Saturday, April 02, 2016

I heart cycling 2016 challenge

I am a wuss, I was refining ideas in my head about this challenge over Christmas but wanted to be well under way before going public! The only failure I hate is myself failing.

Blog posts/progress will be linked here once written!

UPDATE 1/1/2017 I Heart Cycling 2016 Challenge successfully completed!

The Plan......

Virgin Money Giving I heart Cycling Donation page

I have set myself the challenge of completing a cycling challenge every month in 2016. The highlight will be Prudential Ride London 100 on 31st July for which I obtained a ballot place. All money raised is going to Heart Research UK towards an Aortic Dissection Masterclass to train cardiac surgeons in the specific skills required to save lives, each one costs £25k to train 20 surgeons over two days. I'm meeting all the costs of events, donated money will not be paying for expensive "charity places" at events I am taking part in.

As most of our friends and family know my husband Steve had a totally out of the blue Type A Aortic Dissection on 5th Jan 2015. From first mild symptoms to theatre for successful life saving surgery, by a crack cardiac squad at Bristol Heart Institute, was 7 hours. We didn't know what an aortic dissection was then either. We now know most sufferers are not so lucky as it is a hard to diagnose and rare condition that is nearly always fatal if left undiagnosed. Even if diagnosed few cardiac surgeons have the skill or experience to do the complicated aortic arch graft technique that Steve had. He was 49 years old, fit and healthy with no health concerns at all.

It doesn't stop there. Steve is riding with me on some of the challenges and Audax when the weather warms up although he is let off the longer and steeper ones as he prefers golf really!

January

Sat 23rd January 100km Jack and Grace Cotton Memorial Audax 104km to blow away the winter cobwebs from North Bristol and the Severn Vale REPORT HERE

COMPLETED 109km Ascent 906m Fiona


February

Sun 14th February 100km Flapjack Audax Circular route looping north from Chippenham in Wilts through the Cotswolds, eating more cake than calories burned! REPORT HERE

COMPLETED 102km Ascent 631m Fiona


March

Sat 12th March 150km Gospel Pass Audax Starting and finishing in Chepstow including an ascent of the iconic Gospel Pass from Hay on Wye, the steep side, highest road pass in Wales. REPORT HERE!

COMPLETED 161km Ascent 1978m Fiona


April

Sun 3rd April 115km 1000m Barry's Bristol Bash Audax A circular tour of Bristol eating cake! REPORT HERE

COMPLETED Fiona and Steve 117km Ascent 1100m


May

Sun 15th May 50 mile/80km Britsh Heart Foundation Cotswold Ride A circular ride round North Cotswolds starting Cheltenham Race Course.

COMPLETED 80km Ascent 850m Fiona and Steve


June

Fortnight Late June/Early July Tour d'Ecosse 1000km 10000m Scottish Circular Tour of Inner and Outer Hebrides and Highlands from Ardrossan. Not camping!

Blog write up starts here

COMPLETED 1200km Ascent 15000m Fiona and Steve

July

Sun 31st July Prudential Ride London 100 miles/ 160km The iconic London and Surrey Hills closed road event. The legacy from London 2012 Olympics

COMPLETED 159km Ascent 1200m Fiona


August

Tues 30th August Jolly Red Gran Fondo to Isle Brewers  160km 1350m ascent August ran away for me and I didn't do my planned ride until almost the end of the month. If I didn't succeed my year of Gran Fondos would end here. I planned myself a solo adventure to test my navigational skills and solo adventuring ability to a friend's tapestry design business in the absolute middle of the Somerset Levels, a lot of riding in previously uncharted territory. It was very hot, I got very lost several times but I did it. I did run out of time despite the light evenings on the way back and for the first time ever called out the cavelry for a lift home as I would have needed lights and had none with me. Loved it and learnt a lot.

COMPLETED 139km Ascent 1250m Fiona


September

Tues 27th September Chewing Cheddar  120km 1200m ascent

Another last minute ride, only 115km required this time but I was on holiday for half the month so another solo adventure, repeating a figure of 8 ride I did earlier in the year, with no café stop. The rain started before the ascent of Cheddar Gorge. My navigational and solo riding abilities are improving and I am loving it.

COMPLETED 120km Ascent 1220m Fiona


October

Sat 1st October Tasty Cheddar Audax  100km 1200m ascent

COMPLETED 120km Ascent 1350m Fiona and Steve

November

Sunday 6th November BRCC Jelly Legs Fondo  100km 1000m ascent

COMPLETED 104km Ascent 1188m Fiona


December

Sunday 11th December BRCC Rocky Mountain Fondo  100km 1000m ascent

COMPLETED 107km Ascent 1216m Fiona



I also intend posting a picture of Motivation Corner near Nailsea on a bike ride each month, and exceeding the 6000 km I rode in total last year.

1st Jan 2017

So in 2016 I/we completed a significant cycling event/distance every month. Fiona collected a full set of Strava Gran Fondos and we completed our epic Tour d'Ecosse in July and several audaxes. Tour d'Ecosse was the highlight, a huge sense of achievement as that holiday was being planned when Steve had his aortic dissection. We never thought we would be able to do it together.

Total mileage for the year for Fiona

2016 Totals

6 583km
369 hours on my bike
56 000 m ascent (6x Everest)

Next year more of the same!

My Doris taking a break before descending Cheddar Gorge Feb 2016
Aortic dissection is a rare and serious condition where the main artery from the heart ruptures.  It is life-threatening if left untreated and, in some cases, patients may need emergency aortic arch surgery to repair the aorta.

In 2014 and 2015, Heart Research UK held masterclasses in aortic surgery so that surgeons from across the UK could gain hands-on experience of total aortic arch replacement.  Following the success of these masterclasses, HRUK hopes to hold another course later this year.

Heart Research UK is funding an Aortic Surgery Fellowship at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital - one of the UK’s leading centres in aortic surgery.  This is a unique opportunity for a talented surgeon to gain experience in different aortic operations, developing the skills and expertise needed to carry out these lifesaving operations.

Heart Research UK recently funded a research project at King’s College London and St Thomas’ Hospital which developed new methods of screening patients with aortic dissection that may help doctors decide who needs close follow-up or surgery.

It all started because....

2016 is another year. Another great year. Another year to continue living the best way we can. In my case that involves prioritising family, cycling, knitting and cooking/eating! Getting Motivated!!
Motivation Corner near Nailsea, North Somerset March 2016.

The 50th birthday is a cliché. I am writing that in a deliberate third person detached way. I did not want to be 50, I feel like I'm 19 1/2 still, but less responsible than I was back then. But we are both now 50, Steve and I have been together since we met as 19yo students. We have 3 great daughters, all now over 18. We are very lucky.

So I have set myself a challenge. I started commuting by bike in a new county when we moved to Somerset (from Gloucestershire) in early 2013. I needed to lose weight and get fitter after years of semi immobility and a resulting knee replacement in my early 40s. I was very active in my teens and twenties; sailing, skiing (hence the knee problem) mountaineering, camping and a general lover of the outdoors. 

I was going to join the posh gym but a bike is only the price of three months gym membership. I am still riding my faithful hybrid "Gert" three years later. She has paid for herself many times over, financially and figuratively speaking. She got me hooked on cycling. I ride therefore I am a cyclist. No ifs no buts, doesn't matter how old/young, fast or slow, cool kit or ancient rust bucket. Anyone who rides a bike should be celebrated for their achievements.

Fast forward to the summer of 2014. I discovered the cycling app Strava, met a couple of other cyclists through the fabulous resource of twitter and social media We took our bikes for a long weekend to Bala in North Wales. I entered us for our first sportive. an Evans Ride It 115km starting in Wells and including the iconic Cheddar Gorge. Our first ascent of the gorge. I did it on my hybrid Gert, a good 1000m of ascent too, I know I got laughed at by the trendy "roadies" and unfortunately I crashed and burned 20m from the end on a cobbled rumble strip and bust my ribs. An evening in A&E ensued. The following week, somehow, I managed to fly to Thailand for a long anticipated two week 'active' holiday. Once my knees healed I managed some snorkelling, but no cycling. The food was good!

After our holiday in October 2014 I bought my roadie, Doris. We rode to Wells to visit the Christmas Market in December. My ribs were still quite sore! Doris felt strange, more of a thoroughbred to be tamed than my solid pony Gert.

Over Christmas I procrastinated, I had been working hard on getting my speeds up so that I could ride with others. Roadies go fast, 25km/h seemed normal from Strava research. I needed to be well over 20km/h I felt, to not be an embarrassment to myself, I was not fast enough. I decided to go for it and went along for my first club ride with Backwell Road Cycling Club BRCC). A lovely informal club. That was Sunday 4th January 2015. A 100km outing to Wales starting from Backwell in North Somerset. "If I got left behind I will never go again" I said. They were nice and encouraging and didn't leave me behind. There were lots of firsts. Cycling over the Severn Bridge to Chepstow, Conquering Belmont Hill and Portbury Slog as I call it. Riding with more than one other person. Riding round the block to make the ride up to 100km...yes I did! I was on a high.

Later that same night Steve was taken ill, he had been on the golf course all day and was his usual self, fit and well up to that point, 49 years old.  Not "that" ill but ill enough for me to be concerned. I rang NHS Direct at 11pm. At 5am he was wheeled into surgery for emergency life saving cardiac surgery, by a specialist team called in at the end of the New Year Bank Holiday weekend, having been diagnosed with an acute ascending aortic dissection, Type A.  This is a very rare cardiac condition that we had never heard of before either. No history of high blood pressure, no other chronic health concerns, healthy lifestyle, not overweight (well a couple of pounds but who isn't?) We now know that less than 10% survive, mainly because diagnosis is not easy, and even if it is diagnosed a specialist cardiac surgeon with the skills and experience to operate are also few and far between. We were lucky that the Bristol Heart Institute was next door to Bristol Royal Infirmary A&E where he was taken. I swear the registrars that night had been up for 4 days, I am sure one had odd shoes on. They were efficient, kind, professional and amazing. They diagnosed a rare condition and acted swiftly to save Steve's life. I will not start a political rant, but without a 24 hour 7 day a week NHS Steve would not have survived.

His surgeon, Alan Bryan, rang me at midday on Monday 5th January 2015. The operation had gone as well as it could. Since every landmark has pretty much been as good as it gets. He has recovered remarkably well. Back at work after 2 months and riding his bike again. The first 15km ride to Bristol Harbourside in March was just so good. He does have to be "careful" No extreme "explosive activity" like scuba diving or squash. Obviously it is harder for him, but he has played his best ever round of golf in the past 12 months, and completed a 100km bike ride on Ile de Ré last summer. No thrashing up hills allowed, but taking it steadily is fine.

So now I want to give something back. Hence my "I heart cycling 2016 challenge". Selfishly involving my hobby. Raising money for specific training of specialist cardiac surgeons into the aortic grafting technique that Mr Bryan and his fully trained team carried out that night. Heart Research UK are organising these, but each two day course for 20 surgeons costs £25000 I also want to help towards raising awareness of aortic dissection so more people are diagnosed and treated before it is too late.