Bournemouth Disaster………..for me!
12th May 2018
Distance: zero!
Starters: no idea!
Type of race: don’t care anymore!
2 weeks after my crash, I had built up a spare bike and was prepped to go down South to race the Bournemouth Wheeler two-day.
I travelled down on Friday evening with my Dad. Just before I left I felt a bit off, my stomach was just feeling odd. On the way down it got worse and worse until we had to pull over at the side of the road. I threw up.....and then felt normal again! Maybe a minor blip.
We carried on and were able to get some food into me at a service station. But 10 miles later, I threw up.....and then felt normal again! More of a blip.
We arrived into the welcoming arms of a Premier Inn and settled in. I was trying to ignore my blips. I re-filled somewhat with a breakfast bar and went off to sleep but was very restless……….3am…………more of a volcano than a blip!
My Dad has a better memory of it than me and tells me that I did go to the bathroom and he found me sitting on the throne. When he got to me, I looked up at him (rather than down into the throne) and threw up A LOT!, all over the bathroom and then looked at him again and said ‘I’m back to bed!’, stepped over the disaster and disappeared back to bed.
Needless to say we checked out from our purple accommodation the next morning and off home. As we walked across the car park to the car Dad threw 3 of the premier inn towels into the public trash to save the misery from the cleaners. He smiled at me and said ‘let’s come back next year!’
I was really gutted (excuse the pun) – the format of this race was time trial heaven but it was not to be.
Unfortunately the sickness continued for a week on and off with two more bad spells. The following Friday I had found some strength to go to work only to become really weak once there. I was ashen in colour and one of the customers kindly gave me a lift home. Brave man in his nice car!
Soup, sleep and water has got me recovered but I have lost training time and fitness levels. I am now back at it in prep for Giro del Mon – the Shrewsbury hills await.