On April 19, 2009, competitive cyclist and nutrition\u00a0and kinesiology student Ashley Nelson began her day in\u00a0the San Francisco Bay Area like any other \u2014 going on a bike\u00a0ride with her now-husband Dave. But typical quickly turned to tragic\u00a0when Nelson was struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run accident. The side\u00a0mirror struck her tailbone, then ripped through the left side of her body,\u00a0breaking bones and ribs and tearing up other vital tissues up and down her\u00a0left side. Her head hit the pavement, destroying her helmet and causing a\u00a0brain bleed and a series of strokes over the next several days in the hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember waking up and I couldn\u2019t move the left side of my body\u00a0at all \u2014 could not even open my left eyelid or smile,\u201d Nelson says. \u201cI have\u00a0absolutely no memory of that day, that week or most of that year. I don\u2019t\u00a0even remember the neurologist saying that I might never walk again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Left with partial paralysis, double vision from a dead optical nerve and\u00a0a cognitive brain injury, Nelson endured countless hours of therapy\u00a0for speech, movement and function and spent several hours each day\u00a0working to reverse her left-side paralysis and improve her strength.\u00a0But what she believes really made a huge difference in her recovery\u00a0was Dave: After Nelson was discharged, Dave bought a tandem bicycle\u00a0and hoisted her on the back. He attached her feet to the pedals and\u00a0together they began tooling around town. \u201cI really think this helped\u00a0my body move again,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe blood flow helped my brain,\u00a0and the movement helped the muscle memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though cycling with Dave was therapeutic, the accident left Nelson\u00a0with post-traumatic stress disorder and made competitive cycling more\u00a0stressful than enjoyable. So she took up running. Of course, she didn\u2019t\u00a0go right from a wheelchair to racing 5Ks overnight. \u201cI had to learn to\u00a0walk again and, trust me, that process is emotionally painful and full of\u00a0heartbreak,\u201d she says. But she persevered and in three years\u2019 time had\u00a0worked up to running 20 to 30 miles per week. Five years after that,\u00a0she was logging 50 to 70 miles per week. \u201cNow I compete in trail and\u00a0ultramarathons. I recently qualified for the Boston Marathon at the Napa\u00a0Valley Marathon with time to spare,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
These days, Nelson\u2019s coach sends her a personalized training routine\u00a0each month with daily running miles, cross-training and strength\u00a0routines \u2014 and when she can\u2019t do an exercise because of her disability,\u00a0he creates a safe and effective alternative.<\/p>\n
Though it\u2019s been a long road, Nelson is positive about her future\u00a0outlook. \u201cMany [doctors] have told me that I am only here today because\u00a0I was extremely fit and healthy before the accident,\u201d she says. \u201cI will\u00a0never be the person I was before the accident, but that doesn\u2019t mean I\u00a0should give up. I\u2019ve created new dreams with new goals and am proof\u00a0that you can do almost anything if you set your mind to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nelson\u2019s current workout programming is tailored around running, strength and speed. \u201cThe goal with this power day is to use a heavier load to promote greater muscle recruitment,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
| Exercise<\/td>\n | Reps\/Time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n | ||||||||||||||||
| Cat\/Cow<\/td>\n | 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||
| Runner\u2019s Lunge and Twist<\/td>\n | 3 (each side)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||
| Hamstring Stretch<\/td>\n | 30 seconds (each side)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||
| Bird Dog<\/td>\n | 30 seconds (each side)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||
| Gluten Bridge<\/td>\n | 30 seconds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nMovement Prep<\/h3>\nChoose a light weight and do this couplet once through.<\/p>\n
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