...raised since September 2021 by cycling challenges.

Raising awareness on the racetrack - in a Citroen C1 race car - in 2024.

17th September:

THE END OF THE CLIMB

An early start with Martin driving me and the bike to Chalet Reynard at 8am. I rode a short distance back along the Sault road to loosen up and we then drove to the exact spot where it all went wrong on Monday. Martin dropped Nick at the top and rode down to us in order to accompany me.

After helping me climb on (still an issue) and holding me up, I rode away to attempt the final 3.5 miles to the summit. Alan caught me up and rode just behind me as we took on the corners and occasional vicious headwind. The last section into the wind  was extremely difficult and Alan dismounted in order to run alongside me as I was struggling to turn the legs again. That was probably more a combination of headwind and gearing affecting my ability but I made it to the penultimate corner and, once clear of the headwind, rode fairly easily to the top. As the photo’s show it was a stunning scene in near perfect weather. The most significant 3.5 miles of my cycling life! 

The fact that I could ride away from the previous ‘point of no return’ in a far higher gear without issue demonstrated my views on gearing and confirmed that this was all about TM.

16th September:

Another rest day, albeit not planned as the van broke down when the lads went to get their PCR tests in a nearby town. They had to sort it out and then drive to Avignon to collect another!

15th September:

With heavy rains forecast we drove out to Sault for Alan and I to ride a route north of Ventoux and back to Malaucene. It was a stunning ride in parts and we covered 28 miles in total at an average speed just shy of 16 mph and a 114bpm average heart rate. Despite being unable to climb on and off my bike without support, I experienced no difficulties in riding or climbing. It was enough to confirm that Friday’s attempt to complete the climb was a viable proposition.

14th September:

I woke up feeling pretty flat but also driven to want to go back to the mountain and finish the climb later in the week.  My legs were very uncomfortable – particularly to the rear of my inner thighs – and I still could not sit or stand unaided. I decided to aim for a simple ride on the 15th with a view to returning to Ventoux on Friday. I rested for most of the day and caught up with the massive number of messages that I was receiving on Twitter. It seems my ‘failure’ yesterday was producing a greater response than had I made it in one!

It was absolutely clear that my problem was not mechanical nor caused by lack of energy. My legs had literally stopped turning and my inability to feel muscle fatigue had resulted in me pushing way beyond a point where I should maybe have known I had an issue looming. It transpires that my ride was the longest non-stop ride since the TM hit me (at 2 hours and 16 seconds) and we were entering new and unexplored territory from a TM perspective.

13th September:

FIRST ATTEMPT AT VENTOUX

I’m afraid the initial challenge failed when I had to stop after around 13 miles of climbing and 3 miles short of the summit of Ventoux.

Martin rode with me and Alan drove the van (with my business partner Nick as company).

The lower slopes were certainly not easy for me. I managed to maintain a steady cadence early on (in lower gears) in order to save as much energy for the final section from Chalet Reynard. I moved up a couple of gears on the final couple of miles of the approach, but had to drop back down for the immediate 10% ramp away from the junction. It took a few yards to get in to a rhythm but I reached the first bend feeling relatively okay, although the change in gradient (to circa 12%) entailed my climbing out of the saddle – and I simply couldn’t do it. There was no ability in my legs to support myself other than by sitting down (reminiscent of my early TM days and not dissimilar to my recent Ventoux simulation on the Wattbike). My legs literally started to slow to the extent that they could barely turn. I was crying out in frustration and whilst I managed to clear the corner it became obvious that my legs were not going to turn for much longer. I made the decision to stop; unclipped my left foot and tried to support myself, but ended up getting caught by Alan who was running alongside me aware of the difficulty I was in (as Martin had signaled the impending issues when I first told him that things were going wrong). Alan couldn’t hold me up and Martin dropped his bike to grab me too…a 200lb dead weight!

Things were bad!

I couldn’t carry my own bodyweight as my legs collapsed under me. In the end the team had to remove the seat-pin from my bike so we could slide it out from under me. I couldn’t lift my legs,  walk or stand unaided. Two of my helpers supported me to our van and the other then lifted my feet onto the step before they all unceremoniously lifted and pushed me on to the rear bench seat. It was devastating and as I type this (some 12 hours later) I need assistance to stand up and my walking is not good! More thoughts tomorrow, although it is highly unlikely that I will be trying again!

12th September:

A 20 mile ‘leg loosener’ today in the Bedoin area to the south of the mountain. It still involved 1,000ft of climbing and the weather was really too hot for me (we left at 10.50 and the temperature was in the high 20’s F / 70’s C and rising). My legs turned but the neuro pain in my back was verging on unbearable and I suffered from abdominal aches that meant I really needed to maintain focus. Quite nervous about tomorrow…

11th September:

The last leg of the journey down to Ventoux. It was a bit surreal seeing it for the first time! Met my ‘team’ of Alan and Martin from Mellow Jersey.

10th September:

Second day of driving. Around 8 hours at the wheel so little time for anything else. I class it at a sort of rest!

9th September:

First day of the trip down to Ventoux. A relaxed evening and decent night of sleep helped as there’s more tomorrow.

8th September: 

Two sets of tennis between rain showers this evening. Didn’t play too badly (my partner and I won 6-3, 6-1) and, ultimately, as it was my last exercise before heading to France, I took it a bit easier than usual.

7th September:

A rest day but purely because I was getting the bikes and wheels ready for the Challenge. 

6th September:

Office followed by my last massage before the Challenge and then 3 sets of tennis. Feet and back burning pretty bad today – not sure if that’s also related to the higher air temperatures – and the mosquitoes were out big time during the early evening. A rare upside of TM is the fact that I can’t feel the bites on my legs!

5th September:

A Wattbike ‘Cyclist Climb Workout’ over 64 minutes. Not my highest readings but not far off them and everything felt much as it should. 

4th September:

A second rest day. It seems a double rest day is the best way to recover for another few days of activity ahead.

3rd September:

Rest day today. Feet still scorching but needed it again!

2nd September:

A shorter, 40 minute, Wattbike session today but pleased to see a perfect 50:50 leg balance. 

1st September:

Work, rest, massage and 90 minutes of tennis. Didn’t play as well as two days ago but felt ok overall. Feet pain annoying…

31st August:

An hour on the ‘Mountain Stage’ simulation on the Wattbike. Two weeks ago this didn’t end well, but today was significantly better with average power up over 8% and all of the session targets met. 

30th August:

Back home after driving back from Norfolk last night. 3 sets of tennis this evening (which we won) and I didn’t lose my serve once in 7 service games. Burning feet and slightly burn in the back, but feeling pretty good overall.

29th August:

My final ride in Norfolk before Ventoux in two weeks. Similar conditions to yesterday (13mph northerly wind) although my heart rate didn’t start to rise until around 10 minutes in. Half a minute quicker than yesterday, so pretty consistent (the 6 rides this week have been covered by 2 minutes). I’ve an overall concern that my strength has dropped off significantly as I haven’t got anywhere near my best times earlier this year. It may be due to the wind this week, but it seems that my efforts in Wales last month (and the painful Wattbike ride up Ventoux) have resulted in a loss of speed. May be a TM thing, so something to watch. 

28th August:

Back on the bike for Norfolk Ride #5 this week. It started off well; my legs felt good and my heart rate lifted straight away (still pretty unusual) so I expected an improvement against all four previous rides. Wrong!

15mph northerly wind was annoying and I ended up going slower than every ride this week bar one. I felt better than that…

27th August:

An unscheduled rest day due to really struggling to get out of bed this morning  (with massive brain and body fatigue) as well as burning back pains that don’t usually happen until I get on a bike. Too uncomfortable to do anything and too tired to try.

26th August: 

Rest day. Aside from work, reading (a stack of ProCycling magazines) and watching La Vuelta, I will be doing nothing today!

25th August:

Norfolk ride#4. Almost identical conditions to yesterday and (aside from a very near miss with a caravan early on) pretty uneventful. Conditions were so similar that my time was only 9 seconds different, but my average heart rate was lower at 112bpm compared to Tuesday’s 120bpm. The heat pain in my back seemed worse than normal, but I can’t explain why.

24th August:

Norfolk ride#3. Another one minute improvement than the previous day and annoyingly noisy, as my saddle creaked the whole way (thanks to Sunday’s soaking). Didn’t feel to0 great but I suppose I’m consistent!

23rd August:

Norfolk ride #2. An improvement on yesterday (despite a very minor detour for roadworks) but still some way short of my best up here. I don’t feel fully up to speed again and the awkward northerly wind doesn’t help, but it can only get better….

22nd August:

Norfolk ride #1 of this week. I was ready to set off when it tipped down with rain. I waited for it to stop before heading off on my usual route and, as expected, the rain returned 10 minutes later! The ride was steady and uncomfortable as, not only did I have to contend with the usual burning pains, I had to deal with the pain generated by rain hitting me…and limited visibility through constant rain on my glasses. The time and speed wasn’t great (way off ‘normal’) but hopefully that’s more to do with the weather than anything else.

21st August:

After a drive to Norfolk last night I chose another rest day today as I’m staying up here for a week with a view to getting at least 6 rides in. I needed the rest though, as my body has been aching a fair bit.

20th August: 

A 35 minute Wattbike session. Fortunately there were no problems and no repeat of the disastrous session last week. Just a steady “All-Rounder” routine that helped to build some confidence back up.

19th August:

Rest day. It was needed and welcomed!

18th August: 

A morning on the road in the car with a restful afternoon (sandwiched around my usual micronap) before 3 sets of tennis. Didn’t play too badly but my feet are at the extreme end of painful. Still can’t run though…

17th August:

Lifted my mood with a ride on my motorcycle and, a couple of hours later, 17 miles cycling. The latter was marginally better then last Friday but the wind wasn’t too great.

16th August:

Work followed by massage and 90 minutes of tennis. The day didn’t start well however as I was very flat mentally and getting more annoyed by the lack of feedback from my GP. My mood lifted slightly in the afternoon but it’s very much a TM thing in my opinion.

15th August:

Still really tired so took another rest day. Went to bed at 10pm and managed a good night’s sleep although still some issues with the lack of effect of my bladder medication.

14th August:

After 6 days of effort (at varying levels) I decided it was time for a rest day. I really needed it and hopefully the rest will serve me well.

13th August:

My local ride of 4 laps of my village (17 miles) in windy conditions but it was marginally better than yesterday’s effort. I struggled to climb off the bike and, unknown to me at the time, in doing so I managed to bury a chainwheel tooth into my right calf…the joys of not having feeling in the legs! Still feeling a bit run down so need to keep an eye on things.

12th August

After yesterday’s positivity, today was a complete turnaround – with one of my worst Wattbike sessions to date. I went for a 1 hour mountain ride simulation but power just dropped away – eventually averaging 20% lower than the Ventous simulation last week (which was 45 mins longer). As I’m still waiting for the results of my urine test it may be that I do have an infection as I am also having problems with aches around my right eye.

11th August:

For the first time since TM hit I really focused on my tennis today. I still can’t run but it was, in my opinion, the best I’ve played since ‘coming back’ to it. In a two set doubles match (over 90 mins) I didn’t lose any of my five service games and managed some half decent shots (commented on by others too).  Mental approach was key though and that’s critical for me overall.

10th August:

I had every intention of walking the dog and cycling for at least an hour this morning but I was hit my massive fatigue. The dog was walked at 11am but I was then confined to a chair for three hours – literally out of energy and the drive to do anything….classic TM. I sparked into life at around 3.30pm so immediately got into work mode. I managed to get on on the bike at 7.45pm and despite the intention of riding four laps of my local route I only did two due to fading light. I felt ok though and it was useful to loosen the legs up.

9th August:

Drove home last night and spent a few hours in the office this morning. A late afternoon massage was followed by 80 minutes of, poor, tennis. Nothing too heavy but still dealing with the stress of my bladder problems. Not heard from my urologist but managed to speak to a specialist nurse and have had a urine sample sent for lab analysis.

8th August:

After another bad night (due to constant trips to the bathroom) I decided that I must go out for a steady bike ride despite heavy winds and forecast rain. I didn’t feel too bad and despite the conditions managed a decent time on my usual Norfolk route. Just scraped under 1.09 with an average heart rate of 131, so not too bad (for not trying too hard).

7th August:

Another enforced rest day – for the same reasons as yesterday – so I took the opportunity try to find an answer/solution to my bladder problem. As it’s a Saturday there’s nobody I could call save for NHS111. I tried but there was no answer, after holding for ages. The message recommended the on-line version, but that was a complete waste of time as it gave no opportunity to mention pre-existing conditions. The outcome of the latter was a simple message: “Call your GP” – not much use on a weekend! I then tried the local pharmacist but that was another waste of time (particularly as she looked blank when I mentioned Transverse Myelitis). It’s not severe enough to justify an emergency so I’m stuck with it for at least another couple of days. Go to say it’s causing me some worry for a number of reasons.

6th August:

Fate (75% weather and 25% urological problems) dealt me another rest day. Pleased in a way but the latter problems are becoming of concern, as my bladder control appears to have reverted to a point it was at 2 years ago. It’s as if the drug I take has suddenly stopped working and, whilst I have called the Portsmouth Hospitals Urology Team, I am none the wiser as to what may be happening. Not good when you want to ride a bike…

5th August:

Rest day. Very much needed. Four hour drive to Norfolk this evening.

4th August:

A day driving for work and tennis in the evening. Really suffering from yesterday’s effort – which was very evident on the tennis court, although things improved slowly through time.

3rd August:

After numerous excuses (thanks to the Olympics) I ended up wheeling the Wattbike out of the garage for my first attempt at the simulation of Mont Ventoux.  The only option was the climb from Bedoin (supposedly tougher than my intended climb from Sault  – but sharing the upper section) which extends to 13 miles at an average gradient of something stupid. It took me 1.48.24 (after a 15 minute warm up) with an average power of 185W and cadence of 63rpm. A large proportion of the ride was spent in the lowest available gear and (what I believe to be) the last three hairpins were almost impossible. I was close to stopping but determined to get to the top – and that was a result. Neuro pain was off the scale again and my toes just burned from the outset. I could barely spin my legs to warm down and didn’t anticipate the issues that would arise immediately after stopping:

Getting off the Wattbike took a couple of minutes and I could barely stand – let alone walk. My inner thighs were really uncomfortable (ironically not something I feel when riding) and over the next few hours my legs collapsed on me on a number of occasions. Clearly there are a number of things I discover through such activities but, from a positive perspective, I made it (although the reality will be a completely different proposition once wind, road surface, altitude and temperature are accounted for).

2nd August:

In the office this morning (which tends to tire me) with a 1 hour massage this afternoon, leading in to tennis a couple of hours later. I felt great during the first set and played some strong shots – not unnoticed by the three other guys on court – but tiredness started to creep in during the second set and eventually I was absolutely gone! 

1st August:

I felt good this morning after a decent night’s sleep and took out the C64 for my usual local ride of 4 laps of the town. Compared to my last one (9 days ago) I was 3 minutes slower, but the wind was less beneficial and that’s still 2 minutes better than my previous best. Feet and upper back were off the pain scale but overall I was happy with an average 17mph and can now focus on a longer Wattbike session this coming week.