This morning, I joined Joel, Jennifer and Bill on the now infamous “Crownridge to Boerne” ride that I have written about…umm…fondly on more than one occasion (just read my earlier “Just Brutal” post for more details!).

Here are ride details courtesy Motionbased.com.

The ride to Boerne was uneventful other than the sometimes grueling climbs that hit you hard before you’re mentally prepared for them. As we pulled into the outskirts of Boerne, we stopped temporarily in a gas station parking lot to orient ourselves since our intention was to add a few calories back by visiting the Bear Moon Bakery.

Just before we started rolling again, I decided to go ahead and clip in my right foot so I’d be prepared to start rolling. A few seconds later, it happened. I clipped in – eager to get rolling – and quickly allowed my weight to shift to…yes…wait…OH NO…my RIGHT side.

Before I could shout out in terror, I tried to rebalance myself with the handlebar with an awkward, desperate side-to-side motion. Then it began. That slow-motion uncontrollable fall to the ground below. I fell to the right and clipped a curb with my right side before rolling onto my back and staring into Joel’s surprised face above me.

OUCH. OUCH.

It appears I suffered a glancing blow to my right rib cage right at the point where my Garmin heart rate monitor wrapped around my side. In some ways, it may have helped to lessen the blow.

I got back on the bike and rode into town. The pain on my right side was ever present. Nothing wincing or terrible, but a dull ache aggravated by what suddenly felt like an overly tight heart rate monitor.

The Bear Moon Bakery helped to take my mind off the fall and it wasn’t long before we were back on the road. Between the pastries and the fall, however, I was not myself. I felt winded and constricted by the heart rate monitor.

At one point, Bill and crew suggested the obvious. “Dude, take the heart rate monitor off if it hurts!”

“I can’t. I don’t want to lose the data.”

Now that’s what I call a true, dedicated (and immensely stubborn, I admit) Bike Geek!

I managed to finish the ride and quickly separated myself from the heart rate monitor as I pulled into the Crownridge Canyon parking lot.

It’s about 10pm and the soreness has steadily increased. I’ve been able to keep it at bay with Ibuprofen and periodic sessions with a heating pad. I suspect tomorrow morning is not going to be pretty…

If it is, I may go to the local MedClinic and get a quick check-out for some peace of mind.

Fall aside, it was really great to have a good turn out for this ride. Many thanks to Joel, Jennifer and Bill for a great workout!