Road Rash Resilience

I came home from a Christmas vacation with a lot of love and hope for 2025. I also left it with a little heartbreak.

My first day back, of course I wanted to go for a bike ride before meeting up with my friends to share the love and hope, and maybe a touch of the heartbreak. I wanted to feel their joy, and let them hold me a little in my pain.

On mile 25 of 30, lost in my own thoughts, I was one moment cruising down the South Walnut Creek trail, and the next flipping over my handlebars, landing with a crunch on my left shoulder and the side of my face.

I popped up, dusted myself off, assessed the damage. It was gross. Bloody arm and knees, and my helmet straps dug a surface slice into my neck. But I didn’t black out, I didn’t see stars, and my bike appeared functional, so I slowly pedaled the last stretch home.

I got home just about the same time as my fiancé, who greeted me with a smile and then a frown.

“You’re bleeding,” he said.

“I fell,” I said.

It’s been 9 days since that fall and I almost have full mobility back in my left arm. My scrapes are healing way faster than I expected, and my worst road rash has gone through the first round of scabs. I’m dousing my wounds in skin repair oil on the regular, and I’m looking forward to getting back in the saddle when I pick up my bike from the shop.

Sometimes a fall is just a fall. There is no larger lesson to be learned, besides to be careful and don’t repeat the mistake.

But this one felt like it had to happen when it happened and how it happened.

Sometimes you’re just riding your bike, minding your own business, not expecting any outcomes from a ride other that completing the task, enjoying the fresh air, and saving the Strava workout.

This time, the universe decided to knock me on my ass (in a very literal sense,) I think just to show me how quickly I can get back up. Healing is painful, but easier with the compassion and tenderness of friends and loved ones. It only takes as long as I need it to.

I hope your 2025 gives you only as many painful lessons as you need, just to remind you how resilient you are.

And I hope your 2025 gives you as many opportunities to ride bikes, and eat dessert as humanly possible.

Happy New Year!

-Heather