The next psychological hurdle was to get back on the bike. It was bad enough for me but even worse for Kerry (my wife) who had to witness all that went on at the hospital during  the weeks after the bike crash. I initially decided to  venture out on  the recreational bike with Kerry on the quiet roads of Apollo Bay in January 2013. I went okay but nice and slowly. Eventually I got the road bike out and went to the local bike track. I couldn’t believe how wobbly I was to start, but I gradually built up some confidence. Getting back on the roads was scary, but I found a couple of spots where there are almost no cars.

Over the recovery journey I had set myself the target of doing a triathlon before the end of the 2012/13 triathlon season. The last race of the Gatorade series was in April and fast approaching. My swimming and running were good enough for the 700m swim and 5km run and I figured the bike would be okay as there would be no cars and no drafting. Kerry had agreed I could have a go and she was able to be my “handler” in transition. I have to say it was great to be competing again – but also very nerve racking.

The swim was tougher than I thought as I had to battle the other swimmers whilst swimming on my side and not really being able to see where I was going. I took a wide path to keep out of trouble. The bike went smoothly with no problems – I did take it very cautiously!!!! The run was good although I had been struggling  a little with an achilles injury. All up it was a great day and if it hadn’t been for a very slow swim I would have been well inside the top 10 in my age group. It was great for me that Kerry was able to help on the day as she has, and continues to do so much to help me recover. It has given me confidence for more racing in the upcoming season.