Bike crash on Highway 61 North shore and how Giro saved my life!

Ever been in an accident you might not have walked away from?



This weekend I did a solo ride from Duluth to Two Harbors Minnesota on old HWY 61. It's a beautiful ride around lake Superior all right next to the lake and next to two-way car traffic.

Around mile 6 I had an accident. The first thing I remember was my head hitting the road and wondering if my Giro Sport Design helmet was going to protect my head from crushing.

Well it did, it took on the road at 15 miles an hour with a big guy inside it. My lung didn't do so well. The helmet cracked and took the impact. Talking with my doctor she said if I didn't have a helmet on I would not be talking to her today.

As I got up from the crash I saw stars and right away two different people stopped to check and see if I was ok. One was an off-duty EMT and she asked me a bunch of questions to make sure I was ok. - My faith in the kindness and humanity in people is elevated -

I continued 35 more miles to my destination for a coffee and then back to my car with some treats I picked up for my kids on the trip.

I found out this afternoon that instead of broken ribs I have a slightly punctured left lung. It hurts a lot but I am grateful it was not worse.

I am also grateful because my Giro helmet saved my life. Purchased at Erik's Bike Shop, Inc. as a gift from family on fathers day.

PLEASE wear a helmet!

What have you walked away from that if not for one thing protecting you it would have been different?

I am grateful for today!

More pics of the helmet after the crash are in the comments.

2020 and some new self care and Thankfulness

It has again been a while since I posted. My dad passes away in January of 2019. He had cancer and Hep C. It was a very trying time. I will address a little of that since I have talked here about me as a parent. I know that part of why I try so hard to be a good parent is because of my relationship with my dad. We did not spend a lot of time together when I was growing up. To start he was a drummer in a rock band and on the road all of the time. My mom and he split paths when I was 2 or 3. There was always a void that I did not understand and still work on to this day.  My mom did her best but there is a hole when kids don't have 2 parents around. As I grew up my dad got married and had 2 more kids and got divorced. He spent time with me here and there but we were not close. My dad drank a lot and the best times we had was when he was sober for periods of time. Again this is a big part of why I don't drink much. 

Fall of 2018 I spend more time with my dad than I had in a long time. But as it often seems to do cancer got the better of him. Slow downhill for months then a fast fade into death.I mourn my dad and the vision of a perfect future where he was sober and where we were close that never came to be. 

I never fell off my workouts but I did eat more of the bad things than I should have. Comfort food is not good for you but you do what you can when you are mourning.

I did the weight loss competition at the YWCA over this winter and I lost a pound from Thanksgiving to New years. I remember years where I would put on 30 pounds over the holidays. I hope those times are gone now. I have been focusing on self-care, more time away from screens and things that cause me stress. I have been trying to cut out sweets and stop eating in the early evening.

I am doing the Red Ribbon Ride again this year 225 miles through Minnesota to fight AIDS / HIV and lots of bike training leading up to it.

I will post more this year. I will also love myself more and slow down the insanity of life.

I hope you are doing well in your weight loss and care journey. Let me know if I can help with anything.

Peace,

Gabe