Pedal the Parks: First Casualty

Saturday, July 22nd, was a beautiful day. Patty and I decided to make an extended loop around Southwest Iowa and ride in the six (6) parks that were remaining in that area. The first park, Lake of Three Fires in Bedford, appeared to be a good ride. However, my foot slipped from the pedal while attempting a turn on a downhill. The result was a quick fall to "Mother Earth," and a very painful injury to my left wrist. After a quick evaluation of all other extremities and a bleeding leg, I decided to continue, since the fall took place only a quarter mile into the ride. The rest of the ride was successful, so we decided to proceed with our original plan.

The next three (3) rides went very well, and we were able to view some very nice State Parks, and log several miles on our van. Because of the regular rains and the mild temperatures, Iowa is presently covered in very lush green fields of alfalfa, beans, and corn, which made the drive more enjoyable. We also made a stop to pick up ice packs for my wrist.

The fifth park of the day was closed. Recent flooding of the nearby Missouri River and high winds have made Wilson Island "off limits." Fortunately, it was located adjacent to a National Wildlife Refuge, and we were able to log our mile on a very nice paved road. The road ventured into Nebraska at one point, so we recorded this mile using two (2) states.

The sixth ride of the day was going very well until 200 yards from the finish. My unicycle caught on a large rock and threw me to the ground. Once again, I landed on the previously injured left wrist. Now the injury became more painful. But being determined, I finished the last 200 yards before accessing the damage. The wrist was quite sore, and I was glad that we had completed our intended rides.

With ice on my wrist, Patty and I made our way back to Des Moines. The plan for the day was a complete success, but the injury was a bit of a downer. After logging nearly 500 miles on the van, six (6) miles on the unicycle and trike, and completing the 81st park, we were hoping the wrist wasn't broken. After calling in a radiologist, the wrist had no fractures, but was extremely sprained. Hopefully, this will not hold up the rides for long. With only fourteen (14) parks left, we are getting anxious to complete this first step in our mission.