saver though.  He made me be honest about myself and wouldn't stop asking me if we should call someone.  He assessed my wounds and cleaned them because I was mostly unable or unwilling to do so myself.  I really didn't want to so anything AT ALL at this point!!!  I really can't stress that enough.

There were a couple of times I tried to walk around but became dizzy and it seemed like the lights were going out.  The lights going out felt like something I am used to when I've been sitting for a while and stand to quickly.  I laid back on the ground each time this occurred.  The second time this occurred I had the sense about me to place my feet higher than my head in case I was going into shock.  Funny, right now I am wondering what Jeff though as I lay down on the road with my feet pointed up the hill.

Finally I decided to ride back to the hotel and NOT call Lis and inform her what had happened.  Jeff and I left the scene and meandered back to the hotel and he insisted that there be a informative handoff of my physical condition to Lis, personally. 

Cutting to the chase...........

..........I made a trip to the Maury Hospital ER and was stitched up in several hours.  I was prescribed muscle relaxants, which I haven't even filled and don't intend too, and told to take it easy for a while.  The stitches were to my left knee and right elbow.  Only 3 stitches in all but the wound on my elbow is right near the bend and it was exposing muscle.  In this location I had a punched out hole that was nearly the diameter of a quarter and about 1/16 deep.  The only reason it was even stitched was because the wound was all the way to the muscle.  In one or two of the pics it appears there may have been a tendon exposed.

Now, nearly 2 days later, there are some things to reflect on. 

• God chose to keep me in relative good health  for a while longer.  I am thankful mostly, not for myself, but for my family.  I couldn't bare thinking about how they would be struggling had I been gravely injured or killed.
• I am thankful that Jeff, first of all took me for the ride.  And most definitely up the hill that led to my crash.  Had he not done that I would have missed some beautiful scenery and an awesome ascent.  I also would have missed some great speeds going down the hill.  And I thoroughly love the exhilarating feeling of the descents.  There was obviously no possible way of knowing what occur and Jeff is not in anyway at fault.  Thanks Jeff!!
• Finally,  I am incredibly thankful for Lis!  She basically told me that I needed to go to the hospital and although I really did know and understand she was right, I still didn't want to go.  Due to my selfishness in wanting to get a ride in, I was delaying the family trip to Florida.  She and Kyrie were both very understanding even after I apologized for them missing part of a day at the beach.
  Then there was the rest of the trip from Columbia to Destin (7 hours due to rush hour traffic).  I never let Lis drive because I am the one who chooses to assume control of the vehicle and navigation because I seem to do better at both.  this time Lis did drive for about 2 hours or so.  But when she wasn't driving I clearly could see her looking across at me.  She was not looking out the window next to me.  She was looking at me, constantly being what God created her to be.  My best friend and wife and the occupation He chose to instill in her being, a nurse.  She was constantly assessing my condition.  If not verbally, she was checking my responses and alertness.  I cannot say how thankful I am to have been given such a great mate.

I hope this is a learning experience for all of you.  Because I have learned a couple of things myself.

• Don't over estimate your ability.  I believe I did just that.  I am a flat land rider but I love climbing hills and descending them.  However, I outrode my skills and it could have cost me dearly.
• Never ever ride without a helmet.  While mine is not cracked it is damaged and will be replaced as soon as we get back to the Fort.  Don't take this for granted, EVER!!  I would have had much more significant damage had it not been for that $75.
• Prepare yourself for the worst scenarios.  Teach yourself not to panic!  Yes, this can be taught.  It is something I have taught myself throughout much of my adult life.  As a firefighter I had to react with sense and control and all of those years of mental training are still with me.  Critical thinking is a skill.  Develop it!  I personally feel that had I not had the clarity of thought as I was headed into this wreck that I had I would have possibly resigned myself to go down wherever it happened at instead of hanging on and planning my route.

I know this is an extremely long post and hopefully you have hung on to the end.  I am sorry if you have become bored and skipped most of it. 

Dirk I finished it all and I am not even exaggerating when I say my heart rate increased just reading about it! Holy cow you had a guardian angle watching over you this time I think. This flat lander would have burned her brakes out going down that hill. How is it possible that there are no broken bones?

And I still don't want to go for a ride with Jeff .