Quick update:
Managed to get away for 5 days or so to Ashbourne, Derbyshire for a camping break - sadly sans bike, but did do a bit of walking, weather was mixed, and in the end beat us as we decided to come home after waking to a river threatening to run through our tent!
Pain to right side of head / neck etc has almost gone, but face is still much the same - although I am planning a sneaky ride tomorrow - just to see how I am - don't know till you try do you?
Eying up lots of bargains on eBay too - gotta get the dirty bike sorted as well as the Single speed pre-winter!
Will feedback on tomorrow's ride...
Friday, 31 August 2012
Thursday, 23 August 2012
Enforced Time Out - an update
So Shingles diagnosed on Saturday night / Sunday morning (4.30am) at out of hours surgery.
Lots of drugs and 2 further visits to the doctors and it would appear that I have also developed Bell's Palsy, which means the right hand side of my face is pretty much non-responsive which makes those little things like talking, eating and drinking a bit of a challenge.
Nerve pain, from Shingles is much less than at the weekend, but is still there, spots/marks on skin do not bother me but the temporary paralysis to face is (understandably) annoying and frustrating particularly as I have no idea how long it will last?
However on the upside - I am building a repertoire of party tricks such as winking my left eye with ease, sleeping with one eye open, raising my left eyebrow as per Roger Moore's spitting image puppet and the "Elvis" uh huh sneer is coming on a treat!
I have been recommended to not do too much exercise at the moment, so will probably not cycle for another week - watch out world when September comes...
Just to keep the OCD in check, I have cleaned the posh bike in lieu of not riding - yearly mileage sits around 8200ish, so just got to pedal harder in the Autumn to get the 12k then.
Lots of drugs and 2 further visits to the doctors and it would appear that I have also developed Bell's Palsy, which means the right hand side of my face is pretty much non-responsive which makes those little things like talking, eating and drinking a bit of a challenge.
Nerve pain, from Shingles is much less than at the weekend, but is still there, spots/marks on skin do not bother me but the temporary paralysis to face is (understandably) annoying and frustrating particularly as I have no idea how long it will last?
However on the upside - I am building a repertoire of party tricks such as winking my left eye with ease, sleeping with one eye open, raising my left eyebrow as per Roger Moore's spitting image puppet and the "Elvis" uh huh sneer is coming on a treat!
I have been recommended to not do too much exercise at the moment, so will probably not cycle for another week - watch out world when September comes...
Just to keep the OCD in check, I have cleaned the posh bike in lieu of not riding - yearly mileage sits around 8200ish, so just got to pedal harder in the Autumn to get the 12k then.
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Enforced Time Out
Have developed shingles it would appear ergo sum, anti virals, painkillers and no riding for a few days.
Rats!
Rats!
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Windermere to Windermere - A Cyclist's Tale.
So at long last the main 2012 cycling challenge has been completed. - Riding the Fred Whitton route.
Here's the report:
Firstly I can confidently say that the pleasure and pain principle is alive and well, and it would appear resides in Lakeland!
Pleasure - The weather, the views, the sense of achievement
Pain - Some of the hills, the legs for the last few miles, the sense of achievement
Unlike the official route, we started in Windermere, leaving there at 8.30ish, with clear blue skies and barely a breath of wind - conditions that were to remain for the whole day!
Within about 2 miles we were going up, and a few miles further on we were on to the first climb of the day proper - Kirkstone Pass, which also was the highpoint of the day (in terms of height above sea level!). A fairly long climb, but nothing to taxing, the road ramped up on occasion but then levelled before going up again.
Reaching Kirkstone Inn atop the pass, felt great especially looking down at the descent to come, although well aware that there were many climbs yet to come. If the hills are impressive then the descents are something else, twisty, rock lined, and fast - my nice white wheels were black come the close of the day with brake residue!
Riding down into Patterdale and around Ullswater was simply beautiful - how amazing is the world we live in - not a soul around, except 2 madmen on bikes hurtling around country lanes. A turn to the left and the road dutifully rose ahead of us up to Matterdale End, again another climb that was not too bad, coming over the top was great - wider less twisty roads, followed by a rolling route along the A66 into Keswick hitting 40mph + on the run in!
Keswick = Coffee and Cake Stop (this is a tradition as 3 years ago, whilst doing the C2C we stopped here
too). A definate calm before the storm moment, though knowing that 6 major climbs remained. As is the way on such rides, we departed for Braithwaite ( a little over 2 miles away), but went via 2 mountain passes, which actually meant we went the long way round, taking in Honister and Newlands Hause en route.
Honister - OUCH! the guide said that it ramped up immediately upon reaching Seatoller and boy was it right - straight into 15-20% gradients, there is some respite further up, but a steep climb non the less - a hairy descent, and then turning right up again to Newlands - not so severe but still asked questions.
Down from Newlands, and then it was left and up to Whinlatter with the promise of some lunch at the Visitor Centre. Nice leafy tree-lined climb, and probably the easiest climb of the day - never has a BLT tasted so good at the top!
A minor skirmish on the way down to Lorton as my partner in crime took a tumble, but with no more than a small cut, a few nettle stings and as it would appear later a slightly twisted saddle, we were off again albeit, maybe not so swiftly...
Cold Fell was a bit of a beast - don't be fooled by the fact that it's height is not as large it was one of those climbs where you never quite know where the top is. - I zipped up my jersey three times in readiness for the descent, only to find that yet again there was a bit more to climb!
The piece de resistance, potentially the whole reason of doing this route was looming - Hardknott + Wrynose. I started Hardknott with determination and confidence, and got through the first steep section, as the road levelled off, even gained some encouragement from a family parked up on the left. As the road kicked up again, so did my heart rate, and ragged breathing - I did spy my Garmin click to 27% and my body finally told me to do the sensible thing and stop - which I did, a few breaths later I went gain but could not clip back in so disgression over-ruled valour and I walked for a bit.
The car driver who was coming the other way and who upon passing me yelled at me to "Pedal" whilst I was walking in the verge was met with a suitable uncharitable response from me, as the road lessened, I jumped back on and crested the hill, a very steep twisty descent with massive potholes followed and Wrynose loomed - again I went for it in the bottom section ,but sheer fatigue had got me and again had to walk a little bit before surmounting the final pass of the day.
In the end we decided to cut the corner on the route back to Windermere and not go via Coniston, which means we shaved off around 5 miles off our final mileage.
In all, at times a brutal day in the saddle - but I loved it!
The stats:
103 miles
7hrs 51mins 44 secs
Average 13.01mph
Max 40.2mph
Climbed 11309ft
Oh and by the way, I have tipped over 8000 miles for the year too!!!
Here's the report:Firstly I can confidently say that the pleasure and pain principle is alive and well, and it would appear resides in Lakeland!
Pleasure - The weather, the views, the sense of achievement
Pain - Some of the hills, the legs for the last few miles, the sense of achievement
Unlike the official route, we started in Windermere, leaving there at 8.30ish, with clear blue skies and barely a breath of wind - conditions that were to remain for the whole day!
Reaching Kirkstone Inn atop the pass, felt great especially looking down at the descent to come, although well aware that there were many climbs yet to come. If the hills are impressive then the descents are something else, twisty, rock lined, and fast - my nice white wheels were black come the close of the day with brake residue!Riding down into Patterdale and around Ullswater was simply beautiful - how amazing is the world we live in - not a soul around, except 2 madmen on bikes hurtling around country lanes. A turn to the left and the road dutifully rose ahead of us up to Matterdale End, again another climb that was not too bad, coming over the top was great - wider less twisty roads, followed by a rolling route along the A66 into Keswick hitting 40mph + on the run in!
Keswick = Coffee and Cake Stop (this is a tradition as 3 years ago, whilst doing the C2C we stopped here
too). A definate calm before the storm moment, though knowing that 6 major climbs remained. As is the way on such rides, we departed for Braithwaite ( a little over 2 miles away), but went via 2 mountain passes, which actually meant we went the long way round, taking in Honister and Newlands Hause en route.
Honister - OUCH! the guide said that it ramped up immediately upon reaching Seatoller and boy was it right - straight into 15-20% gradients, there is some respite further up, but a steep climb non the less - a hairy descent, and then turning right up again to Newlands - not so severe but still asked questions.
Down from Newlands, and then it was left and up to Whinlatter with the promise of some lunch at the Visitor Centre. Nice leafy tree-lined climb, and probably the easiest climb of the day - never has a BLT tasted so good at the top!
A minor skirmish on the way down to Lorton as my partner in crime took a tumble, but with no more than a small cut, a few nettle stings and as it would appear later a slightly twisted saddle, we were off again albeit, maybe not so swiftly...
Cold Fell was a bit of a beast - don't be fooled by the fact that it's height is not as large it was one of those climbs where you never quite know where the top is. - I zipped up my jersey three times in readiness for the descent, only to find that yet again there was a bit more to climb!
The piece de resistance, potentially the whole reason of doing this route was looming - Hardknott + Wrynose. I started Hardknott with determination and confidence, and got through the first steep section, as the road levelled off, even gained some encouragement from a family parked up on the left. As the road kicked up again, so did my heart rate, and ragged breathing - I did spy my Garmin click to 27% and my body finally told me to do the sensible thing and stop - which I did, a few breaths later I went gain but could not clip back in so disgression over-ruled valour and I walked for a bit.
The car driver who was coming the other way and who upon passing me yelled at me to "Pedal" whilst I was walking in the verge was met with a suitable uncharitable response from me, as the road lessened, I jumped back on and crested the hill, a very steep twisty descent with massive potholes followed and Wrynose loomed - again I went for it in the bottom section ,but sheer fatigue had got me and again had to walk a little bit before surmounting the final pass of the day.In the end we decided to cut the corner on the route back to Windermere and not go via Coniston, which means we shaved off around 5 miles off our final mileage.
In all, at times a brutal day in the saddle - but I loved it!
The stats:
103 miles
7hrs 51mins 44 secs
Average 13.01mph
Max 40.2mph
Climbed 11309ft
Oh and by the way, I have tipped over 8000 miles for the year too!!!
Thursday, 9 August 2012
One more sleep...
Yesterday we called today, tomorrow. Tomorrow, today will be yesterday. Got your head around that? Good!
The big day looms large, long train journey today, with bike and kit in tow, and then a long day in the saddle tomorrow.
Impatient now - just want to ride...
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
2 days (that's just 48hrs!)
After feeling toasted last Friday, I have had 2 days of setting PR's on lots of Strava segments so maybe I am peaking or something?
Suspect that PR's will not figure in the ride on Friday, but Carpe Diem and Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man will be my watch words.
Initial aim is just to get round, secondary aim is to not get off the bike on the hills, timing-wise it would be nice to be under 9 hrs riding time (ToTP last year was 7hrs 11 for 96miles in not so hilly terrain) but camaraderie and the craic is what it's all about.
Check tyres, final cleaning & lubing of bike tonight, plus check, pack & re-pack bags, with every conceivable option clothing-wise plus nutrition / spares.
Suddenly it's all very real - bring on the Lakes!!!-
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
3 more days...
Anyway no riding in the end yesterday, just a midday BBQ following my clean, spit and polish of the posh bike, as well as a brake block change.
Great ride to work today - fairly quick but not stupid, aiming to do 40 today in all and then same tomorrow, then that's it
Think I'm ready now, and have either got everything or know where it is to get it pre-departure. Weather forecast has improved - Light winds, no rain and partly cloudy - all looking good.
Roll on Friday!
Sunday, 5 August 2012
And one less makes 5
Weekly stats are: 277 miles in 15hrs 24mins 10secs and 7520ft of climbing.
Realistically 3 more days of riding to go.
Saturday, 4 August 2012
6 days to go...
159lbs according to Wii Fit this morning - aiming to lose a couple of lbs by Friday (might come in handy on Honister or Hardknott?!)
Rest / recovery day today, No riding, lots of water and fruit for me!
Looking forward to last big ride tomorrow pre-Fred with the "liVELOve" boys - approx 50 miles out to the coast and back, taking in a few hills but keeping speed gentle (17mph-ish) and lots of spinning - should be good fun?!
Friday, 3 August 2012
7 days and counting...
7 days till the Fred though now. Nerves have kicked in, but in a good way I think! Sneaked a look at the long range forecast - damp but little wind so ok-ish but not perfect (anything can happen in a week though...?!)
Day off the bike tomorrow, last long ride (40-50miles) on Sunday then Mon-Weds will be low mileage easy pedalling (well that's what I am telling myself anyway!)
Thursday is travel day (7 hours + on a train across England) Riding on Friday and then travelling back on Saturday.
On the plus side, Carb loading begins tonight - It's Fish and Chip night!!!! (Well it is Friday!)
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Golden Boy Brad
Wig-GOLD!
TDF Champion + Gold medal in the Olympic ITT - Awesome performance by Brad.
What price a Rainbow Jersey in September too?
Just over a week to the Fred, last week's stats:
249 miles in 13hrs 53mins 2secs, and 6535ft climbed. on target for 8000miles ytd pre-the ride. Nervous yet excited - just want to do it now!
Sunny weather has disappeared and damp if not downright wet weather has replaced it. Hopefully the storm before the lull...?
TDF Champion + Gold medal in the Olympic ITT - Awesome performance by Brad.
What price a Rainbow Jersey in September too?
Just over a week to the Fred, last week's stats:
249 miles in 13hrs 53mins 2secs, and 6535ft climbed. on target for 8000miles ytd pre-the ride. Nervous yet excited - just want to do it now!
Sunny weather has disappeared and damp if not downright wet weather has replaced it. Hopefully the storm before the lull...?
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