RockyRoads
Sponsoring Member
- Aug 28, 2003
- 88
- 0
Hello, everyone! I haven’t posted in ages, but I’ve been peeking in every now and then to see how everyone is doing. Thanks for starting this thread, MXGirl230!
As some of you know, I got my new KTM 400 EXC in January and just love it—it was the perfect bike choice for me, although it did take me a few rides to adjust to the increase in power over the CRF230. (Yep, I did loop it the first time I tackled a steep hill.)
Before mid-July, I was doing a lot of riding and having a blast. I went on a 4-day Baja ride in the spring, which was so fun. Then Ben and I did the Sheet Iron 300 together in May (a 300+ mile ride from Stoneyford to Fort Bragg and back over two days). I was riding at Hollister on a regular basis once a week and planning another Baja trip for the fall. Then the big whammy happened. I broke my foot. It was truly a disruption in the rhythm of my life--26 fractures and a crushed bone. I was riding at Hollister and trying to stretch my comfort zone by going through a section in a gear higher than I normally do, realized I was going too fast into a corner, hit the brakes, hit a bump, went flying over the handlebars like superman, caught my foot on the handlebars, wrenched all the bones along the top of my foot, and slammed down hard. I knew that I had really hurt myself, but I didn’t think that my foot was broken because I could still wiggle my toes somewhat. I waited a bit for my riding buddy but couldn’t hear his bike, so after a while I got up, picked the bike up and continued onward (I knew I had to get to the hospital). I ended up riding about 5 miles of trails back to the parking area where my truck was, although I did stop a couple of times and cry because the pain was so bad. (Oh the things that the body can do out of necessity.) The recovery has been slow. Among the various pins and screws, I had to have an external fixture screwed into my bones; the first month was an education in pain tolerance and pain medications (I hope I don’t have to repeat that, ever). I was housebound for about six weeks. It has now been almost eleven weeks since the accident, and I am now up and about; I just started putting weight on my foot last week, and I'm feeling more optimistic about this "thing" on bottom of my leg being transformed back into a foot again.
My trip to Baja has been postponed until the spring, but it will happen. I’m going to go riding again as soon as I can get a boot on my foot (still really swollen and quite painful). I’ll be investing in a pair of Alpinestars Tech-10’s to give my feet extra protection; I tried one on last week on my good foot and loved it. (I also tried on the new Alpinestars women’s boot, made in the Tech-6 style; very comfortable and well constructed, but it didn’t come far enough up my shin for me to feel satisfied with the protection.)
In my personal life, I made a career change and will start a new job as soon as I can walk normally. The healing process has given me plenty of time to contemplate various aspects of my life. I’ll be working with the small group of attorneys in town who represent all of the children who are removed from their parents due to abuse or neglect. This will be quite a change from business law and litigation, but I’m really excited about this path.
In any event, I’m really looking forward to being back on a bike soon! I’m thinking my first ride may be in early November—I hope that I remember how all the controls work!
Kathy
As some of you know, I got my new KTM 400 EXC in January and just love it—it was the perfect bike choice for me, although it did take me a few rides to adjust to the increase in power over the CRF230. (Yep, I did loop it the first time I tackled a steep hill.)
Before mid-July, I was doing a lot of riding and having a blast. I went on a 4-day Baja ride in the spring, which was so fun. Then Ben and I did the Sheet Iron 300 together in May (a 300+ mile ride from Stoneyford to Fort Bragg and back over two days). I was riding at Hollister on a regular basis once a week and planning another Baja trip for the fall. Then the big whammy happened. I broke my foot. It was truly a disruption in the rhythm of my life--26 fractures and a crushed bone. I was riding at Hollister and trying to stretch my comfort zone by going through a section in a gear higher than I normally do, realized I was going too fast into a corner, hit the brakes, hit a bump, went flying over the handlebars like superman, caught my foot on the handlebars, wrenched all the bones along the top of my foot, and slammed down hard. I knew that I had really hurt myself, but I didn’t think that my foot was broken because I could still wiggle my toes somewhat. I waited a bit for my riding buddy but couldn’t hear his bike, so after a while I got up, picked the bike up and continued onward (I knew I had to get to the hospital). I ended up riding about 5 miles of trails back to the parking area where my truck was, although I did stop a couple of times and cry because the pain was so bad. (Oh the things that the body can do out of necessity.) The recovery has been slow. Among the various pins and screws, I had to have an external fixture screwed into my bones; the first month was an education in pain tolerance and pain medications (I hope I don’t have to repeat that, ever). I was housebound for about six weeks. It has now been almost eleven weeks since the accident, and I am now up and about; I just started putting weight on my foot last week, and I'm feeling more optimistic about this "thing" on bottom of my leg being transformed back into a foot again.
My trip to Baja has been postponed until the spring, but it will happen. I’m going to go riding again as soon as I can get a boot on my foot (still really swollen and quite painful). I’ll be investing in a pair of Alpinestars Tech-10’s to give my feet extra protection; I tried one on last week on my good foot and loved it. (I also tried on the new Alpinestars women’s boot, made in the Tech-6 style; very comfortable and well constructed, but it didn’t come far enough up my shin for me to feel satisfied with the protection.)
In my personal life, I made a career change and will start a new job as soon as I can walk normally. The healing process has given me plenty of time to contemplate various aspects of my life. I’ll be working with the small group of attorneys in town who represent all of the children who are removed from their parents due to abuse or neglect. This will be quite a change from business law and litigation, but I’m really excited about this path.
In any event, I’m really looking forward to being back on a bike soon! I’m thinking my first ride may be in early November—I hope that I remember how all the controls work!
Kathy
