Mind over Matter

Well I've officially been back for longer than I was away, and my oh my hasn't the time flown! It’s almost hard to remember that I even went away.


I started back at work almost 6 weeks ago, and although it had been 9 months since I was in the corporate world, it’s like I never left.. I’ve slotted back in seamlessly, so I guess the suit and heels scene is where I’m meant to be (when I’m not on my bike that is!) Work and my client have been fantastic with the support. They’ve been super flexible to allow me to train as much as I need to, because they know that I’ll get the work done when it’s required. They’re happy, I’m happy, it’s the perfect working relationship.

3 weeks back in to training and wow! Rebuilding is a frustrating process. When it seems that everybody around you has gotten fitter/faster/leaner, and here you are fighting to hang on.. And don’t even think about trying to share the workload, because pulling one turn will have you popped out the back of the bunch quicker than you can gulp your next breath! Going uphill is a major mental fight - the legs are the necessary, however unwilling participants and it’s only the mind that gets them to the top. A trip to Bright last weekend proved the theory of Mind over Matter (and some good tunes on the iPod certainly helped!) I don’t know how many times I told my legs that they’d ridden up the Aubisque/Tourmalet/various other Cols, so they could damn well ride up Hotham and Buffalo!

Through all of that though, I know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Day by day things will get easier, I will get fitter & stronger, and I’ll get back to – and then hopefully surpass – where I was at before the accident. Racing on Sunday showed me where I was at, but 2 months is both a very long time and a very short time. So much can happen in that space of time, that I know I’ll be ok.

I just need to keep reminding myself of that.