August 17, 2006
I’m out on a hard training day preparing for a couple of important late season 10K’s. Beautiful day with perfect conditions and I’m really hammering. I’m on a 3 mile section of brand new road. Just the nicest surface one could have. Down in the drops, still hammering. Go through an intersection with not a car in any direction as far as the eye can see. Look at my computer and am doing 29 mph on this flat fast section. Really feeling good…
Ugh, UUUUUUUUUgh, UUUUUUUUUUUUUgh, somebody’s moaning. Wait it’s me. I’m moaning really loud. This is weird, I must be dreaming. No, I’m on the ground and people are talking. “Somebody move his bike out of the road.” I was riding my bike and now I’m on the ground. My right side hurts bad and I’m not quite sure where I am or what is going on.
Well the head finally cleared a bit and I figure out that I’d crashed and been knocked unconsious for a while. None of the people around me had seen the crash. I could not remember a thing after passing the intersection and waking up on the ground. It was a strange feeling not being able to remember. Like there was a hole in my head. Felt like I should know what happened, but it was just this blank space.
November 19, 2006
Had just gotten back from a good training ride with a teammate. Sitting in the jacuzzi listening to music, just zoning out… You dropped your water bottle. What excuse me, where did that thought come from. You dropped your water. The thought went through my mind again. Then bang, just like turning on the TV, the whole crash plays out in my mind. I go through the intersection down in the drops, going hard and reach for a water bottle. It’s slick from condensation a slips out of my hand and straight under the rear wheel. I’m shot off the bike like out of the barrel of a gun.
Have a great sense of relief from remembering. Strange how the brain works. Three months later and the whole thing comes back.
Cheers,
Ric
