29 August 2007

I did it

I rode the bike I rode the bike I rode the bike on the street all by myself!!

If I sound like an excited 10-year-old, I have to fill you in on something I left out when I told you about buying the bike: I have major bike trauma.

I had a fabulously cute roommate (Hey, CEH, hey Empress) who rode his bike all the time. He biked the 10-mile round trip to work every day and put in about 60 miles on Saturdays. He looooved his beautiful shiny white bike.

Then one day, despite his helmet and light and reflectors and obeying all the traffic laws, he had an accident. A car pulled right out in front of him while it was exiting a shopping center driveway without the driver stopping or looking. CEH hit the front of the car and flipped over it and made a perfect one-point landing, shattering his hip socket in a billion cracks.

I got to see him in screaming pain in the hospital before his surgery, which took a week to arrange. All that time he was laying in that bed unfixed, waiting to be transferred to a better surgical facility.

Imagine trying to arrange yourself on a bedpan for a week with a shattered hip...it makes my skin crawl to think of it.

It took all the kings horses and all the kings men and a bunch of wonderful UCLA doctors to put him back together again.

And then it took another year or so and our friend, a really good attorney, to get the money to make it more or less right with a big 6-figure settlement.

When he was in the local hospital and on major pain meds, an insurance guy showed up and offered him $10,000 to take care of everything. Luckily, he held out because he already had a friend who was an attorney. Let this be a lesson: never talk to an insurance guy without a lawyer present. Never!

So ANYWAY, I suffered mental bike trauma in this process. I had a hard time getting over the bike = broken bones, suffering and pain equation.

But today I did. Breakthrough. I finally, finally did it.

It was great fun. Busting through fears always is for me. I get a big happy rush of energy. Now I just have to build up some endurance because dude, I am OUT of shape.

13 comments:

BetteJo said...

Shape? What's the joke .. round is a shape!

Good for you for getting out there! It's always good to conquer something!

meno said...

I know about acquired bike trauma syndrome.
I have a friend who was test riding a mountain bike, tried to jump a curb and went over the handlebars. Lost both front teeth at the gums, broke a few fingers and scrapped the hell out of herself.

Scary, but not as bad as the hip.

Anonymous said...

Ok, reading that someone broke off their front teeth at the gums just gave ME bike trauma. OMFG!

On the other hand, congratulations on overcoming YOUR fear! You're more brave than meeeee!

Julie said...

Good for you! Being careful is all ya can do, really. Cycling is like driving too - if you get too scared while you are doing it, you lose focus. Just avoid the busiest roads and have fun!!
Jeebus, I sound like a mom.

Anonymous said...

Riding bikes makes me feel 10 years old.

I'm going to ride my bide the 10 km route of the Terry Fox Run in a couple of weeks. I'd better ride a bit before then, or my butt will regret it.

Congrats on facing your fear!

super des said...

After I had my bike crash (not as bad as your roomie's, thankfully) everyone "joked" that I would never ride a bike again. Well I haven't yet, but that has more to do with me not owning a bike than me being scared.

I was having fun right up until I could no longer breathe, and that's a good mantra to keep repeating.

Congrats on getting out and having fun! (Wear your helmet though!)

lizgwiz said...

I've had a couple of bike accidents in my day, but a scratched-up face and a concussion is a far cry from days of screaming agony. Damn.

I haven't ridden my bike in years, but if I do decide to get it out again at some point, I will NOT ride in the streets in this town. I've seen how people are. It's the river bike path or nothing, I'm afraid.

Good for you for facing your fear!

shannon said...

I, too, will soon be a biker girl! Our new house is close enough for both my husband and myself to ride to work (at least I can ride to one of the locations of my work).

We are a wee bit jazzed! Although endurance is a much needed thing. And helmets...

QT said...

I had bike fear that I always thought was unfounded until I read this post!!

Congrats to you, woman. Getting in shape will happen...

Blog Antagonist said...

I've been thinking about buying a bike. I really liked the look of yours, but I don't think it would stand up the terrain around here.
Good for you for conquering your fear!

moosh in indy. said...

I got over my fear after falling into the sporting goods display when simply deciding to buy the bike or not.
Keep doing it, I'll pray your bones all stay together.

SUEB0B said...

Thanks, everyone, for all your bike disaster stories. Now I am even MORE scared. I went for a swim tonight instead LOL

Suzanne said...

The first pedal is the hardest! Congrats on your new bicycling hobby!

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