Back in Perth

For me, for now, it's over. Saturday's test ride was aborted after a few kms due to pain, though I expected that because I'd had physio earlier and that leaves things a bit tender. But Sunday's ride proved to be the same. I pushed it out to 1/2 hour and then called it quits. Two hours later I had pretty much as the same swelling and soreness as before any treatment, fairly conclusive evidence that there wasn't going to be a quick fix. Basically this reduced our options to Plan B, get the car and I drive/recuperate while Lee rides. While it was the only possible decision to take, it was a very difficult one. Those who saw Michael Rogers' withdrawal from the Tour will have an idea of how it went.

I had my last physio Monday morning, and caught up with 2 of the 3 fine young people who treated me. Once I advised them of my decision they confessed that they had always felt my chances were slim of being back on the bike in one week, but that they'd been hopeful.

Once the Plan was clear, we set about making it happen. We stored the bikes in Kalgoorlie, booked the Prospector train to Perth, have a motel near the airport booked and Bill knows we are coming for the car (I'm so sorry Bill). We enjoyed the Prospector, it's much nicer than flying and you have time for 2 movies!

Tuesday I hope to buy a pop-up camper trailer, (my consolation prize), but considering how many trucks we saw going to Perth with caravans on them, I suspect the punch drunk boom time mine worker neuveau rich may have already bought them all! Hope not, I'll need some place comfy to do all this recuperative resting in.

Strange how these notes seem to loop back on themselves. Earlier I was asked about mental toughness. I needed to draw on mental toughness much sooner than I thought, though for reasons I didn't expect. Certainly the toughest thing for me has been to come back here and carry on these pages. My failure has been spectacularly public. A friend of Lee's wrote 'better to try but fail than to never have had the courage to try at all'.