Crashing is hard

As the title states, crashing is hard. Sure, when you're 17 and hit the ground, you can pop up, finish the ride strong, go home and wash out the wounds, yet be perfectly fine the next day.
When you're over 40, hitting the ground takes a lot out of you.
Folks have asked exactly HOW I hurt my back...well, here's your answer...

Last Saturday, in the muddy mayhem that was my solo ride, I did, in fact, hit the ground with anger. Old State was SLICK in a few spots. I rolled through the first couple of spots of snotlike, Lexington County, red clay mud with aplomb. Big ring, + some speed + pedal hard = cleared mud section. This equation had always worked in the past. Well, as usually happens when I try to do higher math, failure is always an option.
I hit the section in question, proceeded to execute a text book tank-slapper to high side, and hit the rocky, wet, muddy ground at high speed. The angles in question were both acute, and obtuse at the same time.

I sat on the hard, not so cold, ground for a moment, just to make sure there were no bones protruding from skin. Once bi-pedal, I realized that my back was not happy with the circumstance. I rode another hour, but should have taken my dumbass directly back to Service Course.

Once, home, I knew my riding would be curtailed for a while. The skeleton seems to have made it through unscathed, but I'm severely stoved up. Bike is fine, just a bit muddier for it, but it seems that I'll be buying a new Giro helmet. My back-up/CX helmet did not survive the impact. Saved my head, but goes into the collection of retired buckets. Maybe the new Giro Aeon...?

As the days pass, I'm feeling better, and will try to throw a leg over the top tube tomorrow.

Happy Hump Day!