TAYLOR SPIVEY
  • Home
  • Photos
  • Media
  • Race
  • Social
  • Support
  • About
  • Contact

Follow my in my footsteps.

ITU Barbados CAMTRI _ Try until you can't "Tri" anymore.

5/18/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
My homestay Mom, Alison Pile, and me infront of their house built in 1658.
Check out my little blog on USAT.org about my first DNF. Click the link here.
Race Photos By Andre Williams
Picture
Post race DNF bliss, settling my tummy with a cup of Peptobismol and a front row seat to the Men's race.
1 Comment

ITU La Paz. Mexico CAMTRI

3/30/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Race Photos Courtesy of (see name on watermark).
After being cooped up in the desert at Team IE Tri camp in the outskirts of Las Vegas, trip to the ocean was much needed. Here are some pictures of my pre race adventures before ITU La Paz, Mexico, with teammate Robbie Deckard and Team Dad, John Deckard. 
(All photos by me.)
Picture
0 Comments

ITU Sarasota CAMTRI Sprint Championships

3/25/2015

0 Comments

 
Photos by James Corwin Johnson  (click for more)!
Picture
0 Comments

ITU Punta Guilarte CAMTRI 

2/28/2015

4 Comments

 
Picture
Photos courtesy of Willy Jack Oliver.
Post race pictures.
4 Comments

Tritonman Draft Legal Challenge

2/14/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
I toed the line with some of the highest ranked women in the triathlon world. For instance, Jodi Stimson & Aliene Reid, are two women ranked in the top 10 in 2014 ITU World Triathlon Series. I knew this was going to be a tough race with a quality field. Fortunately, I had a strong swimmer by my side, Summer Cook, and together we charged the swim and came out with nearly a :45 second lead. We held the strong pack off for a lap, but on the second of three laps a group of 6 caught us and tried to attack. We worked together into T2, but these seven girls were well known runners, I knew I had my work cut out for me. I charged the beginning of the run, but my lack of running experience soon left me with an 8th place overall. I was happy to see Summer win, and I personally am proud of my progress thus far. On to the next one. 
0 Comments

A bump in the road

12/2/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Working with Sean Ryan from Positive Energy Physical Therapy & Motion Analysis

Picture
Check out their Facebook page here. 
Check out their Website here.
Prior to my Injury I was working with an amazing Physical Therapist at Positive Energy Physical Therapy named Sean Ryan. Together we worked on my run, in attempt to turn this little fish out of water into a fierce chetah on land. Well, at least that was the goal. But of course, whenever things start working out it never seems to last very long. Cue hitting a bump in the road, literally! 

One day, riding my bike, I was riding in a group ride and going fast. Out of nowhere, I hit a bump, and I hit it hard. [Read the full comically tragic incident on my previous blog post.] Nonetheless, the many steps forward I had made with my running form, glute activation, and strength work, turned into even more steps backwards after my crash.

To sum the worst of the damage: a chunk of muscle/tissue disappeared from my knee and painted over the asphalt on which I skidd down at about 30 MPH.  As a result, I couldn't bend my knee. I couldn't even walk. Every simple movement became a struggle. No longer would I take things like sitting down and standing up, for granted. 

Fortunately, not long after the crash, Sean from PEPT arrived at my house [neighbors] and aided in carrying my torn fragile body up my house stairs. His expertise helped decide which room I could most easily get around in, with a couch, bathroom, and the kitchen nearby. My placement in this room allowed me to be more self sufficient throughout my healing process and move about safely. 

My left leg, fully braced, needed to remain hyper extended or would otherwise cause excruciating pain. I began "walking" backwards, then sideways, then after a few weeks could peg legged forward. This was a huge feat at the time.


Once I was able to function, somewhat normally, Sean insisted that I work with him every other day. Thanks to his persistence and expertise, my atrophied leg slowly began to gain strength. But due to the scar tissue in my knee/leg I couldn't bend it more than 90 degrees. 

Stem, ice, quad activation, and forced bends were the first remedies to getting healthy. Everyday, little improvements we noted little improvements. For instance, one day I could walk up stairs, and a week later I could walk downstairs (although it wasn't graceful). 

This injury forced me to sit still for a long time, something I wasn't used to at all. But lucky for me, my fantastic family and friends came to entertain me daily. They escorted my crippled booty around town, out to get fun, or for long gimpy hobbles on the beach, which kept me entertained and happy. I truly believe this was crucial to my speedy recovery.

Sean remained persistent, he worked with me on a regular basis for hours. As my knee bend increased, we moved forward with strength and stability work. His patience, diligence, and positivity was reassuring when I felt impatient, discouraged, and down. 

Day by day I noted more and more improvements. Single leg swimming wall touches tiptoed to double leg push-offs. Not long after, I began vigorously chasing TV screens on the elliptical. Then, a few weeks later, I was able to bend my knee enough to hop on a bike! Yikes!

But don't worry, the bike was stationary, and I was under the supervision of Sean at Positive Energy Physical Therapy. Of course a bit of PTSD from the accident kicked in briefly, but passed. After all, I was safe from falling on the indoor bike. Each pedal stroke seemed to loosen my leg and after a while, it felt pretty good. And then I after a few months, I could run again. I was back at it! Well I was "tri"ing at least. 

The healing process continues, and my body still isn't quite back to normal. But it will get there, and I will embrace my tough-looking scars. However, I must attribute my speedy recovery to Sean Ryan at Positive Energy Physical Therapy, as well as my amazing family and friends who also kept my energy positive. Without all of you, I would not have gotten up so quickly after hitting  that not-so-little bump in the road. Go #TeamSpeedySpivey

Learning how to use my leg again, after walking backwards for 2 weeks.
The right image shows the max I could bend it 2 weeks post accident.

Picture
At this point, could force/stretch leg to a 90 degree bend at most.
After a month, I was able to elliptical. Finally!
Thanks to Grandma Spives for letting me borrow her walker.
Attempting to walk normal without the peg leg effect.
[Don't worry, I gave it back. Isn't she the cutest?!]

Picture
Almost 2 months after, I was able to bend my knee enough to bike.
Due to PTSD from the crash, stuck to a stationary for a month.
Mini milestones via Snapchat.

0 Comments

dream on

11/1/2014

3 Comments

 



"Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will."


3 Comments

Snap, Crackle, Crash

10/2/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
Picture

Everything was going super duper!
 
Summer was busy but managable. I finally seemed to find a good balance of working, playing and training. I was working hard (30 + hour/week). I was training hard  (20+ hour/week). I was finally running like a runner (40+ miles/week).  I was doing injury preventative pre-hab (Thanks to Sean Ryan and Positive Energy Physical Therapy's running gait analysis test. I was kicking butt on 5am routine beastly old man rides with my dad. I was ready to dominate the local 2 mile swim Peir 2 Peir race [Aug 3] as well as USLA Lifeguard Nationals on the East coast the following Week (defending multiple championships in both competitions). I was finally ready to kill and prove myself in some late season ITU triathlons... but fate had another plan for me.

The day was Saturday, August 2, Papa Spivey's Birthday!
On this overcast summer morning, I had planned to go on an easy Saturday morning birthday ride with the Spiveyiest of Spiveys, my dad. We intended to climb to the tip top of Palos Verdes, just the two of us, in honor of his 56th birthday. Stopping for a celebratory brunch along the coast on the way back down. At the restaurant, we were going to satiate our grumbling tummies with a delightful birthday brunch and scenic view. Afterwards (letting those few extra post-belly-filling pounds work in our favor),  we would roll back down the rest of the hill, all the way home... oh and live happily ever after. 

The End.

But, heck, we were starting at the same time as our weekly Saturday morning Donut Ride; we might as well join the group. After all, the two of us felt speedier than our usual speedy Spivey selves. So, why not? Plus, it's always fun to chick/oldman some studly dudes up the hill. 
Little did we know, this last minute change of plans was a BAD IDEA!

As the ride warmed up and neared an uncomfortable pace, we approached the sketchiest of sketchy roads (Portuguese Bend Road). As we entered the land movement area, a cyclist in front of me nearly nicked a broken curb. My thought: "OMGRRRD $#!%! Stay on the outside and be prepared for anything to happen."

About a minute later, on the last decline of the sketchy section - just before a steep climb - the group hammered downhill. We gained speed. Pushing 30+ mph. I was in the middle of the pack, along edge, near the dirt curb. It was a good position to be in, but visibility of the road ahead was spotty.

As we sped down the road, my wheel clipped a divot in the asphalt. My hands jolted, and bounced off my drops. I tried to regain grip, but the thrust was too forceful. I was going down. 

As my hands jerked downward, I did everything I could to turn out. My only concern at this point was the safety of those behind me. I couldn't bare the thought of being the cause of someone else's hurt. So I shifted my body, tucked my head, and screamed as I flew (like superman, left arm outreached) down the road. My body slammed against the pavement.

Boy oh boy did I slam into the pavement, hard.
I screamed. My body, now separated from my bike. 'Hyps' and hollers echoed from behind. I skid. Gravel crackled through my helmet, and crumbled beneath my flesh.

Finally, my body stopped. I sat up immediately. Thinking I might be able to play it cool. I glance at the damage. My knee! Not believing my eyes, I was in shock. At that moment, I knew I definitely was not going to  be able to play it cool.
I stared at the hole. Inside, no blood yet, just gravel, lots of fresh gravel, the white of my tendon and the edge of my kneecap.  I shrieked "Ouch", over and over again, although pain hadn't set in just yet.

The sight of my wounds were daunting. Not because I was in pain, but because of what it all meant. All I could think about was my hard work, gone to waste. Staring at my knee, I began to tear up.
No more training. No more racing. No more working (with my JGs). No more doing the things that I absolutely love. No more doing all of the things that make me, me.

I grew nauseous from the sight of my knee (or lack there of). In shock, I frantically looked around. My only sense of relief/clarity at this moment was that no one else had gone down. 

A crowd began to grow as riders stopped and turned around. My bike lay cracked somewhere behind me, atop the rocky embankment* that traced the cliffside.  My front wheel, somewhere a little further up the road. ** 

I was lucky. I couldn't have been riding with a better group of people in this situation. A doctor rushed to my aid and braced me between his legs. He assessed my vitals and asked me what hurt. I didn't know what hurt yet, so I answered, "Everything".


More riders came to my aid. A police man and a handful of others directed traffic as I sit on the roadside trying to grasp what had just transpired. And of course, my dad and new step mom (who happened to be riding near by), came to my rescue. Both there for moral support and to finally cover the gaping hole from my sight.

The paramedics came, but were called off after assessing that there was no damage to my head, neck, or spine. And another rider, and friend of my dads who lived a few blocks away, rushed to get his van (to avoid the outrageous cost of an ambulance). The firefighters helped lift me into the van as I winced at the pain that finally began to set in.

We drove off, heading to the hospital few miles down the road. Ironically it was the hospital my dad was born at. He hadn't been there since that day, exactly 56 years earlier, Happy Birthday Dad! :p

The hospital was empty and I was rushed inside in a weary state. Finally, authorized an IV tap and pain medication. Once sedated, the nurses took x-rays of my wounds (knee, elbow, hand, and shoulder) as I felt blood pooling and dripping from the crater in my knee. Luckily the drugs had already kicked in and I was super loopy. I quickly fell in and out of consciousness, while simultaneously trying to hold friendly conversation with the nurses.

After an hour or so, it was time to clean me up and cinch my wounds. My body, completely powdered in fresh black gravel and speckled with blood. Lacking mobility on my left side, the nurses were forced to cut off my (new) cycling kit, grazed with fresh grit. My minor rashes were scrubbed clean and my broken (ring) finger and hand were splinted. But, the worst part was yet to come, numbing time. 

The needle that numbed my raw flesh made me cringe. The doctor injected an anesthetic into each of my open wounds to clean them and suture them shut. Once numbed, cleaning was tolerable. The doctor sprayed high pressure saline on each of the wounds, and proceeded to pick and prod at the thick black gravel until most was gone. Then he stitched. Nine stitches in my elbow, three in my split webbing, and five deep into my knee (miraculously). He somehow managed to get them all shut. 

After the nurses wrapped my wounds and braced my knee, I squeezed my crippled body into a dress. Finally,  some 6+ hours later, I was released. Two male nurses awkwardly lifted me and my leg into the car. It hurt, but at least I was safe, and on my way home.



* The land movement on Portuguese Bend Road shifts so frequently that pipes cannot be buried underground. Instead they rest along a rocky embankment along the perimeter of the road.

** When my bike hit the bump, my front wheel jolted off because the bike I was riding (a "Blue" bicycle) was not manufactured with Lawyer tabs. (I presume the force of the jolt caused skewer to dis-lodge from the un-notched fork!) 

T O T A L   D A M A G E:
  • 9 stitches in left elbow
  • 5 stiches in left k nee
  • 3 stitches in split webbing on left hand
  • fractured ring finger knuckle on left hand
  • fractured bone between left thumb and index finger
  • road rash: hands, left wrist, left shoulder, left hip, left bum, right elbow
  • bruised: left quad, right upper back/armpit area
  • gravel scratches on neck.


Picture
This is my happy face.



Picture
Smiles for days when painkillers kick in.


Graphic images of my wounds/healing progression.



Picture
When my house turned into a pharmacy.



painkillers + immobility = ridiculous snapchats about my stuggles


T H A N K    Y O U 

Thank you to everyone on the Donut ride August 2nd who helped me stay out of harms way and get me to the hospital as efficiently as possible. I am so grateful to have been with the diverse group that I was riding with. Like I said before, I could not have been with a better group of people. Thank you Shannon for hiding my knee from my sight and bringing me clean comfortable clothes.  Thank you dad, well, for being my dad, and I'm sorry for ruining your Birthday.


1 Comment

CHIA SEED PUDDING

8/31/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture


It's simple, healthy, and scrum-diddly-umptious! This pudding, is a lactose free alternative to yogurt, and in my opinion, way more tasty than the traditional stuff. It's guilt free, full of the healthy superfood Chia seeds, and saturated in Coconut milk. This delightful, easy to make yogurt replacement complements any breakfast, snack, or dessert. 

Picture



I conjured up this little recipe because I sought an easy to make, lactose free yogurt alternative. After all, lactose doesn't seem to sit well in a lot of our tummies anyways. Plus, what better way to incorporate some of the best super foods around into our regular diet with ease!  Nonetheless, this short recipe is easy, healthy, and absolutely delicious. Happy eating!  :)




i n g r e d i e n t s

 
1 can of canned coconut milk (or Non-fat)

1 tbs of agave nectar (or maple syrup)

1/4 cup of chia seeds



r e c i p e

[ 1 ]

[ 2 ]



[ 3 ]


[ 4 ]


[ 5 ]


[ 6 ]
pour can of coconut milk into medium sized bowl

slowly sprinkle the 1/4 cup of chia seeds into coconut milk   while stirring incrementally (to avoid the seeds from sticking together in a cluster)

mix slowly with a spoon until seeds are evenly distributed throughout 

add 1 tbs of agave nectar to sweeten ever so slightly and mix evenly 

cover bowl (with saran wrap or foil) and place in fridge over night (or for at least 6 hours) to allow chia seeds to soak the coconut milk and become more viscous

enjoy (alone or atop your favorite fruit or cereal)



n o t e :
The images to the right display the recipe below doubled (because I like to make it for the week, and I eat a lot). For the sake of the average person, I will 1/2 the ingredients pictured in the images. I apologize for the confusion.




n o t e :
too thick? 


too bitter? 


too sweet?
If you find the mixture to be too thick, add a little less than 1/4 cup of chia, adjust to your liking.


If the recipe is not sweet enough for your sweet tooth, add another spoon full of agave. 


If you find it too sweet, it tastes great with no sweetener added as well.

[ 1 ] pour can of coconut milk into medium sized bowl
Picture
[ 2 ] slowly sprinkle the 1/4 cup of chia seeds into coconut milk while stirring incrementally (to avoid the seeds from sticking together in a cluster)
Picture
[ 3 ] mix slowly with a spoon until seeds are evenly distributed throughout 
Picture
[ 4 ] add 1 tbs of agave nectar to sweeten ever so slightly and mix evenly 
Picture
[ 5 ] cover bowl (with saran wrap or foil) and place in fridge over night (or for at least 6 hours) to allow chia seeds to soak the coconut milk and become more viscous
Picture
[ 6 ] enjoy (alone or atop your favorite fruit or cereal)
for breakfast...
Use as a Milk or Yogurt replacement and add to a bowl of oatmeal (with a pinch of salt) or granola, and top with cut up fruit!

for dessert...
Use as an Ice Cream replacement aside your favorite Chocolate Cake or Apple Pie!

or...

Add some Cocao powder and a bit more agave and enjoy as a healthy Chocolate pudding alternative! Cocao is a great source of antioxidants, magnesium, and iron (aka a great excuse to indulge in dessert)!


Picture


0 Comments

e=mc^2

5/12/2014

2 Comments

 

"If you find a path without obstacles, it probably leads nowhere." 

- Albert Einstein


2 Comments
<<Previous

    Taylor K Spivey

    The journey of an athlete, adventure seeker, and lover of all things creative. Enjoy #TaylorSpeedy #SpeedySpivey Thanks for the support #TeamSpeedySpivey :)

    Archives

    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    Eat
    Inspire
    Quote
    Train

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Photos
  • Media
  • Race
  • Social
  • Support
  • About
  • Contact