Reflections on a scary two weeks

 The Diary of a mountain bike guide, route researcher and guidebook writer

To say that the last few weeks have been the most traumatic of my life wouldn’t get close to really explaining the rollercoaster I have ridden since the accident nearly 2 weeks ago. Yet somehow I have managed to remain pretty calm from almost the word go. I have absolutely no idea where this inner strength has come from but I am seriously grateful for it.

I am completely blown away by the love, support and concern I have received from so many. My family, my friends, the nurses, staff and doctors in the hospital and even colleagues and peers that I barely know.

As I have said before, the prognosis is good for a full recovery and of course I am setting my sights very firmly on the day that happens and the brace can come off and I can get back on my bikes or get out in the mountains.

I’m aware that there’s a chance it won’t run that smoothly but I have no intention of either denying that or getting caught up in it – I intend to do all I can to speed the healing process and that really is all I can do. Anything else is out of my hands.

I’m gutted that all our summer plans have been annihilated – especially for Steph, who isn’t even responsible for it. We were supposed to be on holiday in Scotland as I write and had so many other great things planned. Then again, it could have been so much worse.

I’m also gutted for my guiding business. After all the work I have put in, it had just started to gain some momentum with clients booked right through the summer. I’m obviously hoping this will be a temporary blip and I will be able to rekindle things in the autumn.

I’m kind of back at my desk now and slowly getting my head around what I do for a living. And I’m so lucky that I have some unfinished guidebook work that I can focus on once the immediate deadlines are dealt with.

I’ll revamp and revitalise the MTB Guiding web pages and we’re working on a promo video that I hope we can get out there soon.

Hopefully I’ll soon be pain free enough to use the turbo trainer and get my much-wasted legs working again.

That’s it for now – It’s wonderful to be back at home in Wales. Will update on progress as we go but I think the drama is mainly over and it’s just the long, slow rocky road (or should that be trail?) to recovery now.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your support – it really has meant the world to me.

Tom

www,mtbguiding.co.uk