The sequence of doom

Broken by the Breakaway
04/03/2008

Alright, so I wouldn’t chalk this week up to one of my best ever. But like with anything else there are some good things to take out of it.

To Review:
I’ve had a solid winter and spring fitness wise. Down about 18 lbs. since Christmas and able to get some steady training. For those with multiple off-bike commitments, ‘steady training’ is defined as getting regular sessions in during the week while attempting to keep the balls of family, work and life in the air at the same time. The clothes that were a wee bit snug at Christmas were loose again and I was getting that ‘lean feel’. This past weekend I was up for the CRCA race on Saturday and the Central Park Duathlon on Sunday.

It was cold on Saturday morning and I was shivering on the start ine with the rest of the racers. My goal for this 5 lap race was to stay near the front, avoid any long energy-withering pulls and see what I could do to get any of the faster guys from TOA across the line as soon as possible. About 1.5 laps into the race I found myself with eight other riders in a break. I knew several of them to be strong and figured that if we worked together we may be able to stay away from the field. As I took a head count I saw enough team representation that the field wouldn’t chase us down too quickly. We pushed the pace and stayed reasonably solid. Later I heard that we were able to push the gap up to about 45 seconds.

On the final sprint in there were some tangled bodies and I went down pretty hard. To cut to the chase I broke my right collarbone in four places (had surgery on Tuesday – 4 Ti plates and 11 screws) and fractured at least one rib. Today (Thursday) is the first day that I can type at length. While I’m pretty down about the whole situation, this is far far from the worst thing to happen. I’m convinced by my shattered helmet that it saved my life. That the members of TOA who sat with me in the hospital and also sent perhaps the biggest fruit basket in the history of the world are great guys. The amount of posts and emails that I’ve received wishing me well is more evidence that the NY bike racing community is filled with far more decent people than we give each other credit for and, lastly, I’m blessed with a supportive family who, while they’re upset with my injuries, realize that I love racing bicycles and know how important it is to me. (yes, that’s a run on sentence…live with it 😉 )

The prognosis is so-so. My doctor, Frank Alberta who is out of Hackensack and is excellent, has cautioned me regarding my recovery. The destroyed clavicle needs a lot of time to knit plus the broken ribs will present a deep breathing issue for quite a while. I’m thinking trainer in about 10 days, road in about four weeks, but I’m holding off on a return to racing until Dr. A. gives me the go-ahead. Hopefully by July 1. I’m going to use TT’s and tri’s to focus and keep in shape.

As Mark Twain once said, ‘Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” This won’t be the end of my racing, just a ‘nature break’ so to speak, but a chance to get fitter and stronger away from the races. I look forward to being in the park cheering TOA on and also watching our little patch of the cycling universe develop this season. I’m grateful, as Dan puts it, to be part of this ‘bowling league on wheels’.

Note – I sent a note to Team CSC requesting that they pass it along to Stuart O’Grady. Many of us know that he, too, had some medical issues last year. I’ve been reading about his recovery and it’s helped me deal with all this. I hung his picture on my fridge about six months ago (next to Jens Voigt) and it’s nice to see it when I hobble by.

Have a good week everyone.