Ben, That was great stuff when you were talking to yourself/tire, it made it like reality TV. The rib stuff hurts like hell for a week or two and then you get past it, I'm no doctor however I broke my 10th rib at the first race at wayway and raced 2 weeks later. Granted it hurt a lot but I tried to be really careful the next 2 races. Of course once I was feeling 100% I broke my thumb but that was unrelated.
Alex, thanks for asking, thumb is in a cast but I have been managing to ride the road bike a bunch. I did about 30mi this morning and that's about all I can do before my shoulder and back get out of whack because I can't really hold the bar with my left hand other than with a couple of fingers. It is good hill training though. I rode with a buddy today and we hit a hill and he got out of his saddle and started really working it, while I can only sit and spin and grind and I actually passed him on the hill and had to wait at the top. Made my day. I go back for follow up xrays on Tuesday and if it looks good it might only be 2 more weeks in the cast. I am a little concerned with the break that is closer to the finger tip as that feels really weird if I try and lift the tip up and straighten it, the lower break does not feel that bad. I have to keep my other fingers crossed that I can avoid the surgery that is usually needed with these kinds of breaks. In my mind I am hoping that I can have the cast off and protect it somehow and do the 40...if not I'll stay on the road and try and keep myself in one piece for the rest of the series where I just might still have a shot.