NEW CYCLE OF TRAINING FOR KO’D EASTON
CROCKED Hamilton skipper Brian Easton can’t wait to get back after his bid to keep fit during lockdown backfired in cruellest of fashions.
Easton will miss his side’s curtain-raiser against Celtic after surgery on an ankle injury picked up while pounding the streets of Glasgow’s south side.
The veteran defender is out until September at the earliest and admits it’s a gutting blow.
But thanks to a newfound love of cycling he says it’s pedal to the metal to be back fit and firing.
Easton, 32, said: “The operation went well. The surgeon was pleased with it and the last couple of weeks it has come on a lot faster than they thought. There’s still a bit to go but I’m happy to have it done.
“At the start of lockdown I was jogging on the streets trying to keep fit. It came to a point where it was too sore to jog.
“I was still able to walk and cycle. I’ve done a lot of cycling during lockdown. I’ve enjoyed it, even though it’s not ideal. I’ve managed to keep a certain level of fitness. It wasn’t like I did nothing for two months.
“I wasn’t an avid cycler before lockdown but I was really enjoying it. As the days went on, I was starting to add more and more miles and finding all the good cycle routes.
“It might be something I continue to do. Hopefully, I’ve done enough to keep the fitness up.
“My record was 70km. I thought that was decent until I got talking to Ross Cunningham who’s going on about doing 140km!
“That put me to shame right away but I’m still pretty proud of it to be fair.”
Easton’s setback is a bitter blow after missing the last month of the curtailed season with a dislocated shoulder. The fact the season begins with a clash at Celtic adds to the pain.
There won’t be any fans in the ground but Easton added: “It’s still Celtic we are up against. You can’t rely on a lack of a crowd to give us an advantage.
“We need to be ready to do what we did a few times against the Old Firm last year and match them for 90 minutes.”