The healing continues. I picked up my bike on Saturday afternoon. The bike has been restored to its pervious state, meaning nearly new! I'm getting there. I had my stitches removed on Saturday morning and the swelling in my knees continues to decrease. I did a "quick" ride Sunday afternoon to check the bike out and myself. I was a little anxious as I approached each stop sign/traffic light. The ride went well: no crashes and no other mishaps.
I did a 21 mile ride this morning. I rode with the CVCC. There were 13 of us. It was a good ride. I met up with the woman I was riding with last Saturday when I crashed. She gave me the full details of my accident. Too bad there was no video. I think the video would have been cool, although scary based on what she told me.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
A bump in the road
Well, not actually a bump in the road more like an abrupt stop and then another abrupt stop as I did a face plant on the pavement. On Saturday morning I headed out on a 100 mile ride for CASA of Berkley Springs, WV. The morning was beautiful with low humidity, clear blue skies and temps in the low 60's with sun and low 80's forecast for later in the day. I was riding with a friend at 14.7 miles per hour and hoping to finish the 100 miles in 7 hours or so. We were on pace to finish in our timeframe. We came over the crest of a hill at 16 miles an hour or so and begin to descend when I saw the stop sign at a very busy intersection. I began to slow, attempted to release my cycling shoe from my left cleat. My foot would not release, my heart rate began to rise as I got closer to the intersection. I hit my brakes, my wheels locked and the law of physics took over as I became an object in motion flying high over my handle bars and according to the friend I was riding with my head turned slightly to the left as I did a full face plant. I rolled over on my back, moaned, got up and began to inspect my bike for damage as blood gushed from several places on my face. My limar bicycle helmet and oakley sunglasses protected me from being hurt more than I was.
By now several other cyclists were on-scene helping me to the side of the road and getting me to lay down and stop worrying about my bike, which faired very well much better than I. Did I mention there was lots of blood? My friend called 911. Prior to EMS arrival a doctor, also on the charity ride pulled up and started to administer basic emergency treatment. After introducing herself as a doctor, she shyly said that she is a doctor of vet medicine. I told her that was fine since all the organs are basically the same just different sizes based on the size of the animal. She was wonderful and kept me calm, alter and on the ground until the EMS folks arrived.
A 15 minute ride to the hospital, a two hour stay in the ER a number of stitches in my upper lip and an x-ray of my right knee. I was discharged and headed back to the ride start Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. A guy and a gal who were waiting for their friends to complete the 50 mile loop kept me company with the dog they were watching. The guy told me I made all the other bicyclists look like wimps. I can assure you, my goal was not to crash and therefore making the others look like wimps was accidental. As you can see from the pics I look like I participated in a boxing match not a bicycle charity ride.
A big thank you to Debbie the friend I wad riding with for first taking care of me and then making sure my bike got back to the university. A thank you to Sam for transporting my bike and directing the rescue to my location. There is a baptist church at the intersection where I crashed. Thanks to Tim Hott and Justin for making sure I got home safely and checking in over the past few days.
By now several other cyclists were on-scene helping me to the side of the road and getting me to lay down and stop worrying about my bike, which faired very well much better than I. Did I mention there was lots of blood? My friend called 911. Prior to EMS arrival a doctor, also on the charity ride pulled up and started to administer basic emergency treatment. After introducing herself as a doctor, she shyly said that she is a doctor of vet medicine. I told her that was fine since all the organs are basically the same just different sizes based on the size of the animal. She was wonderful and kept me calm, alter and on the ground until the EMS folks arrived.
A 15 minute ride to the hospital, a two hour stay in the ER a number of stitches in my upper lip and an x-ray of my right knee. I was discharged and headed back to the ride start Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. A guy and a gal who were waiting for their friends to complete the 50 mile loop kept me company with the dog they were watching. The guy told me I made all the other bicyclists look like wimps. I can assure you, my goal was not to crash and therefore making the others look like wimps was accidental. As you can see from the pics I look like I participated in a boxing match not a bicycle charity ride.
A big thank you to Debbie the friend I wad riding with for first taking care of me and then making sure my bike got back to the university. A thank you to Sam for transporting my bike and directing the rescue to my location. There is a baptist church at the intersection where I crashed. Thanks to Tim Hott and Justin for making sure I got home safely and checking in over the past few days.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The Fuller Center for Housing Bicycle Adventure is where the rubber hits the road for those of us who are committed to building homes for the economically disadvantaged across the globe. I will be riding my bicycle to raise funds to build homes in Bolomba-Likolo in the DRC. My fundraising goal is $3,000.00. I invite you to make a donation toward my goal!
This ride is about changing lives, my life and the lives of families in the DRC. The DRC holds a very special place in my heart. After graduating from college, I was sent to the DRC, then known as Zaire, as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I was a water and santiation technician in Nyankunde, near the northeastern city of Bunia and close to the Ugandan border. I had a spiritual reawakening while in DRC. I rediscovered the essence of Christianity. I lived and worked with people who had far less than I did, and yet they always had enough to give to some in need. The members of the congregation I worshipped at knew that their survival was incumbent upon them working together and sharing all that they had with one another. They understood community in a way that few Westerns can. The early church was a community that knew its survival was tied to cooperation of all its members and the sharing of their individual gifts. I saw people on a daily basis living out this model of communal faith. The sense of community I experienced in that congregation of 1,000 weekly worshipers continues to this day to influence my ministry and the type of community I attempt to foster as a pastor. This ride gives me the opportunity to give back to my congolese family by helping to provide much needed housing for families in Bolomba DRC. Thanks for your generous donation. You will be in my prayers as I pedal down the West Coast of the US.
This ride is about changing lives, my life and the lives of families in the DRC. The DRC holds a very special place in my heart. After graduating from college, I was sent to the DRC, then known as Zaire, as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I was a water and santiation technician in Nyankunde, near the northeastern city of Bunia and close to the Ugandan border. I had a spiritual reawakening while in DRC. I rediscovered the essence of Christianity. I lived and worked with people who had far less than I did, and yet they always had enough to give to some in need. The members of the congregation I worshipped at knew that their survival was incumbent upon them working together and sharing all that they had with one another. They understood community in a way that few Westerns can. The early church was a community that knew its survival was tied to cooperation of all its members and the sharing of their individual gifts. I saw people on a daily basis living out this model of communal faith. The sense of community I experienced in that congregation of 1,000 weekly worshipers continues to this day to influence my ministry and the type of community I attempt to foster as a pastor. This ride gives me the opportunity to give back to my congolese family by helping to provide much needed housing for families in Bolomba DRC. Thanks for your generous donation. You will be in my prayers as I pedal down the West Coast of the US.
I'm a local United Church of Christ pastor who is on sabbatical this summer. I decided that I wanted to take a serious bike adventure as part of my sabbatical. I also wanted my bike adventure to be a charity ride, which is what led me to The Fuller Center's bike adventure. I am a returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, which is why I'm targeting my fundraising for the DRC housing project.
This will be my first long bike trek. I have been training at the gym for months and riding outside when I have the opportunity. I sure hope all the training pays off. Looking forward to the ride along the west coast and meeting all the riders and people along the way.
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