Do you still ride without a Road ID? I don't.

Do you still ride or run without a Road ID? I don't. Mine just arrived this week and it looks a lot like this one, except it has my name and contact information on it instead of Jamie Johnson's. That seemed to make the most sense.

I never thought I'd be lying on the side of the road unconscious or otherwise unable to direct medical help after a crash. That is until this past summer when I was hit from behind by a distracted driver. One minute I was riding along, an experienced randonneur on a 1000K brevet, and the next minute I was in a hospital emergency room about to undergo surgery to repair several of the 25 bones I had broken. How did I get there? I certainly was of no help. Luckily another rider happened upon me and let the rescue workers know I was connected to an organized event.

While my wife finds the Road ID to be a grim reminder that I engage in life-threatening fun, we're both more comfortable knowing that if anything does ever happen, I'll get the best help possible. For less that $20, it seems well worth the peace of mind. In addition to my contact information, I added one last line to help me focus on the future. It reads: "Randonneur - PBP 2015."

Tragedy, loss and recovery in "The Long Run"

And I thought I had it bad! There's nothing more humbling than reading a story about someone who's had a far more serious accident and grueling recovery. In The Long Run, NYC firefighter, bar owner and endurance athlete, Matt Long describes how a terrible bike accident in 2005 cut short his plans to run the Boston Marathon, but did not stop him from fighting his way back to run again. I should explain from the start that I'm a sucker for tragic-adventure memoirs. Into Thin Air, Between a Rock and a Hard Place and Off the Wall sit prominently on my book shelf and films like "Grizzly Man" and "Into the Wild" are listed among my Netflix favorites. That said, I did not love this book.

Matt's story is surely an inspirational one. Pinned beneath a 40-ton bus while commuting to work on his bike in mid-town Manhattan, Long was impaled by his seat post and lost a tremendous amount of blood while severely damaging several vital organs and destroying quite a few important bones and muscles. It is nothing short of amazing that he is now able to run again after 40 surgeries and years of rehabilitation. Co-written with a professional writer, it is still far too rambling a tale. His editor should have taken a more aggressive surgical approach. Long's story of recovery includes far too much reflection on his macho life as a firefighter and not enough detail on his incredible rehabilitation for my taste. As a result, readers are not able to fully appreciate and savor all that Matt has gone through in his remarkable journey.

My reading of this book is admittedly idiosyncratic. Like Matt, I was hit by a car while cycling and have spent a great deal of time in hospitals and physical therapy unsure that I would ever be able to become the athlete I once was. While my injuries were nowhere near as severe as Matt's, his book leaves me hungry for details about the healing and recovery process. Unfortunately, Matt neglects to devote any time at all to some of the sad realities of what takes up much of a recovering athletes time after a serious injury. Where are the countless hours spent arguing with insurance companies over bills that keep piling up? How does he find the time to exercise again with work, family and therapy demands pressing in? Where does all the money come from to subsidize his recovery? One imagines that Long received a juicy insurance settlement and perhaps a healthy disability package from the FDNY to help smooth things out financially, but we'll never know as he has chosen not to share this aspect of the recovery process with his readers.

Perhaps the most disappointing point in the book for me was Long's decision to sue the Transit Workers Union for holding an illegal strike that caused him to cycle to work on that cold winter's day in 2005. Give me a break, Matt. After all you've been though, you really hold the union responsible for what happened? I would have expected more from the son of the NYS Conservative Party chairman. Luckily, the judge threw the case out before Long could become an embodiment of the need for tort reform as well.

If you're interested in Long's story, you might do yourself a favor and read the great 2009 Runner's World article that also includes six short videos on the magazine's website.

Return to the Open Road

With bright skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, seven and a half months after my accident, I returned today to the open road. What a relief to simply roll out the door and head up into the hills behind my house. At my current level of fitness, though, climbing these familiar hills felt more like I was ending a double century than going for an easy 18-mile spin.

I was surprised by what did and did not hurt during this little experiment. I would have expected that my legs, hips and left shoulder would have held me back a bit, but it was my right shoulder that actually gave me a little trouble. I think the discomfort is traceable to my utter lack of upper body strength at this point in the year rather than anything more serious. I simply need to add this to the rehab list along with all the other strengthening exercises.

While I wasn't really freaked out as cars passed, I did place an order for a Take-a-Look mirror as soon as I got home. It might just give me a few seconds, but I'll feel a lot more comfortable when I can see 'em coming and no longer have to rely on my fading hearing to know who's behind me. The forecast for Monday has temps in the 80s. I'll take tomorrow off (to assess any discomfort) and plan to get out for another ride on Monday after work.

My second day out: getting ready for the road.

After a week away in the Connecticut woods with our entire middle school, I finally got the chance today (after catching up on my sleep) to get out for a spin on the local rail trail. This time I rode a solo end-to-end lap which had me dodging pedestrians on the Walkway (see photo above) and "climbing" a slight grade into a headwind which just about took my breath away. My lung capacity is so diminished at the moment, it's an embarrassment. Note to self: complete at least 3 or 4 cardio workouts each week to push my endurance into a zone that feels a bit more familiar. Since my shoulder felt somewhat achy the day following my last ride, I thought I'd keep it short today. I'm pleased that my shoulder doesn't hurt while riding, but continue to be amazed by how weak my triceps, biceps, forearms and hands are at this point. I'll definitely need to strengthen all types of muscles as I build back to brevet strength by mid-season. With two weeks until Block Island Training Camp begins, I'm praying for nice weather.

I'm Free!

Yesterday was the seven month anniversary of my accident and, to celebrate, I decided to suit up and ride my bike for the first time outdoors. I planned a ride with my wife on a local rail trail in order to focus completely on the ride itself and to eliminate any worry of passing cars. The verdict: despite the long time away, riding a bike was like . . . well . . . riding a bike. Muscle memory is robust; it all came back immediately and my comfort level was just where I wanted it to be. Riding felt far more routine and less dramatic than I might have expected. Pedaling thorough the woods with my wife was both comfortable and comforting.

Physically, there were no nasty surprises. My legs and hips felt fine and my balance is solid and steady. Even my left shoulder behaved well; I can now reach the bars without any hesitation or pain. There is some sensitivity in the left shoulder, but I would expect nothing less. It will take some time to increase my range of motion and my strength. I was surprised by how weak my muscles have become. I noticed that my biceps and triceps, as well as the muscles around my knees, for instance, have not been called into service for a long time and therefore are not quite as powerful as they were in months past. It was also surprisingly challenging to maintain a pace of just 18 mph and I will need to rebuild both speed and endurance in the months ahead.

What a great anniversary present! I couldn't have hoped for anything better at this point. I'm off for the week on a school trip but look forward to logging some more miles when I return. My next goal? Spring break "training camp" on Block Island in mid-April. Before that, I'll log some additional rail trail miles to increase my confidence and strength. Onward!

Green Light: I’m Back, Baby!

“Sure, you can ride your bike again.” These were the last words my surgeon uttered today as I left her office and they continue to ring in my ears as I type these words. This was only the last piece of good news I received today. It turns out that my diligent adherence to my physical therapy regimen has paid off. Apparently, I even surpassed my doctor’s expectations both in terms of range and strength during today’s evaluation. Whereas in an earlier appointment I heard her say “that’s not what I wanted to see,” today it was “wow, that’s a homerun” and “look at you!” What a perfect way to ring in the first day of spring!

  

The prognosis looks brighter and brighter. My doctor was especially pleased to see both my increased range of assisted motion (65 degrees more than during the evaluation) and my increased muscle control. Most impressive (to both of us!) was my ability to hold my left arm extended above my head after slowly bringing it into position with the help of a cane. Apparently, this indicates the potential range I may have down the road. What a goal! While I thought I was shooting for comfortable handlebar use, it now looks like I may even be able to hang paintings and put dishes away on high shelves before this is all over. As for physical therapy, I now have a modified prescription to focus on extending overhead range and strength. Major strength building is still unnecessary at this point and can wait for years without any ill effects.

So it’s now three months after my most recent surgery and seven months after the accident and I will return to riding on the open roads this week. Since I’m a little nervous about just how weird this might feel, my inaugural spin will be on the “Hudson Valley Rail Trail – Walkway Over the Hudson” so I can get my bearings without worries about traffic. I may also ride my single speed so I can throw on a set of flat pedals for good measure.

Photo: Tom BKK, Creative Commons

Bell Crash Replacement Helmet Arrives, Rider Smiles

Today it was 68 degrees and sunny this morning when I opened a smooth brown UPS box to reveal a beautiful shiny white Bell Sweep helmet. The helmet came to me through Bell's generous "crash replacement" program. After a crash, all a rider needs to do is call Bell with the old helmet's serial number and a credit card and Bell will send any current model for 30% off retail. This strikes me as a great way to build brand loyalty. Since I had about 300 miles on my previous helmet, I was especially pleased to take advantage of this offer. With the discount, I even opted to upgrade and replace my Array with a Sweep.

Next up: I meet with my surgeon on Monday to assess the progress I've made over the past six weeks. I'm looking for the green light to upgrade my physical therapy and get out onto the open roads. Wish me luck.

"You must first have a lot of patience to learn to have patience." Stanislaw Lec

Rapha Continental | D2R2 from RAPHA on Vimeo.

Patience has always been one of my strengths as a cyclist. It's what helped me become a successful randonneur. I'm not alone, of course; focusing on long-term goals and building towards long distance brevets over time is what sets randonneurs apart from other cyclists. The irony is that I'm also a fairly impatient person, intent on enduring adversity and pushing through specific obstacles to achieve my goals. Paradoxically, this too has made me a successful randonneur. Recovering from a major accident over the past six months, though, has taught me a level of patience I've never before experienced.

Anyone who's suffered serious crash-related trauma will tell you that bones heal much quicker than muscles and soft tissue. Since my bones were pretty well healed six weeks after the crash, I naively thought I'd be training hard indoors this winter and riding early spring brevets without too much difficulty. I didn't know how long it would take my muscles and soft tissue to return to normal. My body was bent in all kinds of unnatural ways and the tears and damage my muscles sustained has been taking some serious time to repair. It's slow going and there's really no way to speed up the process. Since I have to exercise and stretch 3-5 times a day on top of  a very full time job and family responsibilities, I have virtually no time (or energy!) to train hard on my bike indoors. I've yet to ride more than 1 hour at a time and fitting in even 2-3 sessions a week has been beyond my grasp. Healing also requires more rest than I'm used to and the chance to lie in bed with a book on Sunday monrning is hard to pass up.

Over the past several years, having a big seasonal goal to work towards has really helped to shape my training and keep me motivated in the off season. I began my recovery thinking I would ride PBP this August as originally planned. After realizing the folly in this plan, I down-shifted to a simple SR series as a comeback strategy. Now, due to event timing and perhaps a greater level of realism, I'm looking at simply riding a few short brevets this season and none of them until I've had a few months on the bike on the open roads to build my endurance, balance and confidence. Now to non-randonneurs, this probably seems perfectly reasonable. My family sure is pleased.

I hesitate to even formalize these thoughts about the year ahead as "goals." The ground is still shifting too much and I don't even have clearance yet to ride my bike outdoors. I meet with my surgeon on March 21 and will have a much better picture of my recovery progress and needs at that time. Specifically, I need to discuss long-term muscle repair and possible risks involved with riding on the open roads. Rebuilding slowly from the ground up makes much more sense to me now rather than simply rushing and pushing things too fast. The risks are too great.

So my first "event" of the year is now the Five Boro Bike Tour with my son on May 1. I hope to then build to a 200K brevet in late June. I also plan to sprinkle a few 200Ks throughout the summer and cap off the season with Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee (D2R2) in late August. I've wanted to ride D2R2 for a number of years but it just hasn't fit into my schedule. Who knows, this may also be the year to tackle the R-12 award, earned by randonneurs who ride at least one 200K each month for 12 months.

I realize now that I'll need a longer period of time to grow back into being an endurance cyclist than I first expected. It will likely take over a year to get back into the kind of shape I need to be in to complete an SR series and a 1200K grand randonee. Now that I'm pretty confident that I'll ride long distances pain-free again, the wait won't be so hard.