A very brief post to get this blog going again. 

If you follow my social media (I'm pretty active on facebook & on instagram) then you'll already be aware of the 2 year hell I've been in. I'm not going to compare my woes with anyone else's - so if you're the type of person who compares then I suggest you opt out now & find someone else to judge.

As an eternal optimist, I found myself in the dark hole of negative "stinking thinking" in 2023, as I battled to get back to work again. My broken arm had healed (well the bone had) but the residual 90% muscle loss, pain, stiffness, inflammation & general flabbyness meant I was unfit, unable to lift anything, unable to ride my bike etc etc. 

A lot of self talk and acceptance was the food that kept me going. I figured I could do this & proceeded to take a slow recovery back to fitness. At some point I signed up to do an 80km gravel race. The longest ride I'd done in the lead up was 65km, with minimal climbing. I was ready to go! Talk about being NERVOUS! As the groups gathered at the start, I realised the first 50m were going to challenge me as we had to navigate a grassy slope, a narrow path, then a sharp right turn onto a bailey bridge. Suffice to say I was breathing deeply & trying not to panic. I made it through only to find myself in the sort of terrain I hate walking in, let alone riding a gravel bike with no suspension, and an arm that didn't have much in it when it comes to right-hand-turns.

The worst was over & after a mini-meltdown we settled into the type of terrain one would expect on a good gravel ride. Long steady climbing, steep fast downhills & some STUNNING scenery. Well-timed water & food stations that were incredibly well stocked, meant regular breaks & a chance to stretch my back (which was not very happy from about 20kms into it!). The final 10-20km was a mix of trail, single-track & some gnarly drops that I chose to walk both down & up. 

This event was about riding with a bunch of cycling mates, taking it easy & getting my confidence back. Which I did & afterwards decided I would do it all again.

Roll on to December & I hit the wall yet again. Pretty much on the anniversary of my last oops, so the week of Christmas '23 is all a bit of a blur. 

Why am I sharing this? It's because I want you to know it can happen to anyone. This is a pattern I've had throughout my life, and now it needs to change.

I opted off the computer for a couple of weeks, and spent most of January trying to regroup. I postponed my annual Health Reset Challenge twice as I just lacked the brain energy to pull it together.

February was on me before I knew it, but with that came a fresh breeze, motivation, and best of all some ENERGY.

I'm now back in the saddle, riding every week but just doing it for fun, did my first run in months, and am signed up for a Walk 1200km in a Year challenge!

And there you have it - a year in words and more to come in '24.

Cheers!

Perspective Story Experience