light at the end of the tunnel!

LAUNCH OF THE NPO DESERT TROPHY
2010 Registrations are open!

my good friend jago and i are meeting next week for a beer and to discuss this rally series, essentially 3 rallies through 2010 - tunisia in may, egypt in september and morocco in october and as jago put it "a perfect run for a dakar in 2011?!!!"

you can read the info here http://www.emailstrategie.com/com_clients/11-09/npo/23/PresNPODESERTTROPHY2010EN.pdf

this is really exciting and the fact our office is now open in dubai, i can assure you i will be surfing some dunes on a 2 wheel hooligan mobile, haha!

my shoulder is so much better, i feel that i have really turned a corner and all thanks to sam wilde's rack.....it's brilliant - i'm also 4 inches taller, so nearly 6 foot too ; ) hopefully start some strength work soon as well, then i can start to make some real progress, eat your heart out popeye!!

it's a strange admission, but i've been feeling a bit low lately, and on reflection i realise so much is to do with the shoulder injury; the vulnerability, you can only use one arm to do things, while the other you try to protect from further injury; the frustration of not being able to race, to train properly and just enjoy doing normal things; plus it is so draining as your body tries to repair itself. but while cycling into work yesterday, for the first time in 3 months, i suddenly felt so elated to be back using both arms again, it felt sooo good to be back on two wheels, even without an engine! so now, i am not just smiling on the outside =))

chobe was a little frustrated with me at the weekend as i spent my day off on friday sorting out a load of chores, that by the time i made it to the cottage it was so late that we walked in the dark, then on saturday i spent the afternoon watching england v the all blacks at my local and that finished late so we walked in the dark, and then on sunday, i was so hungover from millie's birthday party that i could not walk until it was almost dark!! so will have to make up for that this weekend.

in terms of the party, i might share a few lovely photos.....turning up to an 'erotic' themed fancy dress party at the local pub and turning out we were the only ones in fancy dress, especially looking like......was bloody funny if incredibly embarrassing. if you're lucky i might upload a photo ; )

on constructive note, a very kind neighbour has allowed me to use his lock up to store my motorbike, so i will get that sorted out this weekend.

to end on a philosophical note, my sister millie wrote a lovely thought on her facebook page the other day and i thought i would share it with you as i think it is very true

"friends are like stars, you don't always see them but you know they are there"

thanks for being there : )x

....slow progress

sorry for the lack of comms, but rest assured that the lack of blog entries since my accident is no reflection on my commitment to the dakar, it's just that the progress has been a little slow after the accident and talking about my gym sessions everyday would be a little dull....there's not a lot else i can do at the moment...

....suffice to say, my shoulder is markedly improved after the surgery and current physio, but it was only a week ago that i had my first full night's sleep since the crash back in august.

4 weeks ago i started with my physio, with sam wilde at pure sports physio ....crikey, writing like this is giving me de ja vous, it was this time last year i was building up my training after my knee operation! sam has been brilliant, 4 weeks ago i could hardly move it, now i can raise my arm from out in front of me to above my head (well almost) and up to the side level with my ear, i can even hold my hands behind my head, but there is still some way to go. there are moments when i try to ignore the pain when he's moving my arm about, by picturing myself riding the sand dunes on my bike, but that only lasts for a while before i burst out laughing as the pain becomes unbearable!!! but until i have a good range of movement, i won't be able to start any strength work.

in the meantime i have been to the gym 2-3 times every week, walking to work (40 mins each way), walking chobes in the evenings and going on some good 10-12 milers in the cotswolds on the weekends. i went on my first run last week, well 10 mins on a treadmill, which was great, so nice to stretch out and really fill the lungs, i'm even swinging my arm on the cross-trainer some of the time. so some great progress really.

i still haven't made it over to ronnie's both to catch up and see his dogs, (brooke and shirani, chobe's ma and grandma respectively!) and to see my bike; i have not seen it since it was stolen, recovered and then picked up and looked after by ronnie - i owe you one mate! i still need to find a garage or workshop to rent, but so far my searching has been unsuccessful, i think i will need to write an advert in the local newsagents and village noticeboards.

was planning a skiing trip this christmas with mum, barney, courts, millie and polly, but its like herding cats, plus the physio and consultant have advised me not to and judging by the rate of progress on the rehab front i'll be lucky to ready by january, let alone mid december. it's a shame but hey the season continues for another few months yet! so maybe i will make it out to kersefontein again, but even going there i won't be able to ride the bike.....hmmmm.....holidays will have to wait....gym, gym, gym!!!