Whistler->Cypress->Whistler->Emergency Room

I had an amazing weekend two weeks ago. Cheryl and I went up to Whistler Saturday, then Glade and I rode Cypress Sunday, and on Monday I went back to Whistler with Glade. Monday didn't end that well though.

It was my first big riding weekend of the year, and I had a few solid falls on Cypress, so I was a bit tired going into Monday's Whistler ride. Glade and I rode A-Line a few times pretty hard and then decided to take a more technical ride down Schleyer, and Clown Shoes. Before that last run my back was really feeling weak. I stopped at the top, took off my pack and stretched it out a bit. I should have taken that as a sign to take a rest, but I continued.

We ripped through Schleyer, and started to bomb down Clown Shoes. On one of the structures I lost balance so I decided to pop off it to the left to avoid falling too far. I only dropped 6 feet or so, and I landed solidly on my pedals, but it was a flat landing, the impact was enough to bottom out my suspension, and my back took too much of the impact and gave out.

Sharp pain always sucks, but it really sucks when it's your back. I couldn't really move much, but I was able to squirm off the trail. I couldn't sit up or roll over for about an hour. Glade eventually helped me up onto my bike, and I was able to lean over my bike fork using it as a crutch to get me off the trail and to the bottom of the hill.

In retrospect I should have went directly to Whistler First Aid, but at the bottom of the hill I was feeling a bit better, so I figured I could just go home and rest. After sitting in the truck on the way home my back seized up and when I got back to Vancouver I couldn't get out of the truck - which wasn't a good scene. After a lot of effort I was able to make it into bed, but then my back seized up even more.

To make a long story somewhat shorter I eventually needed to take an ambulance to the emergency room. 3 hours in emerg was not the best way to spend my Monday night, but the painkillers they gave me helped out a ton. A muscle relaxant injection almost immediately took hold, and after x-rays showed no breaks I was out of there and back in bed.

I couldn't drive home the next day, so I took a sick day to recover. The doctor thinks this is just a muscular issue, so I should be good to go very soon. I've been taking it easy ever since, and I was getting a lot better until yesterday when I threw it out again while packing my office.

I'll be going to physical therapy to make sure I get the speediest recovery possible. I hope to be back in action relatively soon.