Alive!
Uncategorized January 18th, 2009
Just wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone who has taken time to send me get well soon calls, emails, text messages and flowers over the past 2 days!
I’m on bed rest right now but will be back and better than ever in no time.
I had a pretty nasty accident on Saturday and I’ve received an overwhelming amount of correspondence asking what happened so I figured I’d just try to explain here as best I can…
I was participating in the “Ride the Route” fundraiser for the Women’s Tour Of California Criterium. It left from Santa Rosa and went to Calistoga and then doubled back to Santa Rosa. I arrived a bit late due to traffic and was attempting to catch the main group with few friends. On the last descent into Calistoga I was a bit off the front and enjoying a great time down the hill when I came up on a corner full of pine needles a bit too quickly (understatement) and my only choice was to try to lay the bike out or hit the guardrail… Apparently the second choice was better (???) and I went head first into it at 45k. Specialized helmets, THANK YOU! Also, ROOLY glasses!!! I am so glad I was wearing those things, they kept my eyes protected and all of the dirt and pine needles that ended up in my mouth, nose and ears, yes ears, didn’t touch my eyes! Not only that but they look like new post crash, cannot believe it.
I was knocked out for a short while and don’t remember much except that I couldn’t breath and my mouth was full of blood from biting part way through my tongue. Bob Cullinan from CycleTo was on the scene quickly (and ended up riding with me to the hospital and staying with me for 6 plus hours) as were quite a few other kind souls (Greg Durbin, thank you!) who stopped traffic so I wouldn’t get run over and called the ambulance. From there it’s a blur…
Anyway, all the appropriate medical treatment was taken and it was shown that I had no broken bones or anything else of major consequence and was released later that evening. I’ll take it slow getting back on the bike but I’m more than looking forward to it! Of course it’ll have to be a new steed as mine was sheered off at the forks…
So there you go.
Man I love cycling!
Best to you all,
Liz
January 19th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Great, I am glad to hear that you are ok!
January 19th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Wow! You are so lucky…
To be alive;
Not to have broken anything;
To have peolple there to look after you, straight away;
To have someone there to take your picture;
To have such a pretty face, to show off those wounds;
To have a bike sponsor;
To have a major kick ass positive attitude.
Mend soon!
PS – I hate it when I’m chewing gum and I bite the inside of my mouth, biting into your tongue… Boy that has gotta hurt!
January 19th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Girl…you are so damn lucky.
I was so freaked out when I came around the corner and saw you laying there. My first thought was “oh f***.” Then when I saw your wheel and how the front fork was sheared off I thought “oh my god that is so crazy oh my god I hope she’s going to be okay.” (the crazy part is I had JUST told my friends, “now be careful on this descent, there’s some tight turns…”)
I was thinking about you all weekend. You ruined the rest of my ride, dammit! I kept wondering how you were doing!
Anyway, I am SOOOOO relieved you are alive and well and that you didn’t break anything. Thank goodness for helmets and well-done crashes, huh?
Take care, Liz. I hope I see you on the bike again soon but no more crashes. – Sarah
January 19th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Glad you’re ok! Take it easy and get better!
January 19th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Liz,
Happy you werent seriously injured. Get well and back in the saddle soon. Those arent the kind of pics I like to see on your Flickr account. Care from Texas.
Textoad
January 19th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Glad to hear you are ok!! Hope you feel beeter!!
January 19th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
— Glad yer alright, I had the same experience two weeks ago. Seattle’s crazy snowstorm melted and left large amounts of sand, grit and rubbish in every bike lane and path ’round the city. I took a dimly lit turn, to fast, fell hard. Thank yourself again for wearing a helmet… certainly glad I was wearing mine too.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Ouch that looks like a some nasty RR. I took a header on Sunday myself but it was on grass. I’ll be rooting for the Vanderkittens this season.
Get well, I’m sure you’ll be riding in no time.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Get well soon,and let it go until you overcome with the fear after a hard hit.
That optimistic mood of you is the best thing for fast healing.
Keep it up Fat Camp!
Hughs!
January 19th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Holy crap, Liz! Hope your recovery is swift!
January 19th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Looks like you’re not the only female bike casualty: from http://www.declinemagazine.com
Current World Champion Rachel Atherton sustained a dislocated shoulder yesterday when she was involved in a training accident with a car. The Atherton trio have been training hard in Santa Cruz California since the start of January and yesterday was no exception. Details are sketchy but it seems Rachel hit the car head on with her brand new Cervelo road bike taking the brunt of the damage.
Rach has an appointment with the specialist today and hopes to be up and ready for the first round of the World Cup in April, further updates on Rach can be found at animalcommencal.com
Get well.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Get well Liz! Killer attitude! Keep up the good work.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Ho-Lee-Crizap. Dudette, PLEASE get better soon and don’t freak us all out like that any more with all your Evel Knievel impersonations.
GET WELL!
GK
January 19th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Liz :
Hope you’re feeling better. When you’re able to type, we’re interested in how the medical personnel treated your wounds. You can comment here….
Ride safe!
January 19th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Scary story and photo. Get well and back on the bike soon.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
rest and get well. sounds horrific.
January 19th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Yikes! I just hopped over from Cozy Beehive. Don’t know ya, but glad you are okay and wishing you a speedy recovery!
Peace!
January 19th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Liz,
Get well soon. My heart goes out to you. Don’t rush it, there is a lot of 2009 left.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Wow. Scary stuff, but glad to hear that you are okay. Always better to have your gear take the damage than your body.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Probably enough out of me, so rest. I hope you enjoy the music you will be receiving. Couldn’t send flowers. Take care young lady.
January 20th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Liz,
So sorry to hear the news! I wish you the best with your recovery and hope you’ll be back on the bike soon. Take care of yourself!
January 20th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Godspeed.
January 20th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
You are a tough girl. I really would like to have that kind of courage all the time.
Keep going. From Costa Rica
January 20th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Get well soon.
January 20th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
All the best in the recovery of the injuries , hope they will heal quickly.
Someone who cares.
Bets wishes who cares aka Martin
January 20th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Wow! Sorry to hear about the crash, but glad you are doing well. Rest up and don’t try to get back on the bike too soon.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:21 am
Get well soon, Get some rest, an hope your recovery goes well.
January 21st, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Holy snap!! Your new nickname should be Wonder Woman now!
It’s freaky how fast things can go wrong on a bike! I broke my left shoulder blade in a bike accident on a training ride.
Take awhile before getting back on the bike. Let the body, and the mind heal.
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:23 am
wizzer!!! holy geez…finally saw the carnage, WOW. pretty amazing how lucky you came out of that one. we’re thinking about you, miss you tons, and send you well wishes! it’s a looooooong season, so just relax and we’ll get you back into it, no worries, ok?! nothing but hugs and nubs…xoxo!!! muah!
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:52 am
Next you’ll be doing stunt work in Hollywood………..
Seriously- get better quick!
See you in Tulsa in June!
January 22nd, 2009 at 8:27 am
Glad you’re mostly OK, AND that it’s early in the season. You’ll bounce back for sure.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:41 am
I wish you the best with your recovery and hope you’ll be back on the bike soon, good luck in the next season, a big fan ( belgium)
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Jeepers, Liz! Sorry to hear about the crash. Best wishes from Oli – a fan in New Zealand.
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:41 pm
…damn, lizzer, at least you can profess to being reasonably o.k. despite the carnage…
…heal fast & heal strong…
…as i read your above account, my heart was going out to ya & i was feeling ‘the pain’ we’ve all felt one time or another…
…then i read “man, i love cycling”…what can i say…you’re freakin’ awesome, woman…you will be back & you will be kickin’ ass…
…my best to ya,
bgw…
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Sorry to hear about the biff, hopefully you’ll be back in no time. I am getting over my own crash 5 weeks ago, which left me with a broken pelvis and shattered hand, so although a wreck is never good, like I keep telling myself, it always couldve been worse!
January 22nd, 2009 at 8:13 pm
WOW! When I heard about the crash and saw the pictures on Cycle To, I thought the worst. I’m glad to hear that there is nothing broken. I hope that the recovery is short and that you’re able to turn the pedals soon.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:10 am
Liz,
That was a nasty crash… Glad to hear no broken bones. Heal up soon!
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:19 am
That looked awful! Glad you are relatively OK. Heal up soon!
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:38 am
Good Lord I hate seeing you like that. Mend quickly and fully.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Hi Liz, I’m the designer and owner of the Zero Gravity brakes you’re riding… when I heard about your accident, all I could think of was “how are my brakes? did she scratch them… oh god, no!”… if they got dirty, I don’t even want to know about it. I know you were focused on hitting the guard wall at just the right angle so as not to damage the brakes so please know I won’t hold you responsible… just know though, if they are totaled you will be hearing from my lawyer.
January 23rd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I hope those expensive boobs where useful.
January 23rd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
BTW i do wish you a fast recovery.
January 24th, 2009 at 3:08 am
Isn’t it stunning how staring at that hospital ceiling can focus the mind! You realize that all you really are is what you believe yourself to be. You believe you are a bike racer who bounces back. And so do I.
Big hug (when it doesn’t hurt):o)
January 25th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Whoa! Glad to hear nothing broken and you are on the road to recovery.
January 25th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Some lively discussion is happening about your crash and your broken bike on cozy beehive. Check it out.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
very scary stuff…God bless you and bring you back! will miss you until then…
January 26th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Hey Liz, good to see your all okay
*ouch* about the tongue i heard it heals pretty quick which is good
ps. fill in your “About” section it’s alittle empty
All the best, keep spinning
January 26th, 2009 at 7:31 am
With no more Gerolsteiner, I didn’t think there would be any good product testing in 2009. Way to go Liz! For maximum sponsor roi, please follow these Gerolsteiner method rules: 1. Product testing must be done during an actual race. 2. A video crew must be present to capture the product test, and when possible the voice of Phil Ligget is helpful. 3. Try to coordinate product testing with at least 2 other team members during the same race. 4. If radios are down and you can’t do #2, try to explode your frame using street sign or barricade. 5. If you can’t maximize sponsor roi using the above rules, a podium finish is acceptable, but not preferred. 6. When all esle fails, find a video crew post race. Remove your jersey (just for you Liz), because your all hot, sweaty, sticky, and delicious, and comment on the product testing of your team or other racers.
Get well soon Liz, and thanks for picking up where Gerolsteiner left off.
January 26th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
That you recover soon …. regards from catalonia
January 26th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Liz,
From all of us here at Fluid we want to wish you a speedy recovery and happy riding in the near future.
Happy Healing,
Rich and Dave
“The Fluid Guys”
January 28th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Your kickass attitude will have you up and about in no time. Believe you had an angel watching over you to soften the blow just a bit.
January 28th, 2009 at 9:39 am
OMG… Hadn’t been to your site in a while, and then this… Get well soon! Bonne chance!
January 28th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Those turns are killers, especially those with lovely little stuff on the ground. I know Firsthand last july I broke my clavicle going downhill, and drove into some gravel after a turn http://tinyurl.com/6n3e9q.
Get better soon!
January 29th, 2009 at 6:49 am
I’m glad you’re OK. Hope you can get back on the bike soon!
Greetings from the Netherlands!
January 29th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Heal up fast kiddo, hope you’re back on the bike asap and laugh this situation off.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:58 am
[...] for the rest of the week is get up to speed and biff it, hard. You got to go faster to go faster, right? « Blatant [...]
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 am
Wow! Get well soon and get back out there! Your positive attitude is awesome given the circumstances!
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Liz!!! My best wishes to you!!! Get well soon!!! I’m a HUGE FAN of yours!!!!!
February 4th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Liz! So happy to see you in one piece! My best to you in your recovery. You know, you don’t have to take such drastic measures to get a new bike…
Take it easy, girl.
February 4th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
ei! from barcelona I hope you are better and have a good recovery. take care!
February 4th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Damn those pine needles, f’s you up everytime. Don’t lose that fear of descending though, it’s really key to remember what it feels to fly, not how the landing is! Figure you might be riding the trainer for a bit. Check out ETN.FM for some uber dope trance shows. If you have bit torrent you can download all their past live shows. The DEC 08 show’s killer. AH.FM for slamming live stuff too. If you get a chance this year, race Philly, dopest race in the States. Ride on, -BC
February 5th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
My God, you are one tough girl! Get well soon, Liz. Speedy recovery but don’t rush it. Come back fresh and stronger. You will.
February 5th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
I need to see some pictures of you feeling better. Perhaps an essay on your closet, and how you can’t find anything to wear. Or like Lance’s come back, a photo essay of your come back from near tragity. I am sure there are many people that are grateful you weren’t hurt worse than you were. I love the picture of you on the trainer, smiling. I think your smile may be the window to your soul. Great smile. Your doctor is a saint.
Rickie
February 9th, 2009 at 7:27 am
^^^^^^ or just let us know that you’re [still] alive!
February 9th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Wow, epic! Glad to see you appear to be okay. Heal quickly!
February 9th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Glad to hear you are okay. Crashes suck but the street cred is undeniable.
February 11th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Heal quick, Liz – the photos are gnarly. Can’t wait to see you back on the bike.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Good recovery!!
February 17th, 2009 at 3:55 am
Glad to see you Okay, have a good recocovery.
“Forza & Coraggio”
Zanna
February 17th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Warm wishes for a quick recovery, Liz! Get well soon, and thanks for keeping us updated.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Thanks god you are ok!
I wish U a quick recovery! you have a lot of spirit
Regards from Argentina
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:13 pm
HOLY CRAP! Get well soon.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Hello Liz,
Your Dutch fans wish you a quick recovery!
Back on the bike again?
February 27th, 2009 at 6:41 am
Well Liz, What can I say…
Get well soon and get out and ride, ride hard.
It’s times like this I wish I had the skin of an alligator. I would never fear road rash again.
Trying to add some humor, hope it makes you laugh….
I’ve been told laughter is the best medicine one can have..
Look forward in seeing out their racing. Pete
March 9th, 2009 at 3:53 am
All the best for your quick recovery!
Greetings from AUSTRIA
Chris & friends