Cycling

[Matt Cycle]

I rode over to Sheffield yesterday and stopped overnight at my Mum's and went to see the Blades lift the L1 trophy today before coming back. I don't have any panniers so I tried to travel as light as possible with my things in a rucksack. Still had my clothes, toiletries and trainers - it makes a big difference carrying a load of weight on your back. 😱 Quite uncomfortable! Conditions on both days were dry and fairly mild with occasional sunshine but a bit windy. Any trip to Sheffield involves hills so it was quite hard work.

Strava stats are 75.0 miles completed at an average speed of 13.6mph and elevation gain of just over 5700 feet. With a third of the year now gone 😱 that takes me to 1054 miles so far this year.

I've got a Libre sensor on at the moment and levels behaved themselves fairly well - between 5 and 10 mmol/l. However, the Libre showed I had a long hypo during the night at my Mum's and I woke to a 2.6 mmol/l. 😱 See what happens tonight. 🙄 On the ride overall I had 6 gels, banana, malt loaf, energy/protein bar.

Looking towards Sheffield from near Owler Bar


Evening sun shining on Cows at Hulme End


Hazy evening sun on the climb up to Warslow


The Garmin

 

[Robin]

Wow, Matt, there are impressively steep hills between you and Sheffield, I went for a walk above Hathersage once, and remember seeing Sheffield spread out far below in the valley over the other side. (At which point, we decided to turn back!)

 

[Matt Cycle]

Wow, Matt, there are impressively steep hills between you and Sheffield, I went for a walk above Hathersage once, and remember seeing Sheffield spread out far below in the valley over the other side. (At which point, we decided to turn back!)

Yes, I've done this journey a few times now on the bike and it doesn't seem to get any easier. 🙄 I haven't been to Hathersage for quite a while as I go via Bakewell and through Baslow with the long drag up to Owler Bar. The difference on this one was lugging an extra 10-15kg on my back. 😱 I haven't got owt to lose but they always say to make climbing easier the best thing you can do is lose some weight and carrying that rucksack I can see why!

 

[Lindarose]

Well done Matt! Hope you're feeling ok after the hypo. Does the libre wake you up when you're low in the night? If not would you normally just wake up cos you feel unwell?

 

[Matt Cycle]

Well done Matt! Hope you're feeling ok after the hypo. Does the libre wake you up when you're low in the night? If not would you normally just wake up cos you feel unwell?

Yes I'm fine thanks. Unfortunately the Libre doesn't wake you up by beeping as you need to swipe to get a reading although it will store up to 8 hours of data. A conventional CGM would be needed for that. The thing that concerns me is my hypo awareness is pretty much non-existent and tend not to wake up when hypo. I could only see what had gone on when I swiped the Libre when I did wake up - hypo levels for about 6 hours. 😱 Even though I had reduced my basal on Saturday morning that's what happened. I reduced it again on Sunday morning in anticipation of the return journey and according to the Libre spent last night/this morning 10-13 mmol/l and woke this morning to 9.6 mmol/l. The saving grace is at least it wasn't hypo however it's certainly not easy. Next week I could do exactly the same things and would almost certainly get different results or set my basal somewhere in between and also get different results. 🙄

 

[Lindarose]

I had a feeling that was the case. How frustrating and scary for you. And you seem to cope with it all very calmly. Hats off to you! 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

Spoke too soon the other week when I said everything was fine at the dentist. A week after I went a tooth broke so I had to go back this morning and she has filled what's left of it. 😱 I'd taken the day off on flexi leave so I thought I'd take heed of John Lydon's words before Anarchy in the UK on 'So it goes' in 1976 to 'GET OFF YOUR ARRRRSSSSE.' Gloriously sunny day today here - had the shorts on - but very breezy so I went for a quick spin into Cheshire around my usual haunts.

Strava stats are 44.3 miles completed at an average speed of 16.1mph and elevation gain of just under 1800 feet. (Bit surprised at the average speed as there was a strong swirling wind - not complaining though).

The Libre showed a the line between 5 and 8 mmol/l. (Confirmed with a couple of bg readings). I'd not reduced my Tresiba this morning as I hadn't planned on going out so it could be fun and games tonight. 🙄 Had 4 gels and a latte at the Jodrell Bank cafe.

It's bluebell time now - these are near Siddington.


Sheep and lambs near Gawsworth


The Garmin (no rounding down on Strava this time)

 

[Matt Cycle]

Glorious day today. Warm but not too hot, sunny and dry - factor 50 on. A bit of a breeze but you can't have everything. 😉 I thought about heading towards Whitegate in Cheshire but the legs didn't really feel up to it so I stuck to a similar area as on Wednesday's ride. It actually felt a bit like Summer - bees, flowers, insects, crops growing in fields - just a great day to be out and about. Lots of other riders out today.

Strava has it as 56.7 miles completed at an average speed of 15.9mph and elevation gain of just under 2000 feet.

A bit of nightmare in the night with levels - I had sweet potato chips as part of my tea last night and obviously miscalculated as I woke at 4am to a 17.7 mmol/l. Corrected that but whether it's subconscious or not I I never feel quite right the next day. I reduced my Tresiba this morning. Anyway on the ride the Libre was showing a fairly steady line between 5 and 9 mmol/l. I had 2 gels and an energy/protein bar. Returned to a 4.7 mmol/l and a down arrow.

Not sure what's going in this one - near Goostrey


Looking towards Bosley (the camera is playing tricks with the telegraph pole)


Close to home - near Rudyard


The Garmin

 

[Lindarose]

Glad you got out there and enjoyed the day Matt. Loving the bent pole!
Hope your levels are keeping steady now and not gone much lower 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

With other commitments I just managed to get out for a short 25 mile 'blast' today on a loop to Bosley and back on the climb of Biddulph Moor. Weather was fine, sunny and warm although part way round the roads were wet with no sign of any rainclouds. Dark clouds then appeared out of nowhere later on but no rain. I checked out some of the route of the Women's Tour of Britain (8th June) which passes not far from where I live to try and pick a decent potential viewing point. Did a fair bit of walking yesterday and the legs felt it a bit on this short ride. Still good to get out though.

Strava stats are 25.0 miles completed at an average speed of 14.2mph and elevation gain of exactly 1900 feet.

Levels started at 7.7 mmol/l, at 12 miles 8.1 mmol/l and finished on 6.9 mmol/l. Fairly steady and nothing eaten on this ride.

Poor I know 😉 - but just the one photo from Biddulph Moor looking in the direction of Leek.

 

[Copepod]

Discovered an unexpected bonus of cycling today. I live on west side of River Aire in Leeds and quite often need to get to work or meetings on the east side, often on or near Leeds Uni campus. Today was Leeds Half Marathon, so Kirkstall Rd, parallel with river, was closed to traffic - you might remember film of the floods just after Christmas 2015 (volunteer clean up team still in action every 2 weeks). However, guys setting up traffic control were happy to let a polite cyclist cross the route. The swearing van driver who was there at the same time wasn't - probably because he was driving, rather than because he was swearing!

 

[Matt Cycle]

Headed out fairly early today for a hillfest taking in Winnats Pass near Castleton 😱, part of the Cat and Fiddle and various others throughout the Peak District. I was on the ride today with another T1 who contacted me via the Strava T1 diabetic cyclists group as he used to live in North Staffordshire and brings his kids to visit his parents whilst taking in a ride. He was only diagnosed a couple of years ago and has been told he's still on the 'honeymoon' with very small insulin doses. It was great to be on a ride with someone else who 'gets it'. Nearly all checking by both of us was done on the move via the Libre. Weather was fine and pleasant but not too sunny or warm until we were almost back.

Strava stats are 61.0 miles completed at a not surprising (hills and issues with bg's) low average speed of 11.7mph and elevation gain of just under 5600 feet.

Levels were an absolute nightmare. Just before setting off at 8.20am (over 2 hours after breakfast) I checked and it was 7.7 mmol/l but with a diagonal up arrow on the Libre. I took an extra unit but within 6 miles the Libre was showing 16.1 mmol/l. I asked to stop and confirm this by checking my blood and it was 14.4 mmol/l. My legs were feeling really heavy so I felt I didn't have any choice and took 2 units. The Libre kept going up before reaching 19.6 mmol/l. Legs were awful and I felt I was slowing my fellow rider down (although he was almost certainly quicker than me anyway!). Then the drop started first 15.0 mmol/l with a down arrow, then 9.4 mmol/l with a down arrow, then a 6.0 mmol/l with a down arrow just before the Winnats Pass climb at 30 miles. 🙄 I took a couple of gels and things seemed to steady out. Even though it was a very hilly ride the issues with my levels certainly didn't help. We headed towards Buxton and then out on the Cat and Fiddle before dropping to Wincle, Rudyard and back. Overall had 4 gels, half an energy/protein bar and energy/protein drink.

Not really sure what was going on - I'd reduced my Tresiba but possibly too much, the extra 'stress' of riding with someone else for the first time? - I don't know.

Got a 'new' phone so photos should be a bit clearer. Not many taken on this ride though as we didn't really stop.

This is me near the top of Winnats Pass taken by Dave. (Luckily you can't see the pain etched on my face ). The road is quite narrow and a Mondeo in front of me had to stop before overtaking a cyclist further in front. Cue tyres spinning, engine screaming and a strong smell of burning clutch.


Another relieved rider reaches the top.


The Garmin

 

[Copepod]

Good report, thanks for posting @Matt Cycle. Winnat's and Cat & Fiddle are serious roads, even in car or on foot. Never tried to cycle them.

 

[Robin]

Blimey, Matt! We drove up Winnarts pass once, that was enough for me! ( We had walked up Mam Tor and back from Castleton, just before, she said in her defence)

 

[Matt Cycle]

Matt cycle, i enjoy reading your posts.
I used to love riding my bike, until i had a scull fracture 6 years ago that has left me with on going inner ear and balance problems. But i still hope to get out on the roads again.
Keep up the good work.

Thanks David and sorry to hear about your skull fracture leaving those problems. Hope you can get back out pedalling. 🙂

Blimey, Matt! We drove up Winnarts pass once, that was enough for me! ( We had walked up Mam Tor and back from Castleton, just before, she said in her defence)

It's certainly steep. 😱 One of the problems is the A625 Mam Tor road was closed in 1979 after they gave up trying to repair it due to landslides leaving the only option for traffic to go up the steeper and narrower Winnats Pass. For those going up - cars, bikes, people and sheep make it a bit crowded.

 

[Lindarose]

That was some ride Matt. Not surprised your levels went a bit heywire! Well done though to you both.

 

[Northerner]

Not really sure what was going on - I'd reduced my Tresiba but possibly too much, the extra 'stress' of riding with someone else for the first time? - I don't know.

I'd certainly back this theory Matt - sounds similar to my experience when I ran the Southampton Half - had my highest levels for months, then dropped right back down again towards the end.

Terrific job riding up Winnat's Pass! 😱 I've run up there a few times, but when I was much younger - not sure I could manage the whole thing nowadays! 😱 Not sure? I'm certain! 🙂 Well done! 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

I'd certainly back this theory Matt - sounds similar to my experience when I ran the Southampton Half - had my highest levels for months, then dropped right back down again towards the end.

When the levels on the Libre were reaching those high levels (19) my legs were so sluggish and heavy. Messed up with the Tresiba as well. 🙄

Terrific job riding up Winnat's Pass! 😱 I've run up there a few times, but when I was much younger - not sure I could manage the whole thing nowadays! 😱 Not sure? I'm certain! 🙂 Well done! 🙂

I remember walking up it with school and we'd often go out there with my parents. I also walked up the closed Mam Tor road a long time ago - precarious in places. Castleton is a lovely village with the show caverns - Blue John, Speedwell etc making a great visit.

 

[HOBIE]

Good pics Matt & well done you ! Keep peddlin 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

Summat do with the Queen's birthday (not sure which one as she has two 🙄) but we get an extra days leave so not complaining or owt. Anyway just my luck but for this extra days leave it's been drizzling on and off most of the morning and into the afternoon but I thought balls to it and put the mudguards back on and headed out for a short ride towards Congleton and back over Biddulph Moor. I'd have preferred it to be dry but even with the drizzle it certainly didn't feel cold in bibshorts.

Strava has given it as 25.0 miles completed at an average speed of 14.2mph and elevation gain of just over 1800 feet.

Levels went a bit wayward again. I'd reduced my Tresiba this morning in anticipation of the ride. I'm still on the Libre and this morning was fine but about an hour before I set off it started to rise -10,12,13 I took a correction and waited a bit it levelled out and started to fall so I set off at 10.1 mmol/l. Over half way round it was showing 12 mmol/l but the blood check showed 10.0 mmol/l. On return however it was back to 5.2 mmol/l. Didn't have anything to eat on this ride.

Just seem to be struggling a bit with levels recently at home and when on rides (hypo's during the night so reduce basal and it's then in the 14's and 15's, then it's okay, then it's not - it's too much of a blunt instrument for my requirements) but however at long last it's good news on the pump front as I had a call from my DSN last week and I have to go in a couple of weeks to choose which one I want. She has told me to look at the websites. So far I'm leaning towards the Medtronic MiniMed 640G but I'll keep looking and then wait to see what the reps have to say on the day. The DSN has also in the meantime agreed to switch me back to Levemir from Tresiba so that should give me a bit more flexibility on basal.

Black clouds - more rain near Congleton on the way up to Biddulph Moor

The Garmin (Strava's rounded down 0.2mph 🙄)