From Ex Fix to FKT: The Long Road Part 2

 Kokopelli Prep

In 2019, Kait Boyle achieved a remarkable feat by winning the 24-Hour Mountain Bike World Championship.

Kait Boyle winning 24-Hour Mountain Biking World Title in October 2019. 2 months later, she would be in a pelvic ex fix, following a car accident.

However, just two months later, her life took a drastic turn. A car accident left her with a fractured sacrum, pelvis, fibula, and a ruptured bladder.

The metal pieces you see held Kait’s pelvis together so it could heal. It had to be on the outside, because the infection risk of internal fixation (screws/pins on the inside) was too great because of her ruptured bladder.

This incident confined her to a wheelchair for three months, challenging her dream of returning to elite mountain biking and setting a world record in the Kokopelli Time Trial Prep.

Part 1 of Kait's journey, detailed in a previous blog post,  covered her recovery from the World Championships to the ICU, progressing from a wheelchair to crutches and finally to using a cane.  Dr. Kelly was honored to be Kaitlyn's Physical Therapist, and guide her through the complex initial recovery process.

Now, Part 2, documents Kaitlyn's path, with Dr. Kelly, from being cleared to pedal outside to racing her mountain bike at an elite level again. This incredible journey spanned 20 months.

—-------------------

The narrative begins in the spring of 2019, with Kait spending three months spinning on an indoor trainer. She progressed well, and was thrilled when she could give her cane back to Dr. Kelly, because she no longer needed it!!  Read Part 1 for more details about the process from wheelchair to no cane :) 

The Infamous Cane Toss. Ex Fix is now removed, and Kait is cleared for walking without a cane by Dr. Kelly! Woot-Woot!

Three weeks after being cleared to walk without a cane, Kait achieved a significant milestone—coasting down the driveway on her bike for the first time in over three months. This marked her return to outdoor biking and was a profoundly emotional experience. Here she is!!

Kait. Is. Back. Spring 2019. Less than 3 weeks after being cleared to walk without a cane, Kait is back on two wheels!

After facing the possibility of never walking or biking again, Kait embarked on rebuilding her strength, endurance, and power on the bike. In fact, the same strength training protocol that she used in her rehab process is covered in Dr. Kelly’s Signature Series , and Kait herself is one of the exercise models!

The initial three months of riding saw rapid progress, but now, with healed bones, her body needed to rebuild lost strength and muscular endurance, which would take time. In addition to Physical Therapy exercises designed to continue to connect her body to her injured core, legs and pelvic muscles, Kait incorporated a functional strength training program, cross-training with swimming, hiking, and jogging. Progress was steady, with each week bringing incremental improvements.

Around six months into her recovery, Kait's surgeon cleared her with no restrictions. Her body was strong, and she had already completed a 300-mile bikepacking trip in six days, affirming her healing and return to activities she loved. However, despite being fit by general standards, she was still a considerable distance away from the elite racing level.

In the summer of 2019, Kait contemplated the idea of racing, setting challenging goals, including the 24-hour World Championships. Yet, she realized her mind and body needed a break from intense goals. Dr. Kelly, along with Kait's cycling coach, and her therapist supported her decision to let her body rebuild gradually towards elite racing goals for 2020, and not sooner.

As Kait prepared to commit to a training plan in early 2020, the unexpected arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted her plans. Her 'come-back' season in February 2020 saw her racing on a duo team for a 24-hour race in Arizona. Despite recording her highest average 1-hour power on the first lap, she faced hip issues and had to withdraw from the race.

Back in Idaho, Dr. Kelly was able to diagnose Kaitlyn with hip tendon irritabilities (tendonitis and strains) that developed in response to the high sustained efforts of her initial return to racing attempt. Facing this diagnosis, Kait underwent various interventions, including pelvic wand work and therapeutic dry needling. The pandemic-induced pause allowed her to rebuild more wisely, pacing herself and managing pelvic muscle imbalances.

Once the tendonitis healed, Kait resumed rebuilding and training. She decided to time trial the Kokopelli Trail in the fall of 2020, setting it as her primary focus.

By early fall 2020, Kait had developed a solid endurance and strength base, focusing on power and endurance at higher intensities. Training volume increased, and she regularly achieved personal records in her rides. Surprisingly, she found herself stronger than ever, challenging her perception of what was possible.

Kokopelli Time Trial Prep: Not a bad job if you can get it....and are ready to work your butt off for it.

As Kait prepared for the Kokopelli Time Trial in November 2020, her training had gone well, but uncertainties lingered. Balancing confidence with the unknowns of a race, she set two goals: to finish the time trial regardless and to race at FKT record pace, aiming for a new women’s FKT.

She felt very strong...but the hip pain limiting her efforts at the duo-24 hour race in 2019 did have her worried.  Would she be able to finish the Kokopelli Time Trial? 

Stay tuned for Ex-Fix to FKT, Part 3, where we can finally read about the eagerly anticipated outcome of Kait's Kokopelli Time Trial effort, and the unfolding chapters of her remarkable recovery.

Thanks for reading!

Xoxo -Dr. Kelly

And remember, if you're interested in what exercises Kaitlyn did to bridge the gap from ex-fix to indoor trainer, to outdoor bicycling (& beyond), be sure to check out Pelvic Floored's Signature Series!

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Kelly in-person or online!

Buy a Pelvic Floored Online Course

Follow Dr. Kelly on Instagram