The Toughest Day I've Ever Had

Day 2 of Tulsa Tough had historically been a great day for me, with results always in top 10. I felt great about the day and was ready to rumble. I had no idea what that would eventually mean.
Chris and I would roll out to warm up, on what would be a very steamy and hot, humid day.http://www.teamrevcycling.org/
We would revisit the same stretch of road that we pounded in preparation to yesterdays race.
Fast Forward to 5 minutes before game time. We all wait patiently crammed up against the barricades to enter the course at the finish line. After all is said and done, I find myself on the left (inside) and in the rear of the start. yay!!!
Off we go...2-3 laps would go by pretty uneventful. It seemed as if we had all agreed to slowly acclimate to the heat and sort out our positions in the near future laps.
This is what is sooo mind boggling. I patiently move my way up and some 10 minutes find myself comfortably among the players that I wanted to keep my eye on. As we round the course one more time at around the 11-12 minute mark we hit turn 6 heading to the finish line. Just as we run under the start/finish banner at approx. 25 or 26, fanned out across the road, I had decided some 4-5 seconds earlier to take a clean path up the right along the barricade and found a nice spot with clean road ahead of me, so I could filter in around the top 12 or so, that oh so familiar sound of a nearby oops came across the air waves to my left ear.

Another black and red bike comes dominoing in front of me. I knew that there was no way out of this one today. I would be running over her rear wheel. I lift a slight bit and start, WHAM, a snag, I am launched forward, hit the pavement on my left shoulder and slide some 6 feet, my wheel ends up in the barrier and my Zipp blows, it sounds like a gun shot. Not sure if the combo of running over her wheel and a possible rear end aided in my propulsion, but this was one time that I had no time to think.

"What the World?", I thought. OUCH. A big bump and like someone was holding a large heavy object on my left shoulder/collarbone. I tried lifting my arm, ohhh, that didn't feel pleasant. As the race was neutralized, with over 25 people affected, I roll my bike to Jose in the SRAM tent and proceed to be a bit out of it. I had hurt my pinkie finger on my right hand, and had some road rash, but I was trying to focus on my thoughts and ability of covering attacks, and sprinting.

"How do I feel? Your okay, just a bit dazed and your heartrate just needs to come down", "No, what if it's not okay?" "Go to the med tent", "No, your tough, walk it off", "Okay, I think I have to go just get an opinion, what will it hurt...I have 5-10 minutes before we restart."

As you can see, I desperately wanted to be okay, but I knew I wasn't, but I wouldn't totally admit it. At the med tent I would find a fellow racer, Monique Hanley(Team Type 1), with a collar on, and being cared for with caution. I was worried for her. I asked them to look at my shoulder to see what they thought. Jamie and Teresa were awesome, as they ran to the van to get me a blanket so I could lay down. I felt nauseous, then it hurt like I cannot explain, then I would go through the same dialog over and over again.

The EMT would look at my collarbone, feel my back..."Your not broken". I could move my arm up over my head, to my side etc. etc. but, I could not move it across my body without being in excruciating pain. As the tent was visited by two other fellow riders, I would surrender my promising day, and hope that I would be better tomorrow.

With some Ibuprofen, and a good adult beverage, I would mask the pain...at least until tomorrow.

Thanks also to The Sound Pony for great Libations!!!

We shall see what is in store for me tomorrow.