Chasing Peaks. Enduring Troughs. 1.7

Adrenalin | Analgesia

Post race photos complete, medal in hand I had a new found energy to celebrate, but first a quick call home to share my good news. Mid call, whilst in a queue to take a shower I looked down to find a cut that extended near the whole of my right calf. The call was quickly ended by a jaw drop moment. First thought was to pull out my first aid kit to see how I could remedy the situation. This was far more than an antibacterial wipe and a couple of Steri-Strips job. Remarkable I had only just noticed this gruesome injury. Even more remarkable I didn’t recall any specific pain beyond impact of hitting the ground a few hours earlier. If you’re balancing the benefits of a 1x setup, I would now firmly add ‘safety’ to the cost benefit analysis. A tetanus booster was definitely something my highly honed but make-shift first aid kit lacked even if my lack of drivetrain due care and attention over the past five days had rendered my chain ring dry, polished and arguably sterile!

Grabbing what food I had left from my bike that sat in the corner of the hotel room, the Race Director put me in a cab to A&E. My celebration that evening consisting of a vending machine Fanta and the most comfortable of hospital beds.