Thursday, April 17, 2008

My extraordinarily [un]lucky streak at the Fells continues...

Last summer, I didn't get through one ride at the Fells without something bad happening. I got lost in the dark, I got hypothermic, I was riding with Missy when she cut her leg open and needed a couple stitches, I was riding with Rachel when Colin put his derailleur into his spokes by bunnyhopping, I was riding with Colin when he cut his knee open, I was riding with Roz when one other girl with us mangled three tubes fixing a flat... and today I managed to flat my rear wheel twice, the second one on a fast-ish downhill being stupid. "huh, lots of loose stuff. I'll go right and avoid it. Oh, more loose rocks, the better line is to the right. Uh oh, sharp loose rocks, I'll go right to avoid them. Oh, I'm off the trail. Shit, branches. I'm going pretty fast, maybe I can plow through them. Doh!"

The branches stopped my bike pretty quickly, luckily I'm good at rolling but I definitely have some bruises and my shoulder is all scraped up. I guess its good that I didn't break my collarbone, although I like to think that I'm made of tougher stuff than those skinny road cyclists with their reduced bone density. So, the bad luck at the Fells continues... maybe I just need to stop being dumb, but I'll call it bad luck.

This weekend is the orienteering relay champs in Rochester. Saturday at Letchworth and Sunday at Mendon Ponds. Ross said I'll probably be on the A team... no pressure, really. Just don't be a slow fat kid with asthma.

And some gratuitous flower pictures, since it is spring, after all, and the flowers are blooming.






2 comments:

Jamie said...

And to add to your luck at the Fells, last Fall I went there to run the Orange dot trail, but was late but thought I'd get around before it was totally dark....but I didn't and was finishing the last quarter in deep twilight and took a flying face plant on a downhill, bashing my knee and cutting my hand in a delightfully bloody way and I limped back to the car shaking my head at my stupidity....it really helps to be able to see running in the Fells.

Alex said...

At least I'm not the only one...