Cycling Come Back from my broken collarbone

So the couch potato has enjoyed the last couple of months not having to ride with me. The first few days I felt (and apparently looked) like I’d been hit by a truck. Everything was so sore it was almost numb. A couple of days later I started to feel my shoulder, it hurt like crazy and felt really unstable. I couldn’t sit up or lay down by myself and needed a pillow when sitting on the sofa to tuck behind my shoulder. I couldn’t be a passenger in the car – any bump was agony. I wasn’t able to do much so stayed at my parents, shuffling around the house and getting help dressing. After about a week, as the bones were starting to connect, the began rubbing over each other making a horrid grinding noise and sensation. The painkillers made me feel ill so decided to man up and take the pain instead. I was so fed up by the end of the second week i forced myself back into work.

Xray from Abergavenny Hospital

 I have spent the last 8 weeks off the road - 3 weeks complete rest, holding my shoulder and not being able to properly move, progressing (if you can call it that) to 5 weeks suffering on the turbo trainer. I had my collarbone pinned on 6^th August – quite scary as I’d never been to hospital let alone have an operation. All went well, I have 9 screws and a titanium plate in my shoulder. I spent most of the first Monday night Track League comparing war wounds (obviously not racing) although everyone was enjoying reminding me that Wiggins had come third in the Vuelta with a freshly pinned collarbone. I did get to laugh at the couch potato however, complaining for being put in the fast group http://richardtowse.blogspot.com/2011/09/track-league.html .

I’ve been in close contact with the other girls who broke bones that day, in particular Tanya Hunt who also broke her collarbone. She did a better job than me though, breaking it into 5 pieces one of which shattered – mine was just in 3 bits!

Generally everyone has been really helpful and I’ve recovered very quickly. I even got back on my bike last weekend – total of 50 miles including 30 in the wet (don’t tell the surgeon). Although the couch potato, was ‘too busy’ to make it out in the rain. The turbo seems to have done the trick and I look forward to riding in my new Champion Systems Speedsuit at the National Hill Climb Championships at the end of the month!

See you there?