OUCH...my pride...and my bum

What can I say, other than my worst nightmare finally happened.

I got a road bike a while back and have been slowly gathering the courage (and the money) to buy cycling shoes and clipless pedals; you know the kind that clip you INTO your bike, as in your feet DO NOT come OFF the bike...ya those kind. I convinced the guys at the bike store to hook my bike into the stationary bike stand so I could practice clipping in and out of the pedals. Much to the amusement of the employees, I practiced for about twenty minutes, bought my shoes and pedals and left. I took a very cautious trial run through the back streets of my neighborhood, I was thinking "I've got this, I am the woman." A few days later I decided to head out on a "real ride". Everything was going smoothly until I got to the first intersection. I think that I got caught up in the feeling of looking like a "real cyclist" in my new shoes, that I forgot to down shift into an easier gear when I stopped at the intersection. So the road cleared and it was my turn to go. I push off, and realize I am in THE hardest gear possible, and the struggle with trying to get a forward motion going and clip into my pedal all at the same time- was just too much for my beginners brain...you know what's coming...I leaned to far to the left (which would be the side that my foot was still clipped into) and..."Oh *#@$", nothing I can do but smile and wave as I hit the pavement. I wish I could say it was some high speed wipout story, but really there was no speed at all, just me... tipping over. Long story short I am laying on the asphalt struggling to unclip myself from my FREAKING pedals, thinking all the while, "I can't believe it is rush hour and all these people are thinking what sort of facility would let a handicapped person out to ride their bike all alone!" I dragged my sore bod and my bike to the sidewalk where way too many people stopped to ask if I was alright, or if my bike broken, or if I was hurt...and yes I was hurt and my pride got hit the hardest. It has been a week and I still have a bruise the size of Texas on my rear!

Thought I would share that since it is actually quite humorous to me now. And because some of you unfortunatley heard about it, so I can't live in secret humiliation anymore :)