[Closed] Had my first time riding in about 6 months yesterday

Well done grum nice pics too 🙂 you are working that GF1 plenty

Nice one fella 🙂

Craking story!! Keep it up mate!! 🙂

😀 good to hear man.

Thanks everyone.

vrapan it was a GF1 fest - me and Shoei both have them. 🙂

I tell you what, buying that camera was one of the best things I have ever done. Kind of got me through what was probably the lowest point of my life so far. Sounds daft but it's pretty much true.

nice one , its all about , just being out , graet day.

Really good news grum 🙂

A tip from a fellow sufferer, make sure you eat as much as you can tonight.

I used to have a high energy sports recovery drink ( torq) when I came in from any exercise.

At the moment I can barely walk a hundred metres let alone ride. Am hoping that it won't be long before I'm back on the trails like you.

Great photos too.

Cheers you two 🙂

Sorry to hear you are struggling at the mo Bunnyhop. I'm sure you will recover and get back on the trails, it's just tricky having to learn to be patient!

I was at a point not long ago where I couldn't really see a future for myself, or imagine recovering. I feel like I have finally turned a corner. I still don't feel 'right' - I'm sure there will still be setbacks and frustrations, and it might take a while to get properly better.

I suppose it's possible I might never get back to where I was before I got ill, but we'll see.

good luck and hope you can build on today

Great news Grum.

Sorry you're having a bad time at the mo bunnyhop. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Good stuff, Grum - nice bikes and great pics too; well done. Really pleased for you.
Keep on keeping on, Bunnyhop... hope things start to get better soon.

Thanks again everyone. Not feeling too brilliant today - getting up the stairs just now was fairly knackering. Don't feel [i]too[/i] bad though - not the overwhelming tiredness to the point of feeling ill that I have usually had before.

Great pics 🙂

Sorry to hear about the CF....hope you can manage your way out of it. Takes a long time, but it is possible to be as, or better, than you were before you got sick 🙂

well done sir glad you got out again

Cheers Junkyard and littlegirlbunny.

Maybe one day I'll even get that stuff off you Johnnie 😆

Thanks everyone for your kind words.

Grum are you still aiming for a 'crocs' ride?

I've had months without feeling ill, then all of a sudden the dreaded cfs. strikes again, so hopefully you'll get months in the future grum where you'll start to feel almost normal.
I find the trick is not to take these 'normal weeks/months for granted, by eeking out your energy time.

Grum those pics are fabulous, especially loving the mountain/ lake panorama, I'd have that on my wall like a shot. I love that riding is so many things for different people, you were right to keep the bikes, don't let go of the feeling - it's what makes all the other stuff worthwhile.

Warm wishes to you and bunnyhop too. 🙂

Well I'm feeling fairly crappy again today, but it was worth it. Still a big improvement over how I felt after the last time I tried biking though I think.

Bunnyhop - that must be really hard as I know how tempting it is to feel like you are 'cured', and how hard it is to then have a setback. Must be especially hard if you have been well for months before it happens.

I guess you have to hold on to how you felt when you were better and remember that you will feel like that again. Easier said than done though sometimes.

Me and Shoei's ride was the 'crock's ride' but I would happily arrange another one if you fancy something to look forward to.

Thanks ART - I'll sell you a print if you like 🙂

Looks stunning. Especially the mountain in the background pic 😀

Ooh really, that would be great. Have sent a message to the email in your profile. 😀

Gosh, I hope you two get better soon. Great pics. Best wishes.

It was a cracking day, but like Grum im suffering from it.
Caught between a rock and a hard place.
Want to get out for my own sanity but know that I'll suffer afterward.
Just wish they'd say for definite what it is then i can get on with my life.
Had another session in an MRI scanner yesterday. Hopefully this'll tel em something.

Would defo be up for another ride, rather have 1 nice out enjoying myself and a few days of discomfort than sitting at home wondering "what if?"

ART - not had anything through yet. The email in my profile should be right. Try grum01@gmail.com though.

Cheers Karinofnine

Good luck with the test results Shoei - I know how you mean about not knowing, makes it very tough when you're not sure what you're dealing with.

Let's try and arrange something for towards the end of this month maybe? Im off on holiday for the next week and a bit and I think I need to recover anyway. 🙂

Good luck with the test results Shoei - I know how you mean about not knowing, makes it very tough when you're not sure what you're dealing with.

Let's try and arrange something for towards the end of this month maybe? Im off on holiday for the next week and a bit and I think I need to recover anyway.

Hopefully find out end of the week, early next week.

I'll leave it to you to decide when regards next ride.

Right, well good luck.

I'll post up on here or give you a shout when I get back off holiday. Bet the weather won't be like this by then. 😛

Goodluck shoei.

Have a good holiday grum.

ART - not had anything through yet.

Doh, it had gone in my spam folder. YGM.

Cheers Bunnyhop - i'll take lots of piccies 🙂

Just a little update in case anyone is following my progress 🙂

Went for another short ride yesterday - this time a leisurely 15k or so round Grizedale - fantastic day. Will have to see how I get on this week but I really enjoyed it anyway.

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Topped off by a lovely sunset in Lancaster

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Good to hear you're getting back on the bike 🙂 If you want someone to ride with anywhere midlands-ish let us know, I'm really unfit so my pace is pretty relaxed 😛

btw I had a quick go with one of those GF1s today, really nice and easy to use so hopefully if I can get the money together I'll have one in the next month or so!

Went to Swinley for my first serious off road ride in 6 months, all I've done since last summer is the odd commute and the odd blast throught he woods.

First trail was what can only be decribed as a series of berms pinned against a hillside so steep they were built with sticks to stop them falling off!

Ended up being on the bike for a good 6 hours and enjoyed almost every minute of it.

Yay grum.
I did my first ride in months too ( well solo, not on a tandem).
Took my 7yr old nephew for his second ever mtb ride and could only just keep up with him. Just a local pootle about 3 miles. Slept for 12 hours though, as so tired but worth it.

Keep going grum, I'm pretty sure this warmer weather is helping.

Nice one everyone. 🙂

Yeah I def think when you are quite weak generally the cold saps your energy.

btw _tom_ I don't think you will be disappointed if you get a GF1. 🙂

Excellent grum.
Superb pics.

Getting off and walking some climbs, going slow is sometimes the best way to do it, especially with scenery like that.....gives a chance to take it all in and give thanks.

Bonne Continuation 🙂
SB

Well done. I hope things get better for you. Where's Claife it looks really nice?

Cheers everyone - forgot to say well done Bunnyhop.

Claife is in the Lakes, near Windermere - can be linked up with some riding in Grizedale for an excellent route but too long for me at the mo.

Dunno if anyone is following this still but I will hopefully look back at this thread one day to see how far I have come...

Managed to get out again today - did the Lonscale Fell loop from Keswick - fantastic. Managed to clean all of the tricky section with the drop which I was pretty pleased about. 😀

Will have to see how I get on in the next few days but it was great. Onwards and upwards. 🙂

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Keep up the good work mate. Chronic Fatigue is a total bastard, I suffered from it for almost 4 months at the back end of 2008, and to be honest, it very nearly destroyed me!

What got me back together funnily enough was riding bikes. I started off relatively slowly, like yourself, but within a month or so I was getting out 2 or 3 times a week for a couple of hours at least. And because I'd missed riding so much, and I could feel what it was doing for my health, riding my bike became my main excitement for a long time. It totally rejuvenated my love of riding bikes...

If I'm honest, I don't think I've fully got over it even now as every time I get ill, it affects me quite a lot more than the average person, but that said perhaps I'm only saying that now as I'm currently off work ill. But that is for the first time in nearly 12 months, and my fitness is better than it has been since I was about 16 right now (and I'm fast approaching my 30th).

Don't underestimate the good feeling you get from exercise, it REALLY makes a difference, even if it's only a few km on the bike at a very slow pace...

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.

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 [i]too[/i] 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 😡 )

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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