The long road back for Alex M
In late February Alex Mroszczyk McDonald was hit by a truck while out on a training ride and he is now on the long road back. The North Carolina based Team Timex Pro is in good spirits though and had a few words with us.
Slowtwitch: Thank you so much for the chat Alex.
Alex: My pleasure.
ST: A couple months ago you were involved in a terrible accident. How is the recovery going?
Alex: Yes, breaking both legs took a lot out of me, but recovery is going well, slower than I’d like, but there is steady progress each day. I have a unique perspective on my injuries as a physician and it sometimes feels there are two conflicting Alex’s in my head, “Athlete Alex” and 'Doctor Alex.' Sometimes 'Athlete Alex' thinks I should be doing more, getting in the pool every day and upper body strength training etc., etc. But 'Doctor Alex' knows that I really need to just rest and let my body heal to the point where I can start getting back into a regular exercise routine without setting my recovery back. I spent a long time simply accepting my situation and knowing that a mental and physical break from all type of activity is what will be best for the long run. That being said, at this point I have been cleared to get back into a regular exercise routine, including physical therapy.
ST: What is the time prediction in terms of getting you back to where you started?
Alex: Honestly, probably 8-10 months. However, I and my physical therapists and doctors really think that I am going to emerge from this incident leaner, stronger and faster. One positive side effect from not being able to use my legs for 8 weeks is that I have significant muscle atrophy, especially in my quads, however, my quads were over developed initially and as a result, and in the words of my physical therapist, “we can rebuild you in a way that will be more biomechanically efficient.”
ST: Is that your version of making lemonade out of lemons?
Alex: Yes sir! My physical therapist is absolutely convinced that I am going to be faster and stronger after all of this. There is always a silver lining.
ST: What is the hardest thing for you deal with as we speak?
Alex: Being totally dependent and feeling like a burden on others. Initially I was not able to do anything on my own, showering, going to the bathroom etc. were all a huge ordeal and I required a lot of help. However, I have gradually become more and more independent. At this point the only thing I still cannot do is drive. However, I need to get to physical therapy and doctors appointments, to say nothing of going to the pool or to the store. My wife can only take so much time off from work so I have to ask friends and neighbors for help, which makes me really feel like burden despite their claims that I am not.
ST: Do you remember much from the actual accident day?
Alex: I remember most of it very clearly. I was traveling down a straight slight down hill stretch of road at 30mph and a truck was traveling in the other lane towards and simply did not see me. They made a left hand turn in from of me at the last minute and there was nothing I could do. I had a split second were I thought to myself 'oh $&%!, I am about to get hit by this truck!' I then was flying through the air and distinctly remember my left leg flopping around like a rag doll and then I next thing I knew I was lying on my back spread eagle looking up at the sky. The driver and some other people had stopped and EMS soon arrived so I must have lost consciousness for a few seconds or minute. After that it was a very surreal experience. From the paramedics arriving and placing me on the backboard to the ambulance trip to the emergency room and seeing my wife and getting a CT scan. Again from my medical training I had done this many times, however, this was the first time as the patient. I knew exactly what was happening and all the potential injuries I had throughout the whole process. Ultimately I think it is an experience that I will take with me for a long time and help me to become a better physician.
ST: It seems we often think about accidents but to some degree many of us seem to believe that it is not going to happen to us. Where do you fall in here?
Alex: I like to tell the athletes I coach, "it is not a matter of if you crash on your bike, but when." I ride so much that I knew an accident like this was a real possibility, however, I always was very diligent to obey all traffic laws and do everything in my control to avoid such situations. On this day I did everything right, but the driver did something very wrong and I paid the price. It is very humbling to know that as a cyclist on the road I am only as safe as the worst driver, and we all know there are some very bad drivers out there. Unfortunately, it is a risk that we all take my getting on our bikes. I think driver education and bicycle advocacy are the only ways that it is ever going to change. That being said I cannot wait to get back out on the road, I miss it so much.
ST: Do you think you'll be much more careful?
Alex: Yes! I have been reading Jordan Rapp’s series of reviews on bike lights and I know this is something that I am definitely going to invest in and ride with flashing lights no matter what time of day. I am very certain that if I had a flashing head/helmet light it would have caught the driver’s eye and this whole incident could have been avoided. That being said, I’m sure I will ride a little more defensively in the future as well.
ST: Have you had a chance to chat with others who have gone through similar situations?
Alex: Yes, and they have been very helpful. I have been really touched by the outpouring of support, however, the most helpful and meaningful has been from those who have been through a similar situation. The perspective and thoughts have been invaluable, especially those of pro triathlete Janelle Morrison, who was recently is a very bad car accident back in November.
ST: Does your wife still want you to go out and ride you bike around?
Alex: Does she want me to? Probably not, but she understands how much I love it and that it is part of my job as a professional triathlete. She has told me that she does not feel comfortable with my riding without lights, in fact she would like me to dress in flashing Christmas lights and full 80’s neon at all times, but we do both definitely agree on me wearing lights at all times, so there is no conflict there.
ST: Not too long ago you were handling a training camp at the White Lake in North Carolina. How did that go?
Alex: It went really well. Fast Forward Triathlon is my coaching company and we put on our first training camp at the beginning of April. There is some much that can be gained from totally immersing yourself in the sport of triathlon for several days. We had some great conversations and spending time face-to-face and in some cases one-on-one with athletes and coaching is a really valuable experience for all. It was a big hit and I’m really excited to be planning our next camp with an Iron distance focus in mid October. Dates and specifics will be released soon at www.fastforwardtriathlon.com.
At camp it was tough being in a wheelchair with so many athletes, but (for those of you who have seen the movie Dodge Ball) they kept referring to me as “Patches O’Houlihan,” and making references about “throwing wretches.” So coaching from a wheelchair is certainly less than ideal, but we all had a good laugh about it.
ST: What else is new?
Alex: My daughter is 9 months old now and crawling all over the place. She is not walking yet, but we are in a race to see who will be able to walk first! I’m competitive by nature and I can’t help it.
ST: Are you taking any bets on who will be walking first?
Alex: Hmmm, interesting I should! The way she is moving I think the safe money is on her.
ST: Is there anything else we should know about?
Alex: Not that I can think of.
ST: Thanks for your time.
Alex: Thank you.
