Originally Posted by Machka

June 7, 1997.

AM - Machka runs her foot into the leg of her drafting table. After about 15 minutes, when the agonizing pain subsided to a tolerable level, she chooses the stiffest soled shoes she had (happened to be her cycling runners at the time), and goes to work, limping all day long.

PM - A friend suggests a ride after work and Machka agrees figuring that her foot will be in the stiff-soled shoe and should be OK.

The ride starts well, and the toe feels OK, but partway through, her friend comes to a sudden stop, and Machka runs right into him. Rather than dropping her left foot, the one with the broken toe, which would have prevented any further injury, her brain tells her to leave that foot where it is ... that dropping it would cause pain. Machka falls on her left side ... directly on her rib cage (left side), cracking her ribs.

At the clinic, the Drs tell Machka that they can't do anything for the cracked ribs, and that they'll tape the toe. And then they notice a tiny scrape on the skin of the toe. "When was the last time you had a tetanus shot?" They ask. Machka hesitates. Out comes the needle and before Machka can protest, they've given her the shot in her left arm.

Now Machka's left toe, left rib cage, and left arm are all in pain. The last thing the Drs call out to her as she leaves is, "Don't forget to breathe!"

So ... riding with the broken toe might not be a problem. Just be very, very careful out there!