This week has been a good experience of the roller coaster of emotions you have being injured. I can’t explain just how frustrating it is and trying to stay positive is definitely not easy! Postage issues have meant my turbo trainer hasn’t arrived yet so ‘extreme hiking’ has been my training for the week. Going downhill is very boring and I can’t imagine its very beneficial so I only go up, as fast as possible and then get the bus down. Its quite enjoyable, the tracks are really steep and if a signpost says 1 hour I try to do it in 20 minutes so it becomes a good anaerobic workout if nothing else! Its also a good chance to take some photos and go trail finding so I’ve a load more cool routes as soon as I’m fixed. (more picture here)
I was holding out for Thursday when I had to go for a checkup x-ray – hoping I’d be told I could ride next weekend. Unfortunately no such luck. The doctor said its making good progress but it’ll be another 2 weeks, but maybe I can bike on the road next weekend. I really wasn’t happy after that (means missing the next racer bikes race).
Anyhow yesterday I couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to try riding on the flat with one arm 
(the one arm thing seems to be a theme for me in the Alps – this pic is 3 years ago setting off to climb Alp d’Huez!). Luckily there’s a really straight, smooth bike path following the river Rhine so I felt quite safe doing it – Irish potholes might not be so nice. It was hard work though – after 2 hours my right arm was aching and i was surprised how hard my legs had to work to stay in the HR zone, but felt so good to get out! managed another 2.5 hrs today followed by a 2hr/1000m hike up the mountain in hot sunshine – pretty knackered now!
Sometimes you have to put things in perspective too, we’ve had some nice weather and it was nice to make the most of a long weekend by heading up for a bbq in the mountains the other day – I really shouldn’t complain too much since its such an amazing place to live even without a bike!