I walked out of the control tower at Tulsa Raceway Park early Saturday afternoon to walk around the pits for a while. There was a small ramp that had a 5" drop off step on the left edge. I managed to catch that edge just right (or just wrong) enough to send me out of control and headed for the concrete. I had my full weight on my left foot, and it made a wicked twist when it slipped off that edge. I went down hard! Thank God the concrete was there to break my fall! I deposited some skin from both elbows and one knee, slightly pulled a muscle on my inside right thigh, and mangled my left foot pretty good. Track EMS personnel cleaned up my flesh wounds and checked my foot and ankle for any obvious broken bones. Everything looked okay, so they then started asking me questions to see if I had banged my nugget on the concrete. I had used my elbows to protect my head, so it didn't hit the concrete, but my answer to the first question had them wondering. They asked me where I was. My answer? "Where am I? I've worked 5 races in 5 weeks, and I'm not sure where I am!" Then I remembered I was in Tulsa. One of them then asked me if George Bush was still President. I answered "I wish!" and they knew my head was okay!

I finished my work day at the track Saturday, but the pain in my left ankle got progressively worse. On the way back to our hotel, my roommate stopped and picked up some Advil and an icepack. The Advil helped with the pain, and I had the icepack on my ankle all night, which reduced the swelling some. But, when I woke up Sunday morning (after a very choppy night's sleep), I couldn't stand up. I had amplified the muscle pull in my right thigh by using that leg to favor the left, and my left ankle was stiff and very painful. My roommate went and bought me some crutches, and told me to stay off my feet except when absolutely necessary (using the bathroom or getting breakfast when I was ready). This was all before 7:00 a.m. He headed to the track and he was expecting to fly solo to finish the event. A strong rainstorm rolled through Tulsa around 9:00. It was a bunch of rain, but the storm only lasted for about an hour. Around 11:30, he called me to see how I was doing, and to let me know that it looked that the storm was short enough that they were going to try to finish the races that day. I told him that the Advil was doing its job on the pain again, and the crutches were a great help as far as my getting around. By 1:00, it was close to time to resume racing, and he picked me up, took me to the track, and we finished the job.

Getting home today was an adventure of a new kind (at least for me). Luggage, crutches and airports are a lousy mix. It was a slow trek, but I had time. I wasn't going to take the shoe off my left foot to go through security screening, which TSA let me do, but I got to go to the "special" area for additional measures, like swabbing the shoe and both of my palms...?

So here I am at home with a BIG left foot. I drive a 5-speed and live in a tri-level home. I have a bunch of work here waiting to be done before I head to Denver Friday morning to work another race....then I have some plans that involve Vegas next Monday-Thursday. I just hope things are a little better for me this time next week!

The first photo is my feet with my shoes on after I got home today. The second photo is my feet after I got home today. See?!? BIGFOOT!