Update
Finally brought myself to sit down and write one of these again. I always never want too but when I start it I feel I can't stop, I must be interesting… lol.
I am back in France after spending some time at home with family and friends, I really enjoyed it and I think it was a very important few weeks as I was feeling mentally ran down here in France.
I know this because when I returned I felt really strong and in top condition to race again which was very exciting for me!
I did two top races already and my legs were great. The first one I may have got a little excited and attacked very early on and getting brought back close to the finish and the 2nd one I was up there.
I did another race last week were I was involved in a crash, I picked myself up off the road and tried to catch up to the peloton again but shortly after my shoulder was starting to hurt a lot so I had to end my race there. I got taken to hospital in an ambulance where I found out I had broken my Clavicle (collarbone) and did a lot off damage to my elbow.
So this means I have had to put my racing on hold for a few weeks while I recover. I think maybe next week I can resume on the road but for now I have been riding my indoor bike to keep my legs turning in the right direction.
Writing this with a broken wing is also quite difficult…
My trip home
I travelled home on the 29th of March after Annemasse Classic.
I was so happy to see my family and friends and to go training again on my home roads.
I feel I train at my best when I'm at home and wouldn't feel I would have to book a trip away for good training. Northern Ireland have the best roads!
I feel it's a great place for training as the roads are more 'dead' and forces you to push a little more.
I always think of the coast road as where men are broken and dreams are made…
I also had a fair bit of training down in the Wicklow Mountains when I was at Caoimhe's which are also great training roads.
It's not just the roads, its also being familiar with everything. I know where to go if I want flat roads or mountains, I have my English speaking training partners, sleep in the same bed every night and most importantly I know the best coffee stops!
But, France has it's joys also. The long climbs and descents, the racing and the good weather helps everything that’s for sure!
Winning
Every race I go into in France I have ambitions of winning. I try vision it the night before and think very positively towards it. I never want to be cocky I want to be in the mindset of winning.
The races I want to win I go very quiet and maybe not speak to many people as I really want to focus on the race.
I think cycling is a very rewarding sport, the work you put in is the results you will see.
The winning days come few and far between but when they do come you really appreciate them.
To have the mentality as a cyclist you have to be 'a little bit gone', if you have a mechanical or lose contact with a race you have to be incredibly good and putting it behind you, getting up the next day dusting yourself off and going again.
Also like now, breaking bones you have to try and not think about the training you are missing and refocus on what's next.
This is why I love this sport, it’s a challenge, yes it will beat you to your knees but you have to enjoy something about the suffering…
What's next?
Now I will let my arm heal as much as possible and hopefully soon make a resume to training soon.
For now I will pick away and things I couldn't do when I was training. Build a little on Strength in my legs and work on different pedalling drills while I wait for full recovery. But I have to admit I am getting sick of riding the indoor trainer when it's 30degrees outside!
I have great motivation for my races later in the year such as Tour of Lavaneir, Ronde de l'isard, Giro Aosta and of course Irish Championships. I feel I will be in really good shape for these upcoming races.
My thoughts
This is my first time ever breaking a bone and I hope it will be the last. I forget what it's like to get a good nights sleep. It's now also hay fever season now, every time I sneeze It feels like I'm tackled by Johnny Sexton on a rugby field.
Its very boring in team house when your not training. I have found myself waking up later and going to sleep later.
I'm also struggling with my diet because I'm eating the same amount as when I am training but I have nothing to burn off the calories so this is quite frustrating but I'm now taking the time to try and put more effort into cooking.
I'm happy I finally sat down and started writing one of these but I'm getting a little hungry so maybe I'll finish up here.
I still going by the same approach, not planning on what I'm saying and just typing. I think it makes it more interesting and honest.
The team has been super supportive of me and have been taking me to hospital appointments and regular check-ups to get me on the road again ASAP and I have a lot to thank to them, hopefully I can return the favour with some big results this summer
Stay tuned!!
Kev :)
