It’s the Halfway Point of the 2017 Enduro World Series Race Season With Four Rounds Down and Just Four Rounds to Go. Usually by This Point in the Year We Are Settling Into a Solid Racing Rhythm and Enjoying the Warmer Summer Days of Shredding. But for Me, It’s Been a Rough Start to the Racing Season. There Have Been Some Lows and an Epic High.
As always, my race season kicks off at our Giant Factory Off Road Team camp, which was the location of my first pre-season injury. Many of you may have read our column in the last issue - a behind the scenes look at our team and what goes on at team camp. What you didn’t read was that on the first shot, in the first corner, at the first shoot, on the first day of shooting, I ejected over the bars and injured my shoulder. It was a bizarre freak scenario where I endo’d into a drainage rut and my front wheel caught and flung me into the ground at a rapid rate. I bounced up in shock trying to work out what just happened. Nothing was obviously broken, so I pushed back up the hill, gritted my teeth and tried to carry on. No deal! I could barely hold onto the handlebars, let alone pull on them or ride down a hill. Holy shit! Immediate panic set in as we tried to figure out our next steps. After some magic work from our team physio (not Lance Armstrong magic, just concentrated work/ice/taping) I was back on the bike the next day. Albeit a bit gingerly, I was able to finish the shoot and fingers were crossed that I would be fine to start the race season healthy’ish.
Once I returned home from team camp, my shoulder became a little worse than first expected. A bunch of fluid around the front of the joint was super annoying and nothing but time and rest was going to get rid of it. Two things I was running short of in the lead up to the EWS season. Twice a day physio appointments to try and heal my shoulder, FTP Training sessions to continue my race preparations and awaiting the arrival of our second baby made for a crazy busy March. It was a mix of angst, excitement and just waiting. Patience is not a strong suit of mine!
This story is from the Issue 47 - 2017 edition of Revolution MTB.
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This story is from the Issue 47 - 2017 edition of Revolution MTB.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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