"I was still with the team for half of the first week because I couldn’t fly anywhere because of the concussion.
"I had surgery two days post-crash in California. One of the race doctors came in the day after the crash. He was working in a clinic near our hotel and was able to do the surgery. He did an amazing job.
"The night after the surgery was really painful. Other than that, it was improvements every day – especially the head.
"It got better quickly after the first week. At the tail-end of the second week, I was able to ride again. I did a cognitive test and was given the clearance to ride the trainer.
"There’s definitely less muscle around my shoulder. That’s what I need to start working on now. It’s been four weeks, and I’ve done another x-ray to confirm it’s healed. I pretty much have all the mobility back, maybe I’m missing 5-10%. I’m sure I’ll get that back within another month or so.
"I’ve been riding some longer, steadier rides. I was at altitude in Boulder, and my big focus is Tour of Poland more than Nationals. I want to be ready for that, for the second phase of the year. Knowing that, I didn’t do a lot of intensity. The body feels good, and it’s race ready but it’s not RACE ready if you know what I mean.
"Nationals are always tricky. It’s not an ordinary race, especially in a small field like we usually have. That means it’s not always about the legs. I’m going to try to work more on mental and tactical skills and see where that takes me. It definitely won’t be easy.
After Nationals, I go back to altitude so I can train hard again and get ready for Poland. Poland is the next big one with the team. I’m excited about it, but I’m trying not to get over-excited because it’s still a month away."
Kev Monks for Digital Sports Group
Source: DSG
