It just keeps getting more complicated.

When I was at the hospital on Sunday the doctor gave me medication to prevent blood clots (thrombosis) as there could be a risk. But a blood clot wasn't likely to occur with the medication I had been given. Yesterday my calf started to feel tender and when thrombosis occurs it usually begins in the calf. Even though the pain wasn't bad and I didn't think it was a blood clot I thought it's better to be safe than sorry and just go to the hospital and get it checked.

So at midnight Wayne drove me to the hospital which is about 20 minutes away. A doctor took a look at my calf and said it wasn't likely to be a blood clot because my calf was hardly swollen. But the only way they could tell was to do an ultrasound. So I ended up leaving the hospital at 2 am and the doctor made an appointment for me this morning at 9 am to get an ultrasound.

The verdict is I have a small blood clot (thrombosis) in my left calf. Seeing I was already on the medication to prevent blood clots the only thing they could do is up the dosage. So for 3 days I have to have an injection twice a day so that means two trips a day to the doctors clinic. I have been put on medication which I must take for at least 3 months but it will slowly start coming down in dosage. I am also going to have to get regular blood checks for a while.

The doctors also took another look at my foot while I was there and seem to think that I have not torn just one of my ligaments but two.

Tomorrow morning I have an appointment in St Gallen which is about 45 minutes away. I will see a specialist who is considered one of the best in Switzerland. I am going to be in good hands as he has been involved with top athletes and also skating so he understands the movements skating involves. Tomorrow I should have a more realistic time line.

Another year & another bad crash.

On the weekend we raced at the Unive Skate Off in Heerde, Holland. The racing on Friday at the track started off great with Kelly winning the 10km elimination and myself coming in second. The next night we raced in the points race which was changed from a 5km to a 10km due to the weather. We were confident and could have taken the first three places but with three laps to go that all changed. I was well ahead on points and was about to come around to win some more when a skater tried to pass Kelly on the inside of the corner causing her to slide out and fall. I fell over Kelly and went index finger first into the barrier and somehow my left foot must have twisted or gone in a different direction. I got up as there were only three laps to go and tried to skate but I couldn't but any pressure on my left foot. I hobbled around and finished the race because no officials were pulling me off. Then only to loose all my points because I was lapped by the lead skaters on their last lap.

I left the track after the race and went to a hospital in the nearest city. I had x-rays taken of my ankle and finger. The results back were that my index finger on my right hand was broken and that there was no fracture in my ankle. The doctors didn't really know what was wrong with my ankle but just sent me home with a compression bandage around it. The doctor said it could be a little ligament damage but nothing too major and in a week or two I should start coming right. I arrived back at the track and everyone had gone, there was just my team waiting for me and a few organizers left. We drove back to Switzerland over night and arrived back to our base in Weinfelden at 6am.

After getting a few hours sleep in I woke up this morning and tried to put some pressure on my foot but the pain was unbearable. I took off the bandage and my foot was swollen and tender to touch. My finger also looked like a purple sausage. I went to the nearest hospital because I wanted to get some crutches to help me move around and get my ankle looked at again because it was getting worse.

The doctor had a good prod at my foot and finger while I was nearly jumping out of the wheel chair each time she touched a sore spot. She wasn't exactly gentle and my brother Wayne thought it was rather funny to watch. She decided to get some more x-rays of both my ankle and finger. The x-ray results were the same as the ones taken in Holland, broken finger but no fracture in my ankle.

The head doctor then came and took a look and done all sorts of things to my foot and ankle. The verdict is I have a torn ligament in my left foot along with some other strained ligaments. I have a brace on my leg to stabilize my foot at the moment and can't walk or put pressure on it. The healing time can vary and the doctor said anything from 4 to 6 weeks. In a week I should be able to move my foot up and down but not sideways or on edges so that rules out skating. I also have to be careful when I do get back on my skates that the ligaments are strong enough otherwise they could damage very easily again and I could have ongoing problems. Tomorrow I will go to the physio to see what he can do to help speed up the healing process. I may be able to start cycling on the stationary bike and swimming in a few weeks but I won't be able to skate for a while.

The doctor also decided to make a cast/brace for my finger because there is a fracture and also some ligament damage. I only have to wear it at night which was a sigh of relief because it's very awkward and I cant hold the crutches when it's on.

I didn't take a lot of skin off just a little off my knee and shoulder. I always seem to crash and hurt things that are complicated and don't heel quickly unlike grazed skin. It's frustrating because I felt so strong this year and had a really good base from my off season training in New Zealand. Then to start loosing that strength so easily after all that hard work is quiet disheartening. Last year I also had a nightmare at the start of the season when I broke my jaw. I lost a lot of strength and missed out on a lot of hard training but still managed to do well at the World Championships. I was looking forward to this year because I felt stronger than ever and was hoping to have a good season and a build up to the World Championships with no hiccups unlike last year. It's like I took two steps forward after last year but have now taken one back. But it's not over until the fat lady sings, and no one is singing yet.

On another note Kelly Martinez who also crashed is ok and has only lost a little bit of skin in various places. She managed to get up and keep skating without getting lapped and loosing her points so she also won the overall distance title. Alexandra Vivas our last member standing ended up coming through for our team and winning the points race. We were unable to compete in the Skate Off though which was a shame.

World on Wheels, Oldebroek

Last night we raced at Oldebroek and it was another World on Wheels race which was about 30km. It was a rough circuit with a couple of corners and it was about 1km per lap. Elma de Vries broke away after a few laps and I ended up going with her. The last lap she led into the final corner and I timed my run a little to late so I didn't have enough speed to cover the extra distance on the final straight which was curved. Alexandra won the bunch sprint and the other girls finished strong with Kelly 4th and Tamara 6th.

Today and tomorrow we are racing at Heerde on the bank track. Tamara will not be skating as she has an injury from the rain race in Rennes. No one from our team will contest the 300 meter time trial at Heerde today. The course in Rennes was very slippery in the rain so everyone's muscles are feeling strained and have not had time to recover as we have been traveling and racing.

World on Wheels, Emmeloord

Tonight the Bont Wheels Team raced at the World on Wheels event in Emmeloord, Holland. It was a 30km race around a 800 meter circuit along a canal, with long straights and two corners at each end. The course was quiet technical because the corners were tight and there were plenty of obstacles like a speed hump with cobbles and a traffic island. You had to be strong, fit, fast and skillful. There was a big womens field with 64 starters. It was also a high quality field with 5 World Champions present and European Champions and medalists.

The race was fast and hard with constant attacks being launched. There were also sprint primes throughout the race. None of the breakaways successfully stayed away but our team made sure we had someone in nearly every attack. We raced well as a team tonight and everybody played an important part throughout the race.

It came down to a sprint finish with about 22 skaters left in the main pack. Tamara led out the sprint for our team taking the lead with about 500 meters to go. I passed her just before the second to last corner with about 250 meters to go. I was able to gain a gap when I passed Tamara before the corner and went on to win the race. Kelly came in for a strong second, Alexandra 5th and Tamara 8th.

Womens Top 10 Results
1. Nicole Begg (Bont Wheels)
2. Kelly Martinez (Bont Wheels)
3. Brigitte Mendez (Valle, Colombia)
4. Bianca Roosenboom (CadoMotus)
5. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
6. Liana Holguin (Valle, Colombia)
7. Elma de Vries (DSB)
8. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
9. Sara Bak (Denmark)
10. Laetitia le Bihan (Poli, France)

Roncalli College in Timaru are having an auction to raise funds for their rugby team to tour Australia. I donated two pictures for the auction and this is an article about the upcoming auction that featured in the Timaru Herald

Auction to help fund Roncalli trip

By STU PIDDINGTON - The Timaru Herald

Roncalli First XV is hoping an auction and fun evening on Saturday night will help boost its coffers for their tour to Australia.

Roncalli is taking 28 players and a management team of five for a 10-day tour, but need to raise around $75,000.

The evening, to be held at the Roncalli gym, will have a charity auction, entertainment, as well as guest speakers, including broadcaster John McBeth, Super 14 referee Vinny Munro and sports spin doctor John Durning, who has spent time with the Black Caps.

A video presentation will include an interview with All Black coach Steve Hansen and Crusader Isaac Ross.

Among the items going under the hammer is a signed Indian cricket bat, number one of 15 produced.

Other memorabilia includes framed, signed Crusaders jerseys, and a signed canvas of world champion speedskater Nicole Begg and a signed Sarah Ulmer top.

There is something for everyone, with 25 tonnes of lime up for grabs, weekends at holiday homes, tradesmen's services and even a cattle beast.

The team has worked hard, already having spent time chopping and delivering firewood, building retaining walls and running barbecues to help with the fundraising.

Anyone interested in attending on Saturday night, at a cost of $25, or leaving an absentee bid, can contact Carol Gallagher on (03) 688 5833.

Bont 1st & 2nd, WIC Rennes

Today I won the World Inline Cup class 1 race in Rennes and Tamara was second. It was fine all morning until about a minute before the womens start, the black clouds closed in and the rain started to fall. It was wet for basically all of the race but ended up drying up for most of the mens race.

Tomorrow we leave Rennes and drive to Holland. We will race at the two Unive World on Wheels events on Wednesday and Thursday and the Unive Skate Off in Heerde on Friday and Saturday.

This is an article that featured in the Timaru Herald this week.

Speedy Begg new face of Skins

By STU PIDDINGTON - The Timaru Herald

Timaru speedskater Nicole Begg is starting to find some traction in the corporate world of Kiwi advertising.

Begg is the new face of Skins marketing campaign in New Zealand.

Skins is body-moulded compression performance equipment engineered to provide support and muscle alignment. Up to now the most recognisable face of Skins has been Wallaby wing Lote Tuqiri, so Begg is in good company.

The 21-year-old former world champion has been used extensively to advertise speed skating equipment in Europe but this is her first big break in New Zealand.

Brandex outdoor general manager David Watt said they had backed Begg as they aimed to penetrate a full range of sports, not just mainstream sports such as rugby and netball.

"We feel it is important consumers see a variety of sports people in our gear. Nicole is reaching a world-class level in a non-mainstream sport which is great for New Zealand.

Begg, who is in Europe preparing for the World Inline Cup marathon series, said she was delighted with the exposure.

"It's great to be associated with such a top product."