And now I think that it is time for 2012 to give me a break! They say that bad luck comes in threes so I am totally over 2012. Can I go to sleep and wake up ready to go on Jan 1st 2013?!Being in rehab meant that for the first time in 10 years I have missed a season of racing. Not one to miss an opportunity Richard and I decided to have an actual summer holiday - with some real summer holiday activities planned. Namely eating good food, catching up with friends and doing some of those things that go on hold when your summer holidays also double up as training camps - hiking, window shopping, and wine tasting….We packed up the van and headed to the North of Italy. I had never been there before, and I will certainly go back (I have unfinished climbing business). Great food, fabulous weather, wonderful scenery. Spotted a few top potential training camp bases (no - I can't turn off!). I'd be lying if I said that we were able to lounge in the sun and eat gelato for the whole 3 weeks as, to be quite frank, if people are going to build roads and trails in the Alps and the Dolomites then I am going to darn well bike and "speed" hike. With my lower than usual fitness I certainly paid the muscle burning price for smashing myself up and down endless mountain roads and paths, but didn't care as the challenge of beating myself up every incline, regardless of whether I was walking (fast) or biking was just too great.

I learnt lots of things on this year's holiday:

• Almost everything can be fixed with duct tape (asides from me, more on that later). Our van had teething problems and now has go faster duct tape solutions inside and out!
• The Italians have no real road rules asides from every person for themselves.
• Italian engineers love tunnels.
• Mountains are meant to be accessed by the masses.
• Italian men hate to be caught and passed on the climbs just as much as the French, British, and Spanish. Not that expected any different.
• I wasn't as unfit as I expected, but soon will be (more on that later..)

We had a brilliant holiday, which I am sure will be one of the most memorable in years to come. If not for the sheer fact that we enjoyed ourselves immensely, then for the fact that 3 days before we headed back to Scotland I had an altercation with the tarmac. Having met up with friends a Lake Como who recommended the Bormio area of the Alps for some great biking we headed off to bag some more Giro climbs. We arrived later in the afternoon and keen the get rid of some van lethargy we decided to do a quick out and back ride up the local ski hill. Bormio 2000 - 10ks,7%. Having waited the standard 6mins at the top for Richard ;-) We descended back down to the van. About 3k from town I hit a rough patch of road. I didn't see the bumps in the shade and had no warning, just got thrown from the bike. I landed hard and knew that I had more than gravel rash when my first thought was not the usual "how is the bike?!". However, I thought that I was more winded and shocked rather than broken but I was sore enough to ask Richard to go and get the van and drive back up to collect me. When he got back I knew that hospital awaited. This was when some rudimentary Italian knowledge would have been great. Still "ouch" translates well in all languages. So x-rays and a shoulder brace and an abrupt end to out final few days of climbing and some unfinished Alpine adventures await next year!

Now back home learning how to be left handed. Feeling like a kid when I have to ask for help dressing, washing and eating. I've told Rich that it is practice for my old age. A visit to the fracture clinic next week to see if I am healing according to Mother Nature or if I need surgical intervention.

And the Achilles? Sheesh, I have something else to complain about right now, I'd clean forgotten about them. I have a consultation in Sept in London with regards to surgery. Stay tuned for more news from annus horrbilis!

CatMorrison.com