How was your Easter?

"I had my first fall! It was awesome!!"

...

Yes, numerous people who've asked me that question and recieved that answer have raised an eyebrow too.

My husband actually had Easter Sunday off work, so we decided not to waste a second of time together: we suited up, got the bikes out and went for a ride.

Now, when I say 'ride' I don't mean on bikes with flat pedals and broad wheels. This riding was the kind Lance Armstrong does - actual cycling. My husband had been doing it for about 10 years. Me? I'm just trying to keep up with someone as cool as him.

I'm an amateur. I rode a little about a year ago when I first got my bike. Then Stephan got busy with work and school and He couldn't go out with me anymore. I didn't learn much timidly making my way to CVS compared to the back-country roads he would take me on.

But Sunday found us back on those roads. It was spectacular. The whole reason I got the bike in the first place was to go fast. I wanted the wind blowing past my ears and muting everything else. Well, I got that Sunday. It was positively glorious.

Not to far into the ride I rolled over some gravel. As I heard it crunch under my wheel I thought "This is it. I'm going down today..."

When cylcing, you're in special shoes that actually attach to the pedals. It's completely neccesary, but hard to get used to. Keep that in mind as this story wanes on.

As we rode further, Stephan started giving me a lesson on how to use my gears. Well, I did something that resulted in a combination that basically made my pedals have no effect on my wheels at all. I'd spin but nothing would happen. I was rolling down a hill, so I wasn't worried about falling over, but I called out to Stephan so he could coach me back to wheels that worked.

Well, we came over a small hill at that point and he stopped. Up ahead of us there was another small hill. We couldn't see the traffic coming from either direction.

I told him to keep going - he insisted on stopping. This little lack of communication resulted in me slowing down too much to stay upright. Having not unclipped my feet (which is really easy to do if you're thinking about it) I tipped over before I could get my foot out.

I don't remember the actual fall - all I remember is thinking "car..."

I fell to my left side right into the center of the road. Both my feet had unclipped in the fall (funny how that is...) so I planted my right foot on the center bar of my bike and shoved it off of me to the shoulder (not thinking of the damage I might do to the thing). I rolled to the shoulder myself once I was free.

Stephan was with me immediately. I started trembling - not because I was badly hurt, but because I looked right and left and saw that, because of the hills, no car would have been able to stop in time to miss me if one had come.

God was kind though, and the next car that came was driven by a very nice man who offered us some wet wipes. I was able to clean my only wound - a skinned knee. In a few minutes another pair of cyclists came by and gave me a dry paper towel as well. After being convinced of my allright-ness, one of this pair said "yeah, you're fine to ride out - you'll get smacked with it tomorrow!"

He was right. Every joint on my left side is sore. The road burn on my knee is shallow, but broad - to broad for a bandage. I'll be wearing skirts for the next week.