Back in the Saddle! Only 52k :-)

So the weekend started as a hectic rush, nothing un-normal in my life but this was more hectic than normal!  Jean kindly came over to mine to pose for newspaper pictures for us to get an article in the Durham times, Northern Echo and the Advertiser ....Result, Lets hope it brings us some much needed publicity and the foot in the door to a snowball of help fundraising :-)  Poor Jean has been feeling under the weather since her event yet still she summoned up the energy to make it across for the photos....big thank you :-)  We had a nice relaxing Friday nice with a homemade spag bol .... and to be fair an early night ready for our adventure. 

Amazingly after weeks of torrential rain and planning the need for an ark we awoke to a gloriously sunny and pleasant morning. So after a bacon sandwich and cups of coffee we were ready to set off but only after I had mastered the art of fitting Jeans bike computer.


We set of down on my normal route towards Broompark picnic area to start off along the Lanchester route,  Jean was nervous of her knee and after 3 weeks of inactivity due to bad weather I wasn't feeling capable of attempting anything harder. 

The route was nice and the weather was good, but after reaching Lanchester we continued on to Consett and I found this bit particularly hard as it was a contiuous mild incline, I just kept thinking about the amazing downhill section which must have been about to come at any moment.......it went on and on until we decided to stop for a quick Lucozade sweet and cereal bar as I was shaking and struggling :-(  Jean took some amazing pictures along the route and after getting a boost of energy (those sweets are amazing, I MUST stock up!!)  

We pushed on, eventually the amazing downhill section came and at the bottom we were lucky enough to find a beautiful little farm cafe, it may have been little but it was packed Im not surprised as inside there was the most astounding array of local cheeses, fresh meat, fresh vegetables and local produce it was amazing!!  The food looked totally astounding and mouth wateringly good, so we stopped for lunch, it even had bike racks so it must have been fate ;-)  Jean kindly treated me and we both ate a plate of fresh ham, beef and chicken with local cheeses and freshly made bread it was light and filling, just what we needed........Jean also bought us a cheeky fruity scone to pack in our bags for later on in the journey,  It tasted divine :-)  so Thank you :-) xx

After some master map reading skills and super detective work we managed to get onto the C2C route and evetually back onto the route for home.........there was a motorbikers party on in Lanchester, the music sounded good and the weather was amazing it was so tempting to stop for a cheeky beer, but we resisted the urged and pushed on towards home. Every now and again Jean was feeding me Lucozade tablets to keep me going as I was really struggling by this point!! (OH and extremely muddy!!)


The closer to home we got, the more tired I was getting and all I wanted to do was get home, have a nice bath and chill.........I got home to the welcome of hubby wanting me to load heavy stuff into the car to go to the tip, a mass of dirty dises, toys everywhere and the whole neighborhood of kids playing in and out of my garden (hubbys idea of looking after them!) and I had a total tantrum, through tiredness.  Thankfully  Jean put everything back into perspective made me a cup of coffee and made me realise the kids were the most important thing (and they were fine!) and the house could wait until tommorow (today!) probably the best idea since I was having extra kids overnight and all of my work would have been undone anyway :-)  Did I mention I got a tad muddy :-)

I managed to settle all 7 kids by 10pm and was looking forward to settling in my cozy bed for the night but my knees were agony and after the 3rd lot of deep heat I resorted to painkillers....at 2.35am when hubby returned home from a jolly in Durham with is best friend and long time friend he was extremely worse for wear and very loud!  At 4am I retreated to bed with Co-codamol taking its effect, only to be woken at 5.30 am with excited kids waking from their sleepover and ready to play :-/  anyhow I got up and amazingly I am not stiff or sore today and very happy with my achievements!

 I just need to master the art of not having a perfectly tidy house when leaving hubby in charge of the kids with many more long rides to come :-)  Wonder whether hubbys head will hurt when he finally makes it out of bed.......bacon and eggs at the ready :-)

Northern Crisis Event - Wetheral... great success!!

For the last few weeks I've been working towards an event of 'live music' with a Pie & Pea Supper, raffle and Auction... just as well really as it distracted me from not being able to get out on my bike (or do much at the gym) - well a bit!!

It all started at the gym actually, when an old colleague of mine told me he was in a band called 'Northern Crisis'and offered to play for me to help raise funds.. It took wings from there.... I wrote to all the local Village Halls and Wetheral came back with the best offer (£30 for the weekend).. fitting really as Trudy and I used to go to disco's there in our teens.

So I walked the streets of Carlisle and Wetheral and got lots of great donations - originally it was just going to be a raffle, but as the prizes got more extensive I decided it might be a good idea to have an Auction too. I wasn't too sure who to get as an Auctioneer but my choice proved to be a good one.. Sean Reed (who I've worked with and known for many years) was brilliant.. alternative carear awaits him if he ever gets fed-up with the 'day job'... I raised £535 from the Auction alone - I thought I'd be lucky to get half of that!!

As well as the band and the raffle/auction I had a 'Pie & Pea Supper' I wanted to keep it as local as possible so contacted my local pub The Bridge Inn, Penton unfortunately they had too much on to do it all, but kindly donated 3 large pies (enough for 24)... yummy!

The remainder of the pies came 'highly recommended' from a local butchers 'Wilsons' .. the pies lived up to the recommendation and everyone wanted to know where they came from!! The peas became a bit of an epic... with someone saying they'd get them - not coming good until too late, by which time I'd bought them and had them soaking!  Cooked them the day before .. 3 huge pans full - only forgot to switch off the last pan ... result - had to make more the day of the event!!! I also decided to make Cava Jellies and sell them - v successful .. but much fiddlier making 100 as opposed to the dozen or so I'd made previously!! Had to finish them off on the morning of the event too..

Just as well I had a larder fridge and hadn't been shopping!!!

Fortunately Lisa came down to help on the morning of the event.. with Jacqui and Guy's assistance we got the Hall ready.. by lunchtime... all that was left to do was the balloons to be blown up and the raffle tickets to be folded ..

Dashed back home via BikeSeven to buy Lisa a bike for her 30th birthday.. a surprise - she loved it!! 

 Then it was back to the hall to open up for Bars2u to allow them to set up.. not the easiest jobs as there were quite alot of stairs up to the Hall.. but they were brilliant - great bar, fully stocked and really pleasant, helpful people.. recommend them to anyone!! 

We then had to collect a homemade cake from the Village Cafe and take the pies to a friends to heat up in her oven.. got back to the Hall and Alex was waiting..  I had some balloons printed with the Cycle Cuba logo's on that I want to sell to others doing the trip - so this was an ideal opportunity to show them off!!

My friend Jill (who makes amazing bunting) and was making one for me .. only she forgot the date and two days from the event she managed to make and post it to me... maybe I can sell them too!!

So scene was set .. band were doing sound checks.. Ricky Beatty (or should I say 'DJ Downstairs') was ready to do his stuff and the girls (Lisa & Alex) had taken control of the kitchen... now all we needed were people!! Didn't start too well - first person to arrive brought back their tickets as they couldn't make it!! Then an elderly couple walked in, heard the band play - turned around and walked out... they did come back later and seemed to really enjoy themselves!!

Then they started to come and before I knew it the Hall was full and people were eating and having fun.. I bought a whisky bottle (a good one from a small shop in Keswick that closed) and people had to throw a £1 coin towards it... the nearest after 15 minutes won it - very successful.. and good fun.

So it was an evening of fun.. after days of stressing about not selling enough tickets.. not really for the fund raising side of it, but more because I wanted the band to have a good audience, Bars2u to make money and to have a good atmosphere for all the people who had bought tickets to enjoy themselves..  Fortunately it was..

The band were brilliant..

DJ Downstairs was great...

The food was yummy...

.. and one little girl loved the balloons..

.. and I raised a staggering £1,794!!!

Incredible - thank you so much everyone.. in particular Lisa, Alex and Jacqui who helped so much at the event.. and to Northern Crisis, Ricky, Sean, all those who donated prizes, bought tickets, bid at the Auction, bought the jellies and came along and supported me on the night... :-)

Now I just need to get fit again and out on my bike!!

Poorly knee... oh dear me!!

17 years ago... in one silly moment - in a moment of 'fun and frivolity'.. oh OK - alchol was involved, I did something REALLY stupid that I'm still paying the price for!!

I was at a party in a pub in Nether Wasdale following a Lake District Show  - we all got talking and about the day.. the fell race... the Cumberland Wrestling .. and wasn't it unfair that only men did it!!  Egged on by several male friends (??!!!) Megan and I decided to give it a go.. Megan is quite petite and when I went to fall on her I decided in a split second I might hurt her and twisted to one side - well my knee did .. but my foot didn't!! My knee swelled up like a balloon and I was carried to hospital the next day ... after spending a very long night in a tent listening to a sheep eating grass - very loudly!! I had torn my cruciate ligament and ripped the cartillage.. it took months to get an appointment for an operation ... and then it didn't work properly and I had to have a further one .. The result still wasn't brilliant (could never ski or anything that involved twisting or high impact).. and every step I take I can feel and have to think about.. but it was something I learnt to live with and adapt to. 

That apparently is half my problem - I have adapted to the injury by using the outer muscle in my thigh and the inner muscle is very weak.. so my knee gave in a couple of weeks ago at the bike maintenance course..

The outcome was that I had over 2 weeks of not doing anything and have been totally frustrated!! I had hoped to get out walking and cycling over Easter, the weather was great for it too.. but I couldn't do anything - still gave me the opportunity to make curtains for my daughter's new house!!

On my return I went to see Lyndsey Regan-Anderson at Atlas Physiotherapy .. she also teaches at DW Fitness and has been helping me organising events for my fund raising - I also go to her Pilates classes.  So she assessed my knee and told me that I can only go to the gym alternate nights and do 30 mins on a fixed bike with no resistance.. and gave me some very simple exercises to improve my flexibility - she also strapped my knee cap over a bit to see if it helped .. it did :-)

So I was totally flat and frustrated when I left - I know it's not until next year that I really need to train properly.. but I was getting reasonably fit and loved being out on my bike and doing more and more... now I can't do anything!! Still I guess I just have to put my head down and get on with it and concentrate on the fund raising and my event on 5th May!!

I did go on the bike last night and did 12.5km (in half an hour) - I was a bit nervous at first .. but was alot more confident by the end ... and my knee seemed to be more flexible! 

Lyndsey has said I can go to Pilates - got one booked for thursday.. going to see if I can get in tomorrow night.. and will definately be back on the bike tomorrow too - even if it is just in the gym!!

Rain, Rain and more RAIN! a small update ...

OK, so its been a bit quiet, no post and no riding :-s not good!!  Especially since I need to test my newly changed tyre ;-)  Oh well, the weather has been pants, I have had poorly children, hubbys motorbike is broken and his snooker has taken off again!!
 
OK, so there is a bonus to hubbys bike broken and that is that I have to get off my bum walking the kids to school and back and to work and back, a decent distance everyday and certainly more than the reccomended 10,000 steps lol.  So I havent been inactive I just dont have many stories!!  I don't even want to think about the motorbike bill since we have already tried £50 worth of stuff.......so watch this space.....I want my car back!!  I haven't even been able to get my bike to the bike shop to fix my gears!!

On a HUGE plus, two newspaper reporters have got back to me about writing a story in the North East on Jean and I's journey, so hopefully it will all be positive and this time they might get my age right!!  The event I am planning is coming along nicely and I have quite a number of raffle prizes :-D  I have 45 reserved tickets I just need the pennies to start rolling in ;-) 

So even though I havent been out on my bike, I have been continuing on my journey!  and long may it continue............

Bike maintenance is the name of the game this week!!!

I (like Alex) decided I really should learn how to fix a bit about bike maintenance - just in case I got a puncture.. although I have been cycling for over a year (generally on my own and in remote places!!!)... Lady Luck has been smiling on me I think :-). I did learn how to take my wheels off (so I could get the bike in my Fiat 500) by watching YouTube .. but I wanted a more 'hands on' experience.
So I booked an evening course at The Greystoke Cycle Cafe (2.5 hrs.. although we were there over 3hrs for £24) - well worth it!!
Just looked on their photo albums and much to my dismay found 4 photos of me - talking in each one and with a dark patch on my top where I'd spilt my tea and washed it off so as not to get a stain!!! Oh dear..

The guy who took it (Steve Woods) was really informative and could answer anything and everything we asked... I was amazed how badly people maintain (or don't) their bikes... I didn't feel alone!! One of the bike's rear brake wasn't even connected - much to the amusement of the lady in the picture (it was her son's bike!). There were a huge array of bikes there - from a mountain bike with disc brakes to a very old bike with no gears, no quick release wheels... and very little tread on the tyres! We worked in pairs and managed to remove the wheels and change the inners, check pressures of tyres, check wear of chains and a bit about indexing. 

Steve used my bike for demonstration purposes, he told us all about Presta & Schrader valves - he thought at first mine was a Schrader valve with a cap on it till he removed it and discovered it was a Woods Valve with a spring loaded valve... that went flying across the room at great force!! They're not often seen in this country but used in countries like Finland and Holland... which could explain things as the place I bought my bike at is run by a Dutch family.  Only trouble with this was I didn't have my pump with me and we discovered that a Track Pump (which is great about £20, easy to use and shows the exact pressure of the tyre) would not work on my Woods Valve!!!! Steve wouldn't let me go home with a flat tyre.. so gave me a new inner too.. Not his night actually as he discovered another girl had a thorn in her mountain bike tyre (which he removed) .. this was blocking up the hole and her tyre then developed a slow puncture... so he gave her a new inner too!!

The really strange thing about the evening though was that Steve was just back from Cuba!!! He lives over there in the Winter and takes people on Adventure Holidays - amazing coincidence!  He told me about a place in Trinidad (Cuba) called 'The Steps' or 'The Stairs' where there is amazing music and that nearby is a club called 'Caves'.. which literally is a labyrinth of underground caves!  His bike trips sound amazing and are based on a historical tour of the South of the Island... may have to look it up if I stay over there longer than the week... although somehow I don't another cycling trip will be foremost on my mind!!  He did put my mind at ease about snakes though.. I had a fear of them whilst cycling through the Sugar Fields.. I kept thinking I'd ride over one and get it stuck in my spokes!! Yuk!! He assured me that the only snakes over there are Boa Constrictors (very reassuring!!) but apparently they rely on vibrations to know something is coming to pounce on and squash.. but they would also know that we were not what they were looking for (on bikes) and head in the opposite direction as fast as they could!! Phew!!

The thing that wasn't so good about the night was that I did something very strange to my knee (I've had 2 operations on it about 15 years ago for torn anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage) - I'd never quite experienced such a strange feeling with it.. and all I did was stand up!! It was really grinding and a sort of gruanchy feeling inside .. next day it was swollen and painful - this got worse by Friday and was like a balloon!!

So my Easter Holidays (which were meant to be 50% helping Lisa with her new house and seeing Jonas) and 50% cycling, walking etc, ended up being 100% decorating, cleaning, (seeing beautiful baby Jonas) and making curtains!! So, so frustrating... the weather was perfect for getting out on my bike - and I haven't dared book any classes at the gym!!!!  What I have done though is make an appointment with a Sports Physiotherapist for a full asssessment next friday - she teaches Pilates at DW Fitness and has been helping me sort my events there.  I figure it's better getting it sorted this year rather than next!! The assessment only costs £37 for 40 minutes - if I can come out of it with a way forward I'll be happy.. and be money well spent :-)

Finally yesterday.. a very sad day - couldn't help think about Trudy all day and how much I really miss her.. I ended up taking some tulips to her grave and sat there on the grass talking to her.. hard to believe she's been gone for 2 years now - she'll always live on in my heart ..
I raised a glass of red wine to her last night it seemed a fitting tribute (and one I did last year too) - Cheers Trudy...

Another anniversary, love you mum xx

Ok so what do you say, yesterday was another year dissintegrated and another year gone. It was 2 years since my mums passing, no easier than the first or the day she finally lost the fight.  I have shed many a tear in the last few days and I am sure I still will as her birthday would have been the 18th April too. :-(  I know life goes on and mum would be happy with the path I have chosen I just wish heaven had a phone so we could have a chat :-)

Evidence I did it at home!

My back wheel too :-)!

This morning I went for my bike maintainance lesson at directcarparts.co.uk and to be honest I dont think poor Lewis knew I was a dumb blond when I started, OK a dumb blond with a degree in business and a diploma in wedding planning and event management , but seriously as far as mechanical stuff is concerned I am filedin the cabinet under B for blonde!  He really tried very hard and I ummed and ahhed hoping I had a clue.....wish I thought about bringing my bike, but unfortunatly Simon had rode in on his which became a victim of my lesson, I am sorry and I hope it was fixed for hometime ;-)

back in one piece, OH YEAH!!

Simon was also kind enough to put up a poster for my upcoming event and he let me have an inner tube for me to put in my backpack (hopefully will be never needed :-)) and a nice pair of fleecy wind/chill proof gloves......no more frostbite fingers I hope :-))) fingers crossed!!

I came home with a lot more condfidence, I went into the garage and believe it or not fixed the brakes on my old bike which is currently on e-bay, I was extremely impressed I had come away with such an understanding and was really pleased an early morning had been so successfully filled.....Get Well Soon Lewis who bless him even though he felt poorly had made it in to help me :-)

I successfully managed to put my front wheel back the right way round and then took the back wheel off to fake a tyre change.  I managed to take the wheel off and deconstruct the tyre easily....it took me way more time to get it back together, but I did it, yes thats right I CHANGED IT ALL ON MY OWN! OK, so i'm excited but i have tried many times over the years and I have NEVER been able to do it!!  I can now!!

BIKE FIXED!! CHUFFED!! TY XX



So I know now even if I am many miles away from home it doesnt matter....it might take me an hour to change it, but I can change it :-)  I really appreciate the help!!!  Thank you www.directcarparts.co.uk :-)

14.9km getting worse yet better!

The title may sound strange but exactly describes my cycling!  I got up early this morning in a slight a bad mood with hubby :-/ (he says I spend too much time on the computer...to be fair he is probably right!) and decided I was going to cycle as far away from home as my little legs would carry me. 

It started off well and I had wrapped up with loads off layers since it was only 8.30am and it was raining :-s but still I went and surely that is worth brownie points!  I enjoyed the first bit, adrenaline probably factored in too due my upset, but soon that turned to tears of real upset as being on my own always makes me think about things and a realisation that 2 years ago today I spoke to my mum properly for the very last time......ever! 

Saturday will be 2 years to the day since she passed away and it hurts the same now as it did then.  I thought about my hubby and how you never know what life is going to deal you, life is too short for anger and holding a grudge so I stopped my bike got my phone out and phoned hubby to say sorry. 

I was at about 7km from home along the Brandon/Bishop Aukland route.......and it made me think more about how sad in myself I am actually feeling.......I am upset at what is happening to my body and there is nothing I can do about it......not that many of my friends read this, and to be honest its not like I got anything to hide.....at the ripe old age of 32 I am going through the early menopause :-(  Its not like I wanted more kids or anything but it still hurts to think my body is a dud and I am going through things that a 50 year old women should be going through really makes me feel like crap and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it!! :-((  That doubled with the anniversary of my mum, is making me feel pretty pants!

I kept riding a bit further and the more my mind was running riot the more I felt like all I wanted was a cuddle from hubby and to be sat at home where I could no longer think about all the sad things.....I am too busy for that!!  Why am I blogging it..who knows...........back to the ride. 

So, as you've gathered 14.9 km is worse than the distances I have previously completed which to be honest isn't very good, yet I think the hills on the route I took today were way steeper and I am proud to say I managed all of them except one on the way back at broompark picnic area and even then I got halfway  up which on the first ride I ever did was an impossibility so it means I am getting better albeit slowly :-) 

I have decided that I need to get some better shoes for cycling, because my feet were wet and some long fingered cycling gloves because my fingers were in pain!  I have decided I also need a cycling buddy for the odd occassion because I think too much lol.  I think a buddy would help me to increase my speed and distance because sometimes I go into my own world and forget what I am actually supposed to be doing :-/

I think thats enough of my sorry state today at least I went out and I wasnt in as much pain as Tuesday.............onwards and upwards as they say xx  Love you Mum xx