Yesterday didn’t go at all like I had expected it to go. I love that about life, but not in this instance. Like I posted already, both Catherine and I didn’t have good outcomes to our respective “bad luck”. Catherine is staying for 3 full days in a hospital and I am mulling over different scenarios of what I should do.
Catherine can’t race in Louisville in 3 weeks. She’d been told this by more than one professional. I, on the other hand, I am in a different situation. I need surgery on my shoulder, but I don’t see any reason I have to do it immediately. That being said, my right arm is hardly functioning. Not even close to good enough to race a cross race. I plan to keep training for the next couple weeks and see if the swelling goes down and I can get some usage out of it. Enough to race for 45 minutes at least. I didn’t realize how bad it was until trying to ride yesterday.
It was the weirdest thing. I rode my bike back to the hotel from the MRI place and could barely hold onto the bars. Trying to move from the brake levers to the tops wasn’t possible. I remember having problems doing just that in the race the day before, but it must be the endorphins or something, but I didn’t remember it being anywhere nearly as painful as it was yesterday. I only slept about 30 minutes all night, but got some painkillers, so slept more last night.
Matt Gilhausen and Kent Eriksen both showed up yesterday separately. Matt is racing this morning at 9:30 and Kent is just hanging with me and watching before he heads back to Steamboat.
Anyway, Catherine isn’t getting discharged until Monday, so we’re here until then. I can’t and wouldn’t race on Sunday now. I hate to say it, but they should never award the cyclocross nationals to an place like Madison again. The weather is way too unpredictable and if it was, the prediction would be icy frozen ruts. Just look at my car. Two racers with enormous medical bills. 10’s of thousands of dollars for sure. I’d bet more people are hurt at this Nationals than ever before. And we haven’t even gotten to Sunday, which I predict, is going to be a nightmare. I hope the temperatures remain over 32 most of today, or it is going to get real ugly.
Okay, it is super late and I haven’t slept forever. I want to be over to the course by 8:30 to help some friends prepare for the 9:30 race. Should be an interesting weekend over cyclocross.
I started wearing this St. Christopher medal my mother gave me last week again after the string broke. I thought it was bringing me good luck, but it doesn’t seem that way. Had to take it off for the MRI yesterday.
Catherine rode herself over to the emergency medical place this morning.
And here she was at midnight after having a tube stuck into her chest.
We ate dinner last night at Graze. These are fried pickles.
Graze has one of the best views of any restaurants I’ve been.
Kinda recall you saying that last year was really bad and it couldn’t get any worse. Hoped for the things to get better for myself too… but about to give up on that already. Is it just gonna get worse and worse or wtf is happening?
USAC’s event directors have made some really questionable decisions on national championship events as of late. I recall hearing the decision to have cx nats in Madison (in January), and thinking “what the hell”.
Splitting Elite Track Nats into two events was another.
I can’t imagine what it was like for the younger juniors to be on that course this weekend.
Steve – Sorry to hear what happened. The highs and the lows all at once.
I hope Minneapolis is not lobbying for Nationals in a few years.
Be careful with your shoulder, I have torn both of my rotator cuffs and can tell you, you will never be the same. Sleeping is the worst, people can’t imagine the pain and how uncomfortable you are.
As for Surgery, I have heard some horror stories… I would start with PT first and get a couple of opinions on if you really need or should have surgery. A good deal of the time surgery can’t actually repair the injury, but just help eliminate pain in the area. Your main goal is usually to build up the structures/muscles around the shoulder to help support the cuff.
Best of luck on healing.
What happened to Catherine, and what has been the response to the course from others who raced?
Hang on a minute. Please get some perspective. Take a minute to examine your problems. Both of you can afford to participate in a really expensive sport, and have the talent/resources to race at an elite level in an inherently risky activity.
Catherine is in the hospital and will be well enough to head home soon. Neither one of you is dying/dead/forever incapacitated. Do your situations suck? Yeah. Compared to many even in the U.S. these are temporary problems isolated to a very, very privileged few.
Now, onto my question. I thought USAC’s event insurance covered this stuff? OBRA makes it crystal clear they do not cover medical. That’s fair, honest, disclosure. USAC is very quick to remind everyone that they “have insurance for athletes” in these kinds of circumstances. Some clarification would be appreciated.
My best wishes for a great recovery for both of you.
I disagree with your issue about having nationals at madison. Its bike racing come rain or shine. You could just as well of fell doing a crit in july. it is not the problem of the venue. its what bike racers do…..adapt.
Steve & Catherine:
Sorry to hear about your injuries…. boy what a bummer. You both are so, so tough…how many people could race that hard then end up riding to the hospital on a bike with such injuries. Remarkable.
Steve, congratulations on your National Championship win. Maybe one of these years, they will have cyclocross nationals in Austin.
Wishing you both speedy recovery.
If at all possible get it fixed – Don’t delay!!!! The colateral issue this can cause in your neck/back/hips/legs is HUGE!!! I just got a small hernia (umbillical) repaired and I know how you fell – the timing is NEVER good and the cost is outrageous, but you really need your arm working!!!!
Steve I truly understand your undying love for racing your bicycle but do yourself a favor and get healed up. You are one hell of an athlete and have A LOT of heart but sometimes it pays to be smart. Especially as we get older! Rotator cuff surgery is one of the toughest ortho surgeries to rehab from. These races will be there next year as well.
Please change the title of this post. This title has already been used. You’re biting my rhymes.
The conditions would be the same in Bend and Portland this week. I think it is a calendar issue as we are in the Northern Hemisphere.
Steve, I did the same thing to my shoulder at a muddy MTB race at Cosmo in Columbia in 2008, but not as badly as you did to yours. I rode on it for awhile, but that just made the weakness, range of motion, etc worse. I eventually did fairly intensive rehab, but opted out of the surgery. In hindsight, I kind of wish I had gotten it, because if it worked, fabulous, but if it didn’t then I’d just be dealing with the same issues I have with it now. Every once in awhile I’ll tweak it and have to start rehab again….
If I were you, I’d get to a PT place ASAP. They’ll help you reduce the swelling, and give you exercises to do. It may be enough so you can race in 3 weeks. Good luck.
Anne
Good luck with injury !!
As a physician in Canada I would get it done soon
if it is full thickness tear
as muscles atrophy fast Long rehab
As a rec racer and with my own past injury problems love hearing about your tales on racing