First Blood - Fountain Head

This afternoon I set out for more training for the Wilderness 101.  My goal was 3 laps around the Fountainhead mountain bike trail.  I've ridden this trail 3x previous with pretty good success.  I have even renamed the ominous Shock-O-Billy Hill to Speed-O-Billy because I just haul down it.  OK, a little caution on the first half, then it's off the brakes.

The trail is about 8 miles and just beats the tar out of you from beginning to end.  I have to say that I'm pretty tired of riding over roots at this point.  The first lap was just getting my legs under me and warming up.  The 2nd lap I really picked it up.  One of the longer straightaways I honestly took a little too fast.  I think it was either my front or back bike tire that was hitting the trail every 5 feet.  It was one bouncy affair.  I'd like to name this section Nutcracker Run.

I took a bypass that a dude told me about on the first lap.  It's a short section that brings you to Woodpecker Hill.  This hill got me as it's REALLY steep but short.  I didn't make it up, but I got even on the 2nd lap as I smoked this hill.  

The third lap started to get me a bit fatigued.  Cardiac Hill got me on this loop as I was indecisive on my line up the hill and a root caused me to get thrown to the right.  I never thought about it before, but my Camelbak acts like a cushion when falling on one's back.  Fortunately, the ravine on the right wasn't too steep so I only slid a little with my bike on top of me.  Those shoe clips really work.

Later on there are boardwalks designed to test one's riding skill.  Fountainhead has raised platforms about 3 feet high.  The boardwalk comes at the top of a hill and I decided to give it a go.  I was quite pleased with myself with making the entrance ramp onto the boardwalk given that it's at the top of a hill and kinda steep.  I rode around the length of one, then rode up another one.  I was at the end of the second boardwalk and feeling quite happy with myself.  

My 3rd lap and I just completed two boardwalks that really kinda scared me.  I distracted myself with my "King of the Universe" thoughts and took the exit ramp for granted.  Holey Crow that is steep.  I was not paying attention.  I had too much speed and did a nose dive straight into the dirt.  Unfortunately, my speed kept me skidding as I rolled to my left.  I remember grinding my left elbow and left leg along the dirt and rocks.  

Boardwalk Example

Pain is an interesting phenomenon.  All my fatigue, sore hands, sore neck and everything else took a complete back-seat to the pain that emanating from my elbow.  You don't feel the pain immediately, as I laid on the ground wishing this hadn't happened.  I picked myself up, looked around to see if anyone had seen me, but there wasn't another sole on the entire trail.  I started riding again and then the wave came.  Oh man, it really hurt.  Not just because I ripped up myself, but the sweat and salt was in the abrasions.  I was ready for this ride to be over.  I rode really fast for the remainder of the ride.

I've got a couple photos below of the boo-boo's.  Believe me, the elbow hurts a lot more than it may look.  My leg is more scraped up than shown, but I'd like to keep this PG-13.  Despite the advertising on the Bactine bottle, it really DOES STING!!!

It has a lot more ooze now.

Scraped pretty good, but not a lot of pain.

Update July 15:  Turns out that fall wasn't just into dirt.  It was a patch of poison ivy.  Half of my left forearm was covered in it.  It was pretty painful, but I toughed it out with some Gold Bond.  What I couldn't predict was the infection that would occur 1 week after the poison ivy was pretty much healed.  This felt like a blow torch on my forearm.  An ER visit later I got some vicodin, prednisone and cephalex to heal that up.  That episode was incredibly painful but I'm pretty good now.

Posted in: bike,injury