I Crashed My Bike

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Monday was a beautiful day. I woke up to sunny skies and planned to ride my bike to work after lunch. I took my yoga mat outside to do my weekly yoga class and settled onto my mat.

Then my phone rang. Mama drama again. I rolled up my yoga mat and spent a couple of hours dealing with that situation. I called work and let them know that I couldn't come in.

I was anxious, shook up, angry...and then...

My thoughts were heavy as I saddled up on my bike to head out for a long ride later that day. I don't usually ride long on the weekdays, but since my son was home I figured that if anything happened, like a flat tire, I could call him to come and get me. I needed this ride.

I rode out past the junior college and to the forest preserves. The paths were mostly empty except for a few walkers. My legs felt strong and I loved the feeling of flying on the hills and the straightaways. I soaked up the emerging spring blooms. It was nice to see all the colors of nature. I came upon a few deer and stopped to snap their picture. They didn't look too concerned to see me but crossed the path to eat some plants on the other side.

As I ventured farther on the path, my ride became a little more challenging. There was a section that was completely submerged in water, probably left over from the heavy rains we had the previous week. To avoid it, I had to detour off the path onto the road into oncoming traffic. I was careful to stay on the shoulder but it was bumpy and I almost dumped my bike a few times. I found a break in the foliage and made my way back onto the path.

After a few more miles, my beautiful forest preserve ride came to an abrupt end. There was a construction barrier and I was detoured onto another busy road. I made my way back to the junior college and headed home. I was back on the road with traffic and needed to make a left-hand turn. I proceeded to the left turn lane and was cut off by an angry motorist, even though I signaled that I was turning left. When I turned left, my phone fell out of the holder on the handlebars and bounced down the road. I turned my head to look for it.

That is when I lost control of the bike.

Do you know that feeling when you're going to fall or crash? You are aware that it's happening. It feels almost surreal. I was clipped into my pedals and couldn't unclip in time to catch myself. I tried to regain my balance of the bike but instead crashed to the road. I slid across the road with my bike on top of me into oncoming traffic. I prayed that the cars would stop.

I finally came to a stop. For what felt like an eternity, nothing happened. No one moved. Then the driver of the car in front of me got out and asked if I was ok. I told him I didn't know. I moved my wrists and my ankles. Nothing seemed broken but I was hurting. My hand was bleeding and my knee was coated with blood. But I seemed ok.

Another driver walked over to me. He asked me if I wanted him to call 911 and I told him I didn't think I needed it. He told me I was covered with blood and offered to help me up. Shaky but ok, I stood up. I started to cry.

I didn't cry because I was hurt. I didn't cry because once again a motorist was a jerk. I cried because was mad at myself for getting distracted. For not being mindful. For not being able to finish my ride. But mostly, I cried for my oldest son just who cannot get his act together.

We walked over to the parkway. Someone brought me my phone. Someone else brought me my bike. Once I determined I was ok, everyone drove away. My bike was ok. I could have ridden home, but I was so shaky. I called my son to come get me and I assessed the damage. My knee took the brunt of the crash with a large abrasion. My shoulder hurt and when I looked at it, I found a large abrasion there too. I saw that my InkNBurn shirt was shredded. I was wearing my fingerless cycling gloves, and the uncovered skin on my fingers had giant gouges. My face was scraped up.

But I was ok. No broken bones. My helmet kept me safe. I was pretty sore all week. I couldn't do yoga or strength training--nothing that involved deep bending of my knee or kneeling. But I could run. Slowly and with run/walk intervals, but at least I could do that.

Monday was a bad day. But it could have been so much worse. It can always be worse.

Have you ever had a bike crash? This wasn't my first but it was definitely my worst bike crash. I've fallen while running too. How do you treat road rash?

Band-Aid® HydroSeal™ Bandages
Following my crash, I first started my wound care with regular bandages and non-stick pads. After a day of washing my hands while seeing patients, I realized that I needed to find something more durable. I browsed the first aid aisle at the local drugstore and found these amazing bandages. As a nurse, I've used hydrogel products for wound care on my patients but this is the first time I've seen them sold over the counter. I thought they'd be perfect for my knee and shoulder wounds. There was also a smaller strip type product for the fingers. Wound care has changed over the years. In the past, we were taught to let the wound dry out and scab over, but we have learned that keeping the wound moist and covered is the best way to heal and prevent scarring. Band-Aid® HydroSeal™ bandages are waterproof and meant to stay on for 3-7 days. Because the bandages are waterproof, they seal out bacteria and other debris, so there is no need for topical antibiotic ointments. They are very thin, but the gel is designed to absorb fluids from the wound, which promotes healing and prevents scarring. The evidence is strong for the use of these bandages in wound care.

I bought 2 sizes of the bandages: the finger size and the extra large. I applied the extra large pads to the wounds on my knee and shoulder. Even though the pads are supposed to last for 3-7 days, those wounds were so big that the gel filled up very quickly. By the next day, the pads were coming loose and leaking and so I had to change them. But what I noticed is that both wounds were markedly smaller! I was pretty excited about that. I also liked the thinness of the bandages as well as the relative unobtrusiveness of them. I didn't want to draw attention to all my wounds and these bandages were helpful with that. Personally, I think the HydroSeal™ bandages should be part of every cyclist's and clumsy runner's first aid kit. They also have a product just for blisters.

Welcome to the Weekly Wrap! Holly and I host this very supportive link up for fitness bloggers to share their workout and/or race recaps. Or crash recaps, as it were. If it is your first time linking up, please refer to the rules above or contact one of us if you have any questions! Thanks for joining us!

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