Head over Handlebars

The other day I wrote an article entitled "Why I Run".  The simple answer really is "Because I can".  That is no more prevalent then when I can't.

Last week I took a tumble over my handlebars of my tribike. I was desperately trying to get some bike miles in as I prepare to be part of the Idaho Team Beef squad at the Boise 70.3.  Fortunately I did not end up with a Grade III AC separation like I did three years ago on my bike but there is still some separation and some bruised ribs.  Any time you walk away from a bike wreck you are happy.  But then you have a right to be pissed.

If not only for the discomfort and pain of being injured, simply not being able to exercise puts me in a deeper funk. Fortunately I am healing quickly and I have a faint glimmer of hope of competing the weekend after next. I got on my bike today on a trainer and pedaled for an hour.  My ribs are sore and I could hardly get into aero position but I was able to do a quick 20 miles in an hour.

Then it hit me. Three broken collarbones, a dislocated elbow, torn tendons in my elbow, ripped bicep,separated shoulders, fractured jaw, stables in my scalp and not one single injury to my legs.  Never have I had a bum knee or a broken toe or a knee that "no longer has any cartilage in it". Every one of those injuries above was an accidental or fluke injury happening in a contact sport or when I was playing around. 140 marathons, ultras, thousands of miles in training and not one single injury to my legs.  Have I had aches and pains? Obviously! But I always hear about how running is bad for your knees but here I am never having had to miss a single day of running because of running itself.

Perhaps I am lucky.  Perhaps I have genetics that allow this.  Or perhaps I treat my body the right way with the proper rest, food and exercise. The last thing I want to do while I try to simultaneously recover from running the Pacific Coast 350 and one of the more sweltering marathons I have ever run in Green Bay just last weekend AND get into shape for triathlons is to take forced time off.  But maybe this is what I need.  I don't need the extra ten pounds I have gained in a week but this rest, even if it is driving me nuts, may be what I really have to have.

Three years ago when I was hit by a car (and by the way, I wish I had something more sexy than "an idiot with an iPod on and his errant dog wrecked me" to tell you but car or idiot the end result is me on the ground) someone said "Maybe this is God's way of telling you to slow down."

I told this this to my Dad who said, in his usual succinct way: "I am sure you would have listened if he had just said it." Agreed.

Either way, getting on the bike today helped ease some of my Grouchypantsness and gave me confidence that the legs will be fine to bike and run.  I just need to get those healing powers working in overtime so i can swing my arm over my head in 12 days.