Wear the belts. I've been thrown from things twice. Once when I was stupid 17 y/o...didya know you could get thrown from a John Deere 400 series riding lawn mower? Full speed, whip that sucker around on the dewey slope...amazing how fast I was airborne. As in no time to think of much other than how am I going to land. Second was on a (pedal) mountain bike. Sudden dip in the trail, felt my center of gravity shooting up through my torso just like the time I was chucked by the mower. I just let out a primodial scream as I went through the air -- left a good 70' of "skid marks" with my body before I came to a rest on the trail. There was no time to react to the changing center of gravity...it was already fait accompli by the time I felt it. So now I know not to whip around equipment on hillsides, especially slick ones. And I know to get my big butt hanging *way* behind the seat when going down steep or potentially steep hills! Fortunately it seems the Lord has blessed me with a lot of luck, 'cause I've never seriously hurt myself no matter what stupid stuff or close calls I've had. I don't know how to describe just how fast you'll feel your center of gravity moving and how much the only thing you'll have time to think of is how you want to land...not what side you're jumping off -- you're being thrown and you're not gonna have a choice in that.
|