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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Over the Top

Well I guess timing and placement are everything. Last February I tore three of the four ligaments in my knee when my cross country ski hit a root on a downhill trail. Yesterday I broke my ninth rib when my back hit a tree branch on the ground while mountain biking.

So here is the whole story. I was mountain biking with my friend Piotr at Dryer Road park Tuesday. He is a very good downhill biker and was instructing me on how to ride a very difficult trail named CMP (Check my Pants). We had worked on a few runs of a technical section and I was riding it well. We were ready to go so I told him to follow the rest of the trail out. I had ridden this section before and did not remember it to be too difficult, but I came upon a log drop off where I could not see the landing so I took a small escape trail to the left. I must have applied too much front brake (Thats the timing part) but the next thing I knew I was over the top of the bars and slammed my back against the ground, although I hit something very hard in the exact spot of impact. When I stopped reathing in pain I noticed a branch stuck to my back. I though it had impaled into my back but it came off easily. However it was across the exact section which I felt the pain... an ambulance ride later I have a broken 9th rib and a collapsed lung..and I am the proud owner of a chest tube. Most painful thing I have ever been through. They do it while you are under a local anesthetic only.

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