Middle aged woman on a bike
But getting to that fitness level was hard. I’m not just talking about the physical efforts of improving my speed, power and endurance, but also dealing with all the added symptoms I was dealing with by going through the menopause. My sleep was dreadful, often barely getting 6 hours sleep a night, I couldn’t regulate my body temperature, and my mood was swinging all over the place. In many ways though my menopause symptoms have been mild.
I don’t know what caused my latest flare up, but once it starts it's a spiralling cycle of feeling dreadful, then feeling better, then a sudden urge to stay close to the bathroom, and then the inevitable hopelessness in knowing that you have little control over what happens when you’re away from your home unless you starve yourself. This is what living with IBD looks like…..
After a few hours good sleep, and feeling clean and refreshed, I set off along the banks of Loch Lomond to get a good start, before the bank holiday traffic started to fill the road. Nicky sorted the van out, with a plan to also get started as soon as possible to miss getting held... Continue Reading →
I slept for a few hours and decided on some personal care before I set off......I carefully attempted to prise them off - not an easy task with no running water, and in the confined space of a very full van. In the end to fully remove them, I had to pull!!!!! It brought tears to my eyes, and I can only imagine how red and sore the patch had become...
As I left John O’Groats at 8:30 am, I was looking forward to having a mighty tailwind but it was not to be. There was a fierce cross wind, and although slightly favourable, the gusts threatened to throw me off my bike on several occasions. I was convinced that the wind was trying to kill me, and despite the sunshine, it was freezing cold and brutal.
What followed for the next few hours was quite a surreal riding experience although it's one though that I'll never forget. In this remote and distant corner of the UK, I felt more like a real adventurer than at any other time in my life.