One half of Team IMHeadcase is out of Surgery, not just a keyhole, a more invasive procedure due to the discovery that the  damage was greater than expected. The code reads L sh ASD, E\O ACjt Cuffrepair- subscap, supraspin LHB tenddesis, for those in the know!  for those of us mere mortals it is replacing ligament into shoulder blade, two rotator cuff tear repairs, shaved collarbone where chipped and whilst in there shaved off a bit of arthritis. But what will it mean going forward?

Firstly tying shoelaces is to be challenging. Pre tied ties hanging on the door and slip on shoes, sleeping sitting up and no driving. Of course the latest fashion accessory – a fetching blue sling with accompanying stabilising pad for 6 weeks.

However the training must go on at some kind of level – so a sneaky 12k the day after and stepped up to 20k the day after although no use of the arm makes for the legs taking the strain and being a little lopsided.

Taking some inspirational thought from Fiorenzo Magni, cyclist of the 50’s who broke his clavical in the 1956 Giro d’Italia, but with the help of a bicycle inner tube strapped around the handle bar and held in his teeth he fought through a snow storm, and went on to complete the race and finish 2nd.

So 6 weeks of sling wearing, and gentle cycling is the order of the day, assuming getting dressed can be mastered first!

Then gloves are off and the slog to build up the long lack of swimming and running to prepare to complete the course within the allotted time.

The severity of the operation makes the race seem a log way off.

None of this is a jot on the landscape compared to Colin’s situation, but his wishes are to raise the money and that means the journey continues but with him in our thoughts with every pedal strike.