I had a lot of fun at Caesar Creek on Sunday, but it also opened my eyes too! I really need to work on my bike handling! I was going along pretty well on my first lap. I got to a section where I felt a good flow and I started hammering a bit more. I felt great, like a downhill skier slaloming through the flags. OUT OF NOWHERE a sapling caught my right handlebar, I punched myself in the mouth and flew off backwards through the woods. Train of thought as follows: oh shit my tooth, I'm flying, ow!, I'm paralyzed, get up!, can't breath... I looked like an Ewok flying off a Speeder on Endor... I tried to keep riding but I pulled off and moaned in the woods for a minute while six guys passed.
After that the adrenalin was pumping and I got a bit too frantic. I started hurrying too much and got caught up in the race, but when I hurry I make mistakes and crash even more. I just kept crashing or falling. I ended up landing on my seat pushing it into an uncomfortable position, slamming headfirst into a tree, pulling my rear cable and losing the ability to use my rear derailluer. I didn't want to stop for fear of losing the places I fought to regain after my initial crash.
I limped in with only three gears, a headache and a backache. I didn't eat and was cramping... But I got tenth, two laps in two hours and nineteen minutes. I feel I can improve but I felt I did my best.
The picture says it all. I look like I am holding back a turd. This time I was lucky I wasn't hurt and didn't destroy my bike.
turtle head. there I said it. I was wondering what happened to ya. bike handling may be one thing. Another is that when ya crash, always best to dial it back a pinch and wait for the flow to come back...if ya try to jump back on and make up your spots...well...ya end up looking like you're holding back a turtle head.
ReplyDelete