On May 23, 2017, I went down in a bad bike crash. While I've raced my bike for many years, (and therefore suffered my fair share of bike-race-related crashes), this was by far, the worst. I was on a group ride, and it was a complete fluke -someone rode over a stick and it shot under my front wheel, taking me out in a split second. I suffered a concussion, a fractured sacrum (pelvis) a torn labrum in my right hip, and ample road rash. My bike broke in 9 places-including the saddle. Initially, I didn't fully appreciate (or understand) the extent of my injuries.

I did what we cyclists do -I brushed myself off, and tried to push through.

Looking back now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can see that was not a smart move. I kept trying to ride, and train. I kept pushing hard at work and at home. I didn't ask for the help I needed. I kept coming unraveled emotionally and then beating myself up for being weak and soft.

The crash happened at the end of a strong, disciplined spring of training and my season was looking promising. I was registered to race the first-ever women's singlespeed category at DK200, I was registered to race numerous triathlons including Boulder 70.3, in an attempt to try and qualify as an elite triathlete. I was registered for my third Ironman AZ in November with a lofty goal of trying to earn a spot to Kona. 2017 was to be my year of big audacious goals.

In May, I felt those goals all slipping away. I had to let everything go and just focus on being whole again- on being healthy, mentally and physically. And 6 months later, well... I'll let the video show you (below).

I love Arnold's quote at the beginning of this video we made, because he's right - Your Struggles Develop Your Strengths. We don't ask for adversity or setbacks, but we will ALL experience them. And sometimes the struggle makes the ultimate journey -and accomplishment- that much sweeter. And sometimes, we learn we were stronger than we knew.

Huge thanks to our friends over at HayMaker Media for their work on this project, and in capturing the essence of the struggle, the emotions, the gratitude, and the finish at Ironman Arizona. What a journey, indeed.

(Let me just acknowledge that many of our clients suffer injuries far more serious, and endure recoveries that take much longer. Some clients can never resume their favorite activities and some never fully recover. That reality is not lost on me, and I fully realize and appreciate that my injuries did and/or will eventually heal- and that my recovery will be pretty short in the scheme of things. But let me also say this- I read somewhere recently that when we compare our pain, or our joy, to others' ... we diminish our pain or our joy; death by comparison. We feel what we feel and that's what. Personally, I wanted to share a video about my experience, not to compare it to anything else but simply to document it and share it).