On the Road Again!

This morning I thought I would get the bike out and give it a bit of a going over. In the past few days I have felt much better, and since Friday I have been moving around the house without the need for crutches, which just feels great (if still a bit sore, but I can live with that).

So, I got the bike out, fitted the new saddle and managed to fix the saddle bag (the fitting to the saddle had also broken) to the saddle with a couple of cable ties. I had a look at the tyres, and one is a bit worn where I caught the gravelly stuff and skidded, and the rear wheel was also quite badly buckled. Also, the rear axle was a touch loose.

So, I did a few fixes and oiled a few bits, then tried it out. I went down the high street and back and then altered the spokes to bring the wheel more or less back in line. Then I went down the high street again to test it, came back and tightened the rear axle. Finally I went out around via Marston, a few miles, just to see how I felt. I felt good.

A few things I noticed. One, I have to sit in a certain position on the saddle otherwise it hurts quite badly. Two, I am not as unfit as I could be. Three, whilst being a touch concerned about traffic I was not too bad in the nerves front. Four, getting onto the saddle is quite a challenge as it's difficult to lift my leg :). Five, I need to realise that I can't whizz up the hills as I was doing before quite yet.

So there we are, I'm back in the saddle again! Next weekend I'm going to try the first trip Capt, Purser and I did together, out towards Urchfont. Taking it nice and steady, of course! I shall welcome a touch of company from Purser and Capt, if they are free.

Phew! Nearly through the week!

Very tiring, this working lark. It's easy to underestimate how much more difficult it is to move around an office than to move around at home. It's just the scale of the thing - it's probably 50 times farther to the toilet and back than at home, 40 times further to get to the canteen, add on the getting ready in the morning and getting into/out of the office and I end up falling asleep on the sofa at 7pm and sleeping straight through.

Still, I've lost 3 lbs this week which is a bonus! I'm down to 14 stone 7 lbs.

My new cycling shoes arrived yesterday. They are brill. I have attached the cleats so they are ready to go. I should get my new bike next week, and may feel like a short ride on the Saturday, we shall see!

Back to Work Tomorrow!

Things have gone really well over the past four weeks. When I think back to what I was like when I got back from Dartmoor (only being able to move a few metres, unable to turn over in bed, 20od bruises all over my body and finding more daily) to now, where if I am just moving around the house I can use one stick, then that is brilliant. I reckon another week and I should be able to drive, and perhaps a week after that my first, tentative cycle. All down to complete R&R. I even slept back upstairs last night for the first night since Dartmoor - blimey it was good to be back on the memory foam!

It's been an interesting experience. Being completely reliant on other people to do (almost) everything for you is very humbling, and makes you realise how difficult it must be for people who care for, and and cared for, full time.

I was looking at my legs this morning, and boy have they lost a lot of definition. My right leg has not been used for 4 weeks now, and my left doesn't look much better. It's going to be a good couple of months before I get back to the levels of fitness I was at before the incident.

Good news though - we reckon with the money raised, and through previous events, that we have enough for the all weather surface. Brill!

10 Yards and Counting!

I can now go about 10 yards with just one stick - just far enough to carry a cup of tea from the kitchen to the lounge.

Brill, just brill!

A Taste of the 22nd Century

Been to the consultant again this morning, this time at a place called Circle Bath, near Peasedown St. John (yes, it is still raining there :D ).

It was incredible, all futuristic, a brand new building with state of the art everything. As I sat waiting in the foyer which runs the length of the building I was treated to a coffee and shortbread biscuit, then down for X-Rays and back to see the consultant. It really was like something out of the 1970's vision of the future. Not sure anyone imagined the future manifesting itself at Peasedown St John though :D

Anyways, good news, healing well. I can drive and cycle when I feel up to it - no time scale, just when I feel I can do an emergency stop in the car, and when I feel that cycling will not be painful. I reckon a couple of weeks for the driving, and cycling slightly longer, maybe three or four weeks.

What I didn't realise is that the pubic bone in the pelvis is not just suspended in mid air, it is where the hamstring attaches. This is where all that pain comes from, bruised and pulling on where the break is. Makes sense, and makes sense that complete rest sorts out the healing process.

So, back to work on Monday, all back to almost normal a few weeks later. Hurrah!

My Wife is Very Special!

She got me in the car today, saying that I could have a ride to the shops and sit in the car (a bit of fresh air she said).

On the way she stopped right outside Melksham Cycle Centre and told me to hobble in and order a new bike. So I did :D She really is brill!

So, I ordered a Specialized Allez double in silver, with new helmet seeing as I broke my last one. I'm very excited :D I chatted to the chap about the double or triple chainset (the big cogs at the front), and we decided that the double would be best.

Watch out Wiltshire, a few more weeks and I'm coming to get you!

Pedro Horillo

This puts my accident into a bit of perspective...

Click Here

And he's still cycling.