My Bike Accident
Why Did the Cow Cross the Road?
It was November 27, 2019, the day before Thanksgiving. My husband and I were visiting his family in southern Arizona enjoying our long-standing tradition of spending a full week in the sun, riding bikes, playing golf, swimming, running and eating.
We headed out toward Madera Canyon, a nice climb that gets pretty darn steep towards the top. The weather was sunny but crisp and we were both happy to be out on our bikes rather than behind a desk on a Wednesday afternoon.
On the descent I was right behind Todd’s wheel, taking advantage of the draft while we were cruising at speeds around 30 mph. Todd looked up ahead at the road and saw a cow off to the side of the road, facing away from the road.
Then the cow turned around and proceeded to walk across the road right in front of us.
Why did the cow cross the road?
I will never know the answer to this question. This is an open range, so cattle is technically allowed to be in this area, but we had never seen any cows on the road before in our many times up this road.
Todd saw it all happen. He braked to avoid hitting the cow and yelled out “COW!”. But I didn’t hear him or see anything. I ended up running into his rear wheel and went down hard on my right side.
The pain was immediate and intense. The rest is a blur, but Todd got me out of the middle of the road and a young family who was on their way up the mountain stopped to assist us. They got me and my bike in their car and drove me to the parking lot where we were parked. I took the keys and sat in the car waiting for Todd to arrive, talking to my best friend on Marco Polo crying telling her what had happened.
You might be wondering “why didn’t you call an ambulance?”.
Good question. We didn’t even think about it until later. Todd rode his bike as fast as he could to get to me at the car and then we drove to the emergency room. His mom met us there with a change of clothes for Todd.
The x-ray confirmed a fractured pelvis. They transferred me up to the Tucson Hospital for a higher level of care. I remember being in the massive operating room for evaluation with people everywhere (it’s a teaching hospital). The doctor asked me my pain level on a scale of 1-10. I said 7. He laughed. He said “I can’t imagine what a 10 would be for you if you think you are at a 7 with a fractured pelvis.”
I spent the night in the hospital and it was determined that the fracture would heal on its own. The only thing I had to do was prove to the physical therapist that I could get myself to the bathroom in order to be released from the hospital.
My first goal became to get home in time to make our 2:30pm Thanksgiving dinner reservation. Goal achieved.
The long road to recovery
The doctor told me it would be 6-8 weeks to recover. Maybe that’s true for someone who isn’t regularly physically active, but I was nowhere near “back to normal” after 8 weeks.
My x-ray revealed bone density issues, and further testing would indicate that I have osteoporosis, likely due to years of disordered eating. (I’m happy to report that my bone density has been improving annually since this time - which is unusual at my age, but I was starting from a low point.)
I never realized how many muscles are attached to the pelvis! I had a lot of challenges and various compensating injuries. I surrounded myself with a great team and got to work with my physical therapist right away.
My motivation
3 months before the accident I had qualified for my first Ironman 70.3 World Championship event, which was scheduled to take place in Taupo, New Zealand on November 28, 2020.
This became my driving motivation. I imagined the “come back race”, which would take place one year and one day following the accident. This was my inspiration during those times that it felt like I would never get better.
And then covid hit and the race was canceled. Honestly it was a good thing. I wouldn’t have been ready to race that November. Even a year later I was still having problems - not from the pelvis, but from the surrounding muscles on both sides.
My “come back race” ended up being the Ironman 70.3 North American Championships in St George, Utah in May of 2021. It felt so good to get back out there.
Returning to the scene
Every year since 2019 I have returned to Madera Canyon to commemorate what I call the “crashiversary”. When I go I’m always filled with gratitude at my body’s ability to heal and appreciation for my love of riding a bike. I’ve had plenty of moments of fear to overcome, but each year that I go out and face my fears “just enough” to prove to myself that I’m okay, I get stronger and more confident.
This year it was 5 years to the day. November 27, 2024, the day before Thanksgiving. The same road. So much gratitude for what my body has overcome. Not just with the pelvic fracture but also with the disordered eating and everything that comes along with that.
This accident will forever be a milestone event. One that has made me stronger in so many ways. The true definition of resilience.
What has made you stronger?
I’d love to hear your stories of resilience. What have you conquered or recovered from that makes you stronger today?
For me it’s the pelvic fracture and overcoming binge eating disorder. Both took much longer than I would have preferred, but both have been incredible lessons for me in the strength and resilience I never knew I had.
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I was in awe of you when this happened. As I am reminded again today, I can't help but think that with the right support, we can all be stronger and more resilient.
Wow... What an inspiring story, Jane! Thank you for sharing.