Back on it!
Published: 14th May 2007
Author: Stephen Sword Photo by rayarcher.com
After a year on the sidelines Swordy's back in the saddle and itching to go racing...
It's been one year since my accident and I'm finally back on a bike! Hurrah! My fitness has come a long way from one month ago but I will be preparing myself for a bit of arm-pump and some sore muscles after riding. You end up finding muscles that you never knew were there!
With all that in mind I'm obviously taking it easy. In my head I think I can do two 40-minute motos no problem but I know that's not going to be the case. My physio is in the process of making me a brace for my ankle - he's custom fitting it so it will go inside my boot. The guys from Fox Europe have been helping me a lot with boots and they will also get my boot custom-made to ensure I get maximum support.
I can't believe we are already into May. The year is just flying past but for me it's only just starting. Over Easter I popped down to Marshfield to watch the Mike Brown Memorial race on Good Friday and they had a huge turnout of riders and spectators. Rich T was there sorting it all out and giving me plenty of stick and a few of my mates were riding so it was good to catch up with them. Some had hangovers from the night before but they all gave it 100 per cent in the eight-minute plus one lap races. Thorpey was there riding good and Spud Wheeler was up to his old track-cutting tricks!
Things have been pretty busy at home as we moved house a few weeks ago. We did all the packing and moving by ourselves - it was a mission! There are still loads of boxes waiting to be unpacked but I was in the garden all weekend with a small digger, levelling it out and putting in foundations for a wall and getting the area ready for the patio. Being Scottish and all that I've decided to do a lot of the work myself - some of the quotes I got were unbelievable! The old man is coming down to help me lay the patio and build the wall and I can't wait to get it finished as it's all mud at the moment.
As I'm writing this I've just had a call from Rich T. He's giving me stick and calling me a tight-arsed Scotsman because I buy cheap biscuits and he wants me to get some Fox Selection in for next time. I told him he'd have to wait until I start racing again so I can buy them with my bonus money. Anyway, he needs to lay off the biscuits for a bit as he's getting chubby!
The weather is awesome at the moment so I took advantage of it and got out on the golf course. I haven't played for six weeks so it took me a few holes to get going and cost me a few lost balls. I'd like to get out and play a bit more but I'm so busy with training and going to the physio that I don't have the spare time and there will be even less now I'm riding again. But to be honest getting back on a bike is a much bigger buzz!
Of course, everyone wants to know when I'll be racing again - I haven't set a date as such but if everything progresses well then sometime in June is possible. I'm not worried about getting up to speed but being able to maintain it for two 40-minute races could be tough - but however long it takes I will be very much looking forward to my first race back! Just to be part of everything and be at the races - plus, of course, winning - is what I've missed most.