Blow to the Ego or Rite of Passage

I went back and forth on if I should share this story. I was embarrassed I had crashed so badly once again and didn't want anyone to know.  Then I got to reading all the forums and articles of others that have done the same.  Their stories helped me in my recovery, gave me hope and reason not to feel like a big loser.

One week before the first Wisconsin Off Road Series Race of the season I crashed hard.  Misread a slippery rock drop, forgot to open up my suspension, when I hit the bottom the bike didn't give and kicked me right over the handlebars.  I landed on my right shoulder.  The pain was excruciating.  My first thought was, "there goes my collar bone."  This was not one of those crashes where you jump right up and check the status of your bike.  I was down for a few minutes and slowly limped up, got dizzy and nauseous and had to lie back down because I thought I would faint.  Luckily I was with my buddy Ben Schreiber.  He was able to bike back to the car while I waited near the crash site. 

 Not again, not another season stripped from me due to a shoulder injury.  Devastation set in and it was all I could do to keep it together.  I immediately got on my phone and started google searching shoulder injuries, symptoms and causes in effort to self diagnose.  After doing some range of motion / pain tests I knew it couldn't be broken.  I called my chiropractor and set up an appointment to get an x-ray.  I sent a screen shot of the x-ray to a friend that works at UW Sports Med in effort to bypass a general practitioner and speed the discovery of the issue.  She took one look and knew, told me I had a Grade 3 AC Separation then set me up with the shoulder specialist the next day to confirm.  Sure enough it was, I tore all the ligaments holding my collar bone to my sternum.  My advice is to get an x-ray immediately, sooner you figure out what's wrong, sooner you can begin treatment.  The specialist said they would rather not go the surgery route to connect the bones back together as they were finding many people were getting severe arthritis later in life.  Said I'd just have a floating collar bone and a bump but that I'd be stable without the ligaments as long as I stay strong. 

Back to the google search.  Forums, recovery time, treatments, personal stories, I read everything I could find.  I was able to heal like the wolverine thanks to all the suggestions from others that have done the same.  I am a very disciplined person in training and was the same in recovery.  I am sharing this in hopes that it could help speed up the recovery process for others that like to fly over their handlebars.  Feel free to reach out for more suggestions / explanation should something like this happen to you.

Here is the report on my weekly treatments and recovery:

Week 1 - Focus on Pain reduction and healing:  Rest, Ice every couple hours for 20 minutes, Walk or light spin on the trainer every morning to get the blood pumping, 1 Tylenol and 1 Ibprophen every 4 hours, Lidocaine patch over the injury, very very light range of motion exercises, extra sleep, nap. 

Week 2 - Everything in week 1 plus started to incorporate more range of motion exercises and a few strengthening exercises, wall pushups, arm raises.  Was back on the trainer full boar this week.  Really tight in my neck and back pains surrounding the shoulder.  Got a massage from Megan, my therapist from Integration Bodywork, really helped in cleaning up the "junk."

Week 3 - Backed off the icing and pain killers.  Still on Lidocaine patch.  Purchased a basic shoulder brace off of Amazon and wore it for road biking.  Back to full training on the road, no trails. Range of motion, stretching and added strength, push ups, arm raises w/ light weights.  Tested it out during race pre ride, felt strong and secure, ended up racing the Iola Bump and Jump and was fine.

Iola Bump and Jump Pre Ride w/ Shoulder Brace

Week 4 - Done w/ Lidocaine patches.  1 hour massage focuses solely on neck and shoulder area.   Started trail riding w/ brace on, taking it easy, cautious, felt stable.


Week 5 - Still a dull pain during certain movements. Able to sleep on that side.  No brace, no pain killers, no ice.  Physical therapy and strengthening 3-5 days a week. Raced Battle of Camrock, felt more sore tying my shoes and cleaning my bike then racing.


Week 6 - Still some minor agitation every now and again.  1 hour massage makes it so much better. Feel like I'm back to full strength on the bike.   Was timid first couple rides but just about back to normal. 


Week 7 - Diligent with physical therapy and strength training.  Raced Mt. Morris Challenge, no pain.

Week 8 - I'll put in 3 - 5 days of PT for the rest of my biking career.  Staying strong and mobile is the key.



Mt. Morris Challenge

I asked Scott Robinson, owner of Integration Bodywork to provide the more scientific reason why massage can help speed up injury recovery.

Happy Healing! 

Four ways massage aids injury recovery

Calm the nervous system

Traumatic injuries, like separating your shoulder in a bike crash, is a powerful sympathetic (fight-or-flight) stimulus. This keyed up, high stress state can persist for hours, days, or even weeks after the injury, depending on severity. It is well established that massage and bodywork of nearly any kind is a parasympathetic (rest, digest, heal) stimulus. This makes massage a great tool for bringing your body back to normal so it can start focusing on healing itself.

Improved blood and lymphatic flow

Blood travels through blood vessels to brings nutrients, healing factors, and other beneficial elements to the injury site, as well as take waste products away to be processed by the appropriate system (DO NOT CALL THEM TOXINS, that’s not a real thing). Lymph also part of the circulatory system, and plays a major role in clearing waste and debris from the injury site. Massage has been shown to mechanically stimulate vasodilation, which means it improves circulation by making the vessels bigger. Traditionally, massage was thought to actually move blood around, but that has been shown not to be the case.

Stimulate mitochondrial activity

Mitochondria are the organelles that turn carbohydrate and fat into ATP, which is the actual fuel used by the body (carbs and fat are to ATP what coal and natural gas are to electricity). Any process that requires an energy input will happen faster when there is more ATP available. Massage has been shown to stimulate the production of ATP by the mitochondria, so it can improve recovery for any stress, injury, race, or otherwise, by speeding up healing processes.

Restore normal movement patterns

Most of the time, injuries boil down to tearing or otherwise destroying some tissue; bones break, ligaments and tendons sprain, muscles strain, etc. All painful movement creates compensatory patterns, but acute and traumatic injuries often create splinting patterns that protect the injury by severely limiting movement of the injured structure. This is a good thing, especially for the first 24-48 hours because it improves the ability of the injured structures to knit themselves back together. However, after those first 24-28 hours, or even sooner, it’s critical to start moving in the most normal, pain-free way possible. Movement helps lay down scar tissue in a useful way, and movement is required for venous blood and lymph to move through the circulatory system. Massage, or at least the kind of work Megan and I do, helps restore these normal movement patterns.

www.integrationbodywork.net

 

Road to the Birkie & Back

Today is the first day since the Birkie I've had any energy.  Easily could have slept through the past 2 weeks.  The race took everything I had and then some.  Sometimes your body is smarter then yourself, it shut me down.  Going to do my best here to extrapolate and deliver as much of this 3 month ride.


The decision to train for the win was made on New Years Day.  Considering the competition I'd be facing, it was a long shot but not entirely out of reach.  Why not go for it?  I dreamt about it nightly and woke up every morning thinking what do I need to do today that nobody else is doing?  It was a long 10 weeks of hours and hours of training in freezing temperatures, slush, snow, and wind. 


The week leading up to the race I was feeling strong, fit and rested.  I was confident that I had trained more then anyone.  If I was going to loose, it would be from someone having more talent, not from being outworked.  And I was happy with that.  Day prior to the race I checked out the list of girls who would be starting in wave 1, google searched their names and quickly thought WraWro.   3rd isn't so bad, even 5th, I'm cool with a top 5 finish. 


Because of the lack of snow, warmer then average temperatures, rain and then freezing temperatures this winter the course director had to completely change the course.  Racing 28 miles on rolling hills of sheet ice was out of the question.  They modified the course to a 6 mile loop and we were to complete 5 laps giving us 30 miles and over 3,500 feet of elevation.   They did the best they could chopping up ice with heavy machinery and I give them kudos for making the most of what they had to work with.  The pre ride was hellacious.  The course was treacherous, ultra bumpy frozen ground with patches of snow and ice.  This race was going to be more about survival of the bikes and bodies more then anything else. 


Broken Spoke Racing Team



4 Degrees is all mother nature would give us morning of the race.  Brutal.  I went with only 5psi and studded tires.  Most had higher psi as it's faster on hard surfaces but I decided to forgo just a bit of speed to stay on the no crash program.  Lower pressure and studs allowed me to use the icy sections for speed and maneuver quickly without sliding out.  Mass starts are crowded and everyone sprints out like their getting chased by rabid dogs but don't give much thought to staying upright.  I knew people would be slipping out so I played it safe. 



I kept the leader in sight but focused more on keeping a decent distance from those I was following.  Hadn't gotten through the prolog when a guy wiped out right in front of me, fortunately my plan worked and I had enough space and traction to maneuver around him.  Not even 5 minutes later, same thing, guy goes down and I creep past unscathed.  As the race went on there were dozens of people at the side of the course picking up the pieces, racers not only walking up the hills but walking down them!  First 2 laps I was following the leader at a pace that was manageable.  On the 3rd lap a guy from another wave passed and she grabbed his wheel, I followed suit in 3 position.  Until we came up to a nice icy decent with a curve at the bottom.  I didn't trust it so I tapped the breaks to let them have their space.  Seconds later they both went down, it looked bad.  I made it around and turned on the jets.  It was go time.  Couple minutes later on a flat icy section, took focus off the course for 1 damn second and down I went.  Stupid.  Ice doesn't give, my soul had been knocked out of me and I could see it floating away.  Did a quick assessment of the damage, I'm good, check, bike good, check, ok gotta go! 

My legs were strong throughout the race, climbing with ease.  I had trained rolling hill courses all winter and it was paying off.  My lungs though, they were struggling.  Inhaling that cold air at such a rate was getting to me.  My breathing was to shallow and I had to slow up a few times to prevent hyperventilating.  I wonder if there are any studies about getting less oxygen in colder temperatures.  There were several times I had to hold back tears and push though the pain.  I had a chance to win, I couldn't give it up now!  I crested the last extended climb, only had a mile to go and it was time to make it really hurt.  I sprinted with everything I had left and it burned.  Years ago I had passed a friend early on in a race and thought I "had her."  She crossed the finish line only seconds behind me and with a look of surprise I told her I thought I had her.  She said to me, "you never have anybody."  That statement played over and over in my head until I crossed the line. 

Check out www.fat-bike.com for a live version of the story.  I come in at 31 minutes in.

https://fat-bike.com/2017/03/weekly-dose-of-fat-show-125-surlys-paul-zeigle-and-2017-fat-bike-birkie-womens-champ-leia-schneeberger/

 

Thanks to everyone who's supported me throughout this journey.  Thanks to the race directors for putting on an incredible even.  And thanks to my sponsors, www.brokenspokebikes.com www.funkierbike.com www.integratedbodywork.net for believing in me!

After 2 weeks off the bike, I'm ready to get back at it.  Leaving for Texas to train in the sun and dirt for a week with Ryan.  We'll be testing out our new, matching Niner RKTs.  Looking forward to all the summer fun with all my buddies during the Wisconsin Off Road Series.  It's like adult summer camp.

Left: Kaitlin Anntoneau Middle: Leia Right: Ami Stuart

Triple Crown Kinda Weekend



Friday Night in Lights

3rd Annual Iola Snow Bunny Fat Bike Race

Kicked off the weekend in Iola with the Snow Bully located at Iola Winter Sports Club.  The entire course is on perfectly groomed xc ski trails.  3 miles in length with a combination of rolling hills and long, fast flats.  Most similar course to the Birkie that I know of.  There were sections similar to that of a sledding hill where you couldn't help but yell, "weeeeeee," on your way down. The race started at 6:00pm and ran under the lights.  You could get away with not using your own lights.  You could choose the 1 hour race or the 2 hour option.  Idea is how many laps can you get in that window of time.   The venue is spectacular, there is a warming house with a fire, food, drinks, couches and served as a great hang out for the racers before and after.  The race is really well put together, organized and wins the coolest awards contest hands down.  You can follow this race at: https://www.facebook.com/events/481502581973340/

                                                                      It was a mass start and of course everyone jumps out there like their house is on fire.  The pace was fast from the go.  Until the hills, ahhh the hills, no better way to break up a pack then sending them up hills.  With fresh legs and a low tire pressure, 4psi, I was able to scurry up with ease.  Some of the fastest guys were gone in a hurry and I found myself in the 2nd pack.  Shimmied back and forth with 6 guys.  Just before the flats I turned up the throttle and made my move on them.  It's tougher for me on the open sections to hold a gap as I'm just not as powerful as some of these guys.  Ken Naef responded, caught me and I was able to work with him until the end of the 4th lap.  He'd gain about 20 yards on every downhill and I'd have to haul it to catch back up on the hills. I knew I needed to stick so that I could draft during the flat sections.  It was so cold our water froze.  I had to give my bottle to a spectator, have her set it by the fire so that I could pick it up when I came through on my next lap just to get a drink.  I had stuck my energy chews to my bike, they froze to my bike so I had no food.  No food and water, not a good combination in 2 hour race.  Ken had to make a pit stop at his car to get water.  I lost my carrot and was on my own for the rest of the race.  It's tough to hold pace when you're not really racing anyone.  Just kept thinking I'd have to hold pace for 2 hours at the Birkie, so I'll hold pace here. 

Wound up completing 8 laps, 24mi, in 2:04 hrs and coming in 1st place women's and 4th place overall.  My Broken Spoke teammates also won their divisions.  Diane wining the 1 hour women's, Bob for the 1 hour men's and Cole, big surprise, for the 2 hour mens. 





Saturday in Survival Mode at the 3rd Annual Koldwave





The Koldwave is the 2nd race of the Snow Crown Fat Bike Race Series hosted by Broken Spoke Bikes.  It's held at the Snowcraft Nordic trails in Sturgeon Bay, WI.  The mood is so chill you wonder if you're at a race or a barn party?  Music, Announcers, hecklers, hoolahoop contests, fire pit, free beer, snowballs, concessions and a wholelotta smack talk going on.  The course was off the charts awesome.  Starts with a flat xc ski trail that leads into an orchard of rolling hills, berms and rollers for days.  Because all work and no play doesn't jive with this band of renegades, you are then dropped into miles of glorious groomed single track.  They even threw in a couple of features.  The course was 8 miles long and you have the option to do 1, 2 or 3 laps. 

The next race in the Snow Crown Series is the Fat Camp race being held at the Reforestation Camp just outside of Greenbay in Suamico, WI.  The course is 100% wide open xc ski trail and flat Flat FLAT!  If you've been thinking about trying this sport, here is your chance!  They will rent you a bike if you need one. 

Follow the Snow Crown Series and the upcoming Fat Camp Race at:  http://www.brokenspokebikes.com/pages/snow-crown  https://www.facebook.com/events/1829803917262044/   https://www.facebook.com/events/195719620871001/ 



Once again it was me trying to hang onto the boys club.  A gang of my Broken Spoke Teammates jumped out at the ring of the gong and were in full attack mode.  I figured, I'll let them go have their fun, we got over 20 miles, I'll just sit in an pick them off one by one as they die down.  We hit the hilly orchard and I quickly realized the 3,000ft of climbing I had done full out the night before was no joke.  I was in pain immediately.  Just get through it, get past it, the single track is on the other end.  Sure enough, Work the hills, and all smiles in the single track.  I was able to grab onto some wheels, work with a couple guys and had a few drop me.  3 laps, 24 miles was a struggle!  I was in full survival mode through the entire last lap.  Kept looking back to see if I had a flat, no, no flat, just my legs. 

I often wonder what part I have more fun participating in, the race or the post race festivities.  No matter how many laps you did, it was a feat to finish.   You accomplished something incredible, something most will not do.  Pride permeates the air around us as we stand by the fire and tell our tales of our time on the trail.  I am going to miss these days.

All Skills at the Scurry Because it's All I had Left

The Snowshoe Scurry Fat Bike Race is held at the Pleasant View Golf course in Madison, WI.   This course is 70% single track through the woods surrounding the golf course.  Once you break out of the single track you are on the xc ski trails.  It's a 3 mile course and we did 4 laps for 12 miles.  They didn't have short race options but I'm sure that will happen as the popularity grows.  The snowshoe race takes off first so they get the trail nice and packed down for us.  They open up the club house for these events so it's nice and cozy before and after the race.  Plenty of food, drink and camaraderie.  I am hoping this site will be on the docket for a Hugh Jass in 2018.     Follow the Snowshoe Scurry and Fat Bike at: https://www.facebook.com/SnowshoeScurry/?hc_ref=SEARCH & http://www.snowshoewi.com/index.html 

Even with dead legs, I couldn't resist going for 3.  Especially at my home course!  Literally 2 miles from my house. The single track on this course is the real deal.  It's not professionally groomed so they rely on riders and snowshoes to blaze the trail.  Un-groomed trails means trouble for those that don't have as much experience riding in the snow. Going in I knew this would be an advantage for me.  As long as I could make a gap in the single track, and hold on for dear life on the open ski trails I would have a good race. 

The race started on a downhill slope of what Kristina calls, "Mashed Potatoes."  It really messed everyone up, only a few of us were able to hold it upright, it was rough goings right out the gates.  I followed in 3rd position into the single track and had 2 guys on my tail.  It felt so good in there, I was having the time of my life, carving like I was a snowboarder.  Then the ski trails, oh the pain of it.   I managed to hold the 2 guys off until we hit the ski section the 2nd lap, they were too strong for me on the opens and I had to let them go.  All alone again!  Just me the last 2 laps having my own little single track party.  Ended up 1st women, 5th overall.  Had a chance to catch up with some of my local Mad Town favorites afterwards, again to tell tales of the carnage.

Up next is the Hugh Jass, Fon Du Lac on Saturday and then the Fat Cupid in Appleton on Sunday.  https://www.facebook.com/events/832551413547903/ & http://hughjass.bike/ 



Hugh Jass for the Beginner Fat Biker

Hugh Jass Fat Bike Series Review

www.hughjass.bike/

 "I Don't Do Cold," was what I would say when they'd try to get me to jump on the fat biking train.  Up until November of last year my winter activities consisted of indoor soccer and the gym. You couldn't catch me out in the cold, much less riding a bicycle in it!  Yuck, NO THANK YOU.

Then I met a guy, it's always about a guy isn't it?  The plan of our first "ride", which is code for "date" to a cyclist, was to meet at the Hugh Jass Fat Bike Race at Minooka Park and then go out for dinner afterwards.  Great I gotta go ride a big slow bike in the cold?  Ahh but the things we will do....

Wheel and Sprocket, the bicycle shop that hosts the series, offers fat bikes to rent for racers.  The total expense to enter the race AND to rent the bike was only $50.00.  My first time on a fat bike was during a race on a rented bike wearing my hiking boots, sweat pants and a winter coat.  Anyone can get out there and try it!



These races are mass start.  There are two groups that go out seperately.  Beginner and Advanced. If you are new, you need not be intimidated.  The length of the races vary from 5-8 miles for beginners and 9 - 15 miles for advanced.  The courses vary in style, some are made up of single track and cross country ski trails, a few are similar to a cycle cross course, golf courses and one even has a section on a lake.  The locations are near the Milwaukee area, most at popular Mountain Bike trails.  Minooka, Alpha Trails, John Muir, Grand Geneva, Trek headquarters to name a few.  The courses are chosen with the beginners in mind.  You're not going to run into anything that is to technically advanced, anyone can ride them.

During the races the riders will often be asked to take a beer shortcut, hammerschlagen between laps, wear themed outfits, run over obstacles and turn in their number plates at the end, (which are paper plates) among other goofy things to make it more fun.



The ambiance of these races is all about having a good time.  People aren't getting nearly as worked up or stressed about racing as they might before other races.  Only a few are really there to try and win.  The rest are there for the challenge, gaining bragging rights among their friends, being bad asses, playing in the snow and drinking beer.

After each race there is free beer, a DJ, silly games, bon fires, raffles, awards and food.  We race around 11am and then party it up for the rest of the day.  These races are a great way to meet new friends and cycling enthusiasts.  On a day I don't feel like racing and about to bail, I think, but then I wont get to see and party with my buddies!

The Date/ Ride was a success, I ended up winning that day and turned to Ryan, "This is going to be an expensive weekend!"  The very next day, George Kapitz, Owner of Broken Spoke Bikes, called me after seeing my facebook post.  "Thought you didn't do cold," he said.   A girl can change her mind can't she?  Bought a Salsa Beargrease fat bike from him right there, joined his team and I've been hooked ever since!

Ultimately these races are a great way to meet super cool people with common interests.  The type of people who want to push themselves physically, get outdoors and not take themselves to seriously.  Just another way to get out and PLAY!

You can follow the series at: 

https://www.facebook.com/hughjassfatbike/    &   http://hughjass.bike/

 

 

 

 

 

Temerature Managment

Staying the right temperature during the winter months is a skill you need to master if you're looking to ride outside.  Here are a few tips on staying warm during cold weather rides without overheating.


The Lineup:

• Cycling Boots- 45NRTH Wolvhammers - get one size to big so you can fit 2 pairs of socks
• 2 Pairs of Smart Wool socks - I like one thinner pair and one thicker pair
• Cap to cover your ears - Lana from Funkier Bike
• Breathable base layer to wick away sweat and keep you dry - Fabriano from Funkier Bike
• Thick Gloves - 45NRTH Sturmfist
• Insulated bike pants with padded butt
• Balaclava to protect your neck
• Ski Goggles
• Hot Hands Warmers - The toe version, stick them to the inside of the outer socks, then put the hand warmers in each glove, I put them on top of my hands so it heats the blood

Damp, Soggy, Drizzle Days

• Water repellent jacket - Bernalda from Funkier Bike
• Put plastic bags over your socks before putting your boots on

25 Degrees +

• 1 Base Layer - Merano from Funkier Bike
• 1 Shell Layer - Brunico Soft Shell from Funker Bike

Below 25 Degrees

• Bar Mitts
• Add another top layer
  
  

Make sure you have a full change of clothes in your car, get out of the cold and often damp clothes immediately after your ride.


www.brokenspokebikes.com carries 45NRTH & Bar Mitts & bike pants
www.funkierbike.com for apparel
www.theweatherneck.com for the balaclava
www.amazon.com for the hot hands and Smart Wool Socks 

Schedule a Snow Day!