Well, do you remember me telling you how pumped up I was for the US Nationals this Friday, June 6th in Denver? Everything was going perfectly; my diet, my training, my frame of mind was set, my bike was running great. I was stretching the tension of the spokes on my new racing wheels, when all of a sudden, it hit me! Or should I say "the van" hit me! BAM! A license plate went flying, carbon wheels shattered, spokes lay on the ground, the rear axle was 45 degrees off from its regular position. My left shoulder had scraped across the blacktop and the van's tire was atop my right rear wheel.
After the initial shock of being struck, I saw I was in a vulnerable position, but pain hadn't set in. Seconds passed and I became fully conscious of what had just happened. Then the pain hit! My right thumb was numb so I checked to see if it was broken. I checked my forearm as well - no breaks. My right lung hurt so badly and it was hard to breathe. My head seemed to be okay, I didn't see much blood, and as I continued to move, to check my body, I felt severe pain in my left shoulder. I put my right hand on my shoulder and could feel my clavicle sticking up about half an inch. In that instant, my dreams of competing in China, crashed hard, like the van that had just ended them.
The van had dragged me a few feet. Fortunately, the driver stopped and called 911. At the hospital, I learned that I had dislocated my clavicle and torn the ligaments connecting the clavicle to the shoulder joint. The pain was unbearable. They injected me with morphine. As it hit my system, I wasn't sure which was worse the accident or my body's reaction to the drug...
So where do I stand in relationship to China? In the days that passed, after medical tests & consultations, I spoke to my coaches and delivered the news. They agreed to try to secure my spot on the team pending a medical release stating I would be able to train 100% in five to six weeks. I have trained for the past four years awaiting Beijing. There's no way I will let it slip away.
I will be at Denver this weekend. I will compete in the time trial only. I'll give it my best shot. Stay tuned for the results!
