Not so Super Saturday....

Weren't the Olympics fantastic?!... I have to say I was really excited that they were being hosted in my home town & I expected great atmospheres at the events, but nothing prepared me for the change in atmosphere that swept through the whole city. It felt as though the normal busyness and London stress was suspended for a fortnight and the whole town was united in happy sporting joy! Cycling the streets during the start of the olympics was amazing as it was utterly true that the media doomsayers meant that everyone was staying away - so i had a lovely time whizzing around empty roads and exploring new areas.... I was also lucky enough to have 2 bundles of friends visiting for Olympic fun - from Belfast & Edinburgh ... so I had an added 2012 bonus!!!

So by the time we got to Super Saturday and i hadn't been on the bike for 4 days i packaged everyone off for Science Museum excitement and headed out on the bike... i must note that i've reached a stage whereby if i don't get on the bike for a few days i actively miss it - so it felt great to be out and about again. I headed north from NW3 - up the dreaded Highgate Hill .... will i ever enjoy 'climbing' on the bike?! .... and out through Muswell Hill and off towards Hertford. Hard ride to start with but the '10 mile' pinch kicked in and then i began to enjoy it more (whatever it is with my body i don't know, but it grumbles and gripes for 10-15 miles - and then seems to give in to the ride, so whilst it doesn't suddenly become 'easy' somehow it becomes less grumbly?! If that makes sense!) .... It was a nice morning - sunny and breezy with showers threatening but thankfully not materialising...

Then as i was heading home I did something really daft! As i was freewheeling down a hill i took the opportunity to stretch out my calves which were feeling tight ... pushing my heels towards the floor i was happily whizzing along ... until a slight bend in the road meant that as i turned the bike my heel hit the floor and at speed i had a big tumble!

NOT SO CLEVER!

Thankfully i landed in ditch/verge .... which was (thanks to the recent rains!!) soft rather than rock hard so despite my speed i got away lightly .... just a few bumps and bruises -  apart from the arm that I used to shield my face... the speed wrenched my arm and shoulder....  So Super Saturday saw me back in the sling that i spent most of last summer in (having only 12 months ago had that shoulder re-pinned back together!)

So .... strict instructions not to get back on a bike - only static bikes in the Gym allowed.... and much physio over the last couple of weeks... What a fool!

I was for a while really concerned that i'd put an end to my big adventure... but ... the body is an amazing thing and once we'd confirmed that the muscles / ligaments were only strained and not torn I was hopeful that all was not lost!

So here i am two and half weeks away from the start in Lands End ... and i got back on the bike for the first time yesterday. Shoulder is still a uncomfortable, but i have a couple of weeks - and lots of strapping! There's no doubt that being out of the saddle for the best part of 2 weeks will make the first week or so of the trip harder, but .... thankfully I should still be good to go! It's just going to test some of that 'Coyne determination' a little bit more....

So normal service will soon resume as i'm back in the saddle and continuing for the next 12 days to rack up some mileage!