My first wreck

Later in the day July 13, 2006

Well was it Gilda Radnor who always fell off her bike in “Laugh In?” (No, it was Ruth Buzzi my friend Patricia tells me.) I’m glad no one was watching, although I could have been injured badly. I started out the beautiful, smooth, wide Rails-to-trails Mahoning Shadow Trail. I’m still trying to get familiar with locking my cleated shoes into the pedals of the new Bianchi Strada Bicycle. One look down and the front wheel went off the 10 foot wide trail and I flew over the handlebars at about 15 MPH. The landing was onto the left shoulder that was driven into the cinder railroad bed and left an indentation in the cinders 6 inches deep. The left clavicle (collar bone) felt like it broke and the left chest and elbow hurt. The left elbow was bleeding. The neck, head and face did fine and I never hit the helmet. I was stunned and lay there for several minutes to collect myself and be sure I wouldn’t pass out when I sat up. The bike was a little dirty but otherwise okay and my water bottles flew 10 feet away. Soon I sat and later stood up and did an inventory of body parts. Nothing is broken, the arm has road rash, and the shorts and shirt are filthy. I proceeded on with the beautiful ride which turned out to be about 5 miles one way and I did coast a full 4 miles on the return trip. The trail leaves Punxsutawney and proceeds southeast toward the Eastern continental Divide which is just 8 miles or so out of Punxsy. Water from the Punxsy side goes into the Mahoning Creek, Allegheny River, Ohio River and the Mississippi. Water on the other side goes to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. My father taught me this when I was 6 years old when he stopped the car once on the divide so he could urinate into the Atlantic while I urinated into the Gulf of Mexico! I’ve tried to teach my kids and grandkids similarly.