I’ve just encountered my first bump in the road. Quite literally it was a bump on the trail covered in snow… Now I’ve got myself a sprained thumb. Sigh. It is swollen. It is sore. But it is not the end of the world. I’ve had this injury before. Yep, it hurts. It is a pain and a hassle. Don’t realize how valuable your thumb is until you don’t have it. But I’m icing it, I’ve got it wrapped, I’m keeping it elevated. And it will be just fine. I don’t pedal with my thumb, so it is not a big deal. As I always say, “it could be worse”.

This all happened yesterday when I was out training in the woods. I had a fantastic ride. In fact, it was because I was having so much fun and riding rather smoothly, that this happened. Ironic. Normally when I veer off the race line, I panic a bit, slam on the brakes and do crazy stuff. Not yesterday… I veered of the race line, but because I was focused on pedaling and looking ahead, I was okay with it. But I neglected to see the two tree stumps buried in the snow. I hit the first one bang on and my right hand slipped and I slammed my thumb against my hood, bending it way past its’ comfort point. I then proceeded to hit the next stump. Through all this, I continued to pedal, got back on the race line and stayed upright! Yes, I’m surprised as well. There was no time for panic or breaking. I think if either of those had happened, I would be worse off. As it stands all I have is a sore thumb. No biggie.

But in light of this, I did take today off. Decided even riding on the trainer would be too much. Today has been about rest, ice, elevation, and patience. I got a handy thumb support strap thing from the Aldi (thanks to Tim for the tip) and I bought some athletic tape and tonight we are going to tape it up. I’ll be fine and ready for Wednesday.

Too bad about not riding today as it has been a beautiful day. Above zero. Blue sky. Perfect day for some riding in the woods. But I’ll have to wait until Thursday or Friday to hit up Averbode again.

I have started reading David Byrne’s book Bicycle Diaries. What a fascinating look at life – pedaling through major cities by bike. Byrne makes me want to buy a folding bike and pedal my way through the world. Hmm, maybe this will be next on my list. Perfect thing to do when for my 45th year… (This by the way is still a long way off!) I also started reading another book: Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I’m only in the introduction but the basic idea is how to truly find happiness in life. Anyway, a couple of reads that might appeal to all you other bike fans out there.

We are off to Surhuisterveen tomorrow. Looking forward to the road trip and the night in the posh hotel. I’ll get to watch/pit for Marc and then I’ll race. This is a cool race because it is in the center of the town. Lots of people come out to watch and cheer on the riders. Fun way to spend a Wednesday!

Alright, I’m out. More Canadians arriving this week and next. Yep, it is getting close to that time. World Championship time! Cool.