Rossland and CRASH

Cycling this year has been all about getting back to race fitness with a focus on competing in the MFG Cyclocross season that started in September.  The preparation included increased focus on nutrition, hiring a personal coach, the purchase of power meters, a new cross bike and a new mountain bike.

The mountain bike training has been focused on speed and skill to build skills for cross racing and one week before the season started back in September I booked a training week with my coach in Rossland BC to dial in the last tweaks before race season.

It is amazing how a simple decision combined with simple mistakes can either lead to a crash you walk away from or a crash you don't.  This time it was one I did not walk away from.

4 weeks ago Thursday I headed up to the Paydirt track on Red Mountain in the morning as my coach could not join me to get in a couple of hours work out and work on my form and skills.  Don't ask me why as I still don't really know but I got a bug in my head to ride a wood 10' drop off, so on the last ride out I decided I would hit it.  What could go wrong, I hit similar drops all the time at my local bike park. 

I don't know for sure what happened but my guess is that I entered the drop too slowly and instead of focusing on the take off, I looked down at the wrong time resulting in the bike rolling off the drop and sending me 10' onto my head.

Alone on the mountain and unable to move I was close to panicking.  I had to gain what control I could of my body and attempt to get out.  In retrospect not the smartest thing to do but then again my mind and body was not functioning at anything near peak performance.  After what felt like an age I was able to stand up but the pain in my shoulders and neck was uncontrollable.  I tried to lean on my bike and walk, then I tried to sit on the bike with my weight on the handlebars and roll.  The pain was blinding and I was forced to stop.  It was about this time I remembered I had a cell phone.  I called my coach and got an answer phone, I then called my wife and from there she was able to get search and rescue to me.  Long story short I was immobilized and taken to the ICU in Rossland where I found out I had very nearly died.

I broke bones in my spine and neck, broke a rib and punctured a lung, tore all the ligaments in my neck and separated my shoulder.  Had my neck ligaments torn a fraction more and I would have broken my neck.

Whilst the injuries are bad I am truly grateful for the fact that I am still here and that I was not paralyzed a fact my neurologist emphasized when he told me most people he sees with my injuries are paralyzed.

So four weeks have passed and the cross season has started without me.  I was able to get out last weekend to see a bit of the racing but it is difficult as I am still dealing with the pain, pain meds and a TMJ flare up that is driving me mad.  The lack of sleep and focus is a daily struggle at the moment.  I just want to be back to normal but there is still a journey ahead.  I will attempt to keep a daily log going forward.

 

There is still more to say but I can't type any more as I am losing focus and my arms are aching.

Catch Up

I don't know about you but I seem to be afflicted with the need to sum up what has happened before moving on to what is happening so I am going to take five to summarize what has been happening since my last post.  As I write this I am recovering from a serious injury and in pain but I have been promising myself I would make an effort to post for the last few days and of course failed.  So here it is rough and ready.

I have to start by saying it has been an amazing summer in Seattle and with a great new role at work and a focus on bike training, things were going great.  We even got out for a few camping trips in Benny our VW camper, although even then cycling was a focus either with training rides and a trip to Whistler.

At work I had the privilege to work on a project to help people afflicted with ALS and in my spare time my cycle training was going from strength to strength after deciding to hire a coach to keep me on track and motivated for the upcoming "Cyclocross" season that started in September.

I have a lot to be thankful for in the last few months and whilst I am not in the best frame of mind right now it is good to look back and remind myself of the good times and here are a few pics.

Wetwesties Walla Walla Camp

Down hilling for the first time ever at Whistler

Whistler with the girls

Anacortes Camping

 

Winning Project of 3200+

Getting to throw ice water over my CEO in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge - Priceless :)

Road biking in the Spring to Chinook Pass with the Pacific Bike Crew

Mountain Biking at Crystal Mountain

I had the great privilege to photograph an engagement, maternity and wedding.  Help train clients in foundation training, oh and get in one day of paddle boarding.

It is good to look back at the good times and I am thankful for all of them spent with my loving wife. puppies and wonderful friends.

Das Mule - Custom ARB Fridge Fitting

It was exciting to visit the grand opening of Das Mule and Mule Expedition Outfitters http://www.dasmule.com on Saturday.  They are an expedition 4x4 outfitters with real world knowledge, a great designer and a passion for Vanagon's with their very own Syncro called Das Mule. 

I hoped for a good experience and I was not disappointed.  We already had a pair of their cool rock sliders on the wish list for our new Syncro and with their 10% off grand opening offer it was a chance to pick up some new toys for both Benny and our new Syncro.

The owners are amazing and passionate people who spent time with us showing us around and sharing ideas for our build.   One exciting purchase was an ARB chest fridge/freezer which will replace our cooler, the need for ice and not to mention wet and soggy food :).

Now the challenge how to secure the fridge in Benny with the mounting harness.  That is where the folks of Das Mule really saved the day when they agreed to help with a short notice custom solution. 

Here are the pictures of the solution and I think you will admit it is both simple and slick, oh and if you don't, I do, sorry it is my rig after all. 

My thanks go out to Joe for working with me at short notice - We are lucky to have another great outdoors store - check them out, you might find something cool.  I did, well, you can't take it with you but you can take it camping :)

Mounting Point Measured and Cut with Riv Nuts installed

 

Close up 

Custom fabricated mounting anchor - Screws In Place

 

Mounting Point, Custom Anchor and Rubber Cap

 

Anchors in place - Flush with the floor (Nice)

Fridge Locked Down and Going nowhere

 

Sporting a new Mule Sticker :0)

Keep on camping people and power up.

Come Ride With Me

With a change in the weather I got the urge at the weekend to dust the bike off and get out for a ride.  The great start in January was just that a great start in January followed by an all stop in February and March due to weather and lets face it life.  With the weather clearing and a fair amount of guilt at not getting my act together I mounted my Garmin Virb on the bars and headed out for a short ride.  From the comfort of your armchair I invite you to come join me in the ride.

Video Link

Stat's

Benny's Winter Blues

We left Benny our 1985 Westfalia camper outside during the winter and he caught a case of winter blues.  Firstly his alarm coughed, spluttered and stopped working.  Then he caught a severe dose of the MOLD.  It must of crept up on him as we did not notice it until a mid winter picknic when Sarah said I think he has mold.  Yup, there it was.  With the top down we did not know just how bad it was and with the rain and snow we could not open it up to check.  Yes I know on hingsight we could of taken him to a garage or some other place under cover, but we did'nt and yes we feel bad about it.

When the snow and rain stopped we popped the top and to our horror the mold was far worse than we thought.  The canvas was soaking wet and mold was all over the ceiling and canvas.  In a short gap in the weather we dryed out the canvas and brought Benny indoors.

When the weather broke, I dressed up in a home made hazmat suit and armed with soap and bleach attempted to clean up the mess. Alas it was not to be.  I was strong but the mold was stronger.  To ensure we eradicate the mold minor surgery is needed.

Today we took Benny in for a new canvas and an alarm replacement as well as a spring tune up to ensure he is in tip top condition for our next camping trip. 

Video Diary

Link

Syncro Part 2 - Interior Stripped

Saturday I headed out to NorthWesty to meet up with Kirk on his day off to work on the build list and spend time working on the van.  Sarah stayed at home to keep an eye on Daisy after her trip to the vet on Friday.

It was a great day spent talking shop and meeting fellow Vanagon fans.  Kirk's passion is well known and the quiet day turned into a busy one as Kirk was pulled in all directions dealing with customer, project work and friends dropping in.  A new strategy is going to be needed to get dedicated time :).

In 7 hours we managed to work through the build sheet adding option details and preparing for the next round of choices.  We then headed out and stripped the interior of the van.  We did not have time to cut the hole for the camper top but progress was made.

Here are a couple of before pictures

Stripped after a few hours of work

Video Diary

You Tube Link

New Chapter - Just a Little Less Crazy

If you had said to me 6 months ago, Matthew in the next 5 months you are going to switch jobs, take on a new role in a new team, work long hours building reputation and understanding, ride the lows of frustration, ride the highs of changing perspective and building great senior leadership relationships, suffer disconnected management and blindsided by feedback taken out of perspective, have to fight for your reputation, then in the midst of adversity find amazing support and friendship, consider leaving full time employment to travel the US.  Run Foundation Classes and impact peoples lives, Start the build of your dream VW camper, be humbled by an entire teams vote of confidence and have to choose between, a team you have the highest respect for and who want you to join them, realize the opportunity to fulfill a life ambition of leaving full time employment to travel the US in a VW camper van or take an opportunity to help drive the accessability strategy for the company.  I honestly have no idea what I would have said to you ...  Writing this is seems surreal to me and I have just lived through it an I am closing that chapter in the next 2 weeks.

So whats next .. I decided that the opportunity to make a difference in the accessability strategy was too exciting to turn down right now and accepted the formal offer today.  So I am closing one chapter and opening another.  

If I am taught anything it is that things don't always go as planned, we learn from adversity and I have to believe that the universe puts us in situations we need to be in and sometimes the lessons are hard.  Lessons of this nature I hope are few and far between but without it I would not have the opportunity ahead, met such amazing people, re-awoken the dream of travel or even considered building our dream camper.  Even more so the realization that we could make it happen and still survive has inspired action to build the means and opportunity to make it happen in the not too distant future.  Until then I am looking forward to a new challenge, the opportunity to enjoy building our new camper not to mention using the old one to get out more and meet like minded people.    Embracing the gifts we are given in life and living the principles this blog is built upon.

Powering UP and Living Life to the Max - MAXLIFEOUT.

If you are going through your own journey I send you my support and inspiration to help you find the lesson(s) the universe is providing and to let you know that you will get through it.

You are a unique and wonderful person take strength from that fact and never forget it even when it seems hollow it is TRUE.

In closing I have to thank my wonderful wife for the support, encouragement and belief she has provided, I am truely blessed to have her in my life.