Cycling: 1) Fractured wrist while trying to avoid hitting a drunkard who staggered in front of me while I was riding at high speed on a bike path. The injury required surgery and the implantation of a plate and several screws. 2) "Came a cropper" a couple of weeks ago while riding in Portugal and cracked a rib. Tried to carry on, but the pain took all of the fun out of the tour, and I abandoned the ride a couple of days later. Good thing I was wearing a helmet as my head slammed into the pavement.

Non-cycling: 1) Was held up in the Miami area thirty years ago by two men. One of them shot me with a .38 pistol for no reason (I'd offered no resistance). The bullet traversed my lung but missed my heart. 2) I was attacked from behind by a crazed, knife-wielding neighbour here in Spain as I was leaving the garage with my bicycle a couple of years ago. Suffered a knife wound to the buttocks.