USUALLY at this time of year it would be the opposition that are trying to inflict pain on me but this season it’s our conditioning team that have been smashing my legs to bits.

My left wrist is being assessed today and if the cast comes off it will be a big psychological boost but it’s not as though I have been on an all-inclusive holiday since my last game against London Welsh last month.

Being injured is a nightmare for a professional sportsman but it’s not a case of just clocking off until you are approaching full fitness again.

I haven’t been able to drive because of my wrist so I would have struggled to get up to the Dragons’ training base in Ystrad Mynach were it not for Ashley Smith and Rhys Buckley giving me lifts.

Their taxi service has meant that the conditioning team have been able to put me through my paces and I’ve had plenty of experience of ‘jelly legs’.

It’s mainly been rehab on my upper body, because I’ve been wasting away a little bit, and developing my legs, something that I’ve not really been able to do in recent seasons because of the number of niggles and complaints that I’ve suffered.

I’ve been locked in the gym alongside Ross Wardle, who I think is sick of being unable to get out on the training field after having a knee operation last season and shoulder surgery at the start of the year, and Elliot Dee, who also had a shoulder op.

There have been plenty of leg presses, squats and lunges while I’ve also been putting a fair few kilometres in on the static bike, something that is ideal given the summer challenge that I face.

Me, Ash and some friends will be doing the Race to the Sun Brecon Beacons at the end of June for Action Medical Research.

Hopefully my pedalling in the gym will prepare me for the 45-mile bike ride which is followed by a trek up Pen y Fan (2,907ft), then a 3km canoe across Pontsticill Reservoir.

Any donations would be greatly received at www.action.org.uk/sponsor/LewisEvans and it’s for a great charity that funds vital research to help sick and disabled babies, children and young people.

AS I said last week, my injury has led to me getting the chance to do some coaching with Newport and we face a huge game against Neath this evening.

I’ll be heading to the Gnoll to get a first-hand look at how our work transfers from the training paddock to the pitch.

The boys have been putting plenty of work in and you can see the progress they have made in training so hopefully they will get their reward in Neath.

It’s tight at the bottom of the Premiership and Ebbw Vale did us a favour by beating Bridgend in midweek. If we can get the win tonight then fingers crossed it will lead to us going on a bit of a streak at the end of the season.