A Hurricane and a Bike Crash

Wednesday afternoon, I found out the Sheriff was letting all non essential employees off on Friday, Sept 8th, to prepare for the Hurricane, that was forecast to hit us over the weekend. I decided to use Friday morning as a chance to get in my last long bike ride before the heavy wind and rain came in. Augusta 70.3 in 2 weeks!

Hard to imagine I missed seeing this big yellow divider!

So, I headed out from the Publix on Honore. My favorite place to ride. Beautiful morning. I was keeping up a pace of 18ish mph. The problem: my brain was focused on hurricane prep and worried about the damage we might have. I was riding on the left side of the bike lane, with my eyes looking just in front of my front wheel. I KNOW better! I wasn't paying attention at all. And in a split second, I saw the barrier, dividing the road and bike lane. My front wheel slammed into it (no chance to grab the brakes). I flipped over the center of the divider and landed in the bike lane. My bike flew into the middle of the road. Water bottles flew out. Thankfully, there were no cars behind me. It took me a few seconds to get up and then walk over to my bike and drag it over to the side. I leaned it against the guard rail, then picked up my water bottles and the end caps to my aero bars, which had both popped out, even though they had been glued in. A woman, who had been driving towards me, pulled over and walked over to check me out. I sat down, to the right of the guard rail, in the shade to try and cool off. I was sweating big time. And shaking. I told her I felt okay and that I had my phone and would call someone. She took off. Then, a guy rode up on his bike. He helped me to bring my bike over out of the road way, then put the chain back on and looked it over. That's when I noticed the handle bar was very bent. I had it in my head that I was going to continue my ride!

Left handle bar and areo bars are noticeably bent.

The guy told me I should call someone. That I was in no condition to even ride the 9.5 miles home. I got my phone out of the bike pouch, then sat back down in the shade. My head started spinning. I was very dizzy for a good minute. I tried to think of who could pick me up besides my husband, how had taken his motorcycle to work. I called Carolyn, since I knew she had the day off of work. She didn't answer, so I left a message. I thought of calling Gina, but I knew she would be heading into work at any minute. Then I called Wendy, who told me she was at work, but would come and get me. While I was talking to her, Carolyn called me back. I got on the line with her. She said she was leaving her house and heading my way. The guy on the bike hung out with me for a bit, before I told him he could go, that someone was on their way. While I waited, a few more riders came up on me, each asking how I was. I really appreciate all the concern from everyone! I took a few photo of my injuries. My shoulder was really hurting, but I couldn't see what was going on back there. So I snapped a photo.

Yikes! I had some road rash! My knuckles took a hit also. Blood on both middle finger knuckles. I looked over my helmet and didn't see any cracks, so I figured I didn't really hit my head, but, my left cheek bone was a bit sore.

Carolyn picked me up, loaded my bike, then drove me back to my car. Since there was a bike shop in the parking lot, we walked my bike over, for them to check out. The guy put the bike up on the rack and pointed out that the front forks were bent back, from the impact. Since I was kind of out of it and they were closing soon, I left it there, with a claim tag and said I would call after the storm moved through. Carolyn followed me home. I felt okay to drive and I really didn't want to leave my car there.

When I got home, I told Aidan about my crash and told him to check on me every so often. I was worried about a possible head injury. My head didn't hurt, so I didn't want to go to the hospital, but I still wasn't sure. Getting that tight tri top off and the bra under, was super hard! I didn't realize how sore my elbow was. Lifting my arm up really hurt. It took me a couple of minutes to get those off. I cleaned my scrapes, then grabbed some ice packs for my shoulder, elbow and right knee. As the day continued, I would get up and walk around a bit, checking on my injuries.

I didn't sleep very well Friday night. I kept seeing that divider and the crash, over and over in my mind. The top of my hands and middle and index fingers were very painful. So much so, that I got up around 1 am to take some advil. Didn't help much. I got up at 5 am, with the plan to run or walk, with my running friends. Even if I walked a mile or two, I wanted to get some movement, as I know that helps keep my back issues at bay. I arrived a few minutes late. Everyone had left already. I headed out on my own. When I got to the bridge, I walked up, as I felt my Heart rate was pretty high. I had to walk a few more times during the rest of my run, as my right knee was feeling a bit wonky every once in a while. I ended up getting in my entire planned long run of 14 miles! Slow, but not really any slower then my normal pace lately.

No that it's Sunday, with the storm about to really hit us in a few hours, I have that to worry about. But, I still worry about getting that bike fixed and if it's even worth it. I was told it wasn't. So that means, looking for a new bike, getting it fitted and hopefully riding on it a couple of times. All before I head out of town in a week and a half! And, I have to hope that my shoulder and elbow (which is still swollen) are healed in time. So stressful! Just very happy that I didn't break anything. And that my A.S. hasn't flaired up. Very surprised about that!

Injury photos 2 days later:

Bruises are really showing up!

Lots of rash, but isn't super painful.

August 24, 2017
I’m 5 weeks out from my 3^rd half Ironman in Augusta, GA. It’s my 3^rd in a year. I’ve been training almost nonstop for 20 months. This past weekend, I completed the Ft Desoto International distance triathlon, placing 2^nd in my age group. I’m feeling pretty strong and fit, even though I’ve put on weight. Who thought you’d put on weight while logging 90 to 120 miles a week of swimming, biking and running? Not me!
I wake up Monday morning, with pain in my upper back. It hurts to take a deep breath. My neck hurts when I tilt my head to either side, and my entire back spasms in pain when I sneeze. It’s bad. And I think, “Why is this happening to me AGAIN!”
I’ve always been an active person. When I was young, I loved being in the park, running around with friends. In junior high, you could find me on the basketball court before and after school, shooting hoops with my friends. I played softball through high school. In college, I started running. As a way to keep fit and release some stress. I ran a few miles here and there, until I signed up for my first 5k, and then a 10K, as part of a relay team for a triathlon. It wasn’t until my mid 20s, having just moved to a new town and state, that I caught the racing bug. I ran the Biloxi Mayor’s Cup 5K. A week or so later, I got an age group ribbon in the mail! What was this? An award!! I was hooked. I ran many races during the 2 years I lived there, including my first half marathon and then marathon in 1998. When I moved to Florida, I kept up my running and racing. When I met my husband and then had my son, my racing was put on hold for a bit. But, I always believed, I would get the baby weight off and get back to running a bit faster.
Then, the health issues started. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism about a year after my son was born. Then, I had several miscarraiges. Each one left me reeling and depressed. I would run, with tears streaming down my face. It helped to be out there pushing my body to do something other than fail me. I gradually lost some weight and started to feel healthier. And then, my back started hurting. At first, I just kept going. Putting off seeing the doctor for months, even though anytime I would bump into anything, my entire back would spasm in pain. The chiropractor worked on me for a few weeks, with no relief. She finally sent me off to see a Rheumatoid arthritis doctor, who diagnosed me with Ankylosing Spondylitis. I was happy to have a diagnoses, and some medication to give me some relief from the pain, but the nature of the condition had me scared. But, I was pain free again, so I put it out of my mind.
Seven years later, I’m training for my second half Ironman, the first one had been a few months previously, when my back started to spasm in pain again. I can no longer lie on the ground to stretch, as it feels like someone has placed a heavy object on my back. I can barely twist my head from side to side or ear to shoulder. Swimming has become extremely painful as well as running, my favorite activity. I can handle the bike fine, as long as I stay in position and don’t need to unclip my feet very much.
I was in terrible pain for 6 weeks before my race. I was depressed and trying to hide it from friends. I didn’t want to complain. I would lie in bed at night, trying not to cry, while wondering if I had to give up on this sport that I loved. I wondered if this was it. I wondered if the progression of this disease had finally started. Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease. The immune system causes inflammation in the joints of the spine, which causes pain and stiffness. As the condition progresses, new bone formation in the spine can happen, creating a fused spine. The pictures are horrifying. People with their spines severely curved. Thankfully, one way to naturally keep the spine flexible, is body movement.
After weeks of pain, my doctor finally found a new medication, one that gave me some relief. I had cut back on my training. Mainly on the running and swimming. I was not where I thought I would be with training. A couple of weeks before the race, I had bought some temporary tattoos. One was the word “Believe.” It had become MY word. I had to believe in myself, in the training I had done, in my determination to get past the pain I may feel. I believed I could accomplish this goal that I had set for myself.
Race day was May 13^th. The night before the race, I put the temporary tattoo on my wrist, so that I could see it throughout the day. It was there to help me boost my confidence. The race was great! The swim was canceled that morning, due to unsafe swim conditions. I felt strong on the bike. The run was rough, but I kept at it, even when the heat was causing me to feel nauseous and weak. I ended up not having any pain! I did suffer from some back stiffness during the run, but that is a minor inconvenience for me now.
After the race, I took it easy for three weeks. I hoped the easy, recovery type workouts, would help ease the inflammation in my back. When I did start back in with serious training, my back was feeling normal. I would have some stiff days, but nothing super painful. I discovered Cryotherapy, which seemed to help with the stiffness. So I hoped, I believed, that the rest had been good and maybe I would be better for a while. Maybe my condition had not gotten worse.
And, here I am, dealing with the pain again. It is 5 weeks out from the race. The pain is back. Plus, I am feeling exhausted. What do I do? I’m going to continue to train on the days the pain level is bearable. I’ll put in the effort I’m able to on that day. I will get to the race and complete it to the best of my abilities. It may not be the race I wanted, but I am going to finish it! I believe in myself. I believe that this condition may curb the level of training that I have been used to up to this point, but I will not let it keep me from doing what I love.