Cycling

[Matt Cycle]

Headed out into Derbyshire today passing through villages before reaching Bakewell, Baslow and on to Chatsworth. Conditions were similar to last week - bright and sunny but with a strong cold wind. This was another hilly one - a bit of a leg burner. With the cold wind I wore the bibtights for this one and I'm glad I did. Quite hard work but a good ride though.

On arrival at the Chatsworth Estate I can only assume there has been some kind of dreadful mix-up over diary dates as, despite my insistence, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire were not expecting me. I therefore missed out on afternoon tea in their company and had to mix with the riff raff at the cafe at Monyash. You can rest assured my personal secretary will be receiving some strong words. 😉

Strava stats are 57.8 miles completed at a low average speed of 12.7 mph and a biggish elevation gain of just under 5000 feet.

Been having a few issues with bg levels recently but on the whole they seemed to be behaving themselves today. Did lots of testing on this ride. At start 7.2 mmol/l, at 8 miles 7.8 mmol/, at 18 miles 8.7 mmol/l, at 28 miles 5.3 mmol/l, at 37 miles 6.6 mmol/l, at 43 miles 6.2 mmol/l, 48 miles 6.2 mmol/l, at 53 miles 3.7 mmol/l and on return 6.9 mmol/l. Had malt loaf, banana and 4 energy gels.

Sheepwash Bridge at Ashford in the Water. Apparently named as local shepherds drove sheep through the water and they crossed the bridge. Not sure if that's true or not. I first walked across it in 1977 as part of a school field trip to the nearby Thornbridge Hall when that was owned by Sheffield Council Education Dept as a school activities centre. They sold the Hall off in 1980's.


On The Chatsworth Estate in the distance Chatsworth House with fountain towards the right - scene of my faux pas with Duke and Duchess (see text). 😉


Garmin stats

 

[HOBIE]

Once again good pictures. It was cold here too but sun was out

 

[Northerner]

'Well jell', I think is the modern phrase! 🙂 Love that area, spent many an hour walking or running around there 🙂 Excellent BG control throughout, well done 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

'Well jell', I think is the modern phrase! 🙂 Love that area, spent many an hour walking or running around there 🙂 Excellent BG control throughout, well done 🙂

Yes, it is very nice around there. I hope you spotted the deliberate error in the following paragraph.

On arrival at the Chatsworth Estate I can only assume there has been some kind of dreadful mix-up over diary dates as, despite my insistence, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire were not expecting me. I therefore missed out on afternoon tea in their company and had to mix with the riff raff at the cafe at Monyash. You can rest assured my personal secretary will be receiving some strong words.

Yes, that's right of course it was the cafe at Bakewell, not Monyash.

Took the day off today for the CGM sensor removal at the clinic and chatting again with a different DSN about my control and pumps. She said she will download the data from the sensor and be in touch. Spent the afternoon mowing the lawns and cleaning and lubing my bike. I spend more time cleaning and maintaining it than I do my car.

 

[HOBIE]

Hope you got the Bike nice & shinny 🙂

 

[Adrasteia]

Some cracking mileage going in the legs there! My 25-miler to work feels a lot!

Loved the video by the way, ended up watching half a dozen more of theirs. Some pretty wry observations of some cycling stereotypes 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

Some cracking mileage going in the legs there! My 25-miler to work feels a lot!

Loved the video by the way, ended up watching half a dozen more of theirs. Some pretty wry observations of some cycling stereotypes 🙂

25 miles is no small distance. 🙂 As long as you do as the great Eddy Merckx said “Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride”.

The GCN videos are great - the GCN Show itself comes out every Tuesday on Youtube which is a magazine type format of the weeks cycling news. There are loads of others they do - top tens, nutrition, maintenance, tips, behind the scenes at pro teams, pro bikes, funny ones etc etc. Well worth a look.

 

[Matt Cycle]

Seem to have caught the remnants of the colds that people at work and my family have had over the last couple of weeks so was reluctantly thinking of missing out on a ride this week especially as I spent yesterday digging the garden. I invoked rule 5 of the 'cycling rules' which is MTFU or HTFU (if you don't know you'll have to look it up ). The forecast looked okay (dry) if a bit cold. So I thought I'd go out for a steady ride. Went on one of my usual routes to Jodrell Bank but back via Congleton. Just before I got to Jodrell Bank the drizzle started and never stopped until I got home - so much for it being dry (thank you weather forecasters). 🙄 The bike will now need a clean. Saw the well known comedian and cycling enthusiast John Bishop at the Jodrell Bank cafe - he said hello. I was trying to work out which was his bike in the bike shed - being leafy Cheshire there were plenty of high end bikes in there (there usually is) so it could have been any of them.

Strava stats are given as 42.4 miles at an average speed of 13.9 mph and elevation gain of 2000 feet. This takes me over 800 miles for the year so far.

Bg levels have been a bit wayward again as I along with the DSN's guidance have been adjusting the basal. It's still not right and having a cold certainly won't help things. Levels as follows: at start 11.7 mmol/l, at 15 miles 8.6 mmol/l, at 22 miles 12.9 mmol/l (must have overdone the gel), at 30 miles 8.4 mmol/l, at 35 miles 7.8 mmol/l and back home 6.4 mmol/l. Just the gels today and a latte at the cafe.

Only pic is the garmin stats one - (because of the drizzle, feeling rough and trying to get back 😉)

 

[HOBIE]

Well done ! 800m. Very good 😎

 

[Matt Cycle]

Still feeling a little under the weather (I know, I know, excuses, excuses ) and with the prospect of wet weather heading from the West this afternoon (which is now coming down as I write) I decided to just go for a short ride around some of the hillier bits of the Staffordshire Moorlands this morning. It was a bit on the cool side and breezy with drizzly bits passing over occasionally. However, it was good to get out and keep the legs turning.

Strava has it as 26.0 miles at an average speed of 13.4 mph and elevation gain of just under 2000 feet.

Levels as follows: at start 6.2 mmol/l (a bit low as I aim as per Team Novo Nordisk instructions 😉 when riding for 7-10 mmol/l so had a few biscuits), at 9 miles 9.1 mmol/l, at 16 miles 7.7 mmol/l and back home 8.7 mmol/l. Short ride so only had a gel on the way round.

If the forecasters are right things are looking up for next weekend with temperatures up to 17 degrees and into the following week 18 and 19 degrees. If that happens - positively balmy.

Talking 'bout my generation. Wind turbines earning their keep today at Morridge.


Also at Morridge but looking the other way towards Buxton.

 

[Northerner]

Have you been following t'Tour? 🙂 Shame about the tv coverage yesterday (or lack of it! 🙄)

 

[Matt Cycle]

Have you been following t'Tour? 🙂 Shame about the tv coverage yesterday (or lack of it! 🙄)

Yes, I've been following it. They've had some tough conditions to contend with. It was shame about the coverage yesterday particularly for the womens single stage race that would have gained a lot of publicity with the TV coverage - how often do we get to see womens cycling on TV? I can only think of the olympics. I think Gary Verity was pretty upset about the whole thing. The 'blame' seems to lie with ASO (the French organisers) as the aeroplane which beams back the footage from the helicopter and motorbikes was not operational. You would have thought in this digital day and age there would be some sort of back up if something like this happened. 🙄
Shame that Lizzie Armitstead couldn't win it on her home turf but the finish didn't really favour her if it came down to a bunch sprint.

 

[Matt Cycle]

Headed out into Cheshire today to Knutsford and Whitegate for my longest ride to date and first 100 miler. This was a tester for hopefully a longer ride later in the Summer. Weather was pretty good ranging from warm and sunny, hazy sunshine, cloudy and then a shower just as I arrived home.

Plenty of testing but the meter played up a bit and I must have wasted at least 8 strips with error codes. 🙄 I know the distance was further than usual but it seemed to be one of those days where I just had to keep shovelling stuff in. At start 4.6 mmol/l (so had malt loaf and a few biscuits), at 11 miles 4.5 mmol/l, at 21 miles 3.6 mmol/l, at 35 miles 6.8 mmol/l, at 42 miles 3.8 mmol/l, at 60 miles 9.8 mmol/l, at 70 miles 7.5 mmol/l, at 76 miles 7.3 mmol/l, at 84 miles 4.7 mmol/l, at 93 miles 6.9 mmol/l and back home 7.3 mmol/l. Had malt loaf, banana, 6 gels and cake from cafe. Interesting hours ahead blood glucose wise after that distance.

Strava has given it as 100.9 miles at an average speed of 14.7 mph and elevation gain of 3000 feet.

Sunshine and blossom at Lower Withington


Garmin stats (with the showers arriving back at home - it wasn't cold so it was quite refreshing really 😉)

 

[HOBIE]

Made me smile about the "wind turbines earning there keep" . Windy day ? I used to really enjoy windy days when out on my windy-board but Not on a bike. Must be getting old 😱

 

[Northerner]

Fabulous Matt, well done on your first 100-miler! 🙂 I'd say that's pretty excellent control there - so frustrating when you are testing during exercise and bl**dy strips won't behave! 😱

 

[Matt Cycle]

Thanks Alan. I'm getting more annoyed with the Optium as the blood drop required is 'huge' compared to most meters - I may speak to my DN and try and get another one. This was one day where the Libre would have been perfect. Sadly I haven't got any sensors at the moment.

I'd originally planned on going to Delamere which would have taken me well over the 100 mile mark but starting to feel it a bit by then decided to turn back near Tarporley. As I headed back towards Leek I was up to around 94 miles and thought it was too close to the 100 to miss out. So I ended up doing a couple of circuits around Rudyard to bring the 100 up. I actually got a bit emotional (I know, I know it was probably just the drizzle 😉) as the 100 ticked by on the Garmin. Most official cycling stats are measured using the metric system so it's probably only in this country that 100 miles seems like a big deal. At the end of the day I'm just a 48 year old Type 1 diabetic, on a relatively inexpensive bike who rides around a bit. If I can do it anyone can do it or at least something similar. 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

A fairly pleasant day weather wise but with a coolish breeze and I gave the legs a workout this morning by heading back over to Tatton Park in Cheshire. It really warmed up on the way back so I was glad I chose the bibshorts rather than the bibtights.

Bg's seem to be behaving themselves at the moment (well, as much as they ever do 🙄). Levels were as follows: at start 6.7 mmol/l, at 11 miles 7.4 mmol/l, at 25 miles 5.6 mmol/l, at 31 miles 5.7 mmol/l, at 40 miles 8.9 mmol/l, at 49 miles 6.3 mmol/l, at 57 miles 6.3 mmol/l and back home 7.3 mmol/l. Had malt loaf (the Aldi one doesn't seem as sticky for those bothered about fillings ) and four gels.

Strava stats are given as 63.4 miles (another metric century - 102km) at an average speed of 15.3 mph and elevation gain of 2200 feet. This now takes my year to date mileage over 1000 miles in 21 rides.

Now got some digging to do in the garden. 🙄

Tatton Park mansion on the other side of the lake


Sailing on the lake on the other side of the road at Tatton park


Deer at Tatton Park


Garmin stats photo - exactly the same as Strava for once 🙄

 

[HOBIE]

Out this morning, did about 5mile & sun was out, my son was not playing football today 🙂. Good pickies Matt

 

[Matt Cycle]

Fairly pleasant weather wise - relatively warm and dry (but with rain forecast for this afternoon), so I headed out this morning into the Derbyshire hills for a shorter but hillier 😱 ride than of late. I went via Warslow, Hartington to Monyash and then onto Chelmorton and Buxton and Flash before heading back.

Strange one regarding levels: before start 3.8 mmol/l 😱 (didn't have time to hang around so had various biscuits and malt loaf and set off), at 8 miles 9.2 mmol/l, at 20 miles 5.9 mmol/l, at 30 miles 7.5 mmol/l, at 36 miles 13.8 mmol/l 😱 (it's either overdoing the gels, liver dump after a few steep hills, who knows? ), back home 13.1 mmol/l. Had a correction when I got back.

Strava stats are 43.8 miles at an average speed of 13.9 mph and elevation gain of just under 3500 feet.

Sheep and lambs in fields near Hartington (and my finger on phone camera screen 🙄)


Oh dear, that's where I'm heading next - you can just about make out the A53 (about 1.5 cm down from the highest point on the hill heading towards the top left. 😱


Garmin stats - exactly the same as Strava 🙄

 

[HOBIE]

Good picks again Matt. Well done doing your 100 miler.