White sock syndrome

Tibialis anterior tendonitis. Sounds like good fun. It seems I can't do any running for a few months. No marathon, no road races. In fact, going by the pain in my foot in the woods today, no cross-country either.So its the bike for the foreseeable future. I've been juggling both running and cycling all year to good effect and having to re-wire to my default sport isn't as tough as I first thought. There is something cathartic about the depths of pain running can produce in me and I will just have to try to find the same profundities in cycling to get the most from my sojourn aboard a bike. What with the weather being jolly nice, and the need to get my mind off my injury I've hit the roads hard of late. All the old haunts, the short and sharp, the sprints, the recoveries, the epic. And with all that wonderful weather I haven't had to think of rain and its production of Belgian toothpaste. Until today....White shoes, white bike, white socks...and a hint of rain in the Autumnal air...I couldn't do it! My first encounter with white sock syndrome. After the euphoria of returning to the county champs and really enjoying myself on Tuesday, followed by an epic climbing spin on Wednesday and phosphate sprints on Thursday, I just didn't think it was fair to destroy my bike and end the week scrubbing shite from it. So I headed home as I mentioned and went for a run in the woods...only to find my foot refusing to let me get on with it. As a result, despite having a white bike and heading into a murky winter I'm determined to put any free time I can into cycling. I'm going to be very specific in my training and at worst I will have rested my foot for the requisite time to heal it. At best...who knows? If I feel half as happy as I did last week after 42 minutes of blasting around Inch then the hours spent chafing my sorry ass in the saddle will be worth it. And if I can get my mind off not being able to do a marathon, all the better. Age is another thing. The last time I mixed it with the Carrick crew in January [80 mile rides that are the mark of a racer's fitness]I ended up in a sprint for the Carrick Beg '50' sign with Kelly and O'Loughlin. I remember it like it was yesterday. But it wasn't.That was fifteen years ago. Lets just see what a good Winter can bring. Hopefully training and racing smart will bring rewards. I won't be riding the RAS but I won't be left behind either. Riding the bike is like magic at the moment. Please God that feeling continues. And even though I have been on the periphery of cycling this year I've made some solid friendships that I hope will help me through the tough times. Come and join me for a spin if you can! But the white socks will only see the light on the finest, driest, not-even-a-hint-of-rain days!