Wednesday, July 3, 2019

The Comeback

My first race back ... a totally unexpected WIN!
Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. Give your dreams all you’ve got, and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you. 
~William James

After my crash in April, I can't tell you how many times I heard "so you're done, right?" And then a look of "you are crazy to ever get back on a bike." You know the saying 'I didn't come this far to only come this far'... that is 100% how I feel. I've put in way too much work and received too much help along the way, for that day, that race, that crash .. to Just. Be. It.

I'm not going to pretend like this has been an easy road to recovery. Listen ... I crashed head first into the pavement at over 25 mph not too long ago. I broke my nose, had ~40 stitches to 6 sections of my face, knocked my teeth lose, lost mobility in my neck, had road rash on my arms, legs, hands, and both sides of my face.
April, May, June
On the flip side, I've healed incredibly fast! I was lucky enough to not break any major limbs or suffer from a serious concussion (or worse). This meant that I was cleared to do light exercise two weeks after my crash. Most people would think this is too soon, but I believe this is what helped me recover so quickly - blood circulation, getting outside, not laying in bed depressed. (Side note: Everyone is different. Listen to your doctor!!)
My first official run back!
Coach started me back with a walk, and then we built up to a slow jog with walk breaks... no more than 3 miles total. I did it on the track to make sure my balance and coordination were ok. My Mother came and watched me like a hawk. Super annoying!! Every few laps I'd hear "you're going too fast" "how many laps was that" "isn't that enough". I felt like a teenager again. But there's no way I could have done this without my Mom, Dad, and Brother. I pretty much wanted to disappear into oblivion and not see anyone, but my family was not having it. So I went out busted, bandaged and all... and began living again ;-)
Mom, Dad, Nile, Pete (my brother's boxing coach), and I at the pub to watch the fight.
Props to my Coach, Jonny O, who's been riding this roller coaster with me - checking in, adjusting my schedule (sometimes daily), holding me back, and encouraging me to stay positive.

Me: I can't swim. I can't even put goggles on my face.
Coach Jonny: There is no "can't". We will find a solution.

Coach Jonny found some goggles big and gentle enough for me to start swimming again!
Since I totaled my bike, I rode the stationary at the gym...
"That's not too far from where you were before you got fitted properly" - Dan Empfield
Speaking of Dan (Empfield), he did two things that I will forever be grateful for: 1) He gave me a platform to speak up about something I believe all IRONMAN / 70.3 athletes should have access to - Disclosure at the Point of Registration. Had I known that IRONMAN 70.3 Texas was an age group start versus a rolling start I never would have registered. Unfortunately, like nearly all IM-branded races, that information was not made public until a couple of weeks before the race - well after registration. As nervous as I was going public with my thoughts and opinions, I'm just as proud of myself for speaking up about something I believe all athletes should have access to.

2) "The wizard behind the curtain" - that's what he is. I have Dan to thank for getting me back on a bike and riding again. It's hard not to get excited about being back on the road when you get to ride this beauty:
Thank you Cervelo, HED Wheels, and ISM for building me a dream bike..

...and Walt and Connie at Village Bicycles for putting it together <3

Back to Racing
There's no way I could wait 6 months to a year before I raced again. I didn't want the crash to be my last memory of doing a triathlon. Coach and I agreed that the sooner I could get back out on a course, the better.
My last triathlon kit was cut off of me when I was unconscious in the ER. Thank you Zoot Sports for not hesitating to make me another one.

As soon as I told my parents I was racing, my Mother hopped on Amtrak.
Coach Jonny and I decided that my first race back would be the Jamestown Sprint in Williamsburg since it was local and I love Kinetic Multisports races. Unfortunately a storm rolled through the night before the race, and considering I just had the splint removed (holding my teeth in place) two days before, my parents talked some sense into me and I nixed the idea. I was super bummed!! Luckily Rev3 was putting on a race within driving distance (about an hour outside of DC) 2 weeks later.

Race Plan
Nada! Coach told me to just go out, have fun, and get it done. My one and only goal was to cross the finish line. It was strange not having numbers (power, pace, etc) to obsess over. I didn't even have pre-race nerves about placing. I honestly accepted that there was a chance I'd end up doing the breast stroke, light pedaling and walking the course. Whatever I needed to do to cross the finish line safe with a smile on my face!
My swim was ... I don't even know the words... a disaster. I was initially surrounded by a ton of people and got kicked a few times. I decided to stop, tread, and wait for open water. By the time I reached shore I was at least 4 minutes down from the top women = an eternity in a sprint distance race.
Photo Credit: Andre Fraser
Super embarrassing to admit this, but the transition from swim to bike was uphill. I had my bike in the easiest gear, but I think because I was a little jittery I fell off trying to mount. Ugh!! Luckily it didn't shake me. Once I got going I actually felt great! Maybe my amazing bike had something to do with it ;-)
I made up some time on the bike and began to start thinking about overall place. The run course was so HARD! Up, up, up, then down, but somehow I was picking off people rather quickly. I thought to myself "how cool would it be to place in my age group." 
My last mile split was about 6 minutes flat, and with 400 meters left I passed the first female and....

WON!!!!!
Fastest women's run / 5th fastest overall including men
Dad: How'd you do?
Me: I won!!!
Dad: I thought you said it was supposed to be competitive??

My Dad ... always keeping me humble! My mother didn't even understand why I ran through the tape or why I was holding it. When I explained that I won we both started to cry. She has been at every doctor's appointment and seen me at my lowest. So Mom, if you are reading this, THANK YOU!
Whenever you think your crash is horrific, know that there are others that have experienced much worse. It was a pleasure meeting you Tanyia!

Thanks for the cool pics Andre :-)

What's next...
I'm not sure just yet. I'd like to do another sprint, build up to an Olympic distance race, and of course race IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta in September. My goals are still the same. In fact, this short video I did with HOKA and IRONMAN sums it up perfectly:



Thank you to everyone on Team Sika <3 And, as always, thanks for following my journey. I'll continue to post updates on Instagram:

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