Last RR B2B or I thought?

joehill

Had my final RR before B2B 1/2 scheduled for yesterday.  I had posted some questions about FTP differences between PT and new Quarq and got some great suggestions and felt like I had figured it out before yesterday.  My son had hockey practice so thought I would get out in between practice and his afternoon game.  Temperature here in Raleigh was chilly but about what I expect on race day so that was good.  Got out on the ride and settled in and tried to manage my wattage to plan.  Unfortunately, I train on some pretty hilly/rolling terrain but will race on basically pancake flat so trying to manage those watts is tough but getting better at it.  I got through the first half of the ride and felt good.  I was pushing but not too hard and watts were pretty close to plan.  Then the fun.  At mile 35 of a route I ride EVERY weekend, I am in the aeobars and moving at 23mph plus when it finally happened.  I hit a rock or a bump and the next thing I know I am in the road with people standing around me asking if I was alright.  They said all of a sudden I just fell.  Unfortunately, head first ,so broke the helmet and got road rash on the right side of my face!!  While I am sitting on the ground, my left thumb starts to hurt and based on the way it looked, I thought for certain I had broken it.  So make the dreaded phone call to the wife for her to come get me!  More painful than the fall!!!! We then head to the ER.  Luckily got in and out with no broken bones but severely bruised thumb and hip (didn't even notice it until at the ER).  Pretty sore this morning and trying to figure out what to do between now and 11/13 to be ready to race.  I know nothing I do for the next two weeks is going to increase my fitness just hope I don't lose a whole lot.

 

My final thoughts are:  Thank God for the helmet; the people who were at the small church where I fell with their broken down car who helped me up; the pastor who got me some ice and don't obsess with watching the bike computer.  Earlier in the ride I told myself to stop looking so much or I was going to fall!!!  Funny thing is, I had stopped looking as much and still fell!!!

So thankful it wasn't worse and hope to be back at it soon.

Thanks,

Joe

 

TerryO

Glad to hear you are OK, Joe. Focus on healing up and have a good race.

gilliatt

Glad you are alright, heal up, eat clean, get some rest.

Al Truscott

Joe, thank goodness for helmets, and that you're basically OK. Let yourself heal. I know EXACTLY the feeling going all out at 23+ mph in the bars and then all of a sudden being on the ground wondering, WTF? Your body must have some previous practice at rag doll falling?

Nemo Brauch

WOW! Glad you are OK. Sounds like a pretty good outcome under the circumstances. Just rest & recover, you won't lose anything between now and race day.

Michele Cellai

Ugh! Worst nightmare! Please let that be the last for any EN member!

So glad that you are doing well. Agree with Nemo- rest and recover- that is the BEST thing you can do to be ready.

mgraffeo

Good news is that fitness is all 'in the barn', nothing to do but get rested anyways. This could be a blessing. Heal up!

Beth_S

Oh, no! I'm glad for your helmet, too! And rest up. You just get to taper harder than most of us do. Like others said, fitness is in the barn.

pepe

Joe, if it is any consolation, I wrecked on my RR2 for B2B as well. Went out last Monday (had to move it from the weekend, too busy building a fitness trail, coaching two soccer games and giving my wife time to study for her CSCS exam) and got caught in some pretty heavy rain. Around mile 73 had finally decided that a) it was raining harder than I had bargained for and b) the idiot drivers were not driving any slower in the rain and thus I should pack it in, when the tires started sliding out from me and down I went. (Mental focus?) Luckily none of the drivers mentioned above were around 'cause I ended up in the middle of the road. Some road rash and dings on the bike but sounds like you had it worse. Almost called the wife but the rain let up and I noodled the 10 miles or so home. Cleaned up my scrapes and forced myself to do the run. Workouts for the rest of the week were subpar, at best. Probably should have skipped the run. My tri coach in college used to say "Rest is a weapon." While it seems the complete opposite of "Work works" the two are probably very complementary.

Maybe bad karma in training is good karma on race day? I'll see you in Wilmington in two weeks!

ghernand

Joe:  i too went down, in 2008, 4 weeks before IMAZ that year.  My fall required a surgery, but still went out there and had a very good race.  As others have advised, rest up!!!

i would add that you also take very good care of your road rash.  my accident produced serious abrasions that were not completely healed by race day, but they were definitely more healed than any non ENers with similar road rash!!!  a little pain now with keeping the wounds clean and free of necrosed tissue, will help it heal faster.  won't feel good while you clean, but will heal faster.

also, should your wounds still be open as race day approaches, ask your doc for wound specific bandages that will protect any open wounds from raw rubbing under the wet suit. 

Good luck, GH

 

joehill

Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement!!!!  I have made follow up visits to Dr. and nothing seems to be broken thank goodness.  Given the broken helmet, possible slight concussion but no lingering symptoms should be ok.  Main concern is road rash on my face (near eye) for goggles and badly bruised right hip (nastiest bruise I have ever seen). Mr family Dr and Chiropractor rate it a 10!!!  That hip is still pretty swollen but I have been on the trainer 2 days in a row now and hope to get a run in this weekend.  Have to see how it goes!!!  Trying to keep in focus how blessed I am to be doing this at 45!!!!

Any suggestions on care for road rash is much appreciated!!!

@Logan ; -  Glad you are ok!!  See you in Wilmington!!

Thanks again for the support and suggestions.

Joe

Kitboo

Glad to hear you're okay, Joe.

As for road rash care here's the link to the wiki entry on it: http://endurancenation.us.dnnmax.com/Resources/Wiki/tabid/108/Default.aspx?topic=Treating+Road+Rash

PM me if you have any further questions about wound care.

J.T. Thompson

Hey Joe - Good to hear that nothing is broken and I too can attest to having a helmet save my life in 2 different crashes - a must to wear....

You might also want to reach out to new EN member Pete Joachim who's also doing B2B....let me know if you need his email....