Well you, son of T de F Rider...

Today I did something I hadn't done for 52 days.  Not like I was counting or anything, but yes, I cocked my leg over a bike and turned the pedals.  I managed a massive 11kms on the turbo trainer in the back garden.  About a 20 minute ride.  My legs barely noticed, but my lungs felt like I had just grimped up Alpe D'Huez in the big ring. Despite this poor performance I am hugely pleased and somewhat relieved that I managed that much without my back or ribs aching.  I sat on my bike, spinning a low gear, grinning, no headphones on, no distractions, just listening intently to my body.  In all honesty, waiting for something to give in, crack or fall off.  Thankfully nothing did. It was a big leap forward considering that at the beginning of July I couldn't walk more than two steps without getting out of breath.  I couldn't bend over, couldn't dress myself, was generally in a terrible state living on morphine to allow me to be able to breath in dee...

Introduction (please imagine it being narrated by Leonard Nimoy) Fast and Furious The Expendables The Bourne Series Terminator Transformers Spiderman Pirates of the Caribbean Final Destination What do these movie franchises have to do with Scott's tumble in the Majorcan countryside?  Not much, until now. Now, his little story can join the ranks of the above esteemed titles by going on (at least) one story too long.  As much as Scott would have loved to wrap things up after the last episode where he made it home in a back brace for a slow but steady recovery. But, oh no, that's way too easy, so, dear reader, sit back and enjoy the next thrilling episode with Scott and his dodgy descending technique. I got home from hospital on a Friday afternoon.  I had a truck load of meds and a back brace. "Honestly love, I feel a bit tired now but another few days and I'll able to start going back into the office" I probably even believed that too as I said...

Following on from my last blogs about this, (read them first please if you haven't) I've made it back Blighty.  I am about to be handed over to the care of the NHS from Luxembourg Air Rescue.  I had also previously stated that this would be a chance for me to see first hand a direct comparison from the care I got in Majorca and here. Before I get into that there are a couple of points I want to make. I am and always have been very pro NHS.  I do think it's a great institution but you only ever hear the negatives re waiting times or ops that have gone wrong etc.  But those are the things that make headlines.  Unfortunately we are quick to complain and slow to praise.  After all, why should you say "well done" to anyone treating you.  "They're just doing their job".   Well, to some extent maybe that's true. But caring, as a profession, is so personal, there are many degrees of good and "bad" that can be distinguished by the patient, ...

A most heinous and dastardly plot to swing the EU Referendum vote to "Leave" has been uncovered on the very day of the vote.  The plot involves knobbling 2 votes for the price of one target. The plot centres on a 45 year old man from Wirral, who had accepted to be a proxy voter for his daughter.  His identity is being kept secret due to forthcoming investigation and possible legal proceedings.  For the purpose of this report he will be referred to as Mr O. After accepting the proxy voter request from his daughter, who returned to university a couple of days before the vote, Mr O took his wife and daughter on a small holiday to Majorca. Unbeknown to Mr O the email account that his request was sent from was hacked and his personal details were acquired by a blacks ops team working for the Leave Campaign. An assignation team was sent to Majorca to take Mr O out and thus his votes.  It can now be reported that the attack happened near the top of a small mountain ...

Even though I have already posted about the crash, I wanted to share my experience of having a major trauma in a foreign land and how I was treated. I want to start from just after I hit the deck.  Initially, I was lying in the ditch over some big rocks screaming like a baby.  I admit I'm not brave at the best of times but this was pain like I have never felt before.  (By the way read the previous post if you haven't already so it makes sense.) I shouted for the first couple on the scene to help me up.  I was aware I could move my head and limbs ok so I didn't think anything can be broken. As they pull me to my feet I realise the pain is too intense to stand up, so I lie down on the road on my side which didn't hit the wall.  Other people arrive on the scene and try to offer comfort.  Something soft is put under my head and I'm given shade and water.  As I'm lying there I can feel it difficult to breathe and very painful if I try to take a deep...

So after an okish (for once) January, Feb was not great.  Three (3) rides. Just three.  Just over 200kms.  Pretty rubbish, but I put it down to the crap weather and my penchant for not wanting to get wet or go out when its dark and cold.  Well, I wasn't going to ride in the Eddie Soens Memorial race in early March so I think I can get away with it. Then March arrived.  Another ski trip followed by a bout of man flu wiped out nearly the whole month.  I suppose the skiing itself was good training, but that was soon undone by a further 20 day lay off.  But now we have got to Easter and I have had two rides in three day.  Only short 30 kms at a time, but softly, softly catchy monkey (as they say). Two bits of exciting and motivating news to help me going forwards though... 1) A major order made from Wiggle!! (Other online cycle component retailers are available).  I decided to go "all in" and purchase a new groupset and pedals.  Not a ...

Ok, so the cycling isn't going as great as I'd hoped.  But I can blame the weather and holidays for that so I don't feel too guilty about it.  Yet. I actually skied further than I rode my bike in January.  Not sure that is something to be proud of or not.  I suppose it is if you are cyclist trying to be a skier.  Perhaps not the other way round.  But neither scenario really applies to me.  I skied 289km and only rode 204km in January. Could be the making of a new winter duathlon type event... Skicling...? I do love skiing though.  I had a fantastic week in Les Arcs, weather and snow were amazing. In fact it was too warm.  Only got to wear my Darth Vader ski mask a couple of times as it was just not needed (except at the very top as shown above). I just hope the weather picks up here now as I want to get out on my bike again.  Large quantities of food and red wine offset any calories spend on the piste (with quite a bit to spare...

I do love riding my riding my bike.* *Now I need to put a slight caveat in here, as those close to me will say I'm not doing it very much for someone who loves it. I think this comes from being obsessed with bikes my entire childhood. Then by my senior years reality of how much training is required bites. I always loved the racing, I would've raced 5 times a week if I could (and often did) but the training was too much of a chore. That said, I should really say I love riding my bike, when I'm in the mood for it. And last night was a prime example of that. The sun was out, there was no wind and it was a pleasant temperature. I cruised round for an hour and loved it. Even managed a few PBs (yeah thanks for that obsession Strava). One thing I enjoy about riding my bike is the way you can let your mind wander. I don't need to think of anything whilst on my bike (maybe just the pain in my legs on every climb).  That leads me on to why I wanted to write down my wacky t...

People who know me well, will know that it only takes me to have a sleep and I will have forgotten what happened the day before. However, there is one event en grained into my memory from last October which is hard to forget.  The 2011 Etape Cymru. I was sort of goaded into riding last year by a former colleague of mine, but sneakily he only challenged me with 7 weeks notice of the event.  I went into a panicked training frenzy to ensure I could at least get round.  The event itself was eventful.  This is why I can still remember the experience so vividly. After a good start, I went off course, crashed and punctured, all before the famous Horse Shoe Pass.  Despite all that, the feeling of accomplishment was worth it.  There is no denying, the course is brutal, but the scenery is fantastic and to ride that far on closed roads is such a rare experience. Even though I have hardly looked at my bike since that day last October, I feel drawn to...

I discovered from Twitter, I think, that racing is returning to Birkenhead Park this year.  This prompted me to writing a little blog on my experiences through the 80's and early 90's of my all time favourite course. I actually raced around the park on 44 separate occasions and won there 6 times. Before I get into the story of my times racing round the park, I will give a little background history, on the park itself. (Oh blimey, I'm almost writing an informative blog!) For the uncultured of you reading this, Birkenhead Park was opened in 1847 and was the first park built with public money, after the town of Birkenhead asked Parliament for the powers to use the money to build a municipal park.  More famously though, the designer of New York's Central Park  Freddy Olmsted visited Birkenhead Park and used some of the features from it in his design for Central Park. Birkenhead Park has recently been the subject of an £11.5 million renovation, fund...