Challenges and flashbacks...

Lee with the latest guide dog puppy Flint

This week has been all about challenges and flashbacks of this time last year. As ever I'll start with Lee and end with cycling but there will be quite a blurred line between the two!

I went looking for pictures from a year ago and there's not many...well not many that aren't dogs! The pic above is from me running 5k in the garden because we were isolating. The garden isn't huge it was 155 lengths of the garden path. On January 9th 2021 my isolation ended and I took the dogs out for a walk. When I got back I rang Lee an ambulance. She went to KGH for a few hours but was released home with a hefty prescription. I spent most of the Sunday finding a pharmacy and then the next day I called an ambulance again. For Lee and I this was such a different experience. As they drove away I wondered if I'd ever see my wife again. Lee on the other hand thought they'd sort her out and she'd be home quite soon. Neither of us expected what happened. 10 weeks in hospital, 5 in ICU, 28 days of not being able to talk to each other...all of these things have been on both our minds this week. 

This would be bad enough but we also have the heart ache of seeing Lee's Dad deteriorate. 

For Lee herself, she's been very tired, felt weak and wobbly and has a lot of pain in her limbs. She has been prescribed amitryptaline for neuropathic pain and has been signed off work for another month.

Life working for the NHS hasn't been easy through the Christmas period. The Daily Mail is correct, we are experiencing high levels of sickness. However unlike their disgusting editorial direction, this is not because of poor attitudes or weak sickness policies. Everyone is knackered, everyone has a story of loss, some people are running on empty. Personally this week I have felt exhausted at times. Which is why this weekend I NEEDED a good bike ride.

On Friday evening the Cyclasylum organisers cancelled the usual Saturday group ride. Probably quite sensible because the forecast was dire. I used this opportunity to have a relaxed start before taking the dogs out later than usual. Whilst walking the dogs I decided that despite it being cold and wet I would go for a ride.

In order to go out I put on every bit of winter riding kit I own. The best bits of which are my Northwave winter boots, Vanelli winter jersey, Endura Gillet and my Planet X merino socks. Also helping a lot are my Race Blade mudguards. 

It wasn't that bad whilst I was out in it. I was reflecting on so many things. It was January 2019 when I lost my Pap (Grandad,) and a couple of weeks later we lost Harvey our lovely gold labrador. It was so on my mind I saw a roadkill deer and thought it was a dog!

I had no plan for this ride. I just decided to stay within 10 miles of home and keep going for as long as I wanted. Having decided also to have an easy ride, I somehow found myself on East Farndon Hill. I stopped for a snack at Prince Ruperts view. That was about 15 miles in and cycling was doing the trick, I felt as if the weight of the world was lifting from my shoulders.

 

Having been to Prince Rupert's view i thought for balance I should go to the parliamentarians side of the battle field. Fairfax had a much better view than Prince Rupert and it goes a long way to explaining why the Royalists lost. Both views are on top of the biggest hills in the area. To add to these lung busting climbs there was a strong headwind going into Naesby. At least the rain wasn't persistent!

Having got to the top of Naesby Hill i decided I should enjoy the benefit and headed back down the other side and onto Cottersbrooke via the gated roads. Then another good climb into Brixworth. This time a good tailwind helped me up the hill. By then I decided I wanted 40 miles so I went home via Holcot, Walgrave, Old, Foxhall and Harrington. For the last five miles it was heavy rain but still with a strong tailwind and all that good kit on, I couldn't have cared less! As it says in my blog description, I ride because cycling is good for the soul!

As usual Sunday morning started with Junior Parkrun duties. I wanted to ride again today but it became apparent that the ground would not defrost quickly. So instead I decided to get on the rollers, to make it more interesting I watched the full match replay of Saints rugby victory yesterday. That was 80 minutes on the rollers. It's a long time because you sit in the same position more than you would on the road and even shifting my hands and going no handed at times, I was very numb at the end! However it's more miles for my #NHS1000miles challenge!

Big shout out to all my fellow riders from capers and the local clubs who competed in the National cx championships this weekend. Some great results. Commiserations to Phil Wilkinson who had a horror crash and a leg gash so nasty it required surgery. Get well soon Phil! I could share the pictures but might need to put a health warning on the blog!!!

Hopefully next week it won't be icy everyday and I can ride to work. I have my Dad's bike trailer to help lug all the stuff I need to the office! True to form, before lending me the trailer Big Dave sorted out new tyres and got slime tubes fitted. I know...I said tubes...the trailer wheels are not tubeless. Apologies to anyone who is now in shock!!! Anyway I'm looking forward to some mileage accumulation and a bit of "stealth training!!!"

Happy Pedalling