It has been a quiet off-season. Recovering from the injuries to my right arm and shoulder, I have had to limit my movements; putting me off from my other hobbies like trekking, and swimming. And in order to accelerate healing, I have also had to limit the off-season drinks that I usually indulge in during time off the bike.

4 weeks on, I gradually regained mobility of my right shoulder. This allowed me to jump on the trainer for some easy spinning. I also started strength training with light weights. All while still spending quality time at home with my family.

Fast forward to today. In anticipation of pre-season training, I had to escape the torrential downpours of the East Coast monsoon; so I packed up, and travelled to my training base in Kuala Lumpur. Without a race schedule for next year, and nothing more than a spark of energy, I am still determined to make sure I am ready for anything ‘up the road’.

The off-season is also full of new things to explore. I had been toying with the idea to do a run. Or at least, a jog, if I wasn’t fast enough as runner. So I signed up for the 10km event at Nike’s “We Run KL”. With only basic preparations, it was just about going out and having fun. But when the run started, and the going got tough, I felt as though I could cook a steak on my ribs! I did it in 43 minutes; finishing 16th. Not a bad way to kick-start the engine!