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 

Getting the #NHS1000miles done...

As ever I'll start with a family update and then move to my cycling blog. The switch will be marked in bold stay for the bits you like!

The picture above is from a few months ago. It's a sign of the times. It looks like a selfie from an after work dog walk. We've not done that for ages but I think we should get back into it. Sharing this time together is important. We talk and reflect on the year that was. Also I promised my therapist we'd do it...so...time to make time for the evening dog walk!

There's been no dramas for Lee this week but no progress either. The long road to recovery is very very long. Speaking to her GP, Lee was reminded that her recovery time was at least 12-18 months. The clock on that starts when Lee left hospital. As she was still in ITU this time last year...we are still over a month away from 12 months. Also as it's winter, the effects of this respiratory illness are more pronounced. I saw this first hand when we popped round the corner to Lee's Mum and Dad's house in the week. 30 seconds of cold air and Lee was breathing heavily, it's literally the next street and she was worn out getting there.

In other family news, Lee's Dad continues to soldier on. He had an issue midweek with his trachy which ended up with Lee taking him to A&E in the early hours on Friday morning. It was just a few hours to sort things out and he's home again.

Níamh and Olly had a few good days in London. Joe and Amy continue their life as homeowners. Amy had her birthday and as she has become an important family member we made sure to celebrate with her. 

This brings me to Sam. I am proud of all our children but this week I am especially proud of Sam. He had a great parents evening. He is working so hard at school. He also did a talk in assembly on his transition from worst behaved kid in the school in year 8, to the incredible young man he is today. Other students described him as inspirational. He's committed, well liked by his teachers and knows what he wants to do. None of these things could have been said for me at 16. Like I said - especially proud!

Switching to bikes

I continue to cycle to work. On my regular route there are environmental messages on a fence surrounding the old Kettering FC ground. So after a couple of weeks not driving my massive car, I'm feeling all self righteous. I'm sure a few journeys doesn't make a big difference but I guess it's about making this a permanent change and hoping it encourages others.

This week my commuter/winter bike got very noisy. A quick wiggle of the crank suggested my bottom bracket had gone. I've done a few of these recently but this took ages to get off and fit the new one. The last must have been fitted by Andy at C&D cycles at least 5000 miles ago and it had more than done it's job! The bike felt a lot better with the new BB but the noise remained. Graham Squires on Saturday correctly diagnosed the left pedal! I had a spare so I've swapped it. I've also bought the tool to service pedal axles!

The big ride of the week was the Cyclasylum group ride. In similar cold and windy conditions to last week we headed West into the wind.

The group was a decent size for any time of year, let alone the nasty weather we're having right now. We did lose Neil very early on though as he had a rare tubeless fail.

Despite being downhill from Cold Ashby to Stamford it was hard going in the wind. At Stamford we stopped for bananas 🍌 and to admire new bikes for Marcus and Andy. N+1 in full effect!!!

It was much easier riding back from Stamford. At Sibbertoft we had a little incident. Richard G and I, two of the heaviest riders reacted differently to a rider coming from another direction. I went left and he went right and we went shoulder to shoulder like sprinters at the end of a stage race. Thankfully being equally robust, we bounced off each other and just carried on!

With the wind behind we were back at Rothwell in no time and I knew I wanted to do more. A few of us stopped for coffee and food at The Fox and Peony where Neil joined us. Following some top banter we all went separate ways and I went looking for 13 miles to complete another 100km Fondo. Just like last week I rode directly into the wind for as long as necessary and then turned around to get blown home.

I had the week off from Junior Parkrun with the intention of getting more miles in. I walked the dogs in filthy weather and decided I'd had enough outdoor riding for one week. So I completed my weekly cycling goal on my rollers.

I'm still on track for 1000 miles in 7 weeks for #NHS1000miles. With another 151 miles of cycling and walking this week my year to date is 764 miles. So 2 weeks should do it...much as I like alcohol free beers like the one above...I'm looking forward to a proper beer on the 19th of February! 

Happy Pedalling 

No big changes for Lee, big miles for me!

Welcome to this week's blog. It will be the usual format of family updates first and then my cycling blog. The break will be in bold and it's up to you which bits you read or hey just look at the pictures!

It's been a bit of a quiet week family wise. No real changes for Lee. Her Dad remains very ill but comfortable. Níamh is away in London for the weekend, maximising those 19th birthday celebrations. Joe is still covid+ but completely well. Sam played 70 mins for his school football team in a 4-0 victory.

At this time last year I was sending messages to Lee hoping she'd read them when she came round. Some of these were pictures of Valentines cards I thought were funny. I remembered that this week and starting doing it again. Lee however didn't remember reading them. She didn't even know about last year's messages and went back and read those too. I thought she had read them but it was too soon after being sedated and she was still full of meds. So this was like reading them for the first time and very emotional.

January 2020

It's very difficult watching Lee struggle. In the week she turned around too quickly, her legs gave way and she dropped brownies she'd just made. The silver lining was that the rescuable gooey mess was delicious with ice cream. This leads to me to where I hope we will get to. Lee is not a mile munching exercise addict like me. She was very physically capable though. The picture above is from two years ago and is typical of what Lee could do. We were going for long dog walks together and Lee had no problem keeping up. When walking with other people, they'd remark how fast she was. The road to recovery is long and we  desperately need physio to start. However I'm hopeful those long walks together will return. 

Lee is enjoying cooking and I've had some great meals from her. Traditionally I do the savoury meals and Lee does desserts. However on the evenings I'm busy Lee has been trying out new recipes. The dinner above is chicken satay burger with wedges and red cabbage slaw. The next night we had Teriyaki beef. I might need to up my game! On Wednesday I had to deliveroo fajitas to Joe and Amy in the house of Covid19. 

Switching to the cycling blog now

On Wednesday this week I finally started to fulfil my New Year's resolution of cycling to work. This was enabled by my Dad's voluminous bike trailer. This beast who I have named Rolly, means I can carry a lot of kit on my 5 mike commute. I could even get some shopping on the way home so there's no excuse to use the car. It was a bit of a learning experience for me, especially when I turned a corner too quickly and I tipped Rolly completely over. Luckily this happened on a bike path, so no real danger involved! I did think Bunker Hill out of Rothwell at 20% might be a challenge, it was obviously harder but not brutal. With Rolly on the back it's still less than half an hour to work. I cycled to work for the rest of the week but only needed Rolly on Wednesday.

On Monday we did a ride out with the Cyclones kids. I cycled back over to burn off that delicious burger and had great fun doing some off road riding in the dark. As a kid I'd be terrified of the woods at night. Now I just find them peaceful. On Tuesday we had the last Corby Capers of the cyclocross season. As ever it was a top quality training session with plenty of banter too. 

On Saturday I headed out on a windy morning to join my cycling friends, The Cyclasylum. My plan was to do at least 50 miles, go for a 63 mile (100k) fondo if I felt up for it OR go for even more than that.

So I'm pretty happy with 70 miles. As ever on windy days, the headwind was hell and the tailwind was heaven.

We've done this route a few times and it's a good one. From Kettering we headed to Geddington and then onto Great Oakley via Newton. From there we went to Pipewell, East Carlton, Middleton and up the hill to Bringhurst. 

I could go on naming villages but let's fast forward to the cafe stop in Brigstock.

If you're  wondering if the cake tastes as good as it looks...yes...yes it does!!!

All fueled up we went up the Brigstock bumps to Grafton. At this point I said goodbye to the group and headed back towards Geddington. My plan was to get to Rushton and see how many miles I'd done and how much energy I had left. All of this was into a strengthening headwind. At Rushton I had 50 miles and felt good so I pushed on. By Kelmarsh I realised if I cycled to Naesby I'd have 10 miles of tailwind to push me home. 

The hill up to Naesby was brutal with a gale in my face but then the turnaround to head home was glorious. It was like someone gently lifted me and then chucked me like a javelin. No surprises with the Strava PR from Naesby to Rothwell! It was exactly 70 miles when I got home.

Sunday morning started with Junior Parkrun duties. This week I was volunteer coordinator.

This afternoon I went for a gentle spin down the Brampton Valley way via Market Harborough and heading home at the Maidwell crossing. 

It was just what I needed to finish a good week of cycling with 150 miles in total, all outdoors, no rollers at all this week. There was a real Spring feel to the ride and the snowdrops are coming out!

My challenges continue. Along with walks I've done 174 miles of exercise this week with my yearly total at 612 miles. I am on target for my #NHS1000miles in 7 weeks and I'm looking forward to a well earned beer 🍺 when I get there! As ever my furry friends are the perfect companions on some stunning mornings. 

It's the cx world championships this weekend with lots of British interest. On Sunday evening I'll be going to the Rockingham Forest Wheelers club house for a social event to watch the final races of the weekend. 

Well that's it

Happy Pedalling

Making up for lost time...

This time last year was hell. Lee had just been sedated and intubated and Níamh had a thoroughly inadequate 18th birthday. At the same time I had a couple of rough days with Covid19 and even if all of that wasn't going on...the whole country was in lockdown anyway!

As ever the blog will start with a family update and then move to cycling. Stay for as much as you want, I'll mark the split in bold.

Let's get the rough stuff out of the way. My father in law is hanging on in there. This week he has had a bed delivered for downstairs and chemo has finished. Hopefully more comfort and less poison makes the world feel a bit better.

The best decision I've made recently was to take Friday off. This was Níamh's 19th birthday and we were determined to make up for last year. The plan was to go out for lunch but Níamh had been out with friends in Nottingham and overslept. Everything is apparently her boyfriend Olly's fault and as per usual the man with the patient of a saint took the blame for them missing their train! The whole thing worked out quite well for me as I was able to get out on my bike!

poor Olly

When I got back Níamh was home and celebrations began. She had great fun opening her presents.some of this had to take place by facetime as our oldest son, Joe, has unbelievably tested positive for Covid19, luckily he is totally asymptomatic. In the evening we had a superb Thai Gardens take away with my parents and Sophie but Sam had to wait for his as he works until 10pm at Waitrose. He missed out on playing Cards Against Humanity with Big Dave and Nanny Chris. This was beyond funny but also a bit disturbing. I will never be able to unhear the things my Mum said!

What's in the box?

Sam made it home in time for cake!

During the day Lee and I had some time to talk. We did a lot of reflecting on the past year. There was the odd tear too. It's what we need. Right now Lee is exhausted. As ever it was important that everyone had a good day and she put others before herself to her own cost.

Switching to cycling now...

It's flipping freezing isn't it! As a result I still haven't ridden to work. My quest for 1000 miles of exercise in 7 weeks continues. Many of these are indoors on the rollers. However I did manage 165 miles this week, 85 of these were proper outdoor cycling miles!

On Friday I adapted a version of one of my favourite routes into the Welland valley. This route contains some good climbs and some great scenery.

Banana 🍌 overlooking Eyebrook Reservoir

Medbourne

Harrington

On Saturday I met up with the Cyclasylum riders as usual at Kettering swimming pool. It was cold but there didn't seem to be much ice so we decided to ride. Andy P cheered us all up by describing the route over from Denford as sketchy. 

We headed off with the usual banter and chat drifted towards the latest series of Afterlife. There was a lot of unrepeatable quotes and a lot of laughing. I pity anyone who overheard us.

The day seemed to get better and better. We headed to Guilsborough in glorious sunshine. I'll let the pictures do the talking...

From Guilsborough we went over to Cottersbrooke and then up that monster hill to Haselbech.

After recovering from the climb it was a fast run in back to Rothwell. The group was heading to the Fox and Peony cafe and then doing a few more miles. I decided to take advantage of getting home early and got some overdue jobs done.

Sunday morning started with Parkrun duties and this week it was my turn as run director. Everything ran really smoothly and it was a pleasure to be part of!

I needed 10 miles to hit my 130 mile cycling goal for the week. So having done road rides for two days I decided to get my MTB out.

I went to Prologis Park via Rushton and then through Weekley Woods to Geddington.

I then rode back to Weekley Glebe and round the back of Brambleside.

Having done a lot of miles this week, that was enough for me and I made my way home. It was great to use my Forme Ripley again. I forget how much I like this bike when I don't use it for a while.

That's it for this week.

Happy Pedalling