BACK ON A BIKE (Sort Of)

A few weeks before I started having problems with my left eye- I purchased an indoor training bike to help me with my winter training. Like a lot of people I always have problems with my weight and fitness over the winter months. The cause is a mixture of not wanting to ride in bad weather and eating too much over the Christmas period. This year I thought that the problem would be even worse now that I no longer have to set off to work each day- plus nearly six months of hospitals/treatment etc. The eye situation just made the matter worse as I was instructed by the Consultant not to get on ANY bike as I was required to keep my heart beat and blood pressure low.

Last week I had a trip back to the hospital to follow up on my recent eye operation .The news was good. The operation was a success-the sight has returned although I am very short sighted now in that eye and I was warned that I might develop a cataract in the eye which will need a minor procedure to remove-this will take about three months to form and is quite normal following the type of operation I have had.

The other good news I was given is that I can start to ride my indoor training bike (Still not allowed on a REAL bike).

So I have now started training again in an effort to catch the rest of the team up in the fitness stakes and a big task it is going to be.

I have gained two and a half stone since I came off my bike in June and because of all the resting that I have had to do I am very unfit.

The training bike is fully computerised giving me lots of feedback on speed-distance-calories-power-cadence etc. I can also choose from various route programmes such as hills-mountains-rolling terrain etc and I have started off in a small way by doing a five mile virtual commute in the morning over an undulating route and then I am doing the same again in the evening.(My virtual return trip). My plan is to build up on the distance and the route as well as introducing some more performance specific sessions over time.

I am due to come off my blood thinning drugs in January. I have been on these since July following my accident and the subsequent blood clots I suffered.

I will then be able to start the cancer treatment at the end of January and I have been informed that the radiotherapy can make you feel quite tired. My plan is to try and build up my fitness as much as I can between now and then- just in case I am forced by tiredness to ease back a bit on training after the first few weeks of the treatment.

So good news all round at the moment. No-the picture with this posting is nothing to do with my indoor trainer but is a shot of the rear wheel and Shimano Dura Ace transmission on my Felt Sportive bike. If my training goes well I hope to be riding this bike in the Ducton Sportive on the 9th May.