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Epic Crash

Seems like so many are asking about it so I thought I'd post here and fill you all in. 

I was 5 (6?) weeks out from IMLP with an ambitious schedule planned. I was to head up to VT on Tuesday afternoon, swim in my lake on Wednesday & Thursday mornings, lay final plans on Camp Hoff's round 1 of construction and head up to the EN Lake Placid Camp Thursday afternoon. I would follow this up with my own mini-camp from July 4-7 with big rides, runs & swims in Vermont.

After recovering from Epic Al Camp with good daily runs and 2 solid Vasa swims I left my house at 6am on Saturday morning planning on riding a bit over 100 miles. The first loop actually took me within a half mile of my house at around 30 miles. I opted to take the bike path instead of the roads (both are in horrible shape) for the last three miles. At least the bike path is a steady 1.5-2% incline vs the rolling hills of this section of road. 

As I was beginning the approach to a major intersection and the need to come out of aero bars, I hit one of the many shizzy bumps pushed up by roots on this path. I saw the cockpit just slammed to the right. 



I definitely lost a few seconds or more of memory, but I think that's just the brain blocking out an accident. My helmet, despite what EMT said afterwards, did have impact shown on the right side at the rim(they said no damage). That said, I never had a headache, or any signs of head trauma or concussion (both of which I've had in the past.)

Quick self check - was having trouble breathing, right side, shoulder hurt, right hand had trouble being used and was bloody. After laying on the ground moaning for what was probably only a minute, I felt my collar bone with my left hand expecting to find it broken, it wasn't. I managed to get up, pick up bike, realized i needed it on my left side to use left arm and walked 150 yards to the main intersection, saw a high planter in front of the shop at the intersection, leaned on that, called Jill. My house after all was a half mile away. She got there quickly with my neighbor and MTB friend Gil, who is a doc. He took one look at me and called 911. 

Ambulance showed up, collar on, full neck/back injury precautions and rushed off to Westchester County Medical Center. Not the closest hospital, but a Level 1 Trauma center. Scary? being in a Trauma center and having a neck/ back injury. Having docs lifting you up and poking your spine asking about pain in spots, feeling it and responding affirmatively. Full round of CT scans and x-rays, eventually admitted for observation. Later in the afternoon they determined my spine injuries weren't critical and removed the neck brace. 

Made it through a pretty sleepless night, and progressed through the next day (Sunday). BTW, I ate a big ass salad for dinner on Friday, nothing on Saturday morning, had a bottle and a half of electrolytes (no cals) in the first 1:45 of the ride I completed. I was heading to my local coffee shop for some bananas & water when this happened. So, in the hospital where they are concerned about a potential trip to the OR, no food... I went over 48 hours without eating. 

My injuries - 
my right hand clearly has some soft tissue damage that they did not identify, just that nothing was broken. I have two broken Transverse Processes in my T1 & t2 Vertabrae, 7 broken ribs (try reading a report that says "ribs 2 through 5." and a broken right Scapula. 

Sunday afternoon I was taken for a standing xray. I had not been out of bed since being placed in the Gurney by the EMTs. This xray was to tell the trauma surgeons if I needed a back brace for the next 6 weeks or not. The technician had me stand in a horribly awkward position for a minute 3x for the xrays. It hurt like hell and I was huffing and puffing like I was running the last mile of a hard race, I also had the same amount of sweat pouring off of me.  Good news is that I did not need a brace. 

I was released on Monday afternoon and have been doing surprisingly well. I am walking around, barely taking much in the way of pain meds beyond tylenol as of today. Each day has been less and less in terms of pain meds.

While the ribs hurt and seem to be healing and the same can be said for the transverse process breaks, the scapula and the arm seem to be a problem. I am willing to bet that my injuries there are more than just some breaks. That will be a recovery issue. 

My headspace on this has been surprisingly good. I've yet to have the woe is me moment and I've taken the evaporation of my season in stride.  I have lost two seasons in the past to a cardiac mis-diagnosis & a herniated disc. This year I really didn't feel trained on the run due to an injury I've been fighting and a lack of consistency to my training.

My hope is that in a few weeks I will be back on a bike trainer. My biggest hope is that my Right arm really isn't more than a damaged Scapula.

I guess the biggest part is swallowing the fact that a pretty benign bump in the road took me out. That said, the bike path is in awful shape. A neighbor of mine wrecked on it and woke up in the hospital with a broken forehead and nose. A avid cyclist one town over died three years ago, and the respective stakeholders (NYS & Westchester County) quibble over who is responsible, so THAT is annoying.

Thank you to everyone who's given me calls, texts, group me & forum posts. 





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Comments

  • I'm glad you are relatively ok. Are we going to have the pleasure of your company as a Sherpa at LP? 
  • @Scott Dinhofer Sorry to hear about the accident and good to see you are on the mend.  These accidents are definitely hard to take I know the one I had going in to LP 2017 was similar where I just lost it on a small bump and I was out for a few weeks.  Heal up fast.
  • Sorry to hear about the accident @Scott Dinhofer ... I feel your pain... literally... I have suffered a torn AC joint ligament in very similar sounding crash (last friday), just 2 weeks out from IM Austria on my last long bike. Its sounds like I came out of it lucky compared to your injuries. I Hope the healing process is quick for you & you are back at it soon enough. BTW, we are in good company...I see that Jan Frodeno crashed yesteday & ended up with 10 stiches in his face  :o
  • @Scott Dinhofer - so sorry to hear about this.  I wish you a speedy recovery - and hope you keep your spirits up as you go through the healing process.
  • Holly snap @#Scott Dinhofer". How did I not hear about this. I am so sorry to hear this. I wish you the quickest of recoveries.  @Steve Ross can attest to how much it hurts to have multiple rib breaks.  I can attest to how much pain I saw him in. 
  • Oh Crap!  Keep the positive focus.  We are all hoping for a quick recovery.  It will happen, one hour at a time one day at a time.
  • Scott, your mental resilience is impressive and will be a huge asset in your recovery.  Get lots of rest and help your body to do its thing.  Best of luck on a fast and complete recovery.
  • OMG dude. I had no idea.

    Rest up and heal fast!
  • Scott,  Glad you are ok and it wasn't worse.  Your crash is very similar to mine in May 2016.  Three days in the hospital, four broken ribs, fractured scapula, fractured clavicle and on top of it all a punctured lung and chest tube. All due to a tiny manhole cover sunk in the road and then a slide into a concrete wall.  

    My one recommendation to you would be to rest and heal up.  The hardest part of the nine months after my accident was to go home every day and sit and watch TV.  Yes, very difficult for our type.  I tried starting back too soon and got warnings from the Doc to stop or my injuries would not heal correctly and it could possibly be worse long term.  The lost season will seem like small potatoes once you are healed up and back in the saddle. 

    Rest up.. The finish line will always be there.
  • WOW! I'm going to ask the question on all our minds. How's the bike?  ;) I am so thankful that you are home. You are a ninja warrior at the recovery thing. You know what to do. Listen to your care team and stop the narcotics as soon as possible.  I hope that we will see you sherpa at LP. But if not we will drink a beer for you. Please keep us all in touch with how you are healing. 
  • Sorry to hear that. heal well Scott! I consider myself pretty skilled on a road bike and had my share of crashes (guess it's the way to learn). A few years back, i crashed while stopping as my front wheel went into a patch of sand and sank in, hit the ground so hard (at 2km per hour) my wrist bothered me for months...but the ego took a beating. 

  • and yes: "HOW IS THE BIKE?"

  • @Scott Dinhofer  Go big or Go Home... Heal up fast my friend!
  • edited June 22, 2018 7:29PM
    One thought from my own 3 month recovery in 2010: treat that time just as you would any module of your training cycle. Plan your days' recovery activities (walk? stretch? diet?) thoughtfully, methodically, and with consultation from experts. Record daily. Have some concrete interim and long-term goals, again, based on what you are told is safe and reasonable. Don't be too ambitious, and don't be too slothful.

    That's when I bought my first whiteboard, to place in front of me just what I should be doing each day in the recovery process. A picture of the board 6 weeks in; I won't explain any of it, but you get the idea:


  • Man o man Scott. Not the best way to finish off a day of riding(been there) . Stay positive fight the what if demons. Rehab and heal smart, thoughts go out to you in your side way journey. 
  • @Mark Moore & @Jacklyn Moore - no LP for me. Just bought and refinished a house on a lake in VT, going to spend some time there to enjoy it. If i can sneak away for the day, it's only 2 1/2 hrs... you never know...

    @DAVID RICHMOND & @Jacklyn Moore - the bike is shockingly good, some slight scratching on the derailleur that may have been there before. the right brake lever has some major abrasions (it's carbon) so that will likely be replaced. Of course the bike and my back took a big impact so I do have to get the bars/ headset/ overall bike inspected.

    @Al Truscott  - I've let myself be a bit relaxed on diet, but not really at all like when i was in Aspen in January. Ally & Sami started a diet called the whole 30, focused on eating clean which I am doing with them. Ally moved in with me for the next 4 weeks and is cooking all the meals, so that's easy. Plan on building in some daily walks, and when allowed ez zwift spins, Weight training/ body conditioning/ core, etc. I have goals of where I want to hit the JOS and I need to focus on them now. Since I am not going to hit 12 IMs by doing 3 (or any) this year, I will have to take the real bite at the No Excuses KQ attempt in a year. Who's in for IMLP 2019?


  • Man @Scott Dinhofer that is super scary, but glad you are already on the road to recovery.  Your picture of the bump in the road reminds me of my last ride on the Silver Comet bike trail going from Atlanta to Alabama.  We were going to do 100+ that day and as soon as I got into Alabama on that path, it went to shit.  There was a fluorescent arrow on the bike path and I didn't know what it was for, well I hit that exact same bump at 25 mph in aerobars and somehow took bike into the ditch but managed to not go ass over tea kettles.  I now know what the arrow means...avoid upcoming bump.  Anyway, I wish you speedy recovery, enjoy your house inVT.
  • @Scott Dinhofer as much as the downtime stinks, you’ll find time to heal your other nagging injuries, focus on things you would otherwise skip over and have a tremendous build into #KQ19! Hang in there Brother!
  • @Scott Dinhofer, I saw your pics on FB today and then this.  I hope you send those photos along with the picture of that bump in the trail to the local gov't.   At the very minimum, it needs to be painted like a speed bump to warn cyclists.  All the best in your recovery!!
  • @Scott Dinhofer  Wishing you all the best!  Heal fast and sending you all the positive mojo!
  • edited June 24, 2018 5:03PM
    @Scott Dinhofer, I saw your pics on FB today and then this.  I hope you send those photos along with the picture of that bump in the trail to the local gov't.   At the very minimum, it needs to be painted like a speed bump to warn cyclists.  All the best in your recovery!!
    I am not really the litigious type. The county has been battling with the state (Lessee vs owner) over who needs to fix this thing that's been known to need a fix for over 20 years. the overall path is in horrible shape. it should be closed or fixed. A guy was killed in a similar fall 3 years ago and they ever fixed the spot he fell on despite paying out over $3million to his estate. 

    big issue is that they know about the problems, but don't fix them. 
  • Scott, sounds like you're already on the mend. Here's to a speedy recovery. (BTW, my daughter is doing the Whole 30 diet as well and it sounds like she's eating cleaner than we are now.)
  • Sorry to hear @Scott Dinhofer hope you heal soon. Since no one has mentioned it, I will put it out there. There isn't any better time to be healing than this month - Not only you get to see the World Cup but also Tour the France. Time to develop some love for good old football (or soccer as some may call it); you can watch up to 4 games per day!!!
  • Thanks for sharing @Scott Dinhofer.  Having an unexpected injury while we are getting into the groove of training totally sucks, but as you have mentioned with your experience before, we always recover and come back wiser and stronger. Wishing you the best of luck and loads of patience on your road to full recovery. 
  • @Scott Dinhofer , sorry to hear about this. Hoping you have a speedy recovery, and glad to hear it wasn't worse. I did the whole 30 last year and had great results regarding body comp, but struggled with workouts. Looks like you are resting now anyways, but in hindsight, to make that protocol work with exercise try adding electrolytes. looking up keto electrolyte mix will give some whole30 approved (sugar free) varieties. Heal up quick man!
  • Wow!  Just logged in and saw this. Glad your relatively Ok and it wasn’t worse. Rest up and recover. Broken ribs hurt like hell. Broke some in my water ski jumping days. Speedy recovery Scott!
  • Wow, just saw this.  So sorry to hear about your accident.  I hope you make a speedy and full recovery.  I cracked a rib once and it hurt like hell.  I can't even begin to imagine what 7 broken ribs feels like.
  • Scott, so sorry to hear about your accident . Rest up!
  • This is the last thing anyone wants to happen, I am so sorry to read this. Glad to see you're staying positive and forward thinking and will be back out there soon in a smart way. Sending healing thoughts!
  • Holy BaJeezus...just catching up here......glad I read this after coming down the Kancamangus this weekend.....all kidding aside...sorry to see this but glad you're "relatively" ok...all the best of healing karma out your way.
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