I rode the downhill well and even got a PR on Strava for the DH section. Go me. Just before you get to the T200 loop there is a couple of gullies you must ride through. I crested the top of a small roller where I was faced with a quick decent into a stream bed full of small rocks. Generally, I let go of the breaks, hit the rocks with speed and momentum, and then power up the next roller. Today when I hit the rocks, my front tire was deflected into a large boulder and I was sent over the handlebars and into the creek bed. The fall hurt like hell, but after a quick self assessment, I decided I was okay and continued my ride.
When I returned to the car I took off my long sleeve jersey and discovered my sleeve was covered in blood. I knew I had hit my elbow, but didn't think it was hat bad. I used some distilled water I had in the car and cleaned the wound. I then placed two baby wipes over the "scratch" to stop the bleeding. When I returned to the office I placed a large bandage on the wound and didn't think about it again.
That night, after feeding and putting the kids to bed I decided to show my wife my new bike injury. I thought I was just being cute until I saw the look on her face. She said to me, "That looks terrible, you need to go to the hospital." I disagreed but upon her insistence, I called some of my more experienced friends to get their opinion. After talking to my friend Hans, I was convinced I should go to the hospital.
At the ER, I was well taken care of. They cleaned me up, x-rayed me, and gave me 4 stitches. Now, a few days removed from the injury, I am a little sore but otherwise fine. However, you can bet I'm going to start wearing my elbow pads for awhile. At least until I forget all about the injury and I feel invincible again.
Just a flesh wound
My version of proper medical care
Waiting for the seamstress to fix me up
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