ouch

this weekend i had the please of acquainting myself with the fine pavement and curb network found next to the train tracks along the streets of Pittsburgh... up close and personal, with my ass. ok, maybe upper hamstring.

i bit the big one, in a not so big way... ego bruised more than body. but still it hurt - and still does.

i saw it coming in slow motion... the tracks - the ridge that i wanted to avoid letting my skinny tires slide down into... the side of the road where i wanted to be, paralleling the tracks and my path. get out of the way dammit - i kept telling myself. you're blocking traffic. i tried to angle it across, but failed miserably. i felt the tire slip off the slick metal track, and into the ridge and off my bike i went.

awesome.

i was in the street and quickly recognized that both myself and my bike were impeding traffic - yet again. crap. i jumped up, picked up my bike and sat down on the sidewalk trying to fight back tears of stinging frustration. after all, big girls don't cry. two ladies in the trailing SUV stopped in the middle of the road:

those tracks are dangerous! are you ok?

i kinda already figured that out, but thanks.

to add insult to injury, my ripped shorts were barely a month old. maybe 2 at the most. dammit!

the bike was fine thank goodness. although i knew both tires needed to be replaced. even better yet was the slow ride home, with added ventilation in my shorts, scraped skin hanging out, trying to avoid bumps and potholes that may cause the tire to bust and tube to blow. time dragged by and then it was over.

thank goodness.

i'm somewhat miserable today after all of this drama. a combination of the pain involved with moving my right leg, PMS (yes it does exist and isn't permanent) and fatigue from travel and not being able to sleep comfortably. there's a first for everything. i'm lucky that mine only resulted in a sore leg and shoulder, some lost skin, tires and shorts and a bruised, bruised ego.

ouch.