Skirt Culture

I took a digger today. Actually I took two, but it was the first one that really woke me up. I'm not a great mountain biker. My skills pretty much suck, but I have fitness and endurance from a lifetime of swimming and a six year pro triathlon career, so I want to be better than I am. I try things that are far beyond my ability. I usually make these interesting twists and turns but there is no rhyme or reason to how I come out alive, it's almost always through sheer luck. If someone had a camera on me, they would probably ban me from ever getting on a mountain bike again. That's why I usually go out alone. When I do fall, I'm grateful no one is there to witness it.

Today I was tooling along on a super rocky trail, when suddenly the tell-tale out-of-control shimmy started. I knew I was going down and at that point the only thing I could do was minimize the damage. I love how people tell you not to put your hands down, so you will protect your hands, elbows, shoulders. Are you kidding? I have never once employed this technique, mainly because I never have time to think.

Falls are super awkward, so my first reaction is always to start laughing. That is, unless they really hurt. The only time I didn't laugh was when I was puking because I broke my collarbone back in 1998. Today's fall was pretty funny. I basically went down in slow motion, skinning both shins along a ridge of rocks. I was smiling as I went down, I knew it was all damage control from there. The only redeeming part was that my BikeGirl and Sexyback Tank (I was test-wearing a top from our 2008 spring cycling collection) were unscathed. Maybe we will call them crash-proof.

So I sat on the trail and gathered myself. My right shin didn't look too good. Fortunately the gash was bigger than the typical shaving wound which made me immediately feel tough. I am obviously a girly-girl, but I am also strong and tough. Riding along in a Skirt, passing all the dudes on the trail, drawing a little blood and getting right back on the saddle, today was a great day.