Six days before Norseman 2016 I did something stupid: I picked up my bike bag while taking it down from the attic – and pulled a muscle in my back.

Five days before Noresman I was prodded by a physio and told “this will hurt, but in four days, everything will be okay.”

For the next four days my back hurt every time I twisted or turned. And then, on the fifth day, everything was fine. But I have to admit, it was a worry and didn’t help my nerves in the run up to the race.

This year, yesterday, I was careful. I took no chances. I asked my wife to get my bike bag from the attic…