Lesson learned: don’t ride when fatigued…
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Dickie.
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June 12, 2012 at 3:00 pm #911502
brendan
ParticipantSlept poorly Wednesday night, but hadn’t been on a long ride since the previous Sunday, so I hit the trail Thursday morning. Literally. Bad move.
I was yawning quite a bit during the ride, had decided I needed more rest, so my plan was to get to mile 22-ish, put on sunscreen and take a nap at the picnic table around towpath mile 22. Mind wandered, and while I was looking at the pretty potomac on my left I biked right over a washout on the right side of the towpath, lost control of my bike and crashed really hard.
I cursed quite a bit, tried to get up and then realized my left arm wasn’t happy with that, so I placed my left hand to my sternum, used my right arm to get up and then to called 911. With the advice of an eastbound cyclist who saw me waiting and bleeding, I pushed my bike another couple hundred yards westward to Swains Lock and waited for the paramedics. they agreed with my non-official diagnosis, fractured left clavicle, and transported me to Suburban Hospital.
My crash last Halloween was partly my fault and partly circumstances/bad luck. I think this one was 100% my fault.
So, off the bike for a month or two, again. And perhaps a bit more humble.
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Brendan
June 12, 2012 at 3:07 pm #942772Dirt
ParticipantThanks for the wisdom. You’re right that it is really easy for the mind to wander when you’re tired. I do hope you heal up quickly. I know that isn’t very much fun. Hang tough, sir!
June 12, 2012 at 3:11 pm #942773eminva
ParticipantJune 12, 2012 at 3:13 pm #942775jrenaut
ParticipantGlad it wasn’t anything worse. Get well soon, and thanks for the warning.
June 12, 2012 at 3:39 pm #942780vvill
ParticipantSorry to hear that, heal up soon Brendan!
I did a slightly similar thing a month or so ago on my commute to work which was my “wake up call”. Kept yawning and forgetting to brake early enough (it was wet). I crashed braking on the Custis but got away with just a scrape on my elbow. Nowadays I make sure I am (closer to) 100% awake before heading out even if it means arriving late to work.
June 12, 2012 at 3:52 pm #942782PotomacCyclist
ParticipantHeal up soon.
When I’m extremely sleep-deprived, I’m too worried about maintaining balance on the bike to even start on a ride. I can’t sleep on the bike but I can always sleep on Metro!
June 12, 2012 at 3:54 pm #942784rcannon100
ParticipantOW!!!!!!
When I was young and stupid (now I am old and stupid), I went mountain biking on a pacific beach. You know how the waves lick against the sand, and create sort of small vertical walls. We always have fun standing on top of these things and crumbling down. Well, I was having fun hopping them. I hopped a particularly tall one, landed on the wet firm sand below, and the front tire stuck. Didnt budge. The rest of the bike however kept coming – over the handlebars I went.
I went into an Ultimate Frisbee tuck (frisbee players are very good at falling down). This was good. I missed my head. Landed flat on my shoulder. Crunch. Wet sand has the consistency of cement.
They say your shoulder is the most painful bone to break. I enjoyed the hour long coastal highway drive back to civilization. I can still see where my clavicle busted.
Take your time. Tighten that figure 8 brace. Heal well. You will be glad you did in 50 years.
June 12, 2012 at 4:16 pm #942792Arlingtonrider
ParticipantBrendan,
I’m so very, very sorry to hear that!! Please know that you’re in our thoughts, and feel better soon! Stay in touch —
Kathy
June 12, 2012 at 4:24 pm #942793OneEighth
ParticipantIf it is an option, I strongly recommend having your collarbone surgically repaired.
I used Commonwealth Orthopedics and liked them a lot.
Best of luck.June 12, 2012 at 10:01 pm #942870brendan
ParticipantThanks folks. I had Dr. Avery at Commonwealth take a look at it today. It’s broken into three pieces but the location and spacing appear to be within the range where they like to see if it will knit itself together first. So, sling, pain meds and come back in 3 weeks for a follow-up.
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Brendan
June 12, 2012 at 11:44 pm #942885dcv
Participant@brendan 22083 wrote:
Thanks folks. I had Dr. Avery at Commonwealth take a look at it today. It’s broken into three pieces but the location and spacing appear to be within the range where they like to see if it will knit itself together first. So, sling, pain meds and come back in 3 weeks for a follow-up.
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Brendan
sorry about your accident, hope you heal up soon. i was hit by a car last year and broke my clavicle too, 3 pieces like yours. got back on bike in about 6 weeks but it took over 6 months for the pieces to grow back together. i didn’t have any pain or restrictions after the first 6 weeks, it just took a long time to heal
June 13, 2012 at 12:51 am #942888skreaminquadz
ParticipantOh man – sorry to hear. Heal up soon!
+1 for Commonwealth. I’ve used them now for several different issues and have always been pleased.
June 13, 2012 at 1:06 am #942890TwoWheelsDC
ParticipantOuch, hope you heal up quickly! It’s not just fatigue that’ll get ya, yesterday I about ran into a car whilst paying a little too much attention to some members of the opposite sex that were out walking…it was fine though, it probably didn’t look like anything out of the ordinary to anyone looking at me, but I about locked up my brakes in an “oh sh*t” moment.
June 13, 2012 at 1:54 am #942898eminva
Participant@TwoWheelsDC 22103 wrote:
Ouch, hope you heal up quickly! It’s not just fatigue that’ll get ya, yesterday I about ran into a car whilst paying a little too much attention to some members of the opposite sex that were out walking…it was fine though, it probably didn’t look like anything out of the ordinary to anyone looking at me, but I about locked up my brakes in an “oh sh*t” moment.
Yeah, well, I was riding through the GW campus and almost got taken out by a motorist who took a left turn much too tight while turning his neck in a complete 180 to check out a lovely co-ed. I guess I should be grateful he wasn’t texting. But I did notice what he did.
Liz
June 13, 2012 at 4:47 am #942908KLizotte
ParticipantWow, so sorry to hear about your accident. Am glad you had a phone on hand and seem to be getting good care. Best wishes for a relatively painfree and quick recovery.
If it makes you feel any better, last year a co-workers wife fell off a curb while walking and broke her jaw. Another co-worker was stepping off a metro bus and broke her ankle in numerous places. Bad stuff happens. I’m happy when I go to bed with all fingers and toes attached.
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