The good news: I've reached my fundraising goal, thanks to all who have contributed. I also seem to be in good riding condition, however...
The bad news: upon near completion of a ride Monday, 9 June 2008, I sustained a shoulder injury after braking to avoid colliding with a car who cut me off, flipping over my handlebars, and landing on my head and right side. Beyond bruises and road rash, I have a bruised and possibly partially torn rotator cuff, and a torn or partially torn AC ligament. An MRI would be able to more precisely describe the extent of the injury, however my arm is still mostly operational, and the injury is not going to be exacerbated by a bike ride and light construction, so we will wait for a proper verdict until the end of the trip. Any tear will require surgery to repair.
I can ride without pain, but the question will remain as to how much construction work I will be able to complete. My doctor has told me to lay off from construction for a couple weeks (though I'm sure I can hammer with my left arm) and has given me a big piece of elastic and some exercises to complete until the pain and swelling go down. All wounds should be healed by the start of the trip, but the area immediately surrounding my AC joint and rotator cuff is still as swollen as it was on the first day of injury, so we shall see how that heals over the next few weeks.
MORE bad news: Though I was lucky enough to make it out alive, my bike, however, was not. It sustained a crack to the frame, which is fatal for carbon-fiber species. The LeMond Versailles, a great riding companion for nine months and about 650 miles, has been interred at Trek cemetary, its organs retained for use in other compatible species. In its replacement on this trip is a Specialized Allez, something I did not anticipate, but will most certainly take in stride.
Now it is time to pack. I fly to Providence tomorrow, visit with my friend Alex in Boston for two days, then head up to Portsmouth on Wednesday. Yikes!
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