Down for a While

Okay - so I was trying to be real careful with my running - trying to make sure I didn't overtrain and injure myself. Well - unfortunately it happened - not running, but on my bicycle.

After the marathon I thought I would turn a new leaf in my fitness regimen - biking to work a couple of times per week. I was on my way home from work, when it happened. I was riding along the Upper Back Bay Trail when I was cutoff at a trail merge. I immediately grabbed my brakes and instinctively turned my wheel, and promptly went over the handlebars. I managed to stop the pavement with my face, knuckles, and knees.

In reality, it was much more serious than that. I remeber hitting the ground. Someone came up to me and asked if I was okay. I could already see blood running quite profusely all over the ground. I asked for some help taking my bike up to the street a few yards away. I called my wife to let her know we were going to need to go to the hospital (I was 3 miles away from home). I remember looking up at the Marriott Suites Hotel. I remember the building moving.

The next thing I recall was 3 hours later in surgery. The plastic surgeon was putting the last of the 200 stitches in my lip.

A later CT scan showed that despite the concussion, there was no bleeding in my brain. I did have a non-displaced fracture of the mandible. I have three teeth that are now bonded to see if they are going to stay in. But all in all, my helmet saved my life. I hit with enough force to break my helmet, but a couple of days later, I'm at least here. In some pain, but otherwise healthy and happy.

I'm being told that I can't really do much for the next 3 or 4 weeks. I'm on a soft diet until my jaw and teeth resolve. It's going to be interesting shaving while my face heals though....

I'll post here every now and then, but things will probably be quiet on the running front for the next few weeks.