Practical Matt – you have written so well the very way I feel, thanks.

Anyway JoJo does your other half mtb? If so, have you considered a tandem. I was so desperate to ride a bike again that we borrowed one. It was so beneficial to me that we've now bought our own off roading tandem from a guy off here. It's good fun and being the stoker I can sit back a bit and just enjoy the ride. Mind you there is quite alot of energy used up in my screaming on the downhills.

I hope everyone (above) who is still suffering starts to feel better soon.

Bunnyhop – Member

Anyway JoJo does your other half mtb? If so, have you considered a tandem.

Now thats a great idea – you can have a shot on ours if you want!

I suspect that it might not go well 🙂 It would be fun to watch ( from a distance!)

You have got to be strict with yourself regarding your capabilities and not get angry that you can no longer do the big things you used to, this won’t last forever and you will get better.

This was the biggie for me – took me a long time to stop being really really angry and severely depressed about it. I just couldn't see a future for myself.

Getting a lot more philosophical about it now but it's still hard sometimes.

I would not stress about not biking, just find something else to obsess about for a year! You body remembers so when it's ready, you'll be riding again and your fitness and skills will come back quickly, so don't worry about it. May I recommend learning electric guitar?

Hope you feel better mentally and physically as soon as possible.

Good luck jojo. No experience of this, just listen to your body and stay upbeat. Optimism rules!

My sister had this when she was a teenager. Life got put on hold for 2 yrs while her body caught up, sort of repaired itself a bit. She's a School Governor, wannabe Councillor and Green Party activist these days, no flare ups that I know of for years. It takes different amounts of time but like someone else said, don't WTFU, please. Your body is trying to say something to you, listen just for a bit, and find something pootly to do like kniting, cross stitching, making pin cushions out of silly material, baking, painting, drawing, XBoxing…anything low impact where you can drift off for a bit and it wont matter.
Oh and *hugs* which is the retro geek way of conveying much sympathy.

Hi Jo – hope you feel better soon. Get a good rest!

WTFD seems to be the advice of the day then!!

Jo I can't imagine how difficult it will be for you to get used to doing nothing and really letting your body recover, but it has to be worth it for however long it takes to be rid of it properly doesn't it? Really, time goes so fast befiore you know it you will be back on the bike again, and staying back on the bike. I'm sending healing vibes and a blatant girlie hug up from Penrith 😀

Sorry to resurrect, but I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for their messages, even the ones that suggested I should think myself lucky I don't have cancer…. I'm in no way complacent about my relative health compared to some. It's just nice to get some 'warm fluffies' when you're feeling rotten; and that's exactly what I got. Sunbathed in a sleepingbag this morning, not quite warm enough on the Moray Coast for a swimsuit yet… Thanks again 🙂 x

Jojo we thought something was wrong with you when Everlong and myself 😯 managed to finish above you at ten under the ben. Keep on going you will be back to your lighting fast pace soon.

Cheers Jordie, I should never have ridden. I knew I wasn't well, but was too pigheaded to retire and let my team-mate down.

Only just seen this, but I Had this a couple of times, when I was in College and again when I was at Uni. Just take it easy, and don't get frustrated at yourself, it will get better in the end. And don't let anyone make you feel guilty for feeling rotten, CFS isn't a trivial little thing, the me association can offer support or advice if you need it.

Get plenty of sleep, and if you are doing something and you feel tired or achey, stop doing it and take a breather for a while. You don't need to give up cycling, I didn't give up kayaking when I was suffering from it at uni, at times it was the only thing got me up and out, and it gave me something to look forward to.

You might need to cut back though, maybe a couple of short gentle rides a week or something, the important thing is not to force it, take it very easy, and just enjoy getting out on the bike, rather than doing anything big and long and tough.

And get well soon 😉

Hey Jojo,

hope you are on the mend asap!!

I missed you riding past at warp-factor-big-ring during ten under calling me a 'Jayboy' this year!!

A few months a easy pedaling is better than gubbing yourself now and suffering for even longer!

Take care dudette!!

I've a friend who had this or something similar. He's a doctor who didn't go along with ME/Post viral fatigue diagnosis and in the end a blood test showed up antibodies to an adenovirus (or Ah dunno virus as we called it). The advice was to rest and when feeling a bit better start exercising but expect to be absolutely knackered afterwards but not to be put off by this. Then gradually build up back to normal fitness. This is a guy who could run half marathons in 1.15 and marathons in 3hrs.

In the end it took about 1yr to 18 months to get back and now he's as fit as ever. He does seem to get every cold going though and when I clear old text messages off my phone they're mostly him saying he thinks he's starting with a cold, etc so can't come out for a run. In other words he's ultra cautious about ignoring possible viral infections. Trouble is he can have six weeks off and still skip up the hills leaving me and the other one like asthmatic steam trains in his wake!

Hope that helps. Best of luck. Enjoy the rest!

bunnyhop…….its very clear that youve never ridden with jo…….she would be on the front of the tandem !, hang on in there jo, youll be back stronger than ever 😀 p.s. can i borrow a tube ?

Never ridden with Jojo, but have seen pictures of her jumping off mahoosive rocks and descending stuff that some of the guys I know would struggle with.

Being captain on a tandem is fine as long as the stoker pedals for dear life, she can just steer, brake and shout out the orders.

Bunnyhop – Member

she can just steer, brake and shout out the orders.

No change there then 😉

Want to borrow a tandem Jojo / hairyscary? go on – it would be good entertainment for the rest of us!

IIRC Jojo had a very short spin on the back of our tandem and screamed like a girly

I'd be up for it. I'm sure it would be 'good fun'

seriously? e mail me if you want a shot with it.

Steering a tandem is not like steering a solo bike, you (well, I) have to work bloody hard to muscle it round the route I want to take, perhaps not the best option for someone trying to recuperate!

I think the advice above is pretty sound. Listen to your body and stop when your body says, not when you think you should stop based on how you used to be able to do this.

Keep your fuel levels up – rather than 3 square meals a day, eat four or five slightly smaller meals at more frequent intervals.

Above all, don't beat yourself up about how you should be able to do this or that or the other, just relax, enjoy the change, and things will perk up.

No hugs, 'cos Mrs NBT will kill me if I hug another woman 😉

I reckon hairyscary needs the hugs more. Can you imagine what life must be like in the jojo/hairy household at the moment – and what it'll be like after a couple of months?

so = we recommend the valium for hairycary and a large dose of wtfu for Jojo?

Get well soon JoJo.

Rest and keep the mind active.