19 days in, 11 days of turbo

Can you learn to love the turbo? I'm not sure, but at the moment it is the only bit of exercise I get, the only time on the bike and the only time in the fresh air. So yes, I guess at the moment it'll do. I'm worried that I won't be able to cycle for more than one hour at a stretch after this layoff though. Realistically I think there are at least another 8 weeks to go before I can even contemplate going out on the road again, so I am spending a bit of time each day trying to devise my turbo-training schedule. My current favourite is an aerobic workout of 3 minute intervals with a minute off between each interval, increasing then decreasing the power over the session, peaking at 310W and starting/ending at 220W. In the current warm weather it is quite a tough and sweat-fuelled workout, especially as I am riding the majority of the hour with my hands off the bars!

I have also discovered 3M Coban - a self-adhesive compression bandage, which I have been using on my little finger post-turbo or post-stretching exercises to reduce a bit of swelling around the fracture. I'm not sure how it adheres as it feels totally non-tacky. It is reusable and amazingly effective. My daughter loves it and we are now in a routine of evening cast and bandage removal and reapplication - she is quite the Florence Nightingale. She's even found me a replacement grab hand in case one of my own hands drops off! My left wrist (fractured scaphiod) feels OK at the moment, but I can feel that I am loosing strength in the hand. I'm looking forward to the therapy sessions which will help me regain strength and movement.


I can't say that this enforced rest is helping me overall though. Jobhunting is monotonous at the best of times, but when it is the main activity that fills your day it seems so much worse. Waiting for responses seems to take an eternity. I still enjoy interviews, but getting to that stage has proved to be so much harder than any time in the past five years. An inability to help around the house is also incredibly frustrating - having sat around reading, surfing and jobhunting most of the day (I am grateful that I can type reasonably easily now) I then have to watch my wife struggle with school pickups, teatime and bathtime with the kids, knowing that my contribution is limited to minor cooking (no lifting pans though), a little storytelling and kissing the kids goodnight. If you'd asked me a month ago whether I would like the opportunity to avoid washing up, gardening and tidying for eight weeks I would have bitten your arm off! Now that the reality has hit home I would be happy for a decent pan scrubbing, pruning, weeding and paperwork session. Sad but true...

I've given my Marmotte place away today, which feels like yet another season goal just cast aside. To say I'm disappointed about it is an understatement. Last year I got to within 4km of the finish and had to bail out due to the worst cramp I had ever had. Paul, a fellow Dynamo I had gone out there with also had unfinished business - he had virtually passed out on Alpe d'Huez and was rushed to the hospital for oxygen and an IV drip - the big softie! Anyhow, I found out last week that he was not going out either this year (coincidentally it was Paul who drove me back from Hog Hill after my accident a few weeks ago). We've trained and raced together a fair bit this year, and along with another Dynamo, Mark, had sorted out a really good, pacey winter night training ride. Unfortunately Paul was calling to say that he had suffered a(nother) accident whilst racing - he dislocated his shoulder and lost a couple of teeth. Ouch! Get well soon Paul - I'm sharing your frustration!