One week to go!

Went out today to complete the Tour de France challenge I've been chasing for the last year. The challenge was to compete the original TdF milage. Now that's over, it's a week until the London Edinburgh Lobdon ride. So a week of reducing the milage and eating enough food to make nursey blow a gasket.

 

Gravel and Mr Michael

 Yesterday saw a bit of an epic. After a wet weekend, I decided that it was time to get Lance (Specialized) the gravel bike out. Partly because he has mudguards, also it meant I could cross the Severn Valley and not have to come back via Ironbridge (Jiggers) and the increasing number of traffic lights and roadworks. Or risk the by-pass which I didn't fancy after an earlier encounter with a fire engine. 

Going south of Bridgnorth means hills and they're particularly horrid. Navigation is also an issues, with intermittent phone signals and hidden or missing road signs. At one point I nearly missed a turning as the sign was buried in a hedge. Not wanting to descend and then re-climb a hill I got off and found the sign in a hedge - only readable from the uphill direction.

Perhaps that's the attraction of south Shropshire. It is like being in the middle of no-where. Once back on the road I headed for Bridgnorth. The road down Oldbury has been a favourite since my school days. It now has one of those smiley face signs to regulate traffic speed. I felt a sense of achievement when it turned red. Not bad for an aging diabetic on a gravel bike.

I then followed the Severn Way and Silkin Way home. Might not have been step, but the unsurfaced path was a pain in the butt - literally.

Today saw me back out of Herman-the-German-flying-machine with Michael. An old friend and yoga teacher. Michael has just started to emerge from lockdown. This is in part due to his wife needing serious surgery and follow-up treatment. In normal circumstances she would have needed to isolate to avoid colds and flu, but the Covid situation has made matters worse.

Michael can still hold his own on a bike, despite his advancing years. However, not having ridden any hills for over two years we managed to find a gentle route (if such a thing exists) around the Wrekin. Only issue with living on top of a hill, it is always hard work getting home.

The new wheels for Herman still haven't arrived and I hope to get something sorted soon. Bad news from the London-Edinburgh-London organisers is that Yad Moss is off due to road works. So they have found a steeper and longer detour. Great!

Fund raising and Willey

 The fund raising side took pride of place last weekend (2/7/22) when we held our afternoon tea. A fantastic effort from Pam and Auntie Pattie saw funds pass the £700 mark. So many people contributed to the day, not just in cash, but also in the kind gifts for bring and buy etc.

We still have Miriam's handcrafted lucky dip envelopes  if anyone fancies a punt at £1 each. Not only do you get the chance to win a random prize (badges and various bits that include the odd £5 note), but every envelope comes with it's own handcrafted cycle paperclip. A unique prize for any cyclist.

The last week saw my mileage plummet when I was forced to take time off work and the bike to deal with a sickness bug. Only advantage is it stripped me of 1.5Kg of weight and any sense of dignity, as my stomach deposited its content and lining down the pan at regular intervals. This has now cleared and yesterday I was back out on the road.

I went out to the village of Willey.

Last time I was here I was on an Audax and didn't have time to take the obligatory schoolboy photographs. It caused some amusement on Facebook. In addition to the village hall there are a few spinoffs, such as the Willey Wanderers Football Club.

 I'm not obsessing with the place, but Pam's family (through mother) are related to the local estate owner, through the marriage of Lord Forester of Willey's sister to a Mr Keay around 200 years ago.

After Willey it was onto Bridgnorth. The ride was not without incident. The drug dealing motorised teenagers of Telford now see trying to knock cyclists off as a new sport. I'm so glad I did some race training a few years back with Newport CC. I'm well equipped to delivering a Mark Renshaw type response should they get too close. Why our wonderful intelligence lead police forced haven't made the link between expensive e scooters and drugs beggars belief.

My wheels are also becoming an issue. After having a new set fitted following the destruction of my freewheel, the new set had loose spokes and lost true after only 200 miles. The bike shop sorted this, but now the bearings are rattling. The response to this one will be interesting. I may have to bite the bullet and just get a decent set that will last the 1500 Km. 

If you haven't donated, but like to. Then please follow the link below. You will change a life.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/andrew-rudge4

Got a bit wet today!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfcFgbpM7cE/?utm_source=ig_web_button_native_share 

The chase continues!

 Well Nursey isn't happy with me! I didn't get much of a well done for reducing my glucose levels from 23mmol/L to 9, she just wants to medicate me. My argument is that chasing remission is going to take time. It's taken 6 months to half the level to what would be regarded as pre-diabetes for a new patient, another six months and I could be there. I have already hit 6.5 on a number of occasions, but she thinks these are isolated incidents - so was 21mmol/L! I believe it shows potential, just a case of finding a way to stay at that level.

She did offer "social prescribing for diet and exercise." I asked for the qualification of the advisor and asked did it involve some prescription to a gym? She went quiet and I pointed out the mileage I pedalled at the weekend - 127miles.  She then checked my BMI ( around 28), which is acceptable. Nursey not very happy, in fact very unhappy. She couldn't send me to fat clinic and and I seem to know more than her public health advisor about exercise.

I was offered a range of medications. It now appears that I can have metformin as my liver enzymes have returned to an acceptable level. She assumed I had cut my drinking. Well I had changed my drinking patterns - red wine changed to white, lager or light ale changed to stout. Yes Guinness is marvellous and rumoured to have many health benefits. I didn't tell Nursey that one. As for metformin, even the NHS admits to it having side affects and I would much rather have a sore arse from cycling than spending time running to the toilet.

As to the ride. I rode a  AUDAX UK permanent course called The Wandering Wolves. This a 200km loop starting at Codsall and going out to Chester. See the FATMAP if you want details. This is fairly flat and I joined the course at Donnington. That way I didn't have to travel too far from home. I could have extended the route to start from home, but that would have left a long climb to complete at the end of the day.

The early part of the day was spent battling out to Codsall, for some reason this took ages and I arrived 45 minutes behind the control closing time. I did manage to make up the time on the next stretch to Market Drayton. The ride to Chester was ok, but the headwinds started and the ride to to Holt and Wem was a real battle with the speed falling away as I watched the Garmin. Then the rain started and I arrived in Wem in my rain jacket. I was so glad Pam had driven out to meet me at the last control with coffee and empanadas. This set me up for the wet ride back to Donnington.

I know the hills of South Shropshire can be tough, but at least they're scenic. The Cheshire Gap became so dull after the first 20miles. I never want to see another black and white cow or leafy lane. It all looks the same! But at least it is reasonably flat.

Monday was back on the mountain bike for an after work ride. I had planned to ride into work this week, but late meetings and rain put pay to this. Perhaps a ride around the Severn valley tomorrow. This weekend will also see our fundraiser for Shelter at home. I know many in the AUDAX community don't like sponsorship for events, and organised charity events have got out of hand. I don't need to ride for charity, but I wasn't going to miss the chance to raise some money.

Shelter is close to my heart for a number of reasons. I only avoid being made homeless by the skin of my teeth when my parents lost their house in the recession of the 1980s/90s. There was social housing then and families were kept together, we were okay. For anyone in their early 20s now I fear for how they could ever afford rent or a mortgage. I also can't believe how people are expected to live. The tented city under the flyover in Manchester or the guy with his furniture on Tower Hill in London. I will often give a quid to those sleeping out as a cup of tea or a shot could be a lifesaver. Even if it's put towards drugs I don't mind, a substance misuse worker told me opiates can stop the cold from feeling painful.

I can't help everyone out there, at least supporting Shelter goes some way to helping more people get somewhere safe to sleep. Or may even help prevent them from being put out on the streets.

200KM in a day

 On Saturday I completed a 200km Audax. More information to follow, but I expect most of you have already read about it on other platforms. Enjoy watching the route on the FATMAP provided.

A big thank you to Pam for being in Wem with coffee and food. Also a big shout out to Biketek for setting up Herman-the-German-flying-machine (Focus bike) and enabling me to get this one ticked in a day.

 https://www.bike-tek.co.uk/

To view my rides or donate to Shelter please visit:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/andrew-rudge4

A pound!

Well the bad news is that I've put on a kilo this month, or a pound in old money. A quote from Peter Kay comes to mind:

"A pound! I could ......., a pound!"

I'm sure you all know the routine.

I've also had my NHS blood check. I cycled to RSH to get the glucose down. No cycle parking, but they do have a smoking shelter outside the blood test unit. Well done NHS for creating such a health centred environment.

Training continues and I'm off to Chester at the weekend to get a long ride in. Don't forget our up coming fundraiser. You haven't received an invite, but would to join us, then just email for details.

Half-term boot camp.

When I left work on Friday, a colleague said, "I know what you're doing next week. Lots of cycling."
She was correct. Saturday was on the river with a SUP customer, but then it started. A damp Monday saw me taking out the mountain bike, that way I had the option of heading into the woods to escape the rain. I headed down to Ironbridge and along the Severn towards Bridgnorth. This included passing my old school.

Not Hogwarts, more Stalag 13 meets the Shining. I've included a @FATMAP for this ride as it may be something visitors to Telford might enjoy. The MTB was a mistake as there was a fair bit of tarmac to get back to Broseley.
The end of the week saw Pam and I staying with friends in South Shropshire. I rode down on Thursday afternoon and back on Friday. Progress was slow. The gravel bike although welcome on the worn out country lanes is far from a speed machine. The average speed is far too slow for the L-E-L, so this week I'm going to start riding Herman-the-German-Flying-Machine.

This was my Ride London Surrey 100 bike back in 2015/16. This bike is light and fast, just need to see how it handles the longer endurance type rides.
I'm not into the monarchy and the Jubilee passed. We did go to watch the fireworks on Caradoc while in the south of the county. An underwhelming experience, but at least someone was trying.

So this week is back to work and the start of preparations for our fundraising afternoon tea in July. If you would like to come along, please message me for details. Obliviously you tea and scone will require a donation, but there will also the chance to be insulted by Dawley's answer to Mrs Brown, who unlike the weather is always guaranteed - to offend.
The glucose levels are also coming down. The weekly average is below 10mmol/L - even after food. However, my blood pressure nearly hit a new high today, when a woman with obesity issues bragged about her husband getting a continuous blood glucose monitor. They both take no exercise and she had the nerve to tell me that us type 2s do not deserve expensive equipment because it is our own fault. My mother and two aunties on my father's side had diabetes. Hence probably a genetic link, but I'm not going to fight it with insulin, chips and daytime telly. If I had seen this coming I would have taken preventative measures.
In 1998 I realised my weight was becoming an issue, with regular cycling I managed to get it down from 19 stone to 16 stone in 3 months. I have cycled the London Surrey twice and managed in 2017 to pass the swim test for the PADI Divemaster assessment (similar to a lifeguard test). I am now 15 stone 3 lbs, I've not been this light in years. Then the fat lump before me had the nerve to suggest it was my lifestyle. When I was tested for diabetes I had already begun training for the L-E-L. This chase for remission won't end here, type 2 diabetes is a state of mind and not a permanent condition.

If you would like to donate to my nominated charity, please used the following link:

Shelter

London-Edinburgh-London

 

I’m doing it again..this time it’s the BIG one !!

 

London..Edinburgh…London  Cycle Ride

LEL 1500kms/932 miles in 125 hours

https://londonedinburghlondon.com/about

 

Setting out on Sunday 7^th August at 11.15am

 

This time I’m raising money for SHELTER because everyone should have the right to a home. Shelter works to alleviate the distress caused by homelessness and bad housing. Shelter will help people find and keep a home. They campaign for decent housing for all. Their work won’t stop until there’s a home for everyone.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/andrew-rudge4

To kick things off we’re having an afternoon tea and fundraiser

On

Saturday 2^nd July from 1pm at our home.

We’d love you to join us!

Come see the bike, check out the route, drink tea and eat cake!

To read the full story of my training, visit:

https://chasingremission.blogspot.com/

@AndrewRudge67

AUDAX Discovering Shropshire

 As well as running events where everyone starts together, AUDAX UK also run permanent courses. These you can enter online and after paying the required fee just upload your GPX file afterwards to prove you did the course. Sounds easy?

That was the plan until Shropshire Highways and the weather decided to intervene. On my planned ride in April the road from Bridgnorth to Ludlow was closed and it snowed on the Clee Hill, a postponement was in order. The road works continued and after an exchange of emails the organiser let me know someone had made it through. So on Saturday i set off to ride the course. there were a number of road closures in place, but these appeared to be ignored by most locals and luckily the road block was in place on the B4364 at junction where I turned for the lanes to Cleobury Mortimer. A welcomed turn away from potential hot tarmac and days of scrubbing the bike!

The ride was hard. It has been some time since my last London 100 ride, but Shropshire always makes Surrey look flat. Box Hill is nothing compared to what the county of Housman can throw up infront of the unsuspecting cyclist. 1,810m of ascent was a serious, I was out for just short of 8 hours. Not a time I expected as I had previous cover the London 100 in 6H 16M 49S, this included stoppage for someone dying on route.

The Shropshire Hills east of Wenlock Edge always have the leg wrecking hills within hills. These are small stream and river valleys that appear as rippled lines on the elevation profile. On the road they are steep rises that appear like in front of you and although the overall profile only reads 3% or 4 % the actual gradient may be nearer 10%. Crossing the boundary The Edge forms always presents a welcome relief and real hills with a top and bottom.

The roads were another issue. I road my Specialised gravel bike and was glad of the fattish tyres and beefy frame. I am sure my carbon fibre road bike would have suffer damage on unrepaired roads that still contained the debris from winter storms and the passage of farm vehicles.

I was glad to reach the sanctuary of Church Stretton and the lanes around The lawley. Then came Wenlock and a sprint to Ironbridge via Benthall to be back inside the time limit. I made it by 10 minutes. This week will be back to commuting and the possibility of a long ride during half-term. 

66:16:496:16:49:16:49

Shropshire Lad

 I remember a teacher at school talking about A. E. Housman and A Shropshire Lad, how he was talking about, "the deep countryside of Shropshire." Where I rode on Sunday qualifies as this and would have been recognised by Houseman. Sandstone lanes, trees, the sharp Edges rising out of the flatlands and The Lawley. 

This wasn't the longest ride I've done in training, but the 807m of climbing was tough. The good news was my speed is increasing and the average speed is getting somewhere near what will be needed for being in with a chance on the big ride. Unfortunately even a tough ride doesn't appear to be hitting the glucose levels like it did when I first went back into training. Time to try something different.

This week it will be back into commuting, but the GCSE season and and after school meetings are eating into the time available. 

As I been a bit secretive about the summer ride, I haven't collected any donations for Shelter yet. If anyone would like to be the first please use the link

https://www.justgiving.com/andrew-rudge4

If you have aspirations to be a main or lead sponsor, please get in touch.

Back on the road again.

 After a couple of weeks in Spain, it was time to get the bike out again. A short but steep ride on Sunday to test the bike after the layup and then a commute today. Sunday's ride is in the Latest Ride box. The news from Spain is that I have discovered running. I have always hated running with a malice that verged on psychotic.

However, the thought of two weeks in Spain with no bike and the possibility of a total loss of fitness led me out onto the roads and hills with Pam. One of our most memorable runs were on the Sierra Gador, where you really felt that it was like running on top of the world. 

As a result I have left my old running shoes in Spain - shoes that have been used about five times in 12 years, with the intention of doing more next time I'm there. I have ordered a new pair for use back home. Buying running shoes has been off my agenda for years.

The running was made possible due to the NHS Couch to 5K app. This is brilliant and gives a training programme that splits the runs into manageable chunks. I started the Spain runs on about week three, making the assumption that because of the earlier training on the bike I wasn't starting from scratch. If you do need to start having done no exercise, do follow the app from the beginning. I have Sarah Millican as my voiceover. This works well as a motivator as I think Sarah has known the pain. Only problem is at the end of the run I find myself waiting for the punchline that never arrives.

We did enjoy the odd post run tapas or ice-cream. I'm sure if this was an option in the UK my mileage would suddenly increase!

The blood glucose levels have been a rough ride, with levels all over the shop. I hope without the temptations of Spain and a change of supplements, I could have it back under control. Today I managed a reading of 6.5 mmol/L, this is my lowest so far and hope this is indication of something moving at last.

New ride!

Saturday's planned AUDAX permanent cancelled due to weather (bit cold to go up the Clee) and road closures out towards Ludlow. So, a new route around Cound Moor. See FATMAP.  Bit of a training ride for the summer event as it contains every sort of terrain that I'll encounter in miniature. Announcements next month on where I'll be riding.