28th October 2023 Coventry, England
For those who have read the France End To End blogs, the title of this one will not be a surprise. It was no secret that an injury blighted my preparation and that surgery was booked for 26th October, but when I look at these 2 photos with just 3 weeks between them it feels a little surreal.
Right now it feels a long way off for me to repeat anything like that again but after the appropriate amount of rest I’m sure I’ll get back on the trusty steed and start the search for cycling fitness all over again and I’m hoping that some time in December I might be doing some gentle rides in my Garage on Zwift, my goal is to begin Spring 2024 on the bike not feeling like Mr Blobby but right now my short term goal is to get home, rest and see my grandchildren.
For anyone interested in the detail I had Spondylolisthesis causing nerve impaction so needed two procedures – Decompression surgery and a Pedicle Screw Fusion, so now have a huge Frankenstein Scar down my spine and Titanium screws holding two vertebrae together
29th October 2023
Today I came home and although that was something I very much looked forward to it really emphasised not only the enormous difference in such a short time between cycling across the whole of France and where I am now but also the gulf between the pitiful few steps I’m able to walk without pain today and the ambitions I have of not just doing similar events in the future but just turning the pedals a few times on my indoor bike. Being in hospital is far from reality and the reality kicks in when you get back home. Feeling helpless in your own comfortable environment makes the reality hit harder. Right now I can’t bend, twist, reach, stretch, push, pull or lift – doesn’t leave much does it? But as frustrating as it is, I’m going to heal more quickly if I do as I’m told so that’s what I must, and will do.
Another issue for me of course is that I have a YouTube channel with weekly video uploads all about cycling and I won’t be on a bloody bike for months and I’ve launched this website and blog about my alter ego “Ordinary Bloke On A Bike” just when I start an enforced period of being most definitely NOT on a bike. So, subject matter for Youtube and the blog will be hard to come by ! Luckily I have some great film from a cycling holiday in Cantabria in May that I aimed to edit and post on YouTube during the winter and the France End to End has been recorded start to finish so there will be a series of films commemorating that wonderful event appearing at some stage in the near future when I can get the energy and motivation to start again which may well be dictated simply by when I can actually sit comfortably .
I’ve had plenty of time to look back on that trip and wanted to touch on here the special things that come from such an event that aren’t about the actual physical riding on a bike across a country. Friendship : now clearly, meeting people from all walks of life and in this case different parts of the world and cycling with them for 14 days doesn’t mean you’re all going to be bosom buddies for the rest of your life but I class them all as friends after sharing such an amazing journey and experience together and look forward to cycling with many of them again. Pictured above, the more regimented and neatly lined up team photo at the start in St Malo – a hopeful slightly nervous bunch, not yet knowing who’s who and on the right the more casual bedraggled lineup of the same group in Nice – happy, knackered and full of the camaraderie given from shared experiences, shared memories and the shared uncomfortable reminder of such an event , a sore backside.
My favourite photos from this trip will find their way in to my Photo Gallery on this site so I wanted to share here a few that highlight the point I’ve just made, the bits in between the cycling which create and cultivate the camaraderie of the group
The Charity Angle – Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, Coventry
This wasn’t a Charity Fund raising Event but you will see from the page linked at the top of this one that , where I can, I like to link a challenge to trying to raise much needed funds for this lovely local charity.
I was fortunate enough to receive some late donations a couple of weeks after our arrival in Nice – one positive side effect of the 2 extremes going from crossing a country by bike via a bloody great hulk of a mountain to pitiful bed bound post operative hospital patient in such a short space of time and I’m happy and proud to confirm that my ride across France earned Zoe’s Place £7,642.78 and gratefully thank each and every person who helped make that happen
Essential Tips For Multi Day Cycling Events
Finally I’ll leave you with some tongue in cheek gems borrowed from my fellow LEJOG cyclist Chris who also roomed with me in France who made his list after LEJOG and Steve my friend from Berlin who I met for the first time on this France event who put his fine list together after we had all got home. here’s a taste of their combined wisdom, missing out some very funny one that refer to events where “you had to be there” so wouldn’t really mean much outside the group
“If you see a white transit van at the top of a hill…. that’s good”
“Expect to eat more bananas in the next 2 weeks than a Chimpanzee”
“The first thing to look out for when entering your hotel room is where/how you can dry your clothes”
“Rubbing Cream into your backside will become part of your daily routine”
“Don’t touch electric fences” – refers to a video clip in Day 7 blog found by clicking here
“Don’t drink half a pint of milk before a grade 13% climb” – luckily there are no photos of the likely messy trail that ensued
“It is NOT a race….. until someone overtakes you !”
‘Don’t ride with an unzipped Jersey when there are clouds of flying ants”
“Breakfast items will always be hidden in the least obvious spot (and always different to the previous hotel)”
“Cereal bowls in France are very small. You will get more in a coffee cup”
This one describes an incident that Alan( I think it was) could have kept secret but decided to share ” Don’t precariously balance your giant sized tub of Sudocrem on the toilet cistern while applying some to your bib shorts pad. There is a chance it could slip and fall upside down on the upturned toilet brush handle” – One very awkward clean up job !
In French Bars in quiet towns not expecting 20 mainly British thirsty cyclists all at once – ” Normally the bar runs out of glasses after the first round and by the second round, may have ran out of beer”
“Being early is being on time. Being on time means you are already late. especially at Breakfast if you want a bowl or some bacon”
“Come prepared to France with your own tea bags if you want a decent cuppa”
“What looks like downhill is not always downhill, it is sometimes uphill” – optical illusions or exhaustion ??
“If you have a heated towel rail (to dry clothes on) and it isn’t working then it is simply a towel rail.
And finally one aimed at me and I am delighted to have discovered that my drone controller actually recorded the demise of my camera drone as referred to on the blog for Day 3 found by clicking here ……. “Don’t fly drones (sideways) near big trees” – for your amusement the video is below that earned me dickhead of the tour if there had been such an award. Thats all for now and check back soon for another blog
Hoi Grant.
It´s with the greatest respect that i read your blog. Must be heartbraking for you for the moment. But on the long ´run´ you will be better. Have some great family-time.
Yesterday i bought myself a Wahoo smarttrainer. We will meet this winter on Zwift or Rouvy
Keep your spirits up and thumbs up for the recovery❤
Gwiedo
Hi and apologies for my late reply. You are correct of course – long term it is for the good, I am just feeling frustrated I guess. The Smart trainer was a good move which will help you start the Spring in better shape. I use Zwift and thoroughly recommend riding on there with a group called The Pack, worth watching this video if you haven’t seen it
https://youtu.be/vvuk3LZGkPY