Be inspired!!!

It’s one week to the day since my bike accident and I’m desperate to do some sort of training. I am not the type of person to just sit around and do nothing, I need to be active. Just sitting around makes me feel lazy, tired and depressed. Whilst this last week has been frustrating through lack of exercise, the ‘enforced rest’ has also provided an opportunity to reflect a lot and try out a few new things. I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog, my parents live in Spain and my brother lives in China so I thought it would be a good way to keep them and my friends up to date with what I am doing. 

I also took the opportunity to read Lance Armstrong’s autobiography “Every Second Counts”. The book was very inspirational and motivating and made me even hungrier to get back training again as soon as possible. After reading the book I thought a lot about ‘inspiration’ and what inspires me. Sure I look at some of the sporting greats and find their dedication, passion, beliefs etc inspiring, but I also learned that there are so many other people around me that inspire me. Take for example my brother, who for over 20 years has fought a debilitating illness, his strength and courage to fight it is absolutely awe inspiring…my god he is one tough cookie!!! I really think that if you look at the good strong qualities in the people around you, you can get a lot of inspiration from them.

Hopefully I can start light training towards the end of this week then try and get fit for the first cross country fixture which starts on 3rd October and then the Fell relays on 18th October.

It all starts here…

Well here I am, sat in my living room feeling very tired and very sore after a cycling accident at the weekend. After having the last couple of days off work I am desperate to get get back to some sort of normality, but Emma (the wife / boss!!!) has other ideas. She is the sensible one and despite me driving her around the bend whilst I’m off work she keeps reminding me about the importance of recovery and not rushing back into training or work too soon! Trouble is “I don’t do sick’ in fact I hate being sick.

The events of Sunday’s accident are still painful…I was enjoying a good Sunday afternoon bike ride when some idiot in a car decided to cut right in front of me and apply the brakes. I hit the back of the car, went right over the handlebars and came crashing down on my shoulder. Foutunately I was wearing a helmet and fortunately I landed on my shoulder. Whilst the driver of the car sped off I just lay there in the road…in pain!!!

My cycling buddy Alastair did a great job in manouvering to safety as he was drafting closely behind. I guess it could have been a lot worse, he could have cycled right over me or I could have landed on my back or neck. After a few hours in A & E I got the good news I wanted, the x-rays revealed no breaks, however the goal of two triathlons this month (20th Sept & 27th Sept) looks to be out of the window. 

I’m gutted about not being able to compete in my first triathlon. Recently I have really caught the triathlon bug and spent the last four weeks training everyday whether it be swimming, cycling or running. Although my swimming is crap, really crap, I have been practising at least 4 times a week working on my freestyle stroke. I have even been watching videos on improving your freestlye stroke on You Tube and spent £45 on a coaching session at Tri Central in Manchester to get some expert advice on technique.

Having always been active and involved in sport there is nothing worse than when you are injured. For many years I would carry some sort of  injury through playing football, broken nose, broken wrist, broken toe, broken ankle, broken ribs, partially collapsed lung…the list can go on and on. Not only does this impact on your body but it also impacts on your loved ones and your livelihood. I am not a full time professional sportsman therefore I made a decision a few years ago to stop playing semi-pro football because a) I want to be healthy enough to play sports with my kids when they get older b) I couldn’t afford to keep taking time off work because of an injury.

So much for changing sports…here I am now having had time off work for a cycling accident and a few years ago I split my knee open in my very first fell race and was immobile for two weeks. Injuries are part of being competitive and the truth is I am competitive…I may be average but that doesn’t stop me being competitive.

I am also extremely driven by goals whether it is a personal goal or a professional one. It is what keeps me motivated and focused. Fortunately I work for a company that shares the same principles. The majority of the staff and directors are goal driven and very sporty, they like a challenge and have a ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude.

So what’s my next goal? My immediate goal is to get fit for the cross country season and the national fell relays, both start in October. My big goal for next year is Ironman UK. Many people say I’m crazy because I’ve never even done a triathlon before and I can’t swim two lengths without being out of breath. But that’s exactly it…a GOAL…a CHALLENGE!!! A quote from Benjamin E May…

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It isn’t a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for”

So there you go, the first step on the road to my BIG GOAL…I going do it, I’m committed to doing it and as the title of my first blog goes…“It all starts here…”