Sidelined by Sickness and Fatigue
After a bumper last weekend in May with the 400 kilometre ride from Manchester to Holyhead and back to Manchester, I started to feel unwell. Possibly COVID and I tested but that was negative. I had a sore throat which developed into a cough and I was running a high temperature. I was obviously expecting to feel tired after the long ride /short sleep but this was more than that. I spoke with my coach and during the next few days and across the following weekend I took things very easy. I was concerned that June was expected to be the month with the highest training before the August event. The benefit of having a coach is that they will keep you grounded when things start to cause concern.
The following week I was still feeling not quite right but I did gym work and Pilates and then I was due some time off work for a holiday in Scotland. I planned with my partner to cycle part way from Manchester and into Scotland. We agreed that we would meet in Lockerbie.
Scenic Detours and Rain-Soaked Roads
After work on my last day I was really feeling exhausted and I decided to take some time after work to finish packing my things slowly and I travelled by train (not bike) to Lancaster where I stayed the night. The next day was the Lancaster to Lockerbie leg of the trip. When I awoke it was bucketing it down and I didn’t have a major rush to get to Lockerbie so I delayed my start. It was fine when I set off but literally within 1.5km it was raining hard again. I also had some bike trouble – my gears were slipping (my climbing gears) and I think my rear derailleur had taken a bit of a bash in the oversized luggage/bike carrying area of the train the previous night. I stopped off at a bike shop in Carnforth where a lovely man helped me on my way recommending Shap as the route to Lockerbie but I had other ideas. My route took me up and over Kirkstone Pass to Glenridding. I spent the morning on and off with waterproof clothing which included full waterproof trousers and waterproof overshoes but when it stopped raining it was actually really quite warm so the waterproofs did need to come off. The day got progressively better and I did some wonderful stretches of smooth tarmac. I was feeling well enough-ish for the ride.
Detours, Delays, and Lockerbie Reflections
A friend of mine was travelling to an audax event starting from Carlisle and she came out to the road side to encourage me. I stopped and had a chat and then set off on my way again only to be confronted by a hard road closure at Durdar, south of Carlisle – there was definitely no way through. The diversion signs were confusing and in that diversion I had a puncture. My tyre was soft but it was not flat. I added air and set off again and the tyre seemed to be holding until I got into Carlisle when it went down again. By this time because of the delayed start, the number of stops I’d had to dress and undress, the bike shop stop and feed stops during the course of the day, I was behind schedule and so I decided to jump in my friend’s van for a lift to Lockerbie. We had discussed visiting Lockerbie for the memorial garden and the memorial in the cemetery because both of us had been watching various Lockerbie/Pan Am 103 programmes on the television. That’s what we did. It was very moving and I am glad about the decision I took that day. After food in Lockerbie, my partner met me and we travelled by van to Glasgow.
Highland Retreat and Recovery
From Glasgow the following day we made our way to Mull and ultimately to Iona where we spent the next week. I did some riding but not loads of riding. I was active every day but I took this as an opportunity to regroup on my coach’s advice and really try and shift whatever it was that was lingering after the end of May ride.
On my way back from Mull and on my last day of leave from work, I took the opportunity to do some riding through the Lake District to Windermere where we were meeting some friends. The route was up and over Kirkstone Pass again. I was solo and my bike was fully loaded with gear I would be carrying on LEL when suddenly I was faced with a road closure sign which I did not trust on the basis that it was referencing ice as the problem and it was 17th June!
A Magical Solstice Ride: Carlisle to Edinburgh by Night
The following weekend was one of the highlights of my training schedule. It is a ride I have done before – an overnight Carlisle to Edinburgh solstice ride/event which is just the best. The roads are quiet and mainly smooth (with some notable exceptions). There is a well organised feed stop 1/3 of the way into the 100 mile route which riders arrive at around 9:00 pm-ish. After that is a 6 mile gentle hill called the Devil’s Beef Tub and on the top of that climb riders are rewarded with the sound of bagpipes at which time it is dark and really atmospheric.
Headwinds, Heat, and Hardware Woes
After that the next stop is at a rave- yes that’s right, a rave. The only rave where cyclists wearing helmets, lycra and cleats dance – the music is excellent as are the light show, the bananas and the water refreshments. The idea of the ride is to arrive into Edinburgh before sunrise and socialise with other riders on the beach. We managed to do that and then headed off for what was ultimately a couple of hours break/sleep/refresh before I headed off solo to ride back to Carlisle via the LEL southbound route to collect my van and drive back to Manchester. Hot, sunny, torrential rain and strong head winds along that stretch made me decide to divert off the route and ride to Lockerbie instead of Carlisle and a short train ride got me to the car park in Carlisle before the car park closed. I had been delayed again by strong head winds and yet another visit to a bike shop when I noticed that my Garmin mount had sheared (2nd one this season) and was no longer clamping my handlebars in place…..some of the roads are so rough that the vibrations have to be tolerated I suppose… and those vibrations take their toll.
Worries, Workloads, and Wavering Confidence
The following week things ramped up at work hugely. The timing for this could not be worse. I just managed a ride on Friday which is my non-working day.
All of this evolved into a much lower volume of training during June and some wobbles whether I had done enough training, whether I could complete the challenge, whether I wouldn’t just get a train to take the strain……after all they do run between London and Edinburgh as many, many people have told me. A long talk with my coach helped me through this and we will have to see what happens on the event.
Bike Battles and Last-Minute Tweaks
Mechanically, my bike is showing the strain with an issue which Trek in Manchester are battling with. A creaking/clunking/knocking sound which is random and which of course has not been replicated in the store. I have had a new bottom bracket, pedals serviced and now we are looking at the back wheel. I have a loan wheel to test. The tension here relates to me wanting to move over to a tubeless wheel set up before the event and everything is ready for this (tyres, tape, valves, sealant etc) BUT I don’t have a working wheel which I own. Trek are looking into warranty issues for the wheel and I will keep hold of the loan wheel for now.
Final Countdown: Heatwaves, Big Rides & Taper Time
The other thing I would like to get hold of and finalise my planning is the route which inevitably is still being tweaked. The organisers are doing a fantastic job of getting all the detail sorted ahead of the event start. I would like to be further on in my preparations but I think I just need to find a way to keep calm about the things I cannot control.
As I am writing this the UK is baking in yet another heatwave – 2025 has definitely been an interesting and varied weather year. There is a break in the heatwave approaching and then another heatwave is expected which sounds to be ahead of the 3 August start date.
Looking forward to early July brings a 600km event on the first weekend (the forecast is looking warm and soggy with strong winds) and an Essex/Lincolnshire ride weekend the following weekend where I will be visiting some supportive friends I haven’t seen for a while. I am then firmly tapering with guidance and support from my coach.
I continue to enjoy my riding and am looking forward to my next ride. I am also firmly looking forward to being on the other side of the discipline and routine of preparations for a big event. It is a commitment I have enjoyed but I will enjoy a break from it all in only a few weeks now.
