Soon as I hit I knew

that I had messed up my ribs. That was as I caught my breath laying on the ground. While mountain biking at Umstead last Thursday morning, I took a very hard fall. I was riding along the Turkey Creek trail near the bridge. The trail was loose due to all the recent dry weather. The clay/ gravel turns powdery the longer it is dry. I was going downhill and had slowed to turn across the bridge. The front tire went left and I went right, down the hill as gravity intended. The impact knocked the breath out of me. I struggled to catch my breath, I just lay there after breathing again. A lady runner came up and asked if should could help. I asked for my cell phone and water bottle. She offered to push my bike to the top of the hill. Then I realized, I have to get back to my damn car. I mounted the bike covered in sweat and clay. I thought this is really gonna screw up my training. After getting home and still struggling to breath and move, I decided to go to the local urgent care that Charlene located. After an assessment and a few X-RAYS it was determined that I cracked one rib in front and boke the other in the back on my right side. Prognosis. 4-6 week recovery. Treatment. Pain meds and oh, don't have any trauma to your chest in the next few weeks. I will try to avoid that. So, the first bones I have ever broken have to be this? How do I sneak in a ride tomorrow without Charlene knowing?

Video of Mountain Biking in Scotland

HandI Adventures - Hans Rey, Steve Peat, Danny MacAskill from ResetFilms.co.uk on Vimeo.

Small steps back

Last Wednesday I started helping Fleet Feet of Raleigh with their beginning trail running program. The goal is for the runners to do a 5 k trail race in August. I figured this would be a good way to give back now that my knees cannot handle much running. My friend Jessi is out there as well as a client from my dog walking business. We started out with a 30 minute out and back run on non- technical trails. The first run went well enough with no pain in my knees. My quads were sore for 2 days afterwards because I had not really run since April. Today was a perfect day for running, low humidity and low temps. Lake Johnson in Raleigh has a few miles of easy trails. This time my body started responding well to the running. It seems to be made for running and my heart and lungs still get me down the trail. What a joy. If I only had good knees, the worlds I could conquer!

Passion for life

Cosmin and Simona are my neighbors and good friends. They are from Romania and seem to embody all that I think of when someone enjoy's life to the fullest. They came from Romania 5 years ago and have made their life in America. They are what I hope to always be, full of life and full of passion. Even if the passion leads to arguments or disagreements, they rebound even higher. Charlene and I were over at their house for a while last night. Cosmin was so excited about his new cheap speakers that he had to share the music. The room erupted with noise and dancing broke out. Not the kind of dancing to get you to go home with someone at a club but, a joyful celebration of movement. A smile broke out and I was happy in the moment. Music and friends are necessary to show us life. I feel lucky to share a moment of two with them.

Sluggish morning ride

Life has been a lot busier as of late. Without my usual routine of running every day, I have been struggling to find a rhythm of riding my bike every day. My training week goes something like this. 3 days of single track rides on my singlespeed, one day of riding hills at Umstead State Park and one day of a long ride at the American Tobacco Trail. Rain really throws a monkey wrench into my plans as single track trails are closed when they are wet. I was grumpy having to get out this morning at Umstead and ride hills when I really did not want to. My bike computer seemd to be lying to me as it told me how slow I was going. I was about 2 cups of coffee down of my usual consumption and I needed the caffeine. Coming home and getting in the shower was blessed relief. I realized how lucky I am to have good health. It takes a lot of work and some days suck but, like the T-shirts say, " Life IS Good".

Giving something back

Runners can be a selfish, obsessive lot. It goes with trying to run and train hard day in and day out. I was at my worst when I was competitive and racing frequently. I was a bear on race days.  Now that my knees have bid me farewell to much running, I find myself in the odd position of wanting to give something back to the sport that has given me so much. Running created my identity, shored up my confidence and helped me excel in a tough sport. Time to help out others. I have signed up to help a beginning trail running class at a local running shoe store. This is my way to share the knowledge and joy that came from 30 years of running. If it is the beginner, or the veteran racer, maybe I can help them reach their goals. Some people need the spark to help them get to the next stage. I look forward to the challenge of it all. I still love running and would not change a step. Maybe I can help others take their next step in running and life.

One of my favorite places to be