Writing this update has been on my to-to list since the turn of the year so I am glad I am finding the time to write up what I must regard as a success after the last few years. Since I had my DVT in September 2018 I took a long time to get going again. 2020 was disrupted by the problems with my left hip until I finally had the replacement in November 2020. I spent the last few weeks of the year getting used to “Artie”. A few days before the end of the year, I spoke to my consultant Mr Evans and he said that I would be able to start cycling again. I began with a very gentle 6 mile ride on the trainer.
The best way to sum up progress from then is by looking at the targets that I set and achieved.
If you get bored with reading my rambling account then just look at the pictures if I can get the slide show to work!! The slideshow is derived from my Strava account.
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2021 cycling miles
I achieved this with a week to go with a virtual ride on the trainer around the Barbican and Stonehouse Pool in Plymouth. I had discovered this ride on Fulgaz and indeed it was one of the reasons that I decided to use this virtual program. It brings back many memories and was made even more poignant by the death of my good friend Rob late the Monday before Christmas. This blog is not the place for these memories but I am sure that I shall find time to set up a tribute to him.
The ride also includes “Devil’s Point”. When we lived in Plymouth, my grandmother and her sister (my favourite Auntie Ivy) would visit from Dunstable. Every day they would catch the bus and walk to Devil’s Point where they would “see the sea!”. So another set of memories.
But I digress. Over the last few weeks of the year I focused on more frequent, flat rides to build up the distance with several repeated rides each week. But I got there.
I also achieved my other cycling targets including a single 50 mile ride in June, the climb up to Stiperstones from home and an ascent of the Hope Valley.
Looking at my Strava statistics I did about 360 miles on outdoor rides so the remainder were on the TACX Neo trainer. Since I bought this in 2019, I have completed over 3000 miles on this bit of kit which I can recommend. New target – this year I am aiming to increase the proportion of outdoor rides so that at least a third of my miles are outside. Having looked at the Strava training log, it is difficult to work out how many miles I completed on each bike so I intend to maintain a separate spreadsheet to add to my history page.
A triathlon
Between 1988 and 1996 I completed a number of triathlons before work meant that I was away from home for long periods of time. My last was the famed Burnham on Sea triathlon in 1996 which included some memorable training on the Malverns while working in the area.
In 2004 I completed the London Triathlon competing with my niece – it was what would now have been desribed as a sprint triathlon around the Excel centre in east London. I have some photos somewhere that I shall add to this account in the future.
More focus on work until my breakdown in 2008 when I began to go out on the bike. On our return from a charity walk on Snowdon in 2011, I saw competitors completing the first edition of the Slateman Triathlon. I decided I could probably complete another tri and so in September of that year attempted the Sandman Triathlon on Angelsey for the first time.
Since then I have tried to complete at least one a year – see historic memories – until 2020 when all events were cancelled due to the pandemic. So a target for 2021 was to complete at least one and this was achieved at the Snowman Super Sprint in July. When looking at my statistics for the year on Strava I see my fasted bike split was the bike leg of that event.
The other “triathlon” was the Mongomery canal triathlon at the beginning of September. This involved cycling from Newtown to Belan, a five mile kayak leg and then a 9.5 mile walk to the finish the other side of Llanymenech. I was joined for the walk by Susan which was her main target for the year and it was an excellent day. The moment crossing from Wales into England was recorded by a volunteer photographer as below.
Other activities
Walking and rowing
Despite regularly thinking I should set goals for these activities I did not sustain any long efforts at either. I keep thinking I should walk more regularly as an attempt to lose weight but despite having more time I have not been disciplined enough. I mention them here as I have set targets for both of these activities in the coming year.
Swimming
As lockdown eased I took up going to SPARC in Bishop’s Castle on a regular basis and enjoyed a couple of evening swims when I was the only one in the pool – bliss. I tried hard to get comfortable and faster with front crawl but still found it difficult as shown in my swim at the Snowman.
Then in November I got some very good news. I had always believed that breaststroke leg kick would be risky for Artie but Mr Evans reassured me that this was not the case and so when I start to train again for events this year I am relieved that I shall be able to fall back on my tried and tested breast-stroke.