Fitness is of course a very important part of sailing and as the build up to 2012 gets closer and closer the demand for my coaching is on the increase. So I decided to get a road bike so that I could do some training whilst I am away coaching.

I made the short trip from Weymouth where I live (and also where the next Olympic games will be sailed) to Tri UK in Yeovil to look at some bikes. I was amazed with the range they had and the expertise of the staff. After looking over the bikes I was fitted, and unfortunately they did not have one in exactly my size (I was very impressed as I would not have known the difference and they could have sold me one slightly too small and I would never have known) so they had to wait to get some stock in.

Fortunately my bike arrived just in time for me to pick it up before heading off to coach at the Master Worlds, meaning I would have a quick way of getting to and from the club, and also would do some fitness work rather than simply spend all week in the RIB.

Unfortunately on the morning of the first race I decided to fall off my new bike onto the concrete and I was surprised at just how much this hurt! However I expected the pain to go away but far from it, the pain got worse and worse and my arm stiffened to the point that it would no longer move.

After a brief chat to a First Aid first responder, and much to my embarrassment, they immediately sent for an ambulance and put me in the back and asked to me describe the pain which I said was 6/7 but 10 if you tried to move my arm! They then put me on “gas and air” or entenox like they give pregnant ladies… The effect was not really to take the pain away but more that I did not care about it so much any more. The gas also made me rather giggly and chatty… a similar affect to having ten pints but in about ten seconds.

Upon reaching the hospital the X-ray confirmed that I had broken my radial head (the large bone in the forearm and actually the same injury my Mum had when she fell over in the snow)… I got a taxi home and was then rescued by my parents and brought back to the Farm.

Since then I have been swallowing bucket loads of painkillers (as many as I was allowed), using gallons of Arnica gel and a small iceberg worth of ice to try and keep the swelling down (I think the pink elephant ice cubes were the most effective) whilst only eating meals that I can manage with just my left hand.

At the time of writing I am waiting to see the fracture clinic to learn how long I am going to have to spend out of action and whether conservative treatment (not resorting to surgery) will be sufficient... fingers crossed I won’t need surgery.