Crash! Part Deux: My 2018 USA Cyclo-Cross National Championships Story

Well, the diagnosis is in. Sometimes, thing just don’t go as planned.

I broke my leg.

It’s a clean break of the fibula, also known as the calf bone. It happened about five or six minutes after 3:00 P.M. Pacific Time on Saturday afternoon in the singlespeed race at the USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross National Championships in Reno, Nevada. This was first diagnosed on Monday afternoon at the UConn Health sports medicine clinic in Storrs. It was confirmed today when I returned for another X-Ray, and to get a cast put on.

I fell on the dreaded off-camber hill on the back side of the Reno course. I’ve replayed that moment in my head, and I still can’t figure out exactly what happened. I’ve pieced together a probable explanation using my memory, some video, and the analysis of the orthopedic doctor. There was heavy traffic in the field of 135 riders, which was the largest of the week. The course was in rough shape after week full of racing, and because it was the last race of the day. I was tired after a week of travel, promoting Cross Spikes™, and racing in the Masters 45-49 Championship, but I only needed to get through one more event. It was the 25th of the season, the most in my 20 year cyclocross career. The singlespeed race was the last non-UCI amateur race of the week and before the Sunday UCI level elite races. The hill had dried out and was very slick with lots of loose rock. I started in the fifth row and was running around 45th at the time of the crash. I’m not a great bike handler, but I’m also not terrible. I wasn’t intimidated by the course, and had been around it more than a dozen times, but I made a mistake, and it cost me.

I’ve watched this Instagram video captured by @jarednieters that shows the crash, and replayed it numerous times. If you want to see an overview of the singlespeed race with highlights including the start, sand pit, and off-camber mayhem, then check out this CXHAIRS clip. video focuses on the off-camber carnage. The still photos are screen shots from @jarednieters’ video.

He panned away for a split second at a critical moment during my fall and the perspective is from the right side of the course, so it’s hard to tell exactly what happened to my left leg. After reviewing my X-Ray’s and manipulating my leg, the doctor thinks that it was blunt force that caused the break and not a twisting action. My guess is that I had my leg out for balance and support, and when my rear wheel kicked out, I planted my foot and it got jammed on the ground or smashed against the hillside, and/or against the course stake. Whatever I collided with, forced me back and I fell backwards on the steep downward facing slope. My bike ended up pointing in the opposite direction.

As soon as my leg impacted, I knew something was wrong. It felt like everything in my calf just got yanked like the worst muscle pull ever, but it wasn’t a cramp. I know that feeling all too well and that is quite different. Judging by the reaction of the crowd, it was an ugly and awkward crash despite the relatively low-speed.

I sprung up because there was a line of riders behind me. My response was to grab my bike, start pushing, and remount without losing much time. I’ve crashed a lot and that surge of adrenaline is usually all you need to get going again. My problem was that this time, something was different. The pain in my leg/foot was intense, and I could barely move. A gap opened up between me and the riders in front. Several other guys took the low line to get around the traffic jam that I caused. I didn’t notice the cuts on my right arm or the scratches on my back.

As soon as I remounted, I realized that I had no strength and the pain was excruciating. I was blocking riders, but I thought I could just get going again. I was sorry to hold them up. Eventually, I was able to make some forward progress. I got my right foot clipped back into my pedal as I approached the super-steep S turn descent, and either I got my left foot in the pedal or I was resting it on the pedal. I think it was out because all week, including my reconnaisance laps earlier in the day, I had been taking my left leg out for the steepest part of the descent.

This time, I got around the bottom left hand corner, but had trouble getting my left foot back in the pedal again. It wasn’t until I got through the rutted section and over the berm along the sidewalk next to Herman’s Pond, that I was able to clip my Sidi Dominator into my Shimano SPD, and it hurt like heck. I got passed by another stream of riders because I couldn’t apply any pressure to the pedals. I rode around the pond, over the bridge, up the road, under the walking bridge, and into the Dinosaur Park. Even before I got to the start/finish straight, I was in bad sorts. Riders were blowing by me despite my effort to get back up to speed. I rode through the finish line at half speed, and kept going through the field, up the false flat, past the pit and up to the set of stairs. And to think that these are the same stairs that Christopher Blevins, Cody Keiser, and Tobin Ortenblad were bunny hopping in Sunday’s elite races.

The crowd was going bonkers. As I approached the steps, I think I got my right foot out and swung my leg over my saddle to dismount, but when I shifted all my weight to my left leg, it just gave out. I couldn’t support myself, and didn’t have the strength to twist it out of the pedal. I don’t know exactly what happened next, but I think I rolled up to the stairs and used my right arm to push my foot out of the pedal. I’ve had to do this before, but typically after a mountain bike crash, when you get tangled up and the bike is on top of you. Usually, it is no big deal. I don’t remember much else, other than I walked up the steps carrying my bike and couldn’t continue. At that point, there were probably still 75 people behind me. The first lap was 1.9 miles long. I crashed at about 1.3 miles and made it another 0.6 miles. I tucked myself into the inside corner by the course tape and leaned on my bike to catch my breath and assess the situation.

Several fans were heckling me. One guy, who I think was shirtless, had multiple one dollar bills tucked in his pants. He was yelling at me to take a dollar or two from his waistband, but I had no interest. I just wanted to get off the course. I spotted a course crossing a hundred feet further up on the right-hand side in a bend. Two marshals had a pink course ribbon draped across the opening to keep spectators back. I remounted, but again, couldn’t get my left foot in the pedal, so I just rested my foot on top and pushed with my right leg, which I was able to clip in. I made it to the opening and signaled to them with my arm that I was coming through. They dropped the ribbon and I coasted 10 feet, got off, and fell on my back in the grass with my singlespeed Seven Mudhoney SL beside me. It was my first race on that brand new bike. I hit stop on my Garmin 920XT and now have those 10+ minutes memorialized on my Strava feed.

It took a minute or two for me to compose myself, but I immediately felt cold because I was ony wearing a shortsleeve skinsuit. I got up and remounted, but only clipped in my right foot. I let my left leg dangle and I pedaled one-legged across the field, and over to the Race Expo where the Horst Engineering tent was located. It was only 500 feet away. As I approached, I saw Art Roti, my teammate, colleague, and friend. He was talking to someone who had stopped by the tent. He saw me and was surprised. I rolled up and said something like, “I’ve got a big problem.” As I slowed to a stop, I thought I was going to fall over, so I asked them to help me and they immediately grabbed me. They helped me off, and I told them about the crash and how bad my leg hurt. He said he would get my jacket. I told him where it was in the truck. He brought over my Team Horst edition Patagonia Nanopuff and I donned it. I took off my helmet and wanted a dry hat, so I limped back to the truck, and dug it out of my bag.

I knew that the medical tent was only a few hundred feet away, so I shuffled over. Two EMT’s, including local athlete, volunteer, and uber rescuer, John Kennedy were treating another athlete who also crashed. John had been super helpful all week-long. I slumped into a folding chair and they began attending to me. I told them the big problem was my leg above my ankle, but that the pain was radiating throughout my foot. I described the crash and they did their best to determine the extent of the injury. I think I talked them into the high ankle sprain explanation, or pulled calf, but there was no way for them to tell. They helped me remove my shoe and sock. The best they could do was tape it with an ace bandage and then tape an ice pack on. John wasn’t keen about my travel plans (an 11:30 P.M. “red eye” flight through Chicago to Hartford). He warned me about blood clot risk, told me to wear my compression socks, elevate the leg, and move around. He encouraged me to seek medical attention. They washed out the cuts on my right arm and put on a few Band-Aids.

I got back to our tent and Art helped me change at the truck. While he packed my bike, I sorted through the remaining Cross Spikes™ and packed them while sitting there with my feet propped up on the table. It was a bummer to hear the announcers still calling the race that I was supposed to be in. Jake Wells won, earning his second national championship jersey of the week. After the bike was boxed, we took down the tent and packed up the remaining gear. I was cold, so I got in the passenger seat of the truck while Art went to say goodbye to our Expo neighbors.

We drove back to the house. I went inside while he got all the bikes ready so BikeFlights/FedEx could pick them up on Monday; and so our friend, Darron, could ship back the remaining inventory and gear. I showered with my bad leg hanging outside of the tub in an effort to keep the ace bandage dry.  I packed my bag, got to the couch, and put my foot up. He got some frozen peas from the freezer and we taped it to my leg. We called Greatful Gardens, where we ate twice earlier in the week, and ordered take out. They have fantastic vegan options. On his way to the restaurant, he stopped to refuel our rental truck, and he picked up some beer at a local tap-room.

We had dinner back at the house, and were eventually joined by our hosts, Addie and Darron. The four of us split the beers and then tested some of their home-brewed porter and cider. We had a great chat about cyclocross, work, family, and life. After hugs, we were on our way to the airport by 9:30 P.M. We returned the truck, walked to ticketing, checked our bags, went through security, and then walked to the gate. I laid down on the floor with my leg up on a chair, and waited there until boarding.

I had a middle seat, but was able to switch to an aisle seat on the left side of the plane, so my leg was still pinned in. There was a woman sitting in the window seat, but at least we had an open seat between us. I just wanted to get home. I slept a little. I got up a few times, walked the aisle, and used the bathroom once. We arrived in Chicago at 5:30 A.M.  We deplaned and then walked to our connecting gate, but I was in agony. About 1/3^rd of the way there, I laid down on a bench. We stayed there for 45 minutes, and then walked the rest of the way to our gate. There was no good place for me to put my feet up, so once again, I laid on the floor and rested my legs against the window facing the tarmac. Art went to get some breakfast while I rested.

After a while, I needed to use the bathroom and I was thirsty, so I walked back towards the other gate and got a steamed soy milk at Starbucks. When I got back to our gate, Art said the flight was delayed. After another 90 minutes or so, we boarded. When I gave the gate agent my ticket, I told her that I was going to need assistance at BDL and she assured me that someone would be there to give me a ride. We waited a long time but never took off.  Then, the pilot came on the PA system and told us that we were overweight and needed to unload 1,000 pounds of fuel. I had an aisle seat, again, on the left side with a passenger next to me. The process of removing fuel took another 30 minutes while were strapped in. During the flight, I got up and went to the bathroom a few times while walking the aisle to stretch my legs. We arrived in Hartford around 11:30 A.M.

I deplaned ahead of Art. There was no one to assist. At the top of the jetway, there was a gate agent, but no one else, so I just started walking to baggage claim. I stopped and used the bathroom and then continued. Art eventually caught up to me. He helped me get my bag off the conveyor belt and we waited outside. His shuttle bus came first.

I got to the LAZ Fly self-parking lot and gave the driver a tip after he helped me carry my bag down the steps. Unfortunately, when I gave him the tip, I lost my LAZ Frequent parker card. I got my car started and checked everywhere, but I couldn’t find it. I went to check outside on the ground where the bus dropped me, but it wasn’t there. At the ticket booth, I used the call button, but it went to voicemail. It was freezing cold outside and I was exhausted. I saw another shuttle bus and went up to it and knocked on the door. The driver helped me call dispatch. Then, we went back to the machine and called again. This time, someone answered and she processed my transaction. I paid with a credit card and the gate went up. I was free!

I got home 35 minutes later around noon. It was great to see my family. I showered and then spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch, with the kids, watching the USA Cycling YouTube livestream of the Women’s U23 race, Men’s U23 race, Elite Women’s race, and Elite Men’s race. After dinner, Debbie helped me upstairs. We propped my leg up on a pillow in our bed. I had a restless night of sleep. When I got up, I knew that my leg was messed up and it didn’t feel like an ankle sprain. I got up and made my way to the basement where I located the walking boot and crutches that I saved from a prior stress fracture injury in 2014.

Debbie helped me get my leg in the boot and made some breakfast. I wrote an email to the doctor who helped after the 2014 crash that resulted in my broken shoulder, cc’ing my primary care physician, who is also the “team doctor” for the Hartford Extended Area Triathletes. I drove to work, and did our Senior Leadership Team Daily Huddle on the way. By the time I got to the shop, the doctor had replied, confirming that someone in his office could see me today. His assistant called me and we scheduled the appointment for 1:00 P.M. I read some email and then attended a meeting with our Controller, our CPA, and his partner.  We discussed accounting and finance matters for nearly two hours. I dealt with some HR stuff and then did a 30  minute telecon from the car on another business matter.

By the time I got to the appointment, I was tuckered out. A junior doctor met with me, asked a bunch of questions, and manipulated my leg. In Reno, I reported that the pain was six on a 10 point scale, and repeated that to the doctor in Storrs, though there were moments when he squeezed my leg and the pain was probably a nine or 10. He was joined by a osteopath who further discussed my symptoms. Then, I was walked over to radiology where they shot three X-Ray’s. I was in terrible pain as they moved me around on the table. When I got back to the examination room, I was sweating profusely. This was harder than the race!

The two doctors came in and gave me the bad news. They put the X-Ray’s up on the digital monitor and you could clearly see the break in the fibula. I was devastated. After one of my best cyclocross seasons, I had blown it in the last race. I also knew that the resulting recovery was going to have a huge impact on my heavy meeting and travel schedule. I was due to fly to Nicaragua this coming Saturday, but it was evident that I shouldn’t have even traveled back from Reno without first visiting the hospital. Flying to Central America was not going to happen. I also had several important planning meetings that would be impacted. I hung my head as they talked through the next steps.

The big concern was whether or not the fracture was displaced. The osteopath wanted the orthopedic surgeon to review the images, but he was in surgery at the Farmington office. They got me back into the walking boot and scheduled me for a followup visit on Thursday morning, which was today. They told me to wear the boot all of the time, even while sleeping. They asked me to elevate my leg as much as possible, in an effort to get the swelling down.

Tuesday morning, I got really good news from the surgeon. He emailed to say that the break looked clean and that with a cast, the bone would heal on its own. He said to keep the appointment as planned and that he would see me then, with no change to the orders that they had given me. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I participated in meetings remotely while resting on the couch. Wednesday night, I attended the Connecticut River Valley Chamber of Commerce with my family and the Horst Engineering Senior Leadership Team. It took a big effort to put on a suit and get to the event, but I was honored as the chamber’s businessperson of the year. This award is a nice reflection on the success of our family enterprise and is shared with all my colleagues. By the time we got home last night, I was wiped out and anxious for today’s appointment.  This morning I got up, packed a rucksack, and drove back to UConn.

The orthopedic surgeon was on duty. He is the same doctor who treated me in 2014 and despite the circumstances, it was nice to see him. Yesterday, he had three major surgeries, including one on the knee of a man who was in a horrible skiing accident. My case was “easy peasy” as he put it. They took me to radiology for one more X-Ray to make sure nothing had changed since Monday afternoon. We talked over my crazy travel schedule and the stupidity of my trip back from Reno. The X-Ray looked good, and he said the cast should do the job. His assistant presented me with a color palette to choose from. I chose black and orange to match our Team Horst Sports kit. He was thrilled and insisted on casting it himself rather than delegating it. He said it was one of his favorite procedures.

I was in and out in a half an hour with another appointment scheduled for two weeks from today. He said my prognosis was good and that given the circumstances, I was very lucky. We talked about my upcoming travel, races, and other stuff. The Nicaragua trip is off for me, and I don’t have to fly again until the end of February. Ski season is over before it even started. I was planning a March duathlon and I’m registered for the Mt. Tammany 10! (40 mile trail race), the Traprock 50K, and the Rasputitsa Spring Classic. Those races are all on hold until I get better. The good news is that even if I miss the spring campaign, I should be back up to speed for the summer mountain biking and triathlon seasons, and of course, the fall cyclocross season. That’s what matters.

The pain sucks and this is a huge disruption, but much like my 2014 year of setbacks, I’m going to focus on other things. I’ll rest, improve my sleep, do some yoga, and work on my core strength. I use a standing desk and don’t have a chair in my office, but in the coming weeks, I’ll figure out how to stay off of my feet and take it easy.

At dinner with the family on Monday night, our daughter asked if I’ve ever cried as an adult?

She said, “I mean, not from being sad, but when something hurt?”

I said, “Yes, many times. I cried three times at the doctor’s office today.”

She replied, “I cried twice today. At the trampoline park, she was jumping and a girl swung her fist and accidentally hit her in the chest. She said, “You know, like when it knocks the air out of your lungs and the water out of your eyes.”

I said, “Yeah, that hurts.”

She went on, “then, when I was with Mommy, a boy stepped on my toes and didn’t even notice. I cried again. His mom made him apologize five times. She told him to look me in the eye and say it like he meant it.”

I didn’t predict this crash, but by the time Saturday afternoon rolled around, I was pretty burnt from the long season, the crazy start to the year, and from being on the road since Tuesday morning. Despite a solid build-up, strong motivation, and a new singlespeed bike, I wasn’t 100%. I had also started thinking about the trip home. So, couple those thoughts with 134 other guys on a tough course, and I’m not surprised that I got hurt. That was my first DNF at a cyclocross race in four years.

How the rest of the week went:

The 2017 USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross National Championships were in Hartford and it was a spectacular event. Being in our “backyard,” we had a lot of involvement. Horst Engineering hosted an Open House & Plant Tour for a group of friends and out-of-town guests. Several key volunteers from the Reno CX Nats Race Committee, including Darron, and his friend, Race Director Coby Rowe, joined us for the tour. As the 2018 race approached, they insisted that we come to Reno, be part of the Expo, and participate. Art and I are really glad that we made the trip. They returned the favor by being great hosts.

I had challenges all week-long. On the trip out to Reno, I lost my toiletries bag on one of the airplanes. The bag fell out of my carry on. It contained my toothbrush, toothpaste, and two sets of contacts. I didn’t have a contacts backup plan, so Debbie had to work with my assistant at to ship a set via UPS Next Day Air. I got them on Thursday only a few hours before my race.

I have been to Lake Tahoe on two occasions, when Debbie participated in the 2013 and 2014 Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs; but I had never made it to Reno. We had a blast in town and at Rancho San Rafael Park, which proved to be an excellent venue. The course was much faster than the Hartford track, and that was also because of the dry conditions. It was wetter on Tuesday and Wednesday, but by the second half of the week, and after a couple of big wind storms, the course was mostly dry. One of those windstorms destroyed the Horst Engineering tent, which is the second tent we lost to wind this season.

In addition to three great meals at Greatful Gardens, we dined twice at Laughing Planet Cafe, which had a great shrine to Reno native, Greg Lemond. We also picked up açaí bowls at Basik Acai, a cool spot. I’ve been to their sister location in Kona, Hawaii, but that was back in 2010. We avoided the casinos, but did attend the Mechanics National Championship.

Art did the Masters 40-49 Non-Championship race on Tuesday, but I came straight to the park from the airport via Uber, and just watched. Our big race was the Masters 45-49 Championship on Thursday afternoon I had an OK ride, consistent with my start position, and finished 37th in a field of 98. I was hoping for top 30, but faded on the last lap, let some gaps open up, and had to settle for a mediocre result. The 4,700 foot elevation at the park was a factor in the race. Fellow New Englander, Adam Myerson won for the second year in a row, proving his fitness and cyclocross prowess.

When we weren’t racing, we were hanging out at the Expo, meeting Cross Spikes™ customers, and gaining new customers. Many people came up to us and told us how our spikes were a big help to them and they love the product. We helped many people install their spikes. It was a lot of fun. During the first few days, the wind caused us a lot of problems. It was difficult to keep our tent up, but later in the week, after the winds calmed, we were able to stand around without freezing our butts off.

Early in the week, we also had the pleasure to work the pit for Richard Sachs, our longtime friend from Connecticut. Richard sponsored Team Horst Sports in the late 1990’s and I’m fortunate to have three of his bicycles. Also, Horst Engineering recently partnered with him to launch the Richard Sachs Seat Lug Survival Kit. I still ride one of my Sachs bikes on the road, I have an old cross bike hanging in the basement, and I have my original 1989 Sachs frameset mounted on the wall of my office at work. Richard was in the Masters 65-69 Championship, but he too struggled with the altitude and had a sub-par race. Still, he kept his spirits high and enjoyed the trip.

All week-long, we watched cyclocross and cheered for our friends, especially those from New England. In our race, old friend, Chris Peck, wearing a Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program kit, charged to 5th place after starting way back in the field. The Team Horst Junior Squad is a CCAP team. On the weekend, we helped out local rider, Nic Villamizar, who competed in the Junior 15-16 Championship as a CCAP rider.

Watching the Elite Races on Sunday got me fired up for more cyclocross. Now, I can’t wait for September when Team Horst Sports and the Team Horst Junior Squad start their new season. As they say, “Cross is coming!” The national championships are moving from January to December, so I’ll get another crack at a 2018 championship race when they are in Louisville, Kentucky later this year. I may not be an elite cross racer, but I love the sport dearly and still fight for position in every race I enter. Sunday afternoon’s women’s race saw an awesome battle that came down to Ellen Noble chasing 13 time champion Katie Compton. Katie prevailed for her 14th title. Kaitlin Antonneau finished third. That means that all three women on the podium are Cross Spikes™ ambassadors.

That was followed by a men’s race for the ages. A group of six turned into a group of five and after a series of attacks, more challengers dropped off the pace and the race came down to a fierce battle between four-time champ Jeremy Powers and defending champ Stephen Hyde. Stephen got past Jeremy in the second half of the last lap and took the win. Kerry Werner hung on for third place. That means that all three men on the podium are also Cross Spikes™ ambassadors.

Click here for full coverage of the Sunday races. Fast forward to 4:15:00 for the women and 6:03:00 for the men. If you have time, watch all the races, including the Men’s U23 race that had some spectacular highlights.

A special moment from Saturday afternoon was a visit from my friend Tony Lillios and his daughter Iva. They drove down from Incline Village, where they live near Lake Tahoe. They arrived minutes before the singlespeed race, but we had time to exchange hugs and get a photo taken. They watched me complete one lap, and then they watched me in agony. Still, it was great to see them. Once Tony saw cross live, I think he was hooked.

As I sit here on my couch and wrap up this blog post, I’m looking back on the whirlwind of the past 10 days. I went from some emotional and physical highs to some serious lows, but despite being laid up, I’ve already bounced back. That proves that we are resilient beings. I owe a big thanks to Art for helping me get out of Reno and back to Connecticut. I shouldn’t have taken that risk, but I’m glad that I got the treatment locally and wasn’t stranded in Nevada. Debbie and the kids have already swung into action and are helping me around the house. The Horst Engineering Senior Leadership Team is proving that they don’t need me, at least not every day, which is better for the business. Team Horst is our number one Core Value. Another one of our Core Value’s is Perseverance, which is a word I love, and a perfect idea to end this story with.

In hindsight, I probably should have taken those dollar bills from that heckler. It would have been a down payment towards my medical bills.