Sunday 2 September 2007

King Lake Casualty

I had my 1st REAL ‘off’ today. Wow… Still don’t know how to take it. I’m feeling fine at the moment sitting here after getting home and cleaning myself up. Not really pissed with myself (it was my own fault). Not really worried about my banged up bike. I should feel really bloody lucky as I ended up on the wrong side of the road. This weekend marked the end of a five week block of hard interval based training for me. It has nailed me good and proper. So much that the last few weekend rides had started to become a struggle, which meant I wasn’t enjoying them as much. With the interval training finished, this weekend was going to be a bit more relaxed with the odd dig just to finish me off for a well earned taper week. The great weather & company helped as I’d felt like I’d had lots of cold, wet & solo weekend training rides.
Saturday was a ride with the TE bunch out to King Lake, then again Sunday. With the 1st ascent done the plan was to descend then back up for a second ascent. On the descent I’d managed to get a gap and was 1st on the road luckily for the rest of the Group. I had my Easton Orion II’s on which feel heaps faster and give the bike a much more responsive feel than my Mavic training shitters. This added to my joy on the descent and egged me to go even faster. I was cutting the odd corner that I had line of sight to make sure there were no cars. Oblivious to the fact that I hadn’t reached ‘that corner that strangles on its exit’ I kept the heat on enjoying the moment. Then it came. That corner. If there’s one corner on the King Lake descent that I’ve stuffed up the most, it’s this one and today the stuff up was big. My entry was just way too fast. And on this corner it’s a recipe for shit happening. Happened it did and real quick. So quick I couldn’t tell you what happened just that I was sliding on my left bum cheek & forearm onto the wrong side of the road. Not only was I sliding on my bum cheek on the wrong side of the road but a car had just past me as I’d entered the corner. Five seconds or so is all that separated me from finding out what a bug feels like when it splats onto the grill of a car. That’s scary. And something I should think about for a while I reckon.
The driver of the car must have seen\heard my ‘off’ and had kindly stopped to see if I was OK. Then the rest of the group came past. Some stopping to make sure I was OK. And I was, just sore and annoyed with myself for what I’d done.
Steve Knight lived up to his surname and stuck with me for the rest of the descent and on to Smiths Gully bakery. My day didn't stop there. On the way I flatted. Was some greater force trying to slow me down today? It was working.
After two rounds of coffee & muffin it was back to Melbourne. Dr Rudy kindly offered me some first aid supplies and tips on dealing with road rash and then it was home to the shower and scrubbing.

1 comment:

helenn said...

ohhh
nice you're OK =]

Old man, new tricks

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia