I’ve been pretty fortunate over the course of my fitness journey in that I haven’t suffered any significant injuries. I’ve had minor annoyances, including sickness and a pulled muscle here and there, but nothing that has kept me away from exercising for more than one or two weeks. Well, that all changed last week.
I finished my podcast last Tuesday (June 6) and wanted to get in a quick ride before our show taping at 10AM. It was a cloudy and cool morning and I set off on a route that I don’t normally take that would take me through a local park. The path is made for biking and there isn’t anything particularly challenging about it. It’s paved and to go from one side of the park to the other and back is around 8 miles. There wasn’t a lot of traffic that day - the occasional runner or biker - allowing me to speed through the park without the need to slow down much. I was on my way back, when, coming around a corner, my front tire went off the path. The tire was a few inches lower than the rest of the bike and when I tried to get the tire back on the path, I lost control and slammed to the ground on my left side, with my skin acting as the brake as I skidded to a stop. While I was on the ground, I remember assessing the damage, determining that my head was okay and figured that, aside from the massive road rash, I would be able to ride home and nurse my wounds. As I got up to move the bike to the side of the path, my shoulder was in excruciating pain. I was certain that I broke my clavicle, but beyond that, I had no idea whether my shoulder was dislocated or whether anything else was wrong. My Apple Watch detected a fall and called 911. At around the same time, a Good Samaritan named Walt happened by and helped me call my wife and ensure the EMT’s and police officers who were responding would be able to find me. The accident occurred about 2 miles from the hospital and, for the first time in my life, I was taken to the hospital by ambulance. I was pretty shaken up and in a good deal of pain. I could feel my collarbone pushing against my chest, which x-rays would later confirm. Additionally, I broke my scapula, which I’m told is no small feat, and I also fractured five ribs. Two days later, I had surgery, where they inserted a small metal plate a couple of screws to repair my broken collarbone. No additional surgery was required for the scapula as fixing the clavicle brought the scapula back in line. I was released from the hospital the following day.
The total recovery time is 6-12 weeks for such injuries, but I won’t know a ton about my prognosis until the dressing is removed in another week or so. On the one hand, I am super grateful that my injuries were not worse. My bike helmet probably saved at least a major head injury or worse, as it was pretty banged up, though not cracked. I’m thankful that my wife responded and got there so quickly. And of course thankful that a Good Samaritan was running by just a few moments after it happened.
On the other hand, it’s super frustrating. I worked hard to improve my running this Spring and was incorporating additional activities like basketball and golf to complement my other fitness activities. I’m left with a summer that will include a good deal of physical therapy and while I won’t be starting from scratch, it’s going to take a lot of time and effort to build up my fitness to pre-injury levels. It’s a challenge to be sure, but I’m going to spend the next several weeks documenting my recovery in the hopes that I can help others who may be in the same boat or ever better, who can help me get through these next several weeks. So stay tuned!
Thanks David! And yes, I will do.