high5 grum

Keep it up Grum 😆

Young friend of mine has been suffering for about a year now but is well on the way to recovery. She managed to pluck up the courage to enter the student race at Ae recently and placed in top 15(12/13?)which has really perked her up no end. Former Scottish junior champ and Commonwealth games competitor so you will be able to sympathise with her on how hard it is not being able to be back up there. The student champs result is something she needed to get some self confidence back.

Know what you mean re your camera. Having to give up my squash after some 30yrs so might go and re-join the camera club for the winter 🙄

Was down the Lonscale fells myself a week ago. Managed to get "lost" on the Caldbeck Fells, finding some magic quad tracks in the process 😉

Thanks Trekster – maybe one day I'll get up to the 7 Stanes and you can show me around. 🙂

Good news about your friend – must be a great boost. Nowhere near her level but it still seems crazy to me that I did the Megavalanche this time last year. Days like yesterday make it all seem ok again though.

Photography is a great hobby imo – fits in very well with whatever else you might be into.

Anytime, just up in Dumfries, happy to/can do easy stuff(age is catching up!!! )

Those photographs are stunning.

Well done you.
I too have managed a short one hour pootle on the 'in bred' down our local canal and back through some woods. The last time I rode was a Hit the North preview race, oh and a go on the back of our tandem. http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/ive-got-a-silver-machine

Keep this up Grumm. Your idea of small frequent rides is really good. Maybe just go for a flat gentle spin for only half an hour, try this twice a week. Then up the distance and put in some undulations as the weeks go on.
I have a torgue energy drink, even after an easy ride, this helps to replace energy straight away.

I've got to sort myself out now as I've entered Hit the North in a 3 man team. It gives me something to strive for.

Those photographs are stunning.

You're not going to sell them if the riders can't see their numbers though. 😉

That's why cycling is ace IMO, it can be as testing or as gentle as you like.

Cheers everyone. Trekster I will try and take you up on that one day – long drives are a bit knackering at the minute but I may be passing at some point to see my folks near Glasgow.

Bunnyhop – good to hear you are picking up too – Hit the North sounds a bit drastic though! Good luck with it. 🙂

Yeah I think more regular shorter rides is what I need to do – need to get my road bike fixed up I think and just go for some regular pootles along the canal.

Mr A – if you look very closely on the third pic of the last set you might just about be able to see two bikers – dunno if I will be able to flog them my arty photo of them though. 😉

Cheers mboy. Obviously I really love going out biking – mentally it's so good for me. The tricky part is trying to work out what's a reasonable amount to do – I've many times got a bit carried away and done too much and set myself back.

Going to try and do something every week for a bit though and build it steadily and see how I get on. For quite a while it used to really frustrate and upset me going out and just doing a little bit – it just reminded me of what I used to be able to do. I can enjoy a gentle pootle a lot more now.

Managed nearly 20km and 400m climbing yesterday though, which is probably the most I've done in about 9 months.

Hope you feel better soon too.

Yeah, little and often is the way to start. Fair play though nealry 20km and 400m of climbing is not to be sniffed at, certainly way better than 99% of the population could manage!

And cheers, i'll be fine in no time, just a bout of flu. Gotta be ok by next weekend as I've said I'll race Mountain Mayhem on a mates team now! haha! 😕

Good stuff mate. Just keep trying to get out there.

Brilliant!! Well done mate.. so made up to see you have got out

Thanks Kevevs and lowey 😀

Yeah, little and often is the way to start. Fair play though nealry 20km and 400m of climbing is not to be sniffed at, certainly way better than 99% of the population could manage!

TBH I think I probably did a bit too much – probably need to devise a more methodical programme of shorter rides like Bunnyhop was talking about. I don't feel too bad today though, and it's usually a couple of days after that it hits me. Took the advice of eating lots and also took a big dose of Vitamins. Dunno if it made a difference.

Another update if anyone's still listening. 🙂

Felt fairly crap for the next few days after the keswick ride but not too bad.

Have managed two rides this last week though, as well as going to work and doing a bit of socialising etc. Did the black at Llandegla on tuesday, then did 23k around Kentmere and Longsleddale yesterday.

I think again, I am getting a little carried away and should try and do smaller stuff more regularly – but it feels so great to seemingly be able to get out again and not have it completely screw me up and still be able to do other things. Definitely feels like things are improving and I am getting back towards leading a normal life – slowly.

Glad you are getting out and about now get well soon sir and stay on the natural stuff

One day I might be able to keep up with the elite Rivington night ride team but maybe not for a while yet – you still got those handlebars and what not? At the moment I am mostly only going out biking with really unfit people who've barely done it before so I don't feel too inadequate. 😉

Oh yeah and I like Llandegla – sorry! 😳

Good on you,Grum. A little and often is probably a good approach to anything in life! 🙂

only joking over trail centres each to their own might be going to one soon to practice jumping.
Bars went back to TON but I have a fantastic pair of oversize aldi waterproof gloves ready for you this winter 😉

Cheers Trampus 🙂

Junkyard – nice one, maybe ready for gritty evening rides again by winter time :shudder:

(just remembered I already payed Ton for those bars!!!)

As you are still under the weather i will own him with the bomers for you but it might take both of us to wee in his huge sizes shoes
E-mail him sure he will sort it

I'm gonna own him with his shoes and wee in his bombers, or something 😛

(only joking Ton please don't hurt me!)

Hey Grum,
Just saying well done. I was diagnosed with CFS about 5 years ago. I feel completely better now. However, ever since then I have been careful not to tire myself out too much.
I'm in two minds – between telling you it's great that you can do more, or telling you to be careful!
Good luck to you, and there is an end if you take it easy!

What he said ^^

Keep going grum, at a steady pace 🙂

Thanks you two 🙂

holyhutzpa – that's really good to know, cheers. Going to hold back a little I think for now – going to try and do a couple of gentle road rides a week for the next few weeks.

How are you getting on Bunnyhop?

O.k Thanks.
Have entered HtN. But haven't had chance to ride the bike properly since entering.
However tonight I managed to ride the whole preview ride and really enjoyed it. Like you I never quite know what tomorrow will bring.

I really can't stress to you how you must start off slowly and keep going at a steady pace. I too have had whole months of feeling almost normal, then I push myself over the edge and then it's back to feeling cr*ppy again.

So how was HtN Bunnyhop? 🙂

I managed another ride – up to Bram Rigg Top and back down over Winder in the Howgills. Again was probably a bit much – was more of a slog than I remembered up the big hill! my legs hurt a lot for a route that's only 12km and 500m of climbing!

Seem to be doing ok now though (apart from not being able to sleep last night 😡 )

nice to be out glad you are getting there.

Cheers John – one day I might even be able to keep up with the elite Rivington night ride squad. 🙂

Very slow progress but things are definitely improving.

That is a cracking pic

Keep going grum.

Hit the North was fantastic. The course suited my type of riding and to top the day off my mixed team, comprising of myself,Binners and the crazy kiwi, won the mixed team. Getting a podium place was one of the best things that's ever happened to me.

Seriously grum you must just keep riding at a slow pace and upping the distance when you can.

I started off riding our local canal, a few miles every other day. Then started riding local off road stuff every other day, then the week before HtN rode every day except the day before. Ate loads too before hand.

Also rode on Pooks Peaks pootle ride on Saturday with 16 big, hairy fit blokes, apart from Hora. Me in pink.http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/potential-peaks-pootle/page/5#post-1645118