Bicycle Adventures

 Well what am I going to call my blog? Nearly 6 months of not running is not very catchy. My knee seems a good bit better, thanks for asking; it looks nearly normal. Somedays it's worse and some days it's better. Steep inclines aren't good. I tried a wee run a few weeks back but it was a no-go - hot and sore inside.

So anyway I've been getting out on my bike, and have had some good adventures. Probably the best was at the end of July. I'd seen a route on Strava that Stewart Whitlie had done, with some stiff looking climbs, and for some reason I wanted to do it. It's a loop starting near Gifford that goes through Garvald and then up into the Lammermuirs, over the moors, on a wee thin strip of tarmac. People call it Redstone Rigg I think but I don't know exactly what part that is. The whole day out, including getting to and returning from Gifford, would be in the region of 66 miles which was a jump up from anything I'd been doing - so this one day I thought I would go and just have a look at the start of it.

I cycled to Gifford and stopped there at the Lantern Rouge for a cup of tea and a scone. It was raining a bit and it was after lunchtime, so I thought it would maybe be empty - but actually all the tables were in use when I went in - but there was just one man sitting at the big table next to the counter so I sat down there.

I was going to have a look at my phone as we do in these modern times but my table mate was in the mood for a chit-chat. He was doing a bit of driving for people on golfing holidays so was at a loose end in the middle part of the day. They give you free coffee top ups in the Lantern Rouge, so you need to watch out. I was drinking tea but my table-mate was drinking coffee and accepted a top up without much thought. He went from telling me the odd tale to giving me a barrage of anecdotes about golfing tours. It was getting later and I needed to get going so I was waiting for a break in the conversation to say so, but it wasn't coming. Eventually I put my hand up and said "Right I have to leave now."  My head was spinning by the time I left. I bet he was awake all night.

I had meant to think about what I was going to do next while I was in the cafe but I hadn't had a moment to think, so now I just went and started the route. The start of it was a commiting downhill into Garvald and although I told myself I could always back out, I think at that point I knew I was going to just go for the whole route. There was a steep, steep climb back up out of Garvald - so steep that I didn't want to use my granny ring as I knew it would be nearly impossible to get going again if I had to stop for a car or anything. Anyway, you don't need to know every detail. It was very steep and then up and down and then at the far end of this road you join another road near Whiteadder Reservoir and head back for Gifford, and that is a longer, but less steep hill. Maybe it's even Redstone Rigg!

I was in my happy place on this second hill. I like a long hill. It focuses the mind. The sun even came out for a while as I neared the summit.

All of this was followed by plummeting descents that you could really get some good speed up on IF you didn't put your brakes on. I put my brakes on though. Accounts of why that is vary according to who you ask. I say I'm just being cautious but Peter says I'm a pussy.

There was a stiffish headwind as I headed home, and, just after East Linton what had been a light shower of rain turned into a deluge and continued like that for over an hour. This actually felt quite helpful. It distracted from tired legs and bum ache and made a big day seem even more epic. I had a good jacket and it was still quite warm, so it wasn't really a problem. I arrived home eventually, very hungry, and delighted to have had an actual adventure instead of going boring cycles in town or going to the swimming pool. Maybe the worst thing about having a knee injury and not being able to run is that I feel so limited. So it was nice to push the limits a bit.

Another day I went up into the Pentlands. I hadn't been there for ages and really enjoyed the scenery, -  if not riding over the horrible chuckies between the Balerno side and the Howe. I have never been brave as far as mountain biking goes but now I am much worse. Ever since I came off my bike on the ice at the beginning of last year and stoved my ribs in AGAIN I'm just - well I'm just really against coming off my bike. If I did it more, maybe I would get better. My current MTB has 29 inch wheels and even though I really like it, I find it harder to handle than my old 26 inch one. I really need to keep my weight over the saddle if the ground is at all treacherous or it goes sideways really easily - and me with it. As  I made my way at a glacial pace over the flipping chuckies I was remembering things I used to know like that you need to choose your line and then commit to it rather than just constantly try to stay out of trouble or see what could go wrong. It might be that that also applies to life.

Eventualmente I came out the other side and was rewarded by a good long swoop down to Flotterstone on proper tarmac.

In between cycles I have still spent a fair bit of time hanging about in cemeteries in the undergrowth taking pictures of things. It's interesting how these new elements of life from the pandemic have stayed.

One day there was  a strong west wind blowing but I had a free day and wanted to get out on my bike. I'm getting to know East Lothian better but I hate setting off on a cycle or a run or anything with the hardest part later on - so I'd rather run uphill first and then downhill - and if there's to be a headwind, I'd rather cycle into it first and then get blown home than vice-versa. Using this logic I thought I should go West - but where to go?

Well, when I cycled up into the Pentlands the last time I'd gone all the way up the Water of Leith path, which I hadn't done for quite a few years - and in the latter stages noticed that on the cycle path signs it was signposting somewhere called Kirknewton a bit further on from Balerno. I googled it and made up a path from Kirknewton - assuming that it must be an okay route - through what seemed like quieter roads and over to Kirkliston. I seemed to remember that decades ago I'd cycled on a cycle path from South Queensferry to Kirkliston - so I thought that from Kirliston I'd get the cycle path to SQ and use the west wind to blow me home.

All this didn't really go according to plan though. There was a signposted cycle route but it was really confusingly signposted, or else I was just being dim that day. I had back-up things - so I had printed out a google map and I had my phone with me, but quite a few times I couldn't figure out what direction I should be going in. I don't know West Lothian very well, which was part of it, and I have Broxburn and Bathgate and Livingstone all muddled up in my head as cross-country venues somewhere along the A8.

This was in Almondell Country Park which sounds nice but by this time to be honest I hated it. It's a horrible country park. 

I ended up in a ridiculously bad mood. I cycled along the pavement for a good distance on an A road - can't remember which one - the wind was behind me so I was making good time but - well it was on a busy A road. When I did get to Kirkliston I didn't have any sense of where the cycle path was or if I'd actually just dreamed it up, so I took a road for Cramond I'd never been on before. Towards the Cramond end I was recognising things - like the airport - and then noticed that there was a sign for Craigie's Farm cafe up a hill. This seemed like a good idea and I cycled up the hill - but I thought it was going to be quite a small place but actually it was pretty big and there were loads of cars and nowhere to put my bike that I could see and continuing in my bad mood I just cycled off again and went home.

I think it was this cycle that made me think I want one of those proper GPS things for the bike. My phone is £100 phone and it can tell you where you are but it's not great at helping you get where you need to go - and I can download routes on my Garmin, but I have to know the whole route in advance. I wanted something better than that! So I splashed out a bit of cash on a Garmin Edge 1030 plus and then didn't use it for a wee while and wondered if I was a pillock.

It's been a rainy August. I took this while Peter and I were hiding under a tree in the cemetery in a downpour.

Another trip that I did with Peter was a couple of Mondays ago. I just had a bit of work in the morning but then was free for the rest of the day. We decided to go to Big Saltoun Wood as we hadn't been in a while. I think Peter was hoping there would be a new batch of Commas. The weather was a bit iffy to start with and it seemed like maybe it would be a wash-out, but then as we came into West Saltoun off the cycle path we were arrested by a Buddleia bush FULL of butterflies which raised the vibrations wonderfully!

After that we went on to the woods where there was a new emergence of Peacock Butterflies, all pristine and perfect. Then we saw Southern Hawker dragonflies - which PB was excited about, and eventually we cycled home!

The following Monday we returned and this time the Commas had emerged and were out in force, along with lots of Red Admirals.

Okay, nearly time for tea and the last day of the World Champ athletics so I'll make it snappy.

My new GPS thing had sat on my desk for a wee while making me feel guilty but I had not felt inspired to try it. Other things were happening. But the other day I pinched a friend Michael's route off Strava which was part known and part not known routes in East Lothian. I thought this was the best way of getting to know how to work it as I'd never be truly lost and yet I would see if it would take me anywhere good. I had an inauspicious start getting a soaking in the first 10 miles from which I never really dried out - and although I could get the map up on the GPS it kept beeping at me and I didn't know why. I realised 10 miles in that it was warning me I hadn't started recording. I didn't necessarily want to record as I still had my other Garmin on my wrist but once I'd put it on it was happy.

Long story short - it was great! The route was 60 miles and I was thinking I wouldn't necessarily do the whole thing, but one thing led to another and I did. It really seems like a game changer. I'm sure this isn't news to many people but it is to me.

The end. (Time for tea.)

Five months of not running....

 Ahah, a blog about not running? How very Zen. There are a lot of things I haven't been doing apart from running,  but you have to focus. As Facebook wisdom has it - you can't hug all the cats.

So how's the knee? 

Well, whisper it, but it seems a wee bit better. I don't have to be so careful with it. I still have to think about stairs, steep inclines and declines, and it's still swollen, so I'm not running. I can't be bothered doing the re-injury thing, it takes too much of a toll. I've kind of accepted I'll need to start from scratch whenever and if ever I do get going again.

Which raises a question; what is scratch? How do you start running again? I was 25 last time I started running, and I'm guessing, but I was probably more resilient then than I am now. When I was 25 I was doing a Masters in IT at Stirling Uni because there weren't many jobs and the Scottish Govt was handing out funding, and one of the guys on my course was an ex PE teacher. Calum gave me this advice. "Just keep running for 20 minutes at first and you'll get fitter". He was right. It was terrible at first. The terrible thing was the breathing. I walked a lot and swam kind of regularly and had a bike so it didn't really seem hard on my legs. The breathing was something else. And the public humiliation. There's nothing for blowing your cool like huffing and puffing with a big red face while you run quite slowly. 

Also, it was in the days when it was fine to shout out your van window at a puffing jogger lady, so I got more feedback than I was ever looking for. I have a fine fighting spirit however and THAT shit just made me more determined to run. Although I tried to do it after dark whenever I could.

So what I'm saying is I have no idea how I'll start running again. Maybe I'll do the couch to 5K thing people talk about.

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So how are you doing with physios?

How thoughtful of you to ask. I've got a bit to say about that. So the one I was telling you about 2 months ago who knew about knees and football. I went back to see him and I think it cost me £58 and in the meantime he'd forgotten everything we'd talked about and had to read his notes while I sat there, and then he gave me some rather hasty exercises where I didn't really get what he was asking me to do. He yawned the whole time as well. I'm still doing the first exercises he gave me and they've helped me I think, but I didn't go back. 

You're quite the Diva these days aren't you Yakhunter?

Yes it's my new thing.

I thought I was maybe being a bit stubborn about the anti-inflammatories so I had a google and I found a paper on-line that said ibuprofen gel seemed to be just as effective as oral ibuprofen for reducing swelling and inflammation, but without the side-effects, so I've been using that, and it's hard to know what does what, but my knee's not so swollen - in fact it's much less swollen. I can do a standing quad stretch now which I couldn't do a couple of months ago.

Last thing and then I promise to shut up about my knee.

I got an NHS physio appointment through after...maybe 3 months wait. I didn't really want to go because I'm sick of the whole circus, but I went just in case they would have anything shiny or hopeful for me.

Quite the reverse actually. It's hard for me to say much about it because I appreciate the circumstances any NHS physio is working in - but it just made me feel tired, old and cynical. Obviously they're on a drive to reduce waiting lists because I got an assessment in a room with maybe 10 other people at the same time all saying their thing while I tried to say my thing. I couldn't hardly hear my young physio but I could hear the person adjacent to me who was saying she'd MAXED OUT ON ALL THE PAIN MEDS BUT SHE WAS STILL IN AGONY. He didn't know what was wrong with my knee. His face said he thought I should be happy with how my knee is because it's not too bad. He sent me a pdf of exercises to do the next day, that are less than the ones I'm already doing, and including lunges which I can't do because they hurt my knees. I won't be going back. I need to think of something to say. for cancelling the next appointment. I'll figure something out.

To the notion that you should just accept it if your knee packs up when you're 56 years old I would like to say this - cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic pain conditions - all associated with obesity - are killing the NHS. It isn't unreasonable to try to be as fit as possible for as long as possible. Exercise improves mental health, reduces blood pressure and the risk of stroke, reduces the chances of getting a host of different cancers, reduces the chances of getting osteoporosis and dementia. Oldies who exercise are doing everyone else a favour. So fuck off.

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So in the meantime I've been swimming and out on my bicycle, and I've been enjoying it. I went yesterday with Buchanan to Woodhall Dean to look for Purple Hairstreaks. (Butterflies). He's been at me to do this for a wee while. It was + or - 33 somewhat hilly miles to get there. The Hairstreaks, apparently, are more active in the late afternoon and early evening. I wasn't so keen for this because I like to be eating my tea and watching the Tour de France Highlights at 7pm - but I eased up on my precious regime for this one day. We found the Hairstreaks, and they were indeed much more active as the day got later. Then we cycled, possibly not a very good route, which was 18 miles and had as many hills as the previous 33, to North Berwick and got a train home from there.

Tea was a carry-out curry at 10.30pm, and I only just managed to get a lesson in on Duolingo to keep my 923 Spanish streak going. Estupendamente!!

Purple Hairstreak.

On the leaf above the yellow shield bug there are a team of shield bug babies. I took the picture but didn't notice the babies until Peter pointed them out later.