Updates from Elysia Ulrich

Tons of Snow in Reno!

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:00:15 GMT

Wow! It is snowing like crazy outside! I'm really glad I went riding a few times before the dirt got buried underneath a foot of snow! I hope that it doesn't last for too long and some warm weather melts it down for some prime dirt conditions =) Maybe for Christmas?

Hope everyone has happy holidays!

xoxo
Elysia

P.S. But the best part is watching my dogs play in the snow....sooooo funny!

I'm finally back on the bike!

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:07:50 GMT

....Sneaky orthopaedic doctors....they always know how to lead you on! I just went riding last weekend for the first time since May! Dang that took forever! Fortunately, my ankle didn't bother me too much; well, until I accidentally put my foot down in a corner. It was so much fun to ride again! I was tired way too soon...a good sign that I need to hit the gym and ride a lot more!

I'm going to ride as much as I can this winter, snow levels permitting. I don't think I'm going to do any races until the Spring because I'd really like to get back to the level I was riding at before I got hurt. I'm totally planning on racing Hangtown and Mammoth, my two most favorite races of the year! I can't wait and it is so great to finally be back!

I hope everyone has a great holiday season and keeps it on two wheels!

xoxo
Elysia

The End of October....

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:42:14 GMT

....I should be able to get back on the bike! I can't wait! My ankle is still somewhat of a trainwreck, but I'm hopeful that once I start riding again it will feel better just because I get to ride! LOL I'm probably going to hold off on racing until a Spring series of some sort starts up again. Hopefully I will get my skillz and my speed back fairly quickly!

In the mean time, I'm going to do some homework, yeeeehawwww!

Have fun out there and keep it on two wheels!

XOXO
177

Still on the long road to recovery!

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:28:42 GMT

Hey guys,

Well, its been a really long time since May 9th, it feels like I haven't been able to ride forever! I still have a few weeks to go before I can get back on the bike, and even then I'm going to have to keep it mellow. My doctor advised me that I shouldn't jump and/or race until November! I think I'll be going crazy by then! Luckily, the arenacross regional rolls into Reno that month, so perhaps that will be something to work towards!

I'm having some major range of motion issues with my ankle in spite of working my butt off in physical therapy to try to make it right. I'm walking somewhat like an old lady right now and I'm not too thrilled about that. I really want to be able to get back in shape and get on the bike again! I'll be sure to keep at it until it is back to 100%.

I hope that you're having a great summer and keeping it on two wheels. Take some laps for me!

xoxo

177

My 2010 CRF250 came in to Big Valley Honda today! ...

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:35:27 GMT

My 2010 CRF250 came in to Big Valley Honda today! Woohoo! =) I'm so stoked!

Broken Ankle =(

Tue, 27 May 2008 11:27:21 GMT

Hey!

I just realized that I haven't updated my blog in FOREVER! Yikes!

Well, I broke my ankle in 2 places, a tib/fib fracture for those of you that know your bones. I got surgery May 19th to get all the pieces back together, 7 screws and 1 plate later I'm off the bike for 3 months. I am so very depressed right now. I'm missing Hangtown and Mammoth which I was really looking forward to racing because I think that I got faster and wanted to see if that was true. haha Anyway, I really am bummed out.....no riding for days and I can't do much else either since I can't walk. I'm going to try to get my screws out right after I am healed up because I have heard too many horror stories of people having their screws backing out and bulging out of their skin, ewww! And I want to be 100% with further surgeries in sight as soon as possible. We'll see if I can make that happen, sometimes life gets in the way of the best plans. If so, I guess I'll have it done over the winter.

I hope that everyone else is having a lovely start to their summer. Let me know what you're up to or if you have any suggestions on what I can do to keep myself busy while I'm stuck on the couch for weeks on end.

xoxo

177

My confidence is back!

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 14:43:31 GMT

Hey everyone....

Good news. I hit a triple at Hangtown during Saturday practice that I've never jumped before. It was so awesome, I'm finally starting to feel good on my bike again! It has taken nearly 4 months of riding to get to this point! Now I just need to focus on riding consistently and upping my intensity and aggressiveness - then I'll be set! It is such a relief to feel semi-normal on my bike again! Yay!

My next race is the World Minis in Vegas where I'll be racing in the women's class with the number 417.

Wish me luck!

xoxo

Elysia

Riding for Big Valley Honda

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:17:52 GMT

Hey Everyone,

In case you didn't notice, I'm now riding a 2007 CRF250R for Big Valley Honda located here in Reno, Nevada. Layne Kolbet has been a huge help and I know that I'm going to go far this year with his help!

Hope everyone is having a great year thus far....

xoxo

Elysia

The road to a comeback is a long one...

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:14:44 GMT

...But you won't hear me complaining about it! It has been awhile since I've updated everyone so here goes!

MY BACK

As you may or may not know, I broke my back in June of 2006 riding a practice track trying to get ready to race Mammoth MX. I fractured 7 vertebrae in my back and was very fortunate to not have come out of the accident paralyzed. Always wear your chest protector! My EVS Flux saved my spinal cord and I will forever be thankful for that...

I met with a spinal specialist a few weeks ago to see how my back has healed up and understand what kind of permanent damage I have. The good news: all of my fractures have healed up nicely. The bad news: I a partially herniated disc between my L4/L5, and I have three discs that were badly compressed and thusly the blood flow to them has diminished - I prefer to call them crispified. My doctor advised me to quit running and without directly saying it, he suggested that I not ride my dirt bike. But we all know how listening to that last part goes....in one ear and out the other. I respect his opinion and thusly I have quit running. I will be happily spending my three day weekend racing Hangtown.

There are many reasons why I won't stop riding within the next few years. The most current one being I feel no pain when riding. Pain means something is not right, no pain means everything is in working order. I will have to reevaluate this from time to time I'm sure, but as long as I feel good I will ride and race. I have goals and dreams and as long as I have the opportunity to attain them, I will. I'm going pro someday so be prepared!

MY RACING

I successfully completed my first race since breaking my back at Hangtown two weekends ago. I placed 3rd in the Women's class, but it wasn't pretty. My confidence is at rock bottom right now and you could see that in my riding. I figured I'd have some issues coming back but the reality of it is harsh. Jumps right now are just a huge thing for me. I feel vulnerable; the risks that I would normally take and the rate at which I push myself are completely different. There is some lingering fear deep in my subconscious that is making riding and racing at my highest potential extremely difficult. I've decided that I'm being way too hard on myself - I'm punishing myself for something that was to be completely expected. In my happy world, I imagined going back out on the track and riding like it was June 13th (the day before my accident). Well, that just isn't going to happen and I've accepted it. Rebuilding my confidence is going to take some time, and in the mean time I might as well focus on the positive and the things that I can improve on right now. If I'm going to be rolling a jump or two, I better be making up for that time by being faster than everyone on all the other parts of the track! Don't worry though, the one thing I'm confident about: I will regain my confidence :)

I've got support from some great sponsors this year and I look forward to providing some quality results and tons of exposure....stay tuned!

ALL OTHER THINGS

Wow, I'm insanely busy. I work full time, go to college at UNR at night, run my own business (the primary financing for my racing), go to the gym, ride and race. It is a little overwhelming at times but things have to get done! Fortunately my mom is really supportive of me so she tries to help me with what she can! I bought myself a new truck and a toy hauler so that makes going to work have a little more purpose behind it. I can't wait until the spring semester is over so I can really focus on my riding!

New Year Update!

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:08:49 GMT

Hello everyone,

Well, I've been riding a couple of times and the good news is I can take the pain that riding causes me! I mean it hurts but it is manageable and well worth it to be back on my bike!

Due to the above, I've been hitting the gym to get back into racing shape. That hurts as well, but the next day I usually feel a little bit better and sometimes it actually reduces the pain a bit. I've accepted this "situation" as something I must deal with if I want to keep riding, and I do. Nothing makes me happier than riding - especially racing!

I think my first race returning from my broken back is going to be February 4th. It gives me adaquate time to be fully prepared mentally and physically and some seat time before I go try to get all crazy! The race is at Prairie City (Hangtown National track) in California. I really like that track a lot and it was the last place I raced before I got hurt so it should be a good choice to get my season started with.

Wish me luck!

xoxo,
Elysia

Back Injury Update

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 19:20:52 GMT

Ok, well there is some good news and some bad news....

Good news: All 7 fractured vertebrae are healed.

Bad news: I have a protruding disc in my lumbar region. It has gradually been causing me more pain so I hope that it isn't getting worse. Also, I have edema and swelling around my compression fractured T3 & T4 that are causing nerve pain in my back and shoulders.

Basically, I probably shouldn't be riding again just yet. Its going to be really hard not to since I now have a lovely new bike gracing the garage. I need to focus on getting healthy and healing my back fully before I think about riding. I think I'm going to hold off on riding until January and try to do what I can to help heal myself.

Maybe I can race in the Spring, I hope so!!!

Wish me luck and think good thoughts for me!

I got it!

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 19:46:05 GMT

I got my bike tonight! I'm so excited! I can't wait to go ride and make my comeback next year!

WOOHOO!

Friday? Maybe!

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:53:02 GMT

Soooooo.....

My bike is supposed to be here Friday! yay! Now I'll have something to put in my new toy hauler! Its not much fun to have a toy hauler and not have anything to put in it. haha I can't wait to go ride!!!!!

By popular demand...

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 20:53:12 GMT

I've posted more pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Next week...it's about time!

Sat, 04 Nov 2006 18:03:56 GMT

Well, I stopped by Michaels' Reno, the local Yamaha dealer here in Reno, and supposedly my shiny, new, white 2007 YZ 250F is scheduled to arrive Nov. 6th or 7th! Woohoo!!!!!! I can't wait!!!!

My body's staying vicious...

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 19:19:39 GMT

....I be up in the gym just working on my fitness!

I love that song...anyway, I've been hitting the gym trying to get strong before my 2007 YZ 250F gets here so that I will be ready to ride! I've only been working out for about a week now but already it is helping to alleviate some of my back pain, which is really nice. I'm hoping that the more prepared I am to get back on my bike, the easier it will be to get back to where I was before I got hurt!

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on my progress! Hopefully I will be able to start racing again in January (that is my goal)! Woohoo!

Recovery is a long process....

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Hey everyone....... So it has been four weeks since I broke my back and I have four more to go til the bones are healed. I have to be really careful because it would be really easy to refracture a vertebrae. I`ve been going to physical therapy twice a week for the last two weeks and that has been helpful in reducing the pain. I sold my bike this last Monday because every time I walked by it I wanted to hop on and take off! It was the fiscally and physically responsible thing to sell my bike.....but when the buyer came to pick it up I almost cried! I`m looking forward to buying one of the trick looking white 2007 YZ 250F`s. I can`t wait to go riding again! In the mean time I`m just going to focus on getting better and then getting stronger so that when I can ride again I will be 110%. Think good thoughts for me! Love, Elysia

New pics up....!

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Well, there isn`t a whole lot I can do right now other than mess with my profile so.... I added some more pictures for your viewing pleasure! LOL

Newspaper Article on Me!!!

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Desert racer on the mend Tribune/Dan McGee Although she is in pain, and very stiff due to a broken back, Elysia Ulrich can still muster a smile as she stands with her dirt and road bike. The Reno rider is facing a long recovery from injuries and fully intends to resume racing as soon as she can. By Dan McGee Special to the Tribune RENO - Everyone that races, whether they strap into a car or throw their leg over a motorcycle is aware of the risks. It`s part of motorsports and sometime those risks bite the racers. In mid June that`s exactly what happened to Elysia Ulrich. The 22-year-old Reno resident got her start in the MRANN desert racing series where she found success."I was the women`s champion in 2003 and 04," she said. "I wanted to so something different that was more challenging than what I was doing." That "something different" was motocross. At first she had problems since her bike was set up for desert racing and the suspension would bottom on the jumps that are part of motocross. "Last year I sold my bike and bought a new on in January," she said. "A YZ like I have is pretty much race ready out of the crate so I`ve hardly touched the suspension." In addition to her new dirt bike, an YZ250F Yamaha, Ulrich bought a street bike."I planned on riding all summer," she said. A couple of months ago, Ulrich won second place at Hangtown and at that time her future looked very bright. Then on June 14, things went very wrong. Ulrich, along with a new riding partner, went to the E-Street motocross track at Marysville, Calif. to participate in a practice session. "It sucks when you have to go to the hospital the first time out with someone new," she said. "It made me look dumb as I rode all day and 30 seconds before I would have stopped I waded up." "Waded up," is probably an understatement. Ulrich came off her bike after a jump and landed on her back. As she lay on the ground, Ulrich`s EMT training took hold."When I landed it hurt so bad I didn`t want to move," she said. "The first thing I did was to wriggle my toes and to find out if I could feel them. I didn`t want to move until there was someone that knew something was helping me." She added that several people had to be told not to move her and to leave her helmet on. All during that time Ulrich remembered an incident that happened when she was on her high school ski team. "We had a party and several jumps were set up," she said. "One girl on a snowboard landed on her back and several people when to help her up. Although those bystanders had good intention they may have made the girl`s injuries worse as she`s now paralyzed from the waist down. Once the medics arrived they put Ulrich on a backboard and she eventually ended up at U.C. Davis Medical Center. "My chest protector probably saved my back as the back plate helped dissipate the impact so it wasn`t super bad," she said. While the impact might not have been super bad her list of injuries is. Ulrich`s T-3 and 4 vertebrae suffered compression fractures while the T-11 had a spiral fracture. Her L-1 through L-4 vertebraes had transverse fractures, which means the little arm things were broken off. And last week, her doctors recently discovered she had two broken ribs."I was complaining on how bad it felt to breath," she said. "But with my back nobody noticed the ribs until last week." Once the doctors at Davis were satisfied she was allowed to return home. Since her crash was less than three weeks ago, Ulrich was flat on her back during this interview. She briefly got up for the photo then got back onto the fold out bed in her family`s living room. "It`s pretty hard to come through this," she said. "As soon as I got home I looked when the next race was going to be, which was in eight weeks. The bones should be healed and I should have most of my mobility by then. "Although I have no idea if I can ride it gave my a point in time to look forward to and work on." Right now, according to Ulrich, she`s begging her friends to come over and hang out with here. Otherwise she reads, watches TV and checks her e-mail. For a person that has lead such an active life, being confined is very hard on Ulrich but she`s doing her best to deal with it. Looking down the road, she`s optimistic about her recovery. "The way I see it if you can ride you can race," she said. "Still, I`ve got a long row to hoe. I don`t know anything as fun as riding my dirt bike but it`s also fun to ride a street bike." One concern right now is her sponsors. She hopes they will stick with her during this recovery period. Those sponsors are RMS, ASV, Works Connection, Carbon Fiber Works, Dubach Racing Development and EVS, which makes the chest protector she credits with saving her from being paralyzed. While it`s called a chest protector this piece of equipment consists of two large plastic pieces. Secured with straps, one covers the chest while the other protects a rider`s back. Ulrich is keeping her spirits up but at the same time she isn`t underestimating what has to heal and the work needed to return to normal, or as close as she can come."I`m looking forward to starting physical therapy in a couple of weeks," she said. "And heck yes, I want to see myself getting better. " Of course there is possibility that her racing, and maybe her riding days are over. Right now she`s isn`t thinking about that. "I don`t know about the future," she said. "When the bones do heal I still might be stiff but with the end result I should be able to ride. Still I`m in decent shape considering and I`m pretty lucky." One thing Ulrich is facing is medical bills, which are mounting. Sadly she`s put her new Yamaha up for sale at a very good price for a well-maintained bike that has about only 30 hours of riding on it. Her other option is to offer for sale several modeling photos she had taken before the crash. Anyone interested in seeing them should go to the following website; www.shutterfly.com/pro/Elysia/Elysia. And yes they need to list her name twice. Despite the pain, and the fact she`s on morphine, Ulrich still has her smile and positive outlook Even though she can`t do much; her focus is on getting back on her bike and racing again. Finally, at the end of the interview, Ulrich was asked what she would tell her fellow riders. Her answer was simply, "I`d tell them, always wear your safety equipment and especially your chest protector," she said. Those wishing to send greeting to Ulrich can use either of the two e-mail sites: (1) dirtygirl@rimbenders.com or myspace.com/dirty_girl1. She`d appreciate any good words of encouragement.

I broke my back :(

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

So I was riding Wednesday night at E-Street in Marysville for practice and I was gettin tired so I was about to pull off the track and call it a night.... The last jump before you get off the track, I think I was more tired than I thought cuz I leaned back and to the left when I went off the jump. My bike slingshotted out from under me and i went flying through the air feet first and landed on my back. Ouch. I got home late last night from UC Davis (they sent me there because the people at the other hospital thought I might need surgery and they wanted a neurologist to check my back out). To sum it up, I compression fractured my T3 & T4, right transverse fracture L1-L4, and T11 spiral process fracture. For those of you that have no idea what I just said, I hurt myself pretty good and won`t be riding for a while. But I`m also really lucky at the same time to even be able to walk!

Hangtown Race Report

Mon, 22 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Hey Everyone! I got back from Hangtown last night..... I`m so tired! I had an even better time than I thought I was going to and actually came home with a trophy! I woke up on Friday morning to some awesome overcast weather. It rained a little during the night so it was fairly cool outside - perfect for racing! Practice was a mess; a lot of sections were super muddy and people were crashing everywhere! Even I took a soil sample after landing a jump in about 8 inches of mud. I rode off the track looking like I went to a mud wrestling match.... First moto things went pretty well for me. I didn`t get that great of a start but I passed a decent amount of my class in the first half lap. Some traffic slowed me down but I eventually worked my way into second place. I was trying to close the gap between me and first, but I didn`t have enough time because our race was only four laps. I think we may have even passed some of the slow B class riders that started the gate before us, but it was hard to tell because there were so many riders on the track. Second moto I was stoked. I knew that if I got a good start and kept it on two wheels, first place was mine! The gate dropped and I managed to get around the first turn in 5th, passed a few more riders in the third turn, and snagged second hanging it out on the first downhill. I was no more than two bike lengths behind first place and I knew I had everything in place to go for the win. Then my bike started to bog....oh no! My gas! In all my excitedness I somehow managed to not turn my gas on! I was soooooooo mad at myself! What a stupid mistake to make! My bike stalled in the next corner and I feverishly reached down and turned my gas on and started kicking my bike over as fast as I could. It didn`t matter, everyone in my class putted by me while I tried to start my bike. I was now in dead last. My mom thought that I was going to give up when she saw what happened, but no way! I`ve seen what Bubba and Carmichael can do from last place! After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably less than 30 seconds, my bike fired up and I took off. I couldn`t believe I let a possible win slip through my fingers! I took off from that corner bound and determined to at least get a podium finish. I was so focused and determined to make up for my mistake. If I couldn`t get the win or even second or third, I wanted to put in a damn good ride that I could be proud of regardlss of how I finished. Let me tell you, it wasn`t easy. Just as I was about to finish my first lap, another rider ran into me in the whoop section and I went down. Fortunately, my bike stayed running and I picked it up and had to pass people I had just got around. I rode as fast as I could without ever feeling out of control, although there were a few times where I thought it was going to be all over with a trip over the bars. I held it together til the checkered flag having no idea what place I was in or who was in front of me- I just rode as fast as I could. It seemed like it took forever for the results to be posted. I was hopeful and sad at the same time; hopefully I did well enough to still maybe take third, but I really felt disappointed in myself for making a stupid mistake. One thing I was proud of though, I took my riding to a whole new level that I had never experienced before. I never really knew I was capable of riding like I did. I`m really excited because I see a huge progression ahead of me; I got a huge boost of confidence and I know I`m capable of pushing my limits and going faster than I thought I could. I can`t really explain it, but hopefully in a couple months I will be able to show everyone what I`m talking about on the track. To make a long story short, I ended up working really hard to go 2-2 for second place. More importantly, I learned something about myself and what I need to do to get myself riding to my full potential. All I can say is, I`m really excited about my moto-epiphany, and I can`t wait until Mammoth! Oh yeah, and since I got second, I got to ride in the Trophy Dash for the C class, where I was able to beat the chick that got first! Sweet!