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…..
From long distance road rider to off roader - what I’ve learned since making the transition. Forget everything you once knew about speed… 10 mph could be a very good average, but so can 6 mph. Some trails will be fast and exciting, whilst at other times you might be…..
Unless you've had your head in a bucket of sand, there's no escaping the current global situation. From a sporting perspective, most of this year's events have either been cancelled or postponed. There's still no guarantee that even the postponed events or those scheduled for later in the year will go ahead since we just don't know how any easing of restrictions will take effect, and whether groups that are part of the sporting experience will be permitted to gather. Whether you are a follower or a participant in your chosen sport, this is an uncertain time and that IS a certainty!
Now that's the gloomy news over, but I'm determined that this post today will be an upbeat and helpful one.
Hurrah, another weekend at home adapting to our new normal. On Saturday this meant that the Hubster whizzed around the house cleaning windows, dusting, clearing weeds from the garden, doing washing etc. Since it's not something he does much of normally, I kept out of his way. After three weeks of reduced exercise, and jumping on the scales to realise that I have gained 1/2 stone, I knew that I needed to pull my finger out and start recreating my daily exercise habit. One problem though is that I am now sharing the turbo trainer with the Hubster.
Humans were designed to be social animals, and so for some of us this lockdown has forced us to consider how we communicate with each other. For some of the introverts out there, a lockdown is quite good news. They no longer need to interact with people unless they want to. But for the rest of us, there is a very real risk of loneliness setting in. We thrive with human contact, and when we can't have adult conversations with people then it's hard.