Long overdue blog to catch up...

 I haven't written a blog since March the 13th...that was after lee and I had a nice week off together. Since then we have had a weekend away in London and I have done a LOT of cycling! So here's a catch up and then I'll try and get back in the habit of writing more regularly.

So on March the 26th Lee and I went down to that there London with our good friends Martin and Vicky. This was originally sold to me as Martin and I go to watch Saints at London Irish on the Saturday and then on the Sunday we'd have afternoon tea in the Shard... 

As Sunday was mother's day, the Shard was fully booked so I had to miss the rugby! However we had a great time in the Shard, the view is worth it and Martin and I definitely got our money's worth on the limitless wine refills! Our waiter was good fun too!

Lee enjoyed her day out but did struggle at times. We used the tube to start with but it became clear this was too much for her and we needed to use taxis. Lee had an early night in the hotel and as Vicky was also not fussed about joining us, Martin and I headed out to the pubs in the Paddington area where we were staying.

The next day we had a wander around London before heading home. It was quite strange to see the capital busy after all these Covid19 months. All the mask and distancing notices are still up and very few people were paying it all any attention!

The rest of the Lee update is that she hasn't really changed much for a few months. She is still very tired and finds a little activity exhausting. She was hoping to be back at work by now but it still feels a long way off. Lee is tired, fed up, frustrated and worried what everyone thinks about her slow recovery. Despite this, to the outside world she continues to portray positivity. One thing that has started is physio. Lee is working on building her walking strength and stamina. It's good to finally be getting some advice!

In wider family news, Monty, Guide dog puppy number 6 has failed his training, the silver lining to that particular cloud is that he has returned to my parents as his forever home! Mum and Dad adore Monty so having him back is a great reward for all their years of hard work...Monty is less than impressed with Flint, guide dog puppy number 7...because he wanted to sit on Lee!!!

Joe and Amy continue their life as homeowners. It's still weird to think our oldest son owns a house! We helped out DIY SOS style in their garden...Lee was allowed to sweep the new patio and as you can guess, this wore her right out!!!

TIME FOR THE CYCLING BIT

Cycling wise I have done loads so I will stick to the highlights. I am still commuting to work on my bike most days and things like coaching continue. I've really upped my miles the last few weeks and have enjoyed so great long rides.

On Good Friday I joined WVCC for their Spring Gravel ride. This was organised by Adrian Kilworth (Kila.) 

We headed out of Harborough, mostly on towpaths and into Leicester for a bit of an urban, city park, canal side ride. It really was something quite different and very enjoyable.

Moody urban shot...

Foxton locks...

After a well earned pint back in Market Harborough, Ashley and I limped our way back along the Brampton Valley way before going home. 

The next day, with exhausted legs I joined my friends from the Cyclasylum for a ride they'd named Beaster. This was a ridiculous ride, taking in all the significant hills possible and including taking on the infamous Neville Holt from 3 directions...

Great company and banter got me through the ride...my legs were distinctly unimpressed with the things I put them through!

On Easter Monday it was my turn to do the organising with a long overdue Cyclasylum off road ride. A good group gathered in Rothwell for 30ish miles of MTB fun...

From the off Graham had issues...firstly he lost his skewer nut so couldn't secure his front wheel when he got his bike out of the car. Luckily we were round the corner from my house so I got him a spare...then his chain broke going up the hill from Ashley...we thought we were so clever with this repair until someone pointed out the chain was on the wrong side of the front mech!

Graham persisted with just his big ring and then got a puncture...he nursed a deflating tyre before admitting defeat and missing just the last five or so miles.

Graham also missed out on the moody group photo in the Kelmarsh tunnel. This ride was tonnes of fun, big thanks for everyone who came along!

Yesterday Andy, Ian and I headed out for the first Rutland Cicle Classic since the pandemic struck. Our plan was to follow the racing and get a good ride in too. Ian had done the 100 mile sportive of the race route the day before so kudos to him for having the legs to go to those hills again. Check that elevation...you'd have similar on a day in the Peaks and that is just100ft less than the Dartmoor Classic over a similar distance.

The racing was exceptional. Andy planned a good route and got us to key places at the right time. Ian left us at Owston where we had met up with riders from other local clubs. As we approached Melton Mowbray for the finish, Andy punctured. So not wanting us both to miss out he sent me on ahead whilst he sorted out his bike. I ended up following the lead police bike into Melton, minutes ahead of the race! It was a funny experience with people cheering me on!

Andy missed the sprint finish and had the opposite experience of following the end of the race into Melton and being stuck behind the held up traffic. he did however make it to see the presentations where amongst other things riders were awarded their weight in beer and the world's biggest Melton Mowbray pork pie.

On the ride home we had tailwind all the way. It was a very pleasant late afternoon ride and the scenery from Melton back to Rothwell was stunning at times. The riding was great too with testing climbs and glorious descents. All in all a great day out!

Just a few shout outs to my fellow riders doing great things. I was highly jealous of David and Phil for doing the Paris-Roubaix sportive and then staying to watch the racing for the weekend. That has to be on every cyclists bucket list. Right now another RFWCC rider, Steve is taking on the Italian Divide...that's another for the bucket list. The pictures so far are stunning. I think Paul is out there with him but don't quote me on that!

Happy Pedalling!

 

Nice week off with Lee

This week I had some annual leave and spent quality time with Lee, as well as getting out and about on my bike. Standard format for the blog. Family update and then my cycling stuff. 

This time last year Lee spent her 48th birthday in hospital. As a consequence we wanted to make up for it this year.

Níamh did a great job making the house look nice and the day started with presents. Then we headed out. 

Lee had no idea where we were going and kept telling people she was going on a magical mystery tour. Our first destination was Wicken Fen nature reserve, a National Trust owned area. This was great for Lee because the was a flat firm boardwalk around the fen of just under a mile. 

There's a nice cafe and visitor centre too!

After that we made our way to Anglesey Abbey, unlike the name suggests, this is in Cambridgeshire too, not Wales! It's also a National Trust property so our recently acquired membership was getting good use! 

This was another nice place to walk around with flat firm paths and a well kept ornamental garden. There is also a house to look around but we were too late for that. We did look around the water mill which is really nice.

There is a nice cafe there too! Lee had a really nice day out but was exhausted afterwards.

Later in the week we had a trip to Bosworths garden centre where Lee spent some of her birthday money on plants for some wall planters I'd fitted in the garden. I think these will look great.

It wasn't just getting out and about. We also just spent time together at home. It was nice to just have a relaxing time. We also had some emotional moments reflecting on the year before. I'd happily just live like this for ever but that's not the real world is it. Back to work tomorrow!

Here's the split to the cycling stuff

I've been lucky enough to get out on my bikes loads and do a lot of maintenance. This week I've changed the headset bearings on two bikes, cut down a steerer tube, serviced a free hub, topped up tubeless sealant, sorted some corroded bolts and fitted a new brake lever face.

To help with that I cycled over to see Craig at Richardson's Cycles in Corby. I went there via Rockingham Hill. 

After great service from Craig I headed into the Welland Valley taking in Harringworth viaduct and Eyebrook Reservoir.

On Thursday I went out for a ride in glorious spring weather with my good friend Neil.

We put the world to rights on a great little loop on quiet Northamptonshire country roads. 

As well as cycling we enjoyed good food at Wythmails cafe in Orlingbury.

My biggest ride of the week was the Cyclasylum Saturday group ride.

This was a ride out to Ramsey in the fens. 

Sometimes this flat route is an easy way to do a long ride. On Saturday, with a strong southerly breeze it was hard work!

We stopped at a cafe in Ramsey where I had my incident of the day. Whilst leaving the cafe I stopped to let other people come in. Unfortunately I stopped but my cycling shoes kept going. My feet slid out from under me and I landed unceremoniously on my bottom. 

 

Despite the tough riding conditions the group was in usual high spirits. We laughed, we sang, banter flowed and we enjoyed ourselves.

Happy Pedalling 

Commuting, recovering and a long overdue rest!

It's the usual format for today's blog; family update first and then my cycling stuff. I'm on leave next week so this will be a shortish read. The next blog will hopefully be full of interesting stuff Lee and I have done together. 

Look at Lee's gold ribbon laces in her docs, don't they look good. Those fancy boots were part of the outfit for a 50th birthday party. A year ago Lee was still in Boston Pilgrim Hospital and a night out with friends felt a million miles away.

This is a non-alcoholic G&T as Lee's still not allowed alcohol. That tricky ticker is still playing up despite the beta blockers. Lee made the cake for this party. This is something she'd previously do with ease. I've seen her make and decorate cakes for multiple people at the same time. However one cake yesterday completely wore Lee out.

Lee is no closer to getting back to work. Last week she had what we're calling a: "funny turn." She woke up on the shower room floor with no knowledge how she got there. That's why a load more investigations have started. In more positive news she will be starting fatigue clinic and physio soon. 

I've taken next week off because it's Lee's birthday. She celebrated her last one in Beechwood rehab unit. On my ride yesterday I was thinking about that and promptly burst in to tears. My emotions have been much better for months so this was a surprise. I was quite pleased I was riding alone when this happened.

Today I took the dogs for a wander around Linear Park and Weekly Hall Woods. I haven't done this for ages and again it got me thinking about everything. Whilst Lee was in hospital I walked here every day. I doubt the dogs were feeling nostalgic but they clearly remembered walking here! 

Time for cycling

I'm continuing to enjoy riding to work. It's an easy way to get the miles in and I arrive in a better mood due to cycling. Commuting in Kettering is interesting. The cycle paths make no sense. It's hard to tell where they start and end and some are in poor condition. By far the worst are the bollard segregated lanes on St. Mary's Road. I literally don't go that way because of the cycling infrastructure! However I can also report that I feel safe as nearly all the car drivers are nice!

On Saturday I enjoyed a great group ride with the Cyclasylum. On a bitterly cold day with a strong northerly wind we met as usual at the swimming pool. I'd uploaded the 100km fondo route but when we met up no one was in the mood for a fondo in that weather. So we set off on the shorter route.

Barely out of K Town we experienced the first puncture. Poor Mark had to endure the unique moral support. For anyone new to groups of MAMILs, the expected behaviour is to take the mick and offer little in the way of help. 

Into the wind it was hard work but occasionally we had a tail wind and that was more fun! 

We stopped for coffee and cake in Brigstock and I had one of the splendid brownies shown above. 

The wind was behind us on the Brigstock bumps for the first time I can remember and as a result we made short work of that set of hills. At Grafton Mark B and I left the group to head home via Geddington. By Rushton I was on 48 miles...12 miles off the 100km fondo distance, so I thought it would be silly not to continue. I said goodbye to Mark and then did the extras trying to make best use of the wind. To be honest it was an easy ride. I felt like I could keep going all day, which bodes well for longer rides later in the year. 

A colleague found this picture whilst shopping for things for their house. They thought I'd like it for my office so they bought it for me! How nice is that?

In other news there's some great racing in elite cycling. Yesterday I enjoyed Strade Bianche and today it was Paris Nice. I've said before that a few years ago the Tour de France was all I really knew about. Now I'm glued to the GCN app watching all the elite cycling I can. Here's some highlights from yesterday.

Happy pedalling 

7 weeks #NHS1000miles

This week's blog isn't going to have a split it's just going to be a reflection on this time last year and why completing the #NHS1000miles in just 7 weeks became so important to me.

When I came up with the idea to do 1000 miles of activity in 7 weeks it was just based on maths and setting a reasonable challenge. The reason I wanted to do this was to make sure 2022 started much better than 2021. Covid19 also ruined #DryJanuary2021 and #REDJanuary2021 so it became 3 challenges. Then I realised 7 weeks was poignant because I'd had 7 weeks off work. In those 7 weeks, apart from the week I lost my taste, I can't remember the day I didn't have a few beers. So I've also done #DryJanuary2022 with a bit extra, no alcohol until the 1000 miles was done! Then there is the biggest significant date of them all. Sunday 20th February 2022 is a year to the day that Lee left ICU.

It feels weird now to remember what life was like a year ago. I've been tearful again in the last few days as I relive some of the emotions. My overwhelming feeling is that I'm grateful. The NHS saved Lee's life and working for the NHS has supported us on this long road to recovery. Friends and family have been superb. Cycling and my dogs have been a big part of coping. I know Lee has been going through a similar set of feelings.

So #NHS1000miles...it's an annual challenge where people from all over the NHS commit to 1000 miles of activity over the year. On Twitter it creates a wonderful community where people give updates at 19.30 every Sunday. There are inspiring stories, great pictures and impressive achievements. This is the tweet that kicks it off every week from the magnificent Kath Evans:

In many ways it's not an equal challenge. 1000 miles of cycling is nothing like 1000 miles running and I can't imagine anyone doing it by swimming. I'd like to have a crack at 1000 miles kayaking but I think Lee might apply for a divorce if I have anymore hobbies.

At least 20 miles a week have been with these two. My day starts with the most wonderful greeting and then we go for our standard couple of miles. It's a great way to start the day. Our son Sam walks them most evenings but Lee and I sometimes take them out together.

A lot of my cycling miles have come from my commute to work. Its an 11 mile round trip so 50 miles come quite easily. I don't take the trailer often but even a rucksack adds a bit of extra weight and additional stealth training! It's also nice to add a few extra miles by going home the long way!

The biggest contribution to my 1000 miles have been from group rides. I've been building my distance since New Year and have completed 100km (62.2 mile) "fondo," rides 3 Saturdays in a row.

I have lots of cycling friends in different groups and all of them have helped me through this shocking year. My group rides are with the Cyclasylum, a group of like minded riders who know that cycling keeps them sane. Last Saturday we all headed out as usual for fun miles with good banter.

We had a great ride out to Holdenby where a great Royal Palace once stood. Then I had a rare experience of riding on  Northamptonshire Road for the first time between Teeton and Creaton. Finally the group whitled down until 5 of us ended up in the cafe in Mawsley. 

I'd only got 40 miles at this point so headed off for extra miles. Every Fondo Saturday has been windy and my tactic has been to ride as far as I could into the wind then turn round a get blown home! Each week has been windier than the last and as I turned towards Lamport I nearly ground to a halt! These have been hard earned miles!!!

Heading into this week I needed just 80 miles to complete the 1000. As much as I enjoy the alcohol free beers now available I was looking forward to a proper beer 🍺 by Friday.

On Wednesday I took a real hammering from storm Dudley on my ride home. With even worse forecast with storm Eunice on Friday I decided to make the most of Thursday with an extra walk and riding home the long way. I told Lee I wouldn't ride on Friday because I knew she was worried. Then she said that if I only had 11 miles to do I might as well get on my rollers and get it done! So I did. At 10 miles I was hit by emotions again and then it was done!!!

 

So what next? Well I've got a lot I want to achieve this year. My next phase is to lose a bit of weight before trying to get as fit as possible before the Dartmoor classic. But let's not forget our main focus. I'll carry on doing whatever it takes to help Lee recover. Who knows, maybe next year she'll do #NHS1000miles too! We have come a very long way in this ridiculous year!

Happy Pedalling