Can't See The Wood For The Trees

All I can think about at the moment is when I can get back on the bike and start training. It's driving me mad. Three weeks off the bike. I feel a lot better and I can ride my bike but no training. I now have Bronchitics which I know for past experiences with my body will take a few weeks to shift. I have to think of this years as a whole. I'm not going to risk trying to get riding in time for a XC race in a weeks time when I can mess up my season by keeping this bad chest for longer.
Time to step back and sit this one out. I will be ready to train when I am ready. My focus on the season was 24hrs of Exposure on the 1st weekend of May. Christ I'm still riding that as my first 24hr race but with no illusions on a sterling performance.
I remember as a junior I had this small stage race just outside Bath that I had planned to do for months. Two weeks before I managed to get a bad chest. I was taking all sorts of mediation to shift it. Well the day before the race felt OK. I finished the short prolgue TT coughing up little bits of blood and came last way way down on the rest. I've never done so bad in a TT and never felt so shit on a bike. I'm not letting that happen again.
I'm desperate to test myself over 100 miles off road and by now I'd expected to have already ridden the length of the South Downs Way. I have a nice family break in Spain this month. I'm sure I will come back from that fully fixed.
Then we will 'AVE IT!

I feel like all I do at the moment is moan about not getting out on my bike.

The Recovery

The Virus

So what I have/had is/was Swine Flu. Six or seven days of sheer Hell. The really cool thing is now I am getting better. I feel better every day. I have had nasty flu like this before about six years ago. That time I caught it out in Tarifa, Spain. I was out there on a kitesurfing trip became ill on the last day then had to travel home with the flu on the plane. My ears didn't pop for two weeks. Last week was almost like that. My left ear still has a good bit of fluid in it. The thing is I am getting better. I'm working at least. Five days off work on the sick was bad enough. I was told by the doctor that I probably wouldn't be fully recovered until three weeks of the crap. I can't see me being back on the bike until the first weekend in February. I have to wait I know until I'm totally recovered. Too many times in the past have I come back from illness too early only to get ill for longer.
I have a three day rule normally. Three days of no illness at all and then I feel like I am ready.
So my 'new' first race of the season is Round One of the Welsh XC series. I will be there if I am ready. Oh and I need to get down to some serious training.

Until then I better pop to Tesco's and get another few boxes of Kleenex anti-viral tissues. They are like pimped up Balsam ones.  Oh and some more Lemsip Max Flu.

Badger Flu

The plan was to wake up on Sunday morning nice and early to do a long ride on the MTB. The alarm went off at 6am and up I got. I felt a little groggy to say the least. Feeling very tired I reset my alarm for an hour later to see how I would feel later. (still with hope of getting an early ride in). I woke up later on and felt even worse. My whole body ached, I had swollen glands in my neck, a slight fever and a sore throat.
Ah great I thought. I'd only just had 18days off the bike in December due to a chest infection.
Four days later with as many packets of Lemsip Max Flu consumed I'm still no better. Three days off work and Four days of training missed. I think tomorrow I better get my ass to the doctor. Swine flu who knows? I'm sure there is nothing I can do other than do what I'm doing. Spending most of my day lying in bed feeling sorry for myself. Today was the first day I managed to watch a bit of TV. District 9 on Sky Movies. Thank God for Sky + as I paused it and went for a sleep for an hour half way through. It wasn't boring I just couldn't stay awake.
So to the doc's in the morning if they will see me and fingers crossed this doesn't go to my chest or I'll be out for another 2 weeks at least.

I've got some training to do. It was starting to come together well. On Sunday I had another 4hr Gorrick Brass Monkey event planned. Well that's not going to happen. Kettles on for the final Lemsip of the day. It's a Blackcurrant one. Ohh Nice

Oh and that film District 9. Wow bloody awesome. If you haven't seen it I think you should.