After the excitement of last week, the past few days have been all about settling back into everyday life.  Any concerns about coming back to earth with a bump have alleviated.  Instead, the whole event has left me somehow feeling a bit more “normal”.  It’s really good to be home!

The Euro City Cycle (ECC) had become a very big deal for me.  Understandable I guess given I’ve been working towards it throughout the winter.  I signed up for it early in my rehabilitation, it was a real “stretch goal”.

At that time, no one really knew what I would be physically capable of, now or ever, so it was a bit of a risk.  Not being able to complete it (or more likely, start it) would have been a real blow, and could potentially have caused a major re-think of life post Heart Attack.

My favourite selfie from the ECC

From my perspective, the level of risk has reduced with every mile I’ve cycled over the past 10 months.  I’ve been confident over the past couple of months, but it was great to back up that confidence with a strong ride, and a quick recovery.  I was fine throughout the event and have had no ill effects subsequently.

Having arrived in Brussels I had a couple of days rest.  Time for my legs to recover, to warm up and dry off after the final days of the ECC.  A sniffle flirted with me for a couple of days, but I managed to fight it off.

Someone else’s selfie caught me taking mine!

Getting back on the bike was interesting.  It’s amazing how much more comfortable I am on it having been inseparable for four days.  Just spending time together has made a big difference, it feels natural again, like it did when I was a kid.  The key thing now is not to get complacent, particularly as I’m back on the roads rather than having the luxury of dedicated cycle routes.

The cycling routes on the continent were something else!

The biggest relief, perhaps, is that I’ve got the London to Brighton bike ride to look forward to in mid-June.  This will give me a continued focus, a reason to keep going out on the bike and keep myself in shape.

The ECC was a journey within a journey.  Fortunately it was a successful one.  It marks the end of an important phase of my life, and the beginning of a new one.  No time to stand still!