Cycling

[Matt Cycle]

Wow Matt, 7 gels! 😱 Plus all the other stuff! How many calories does the Garmin say you burn on a ride like that? 70 miles is a pretty good distance! 🙂 Sundays will probably be my only enjoyable runs now until mid-March, because we're starting to get well into rush hour now before it gets light in the mornings. I don't have a lot of roads to cross, but a couple of the main ones can get so jammed you can't even rely on the lights to cross safely Wouldn't like to be on the road on a bike in the dark, I must admit 😱

Garmin has it as 3438 calories. I'm never sure whether to believe the calories used bit. My bike lights are quite bright but I just feel a bit more vulnerable in the dark. I normally avoid main roads as much as possible but can't avoid them all. The weather hasn't been too bad so far this year and I'm up to 2748 miles for the year. I should hopefully be able to get another few rides in before the year ends. It's only just over 3 weeks before the days start to get longer.

In terms of my diabetes the problem I have is with basal - I can reduce it but obviously still require it when I come back and the rest of the night. As it lasts 24 hours you have to be a mind reader/magician to know how much you need and whether you are actually going to be exercising or not. I usually knock it down a bit but not too much on the chance I may end up not going out. The obvious solution for me would be a pump as I could use a TBR. No news yet on the waiting list front. I might speak to the DSN again.

 

[HOBIE]

Nearly 70miles & 14. something ave speed ! That's pretty dam good Matt 😎. Are you going to get some Snow tyres ? I got some Kevlar tyres for my Mountain bike, never had a P--------- since 😱(should not have said that). Good picks again. I remember peddling around Lock Tay & seeing a herd of deer. 😎

 

[Matt Cycle]

Nearly 70miles & 14. something ave speed ! That's pretty dam good Matt 😎. Are you going to get some Snow tyres ? I got some Kevlar tyres for my Mountain bike, never had a P--------- since 😱(should not have said that). Good picks again. I remember peddling around Lock Tay & seeing a herd of deer. 😎

Ha, no if it's snowing I'll be walking. I may take the hybrid if it's not too bad but the road bike would be a nightmare in the snow.

 

[Matt Cycle]

Now into December (who knows where the times goes?) and it was sunny and dry today but very cold so I thought I'd head to the hills of the Staffordshire Moorlands. I'd spent yesterday evening in the freezing man cave (yes, the garage 😉) fitting a new chain and cassette (it's not an outdated music format but the sprockets on the back wheel for the gear ratios ). As for the ride itself although there was a cold breeze at lower levels, up on the tops it felt borderline dangerous as the wind speed increased significantly. Struggling to cope with the wind I headed back down to lower levels and carried on for a ride around Gawsworth and surrounding villages. The legs were definitely making hard work of it today. 🙄

Strava stats are 48.7 miles completed at an average speed of 14.0 mph and elevation gain of nearly 2900 feet.

Levels as follows (all blood as the Libre sensor has stopped completely now and is telling me to change it with 5 days left. I'll speak to them but I'm starting to get just a little bit annoyed with it now!)): at start 6.9 mmol/l, at 10 miles 9.6 mmol/l, at 20 miles 6.3 mmol/l, at 25 miles 8.1 mmol/l, at 33 miles 7.2 mmol/l, at 39 miles 5.4 mmol/l, at 44 miles 6.3 mmol/l and back home 7.6 mmol/l. Had protein/energy bar, 1 gel and my energy drink throughout the ride. Levels will almost certainly carry on falling and during the night. 🙄 These things are sent to try us but you have to persevere. I quite like this quote which sums it up for me:

View from near Morridge


Going up - view from Morridge


Garmin stats

 

[Northerner]

Great job of managing your levels Matt 🙂 Shame about the Libre though, hope you get a free replacement 🙂 Like the quote too, pretty succinct description! 🙂

 

[HOBIE]

I can see bleak pickies there Matt. Winters is coming but well done for being out 😎

 

[Matt Cycle]

After yesterdays heavy rain, today looked better being cool but dry. Lots of crud on the roads though. I set off fairly early and decided to head out to the Whitegate Station cafe in Cheshire (about 15 miles from Chester) for a fairly long ride. I've been there or in that area a few times but the last time was going past on my way to Wales and back in the Summer with the Diabetes Fairy - see avatar <<<<<. (If you're reading this sometime in the future the avatar may have changed back to a mug - what's the difference I hear you ask!! ) The cafe is a lovely place in a very nice spot run by volunteers next to the Whitegate Way trail used by walkers, horse riders, mountain bikers etc. Worth seeking out if you're in the area.

Strava stats are 74.5 miles completed at an average speed of 14.6mph and elevation gain of just under 2300 feet.

Levels are a mixture of Libre and blood readings as I'm still not convinced by what the Libre is telling me sometimes. At start 7.5 mmol/l, at 12 miles 5.8 mmol/l, the Libre was saying around 9.0 mmol/l over the next 20 miles but at 22 miles the blood reading was 5.2 mmol/l, at 30 miles Libre said 6.4 mmol/l but blood said 4.1 mmol/l, 30-40 miles Libre was dropping from 10 to 6.6 mmol/l but blood said 3.3 mmol/l 😱, the Libre then consistently read higher sometimes by quite a bit (4 or 5 mmol/l on occasions), next blood at 56 miles was 6.1 mmol/l and on return was 6.8 mmol/l where the Libre was pretty close. I'm not sure myself, it could be fast moving bg's with the Libre time delay or it could just be a load of crap. 🙄 Some of those are pretty crucial in that it's not much use to me saying 6.6 with no direction arrow but the bg was 3.3 mmol/l especially with my lack of hypo awareness. Anyway, had quite a bit to eat on this one - banana, Aldi protein/energy bar, 5 gels, malt loaf, energy/protein drink and a latte from the cafe.

Whitegate Station cafe at Whitegate. The road is tarmac but covered in mulched up leaves.


Nearly home. Setting sun near Rudyard.


Here's the Garmin (from the top - average speed, distance and time taken)

 

[HOBIE]

I love that type of café, ran by volunteers. They have one on Waskerlea way on the c2c. Have done that in the week in-between xmas & new year. It was like being on the Moon ! No noise no trees, no hedges etc, on body. Just rabbit footprints in the snow. A lost world but good . Waskerlea way is an old railway route & one of the highest points in this neck of the world. Good numbers again Matt 😎

 

[Matt Cycle]

I love that type of café, ran by volunteers. They have one on Waskerlea way on the c2c. Have done that in the week in-between xmas & new year. It was like being on the Moon ! No noise no trees, no hedges etc, on body. Just rabbit footprints in the snow. A lost world but good . Waskerlea way is an old railway route & one of the highest points in this neck of the world. Good numbers again Matt 😎

The Whitegate one is next to an old railway line. A community coming together and running a wonderful amenity. 🙂 Photos in website below taken during sunnier days.

http://whitegatestation.org.uk/

 

[Matt Cycle]

In the week before Christmas it was back out again late this morning into the big hills of the Peak District and wending my way through various villages including Warslow, Hartington, Monyash, Crowdecote and Flash. Conditions were okay, a bit foggy first thing but some sunshine later although quite cool and dry. Stopped at the Old Smithy cafe in Monyash for a coffee. Had a few issues with bg levels on this ride. It could be the DF getting her own back for me badmouthing her on the Libre thread I posted last week. I've learned my lesson and I most humbly and sincerely apologise to her majesty. 😉

Strava stats are 50.6 miles completed at an average speed of 13.0mph and elevation gain of an exact very hilly 4300 feet.

Levels, ah yes levels...mmm. Well, the Libre showed I'd had issues overnight with it hovering around 13 mmol/l. 😱 On waking I took my Tresiba and corrected and had my breakfast. All looking good. On leaving the level was at 7 mmol/l on the Libre and 6.7 mmol/l bg. After 12 miles it had gone up to 12 mmol/l which it sometimes does before dropping. On this occasion it didn't drop and at 27 miles after the coffee at Monyash it was up to 17 mmol/l. The only option which I very rarely have to do and don't like doing was a correction. So if anyone from UK anti-doping was driving past in Crowdecote today and saw me at the side of the road next to the farm gate, I know it looks highly suspicious but I can assure you I can get the relevant TUE. 😉 After that levels started to fall and I finished on 6.7 mmol/l. I've no idea what was going on and why they wouldn't come down. My OH has got a heavy cold and my youngest daughter had one so I hope it's not an indication that I'm getting that. 🙄 It was strange in that usually with levels like that I get very heavy legged and desperate for a wee but not in this case. Anyway, I'll see what goes on tonight. On the ride after the correction I had a protein/energy bar, 1 gel and some of my protein/energy drink.

The Libre sensor has been reading fairly close to the blood levels and even at those higher levels was still fairly close.

Looking back on the road to Monyash


Staffordshire Moorlands


High up in the Staffordshire Moorlands looking towards Tittesworth with Leek in the distance towards the left


Garmin stats

 

[HOBIE]

Well done for being out Matt 😎. Another good thing about being active 🙂 & you certainly are 😎

 

[Northerner]

Hope it's not a cold brewing Matt, and you get back to steadier and more predictable levels soon 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

My last ride must have been an indicator of what was to come as I felt 'off' all last week. Martyr that I am (😉) I still went into work but felt slightly nauseous and generally unwell. BG levels had been all over the shop. Feeling okay now and was fine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Decided to go for a shorter ride today into Cheshire today around Gawsworth and it was breezy. Dry and sunny but very, very breezy. Struggled against the wind on the way out but got some of the benefit on the way back although it was swirling quite a bit. Always nice to get out though. 🙂

Strava has it as 30.7 miles completed at an average speed of 14.8mph and elevation gain of just over 1500 feet.

Levels using both bg and the Libre as follows: at start 7.9 mmol/l, then hovered around 7 to 9 mmol/l but the Libre appeared to reading higher as a blood reading showed 4.3 mmol/l at 20 miles. Blood showed 5.8 mmol/l at 24 miles and 6.0 mmol/l on return. Libre showed 7 to 9 mmol/l so still higher but not excessively so. Taking the blood readings fairly happy with those. The Libre sensor was only activated yesterday so hopefully it will settle down in the coming days. Had one gel and some of my energy/protein drink on the ride.

Near Gawsworth


Garmin stats (Strava lost me 0.1 mph again 🙄)

 

[HOBIE]

Still good levels Matt 🙂 Do you want to change your name to "Matt the Matrye" 🙂 Well done ! 😎

 

[Matt Cycle]

I'm off work this week so took advantage of that and went out for a ride into Cheshire. No fog but it was freeeezing, literally. Plenty of frost on the lanes made riding conditions a bit tricky but it was a beautiful winter's day - cold, sunny and dry. I headed towards Knutsford and through the villages in that area before looping back.

Strava has it as 57.5 miles completed at an average speed of 14.9mph and elevation gain of just under 2000 feet. (That ride takes me over 3000 miles for the year. At the start of the year I had hoped to get to 2000 miles so fairly pleased with that. I should be getting a Strava review of my cycling year soon so I'll post that up when I get it).

Levels are a mixture of Libre and blood and are as follows: at start 6.5 mmol/l, at 22 miles 6.6 mmol/l (the Libre had been showing 8 to 9 so a little high), at 34 miles 5.6 mmol/l, at 40 miles 6.9 mmol/l (the Libre was way out at this stage showing 9 to 10), at at 45 miles 6.2 mmol/l, at 52 miles 4.5 mmol/l and on return 6.7 mmol/l. The Libre settled back down to be fairly close to the blood readings once back. 🙄 On the ride I had 4 gels and malt loaf.

Horses in frosty field at Gawsworth (they've got their coats on)


Frozen farm pond at Gawsworth


Frosty lane at Siddington


Garmin stats

 

[HOBIE]

Well done 3000miles ! 😎. Asia is only 4000m there & back with stops. 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

When I started this thread it was really just to highlight the fact that having diabetes shouldn't be a barrier to exercise. If someone had said to me 30 years ago lying in my hospital bed at death's door with DKA that at the age of 48 I'd still be cycling, riding 3000 miles a year and doing rides of 126 miles then I'm not sure I would have believed them. If reading these posts has given anyone the tiniest bit of inspiration to get out and be active then to me it has been worthwhile posting them. Hopefully some of them were entertaining as well. 🙂 I'm not some sort of elite athlete just an ordinary person with T1 diabetes who loves riding around on my bike. If I can do it, anyone can do it. 🙂

As promised (does anyone actually read any of this?) here's the Strava review of my 2016 cycling year. The highlight of course being my time with the DF 🙄 and the big ride to Wales in July and the ride with her the day after around the Peak District. Next year, well, I'd like to at least match this years mileage total and do at least one big ride, possibly a coast to coast? Who knows?

 

[Robin]

(does anyone actually read any of this?)

Can't promise to digest every figure, but I'm impressed with the distances, and I do love the photos.

 

[Matt Cycle]

Can't promise to digest every figure, but I'm impressed with the distances, and I do love the photos.

You're one more Robin. Other than @HOBIE and @Northerner and Alan has to read everything. 😉 I usually try and put a few photos in to make it interesting (and when I'm taking them it gives me time to check my blood and have a rest 😉). Definitely need to invest in a new phone at some point though.

 

[silentsquirrel]

does anyone actually read any of this?

11 300 views suggests quite a few do, Matt! I also enjoy the photos. Keep posting, please.🙂