When mountain biking, falling down doesn't hurt too bad. There is not too much speed involved (for me), and hopefully, there is a soft patch of dirt beneath you to catch your fall, followed by a good dose of laughter follows.
Today I fell off my bike. My ROAD bike.
No dirt. No laughter.
I have a chainring shaped contusion.
It's pretty. Not.
Luckily, I was going REALLY slow. Painfully slow.
Coach has me doing some short big gear efforts at a low cadence to work on making me stronger. I've done them before, and I really enjoy this workout. It's challenging, constantly changing, and doesn't make me feel like death by the end.
The last time I did this workout, I could only barely use my biggest gear (a big improvement from my earlier failure at trying to push a big gear at all), and I had to use a flat grade or be inside on the trainer. Today I had to find a HILL, IN MY BIGGEST GEAR, to get the right amount of force.
HOW COOL IS THAT!?!?
(a little bit excited here)
Toward the end of my workout, I decided to make the last effort on a bigger, longer hill. The stuff inspiration is made of ;-)
To my surprise, I did it, did it well, and then I got chased by a dog.
Not kidding.
At then end of a hard workout, going uphill, in my biggest gear, being chased by a slobbering, growling, angry dog. I was living my worst nightmare.
He came out of NOWHERE. I was in my happy zone, solving all the world's peace problems, hammering up this hill at like, 3mph, not bothering a soul.
It wasn't like I could pick up the speed. My legs were toast at that specific moment.
I couldn't get unclipped from my pedals because I was freaked out too bad by this growling dog who acted like he was about to eat me.
So, I fell down.
There were no cars around, thankfully. I quickly got up and got my bike between me and the dog, which finally intimidated him enough to back off and go home. Sheesh!
He was a beautiful, young golden retriever. I am sure he is a well-loved member of someone's family.
This is why you need to restrain your pets: if there had been a car coming in either direction, he or I would have been flattened and sent to heaven by now.
Nobody needs to die because of a simple bicycle ride or an unrestrained dog.
I often hear dog owners say, "Oh, he won't hurt you. He doesn't bite."
You may be right, but let me explain why dogs and bikes are a dangerous duo:
Your sweet pooch does run out in the road when he sees me coming...even the well trained ones. He could get hit by a car because he is paying more attention to chasing me than the car coming toward him. I've seen that happen. It was so very sad; I still cry when I think about that poor little dog. This isn't all about me and my safety; I want your furry family member to stay safe too. Dogs simply don't know or understand the dangers of moving vehicles - and they certainly do not prioritize safety like we do.
Even sweet dogs bark and growl and act in a "I'm going to eat you for dinner" kind of way when they see a bicycle. My dog, who has never been aggressive, even does that, and she sees me ride almost daily. It's just how they are. Besides the fact that it totally freaks me out, it makes me seriously question my safety. I have no way to know if your dog has rabies or not, or if he is a biter or not, or if he is aggressive or sweet.
In the excitement of seeing a moving bicycle, your adorable little dog runs along side me...and then in front of me...because he's trying to play with me. Cute? Yes. Dangerous? Absolutely. I'm genuinely happy that your dog is healthy enough to be outside, running and playing. I want my dog to have fun too. However, if anything, especially a moving object, comes in contact with a moving bicycle, the object wins. Every time. The bicycle rider is then the proud owner of a new concussion, bruises, and broken bones.
The truth: I love dogs. I have one. And two cats. They are part of my family and I would die if I knew that my dog was hurt or a danger to another being. She stays in my yard, under my control at all times for the safety of herself and others.
The truth: Riding my bike is dangerous. I get that. It is less dangerous than being nearly 100lbs overweight and sedentary. That was me, 4 years ago. Riding inspires me and keeps me motivated to stay healthy. I love my family dearly and I have a huge job to do in my community. I want to keep doing it; I have to stay healthy to keep doing it.
The truth: Here, it is illegal for a person to ride a bike on the sidewalk. Bikes are only allowed on the public roadways; sidewalks are for walking. I will get a ticket for riding my bike on the sidewalk, so please don't ask me to move to the sidewalk when I commute to work.
The truth: Here, it is illegal for a moving vehicle to come within 3 feet of a cyclist. A car is allowed to pass a bike on the road, as long as the cyclist is given 3 feet of clearance between the car and the bike. I drive a car, too, and understand how irritating it is to be held up in traffic. Please, be patient and wait the extra 30 seconds it takes to provide that 3 feet of space. Remember, you don't actually have to come in contact with a cyclist to create a wreck, because of the air vacuum the car creates as it zooms by.
The truth: Here, it is illegal for pets to be unrestrained on public property (think: roads). All animals in your care are required to be under your control at all times, or on your property. I can't come on your property; you can't allow your property to come to me. If your furry family member is out in the road and causes an accident, the animal's owner is at full fault and will be legally and financially responsible for all damage to health and property. That means - if your dog chases me again and I get bitten or if he runs in front of me and causes a crash where I break a bone or my bike, you get to pay for a new bike and a new bone.
Be responsible. Be helpful. Love your furry friends. Keeping them safe will keep all of us safe.
I'm off to find some Arnica for this bruise...
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