Event: The Only Way

An epic 100-mile ride through East Anglian countryside was a fantastic way to spend a sunny Sunday in August

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There is something really quite amazing about knowing you can cycle 100 miles in less than seven hours. It’s a huge achievement and something I’m not ashamed to say I’m proud of.

The Only Way sportive is part of Wiggle’s Super Series of cycling events that take place across the country throughout the year. This one started and finished at the home of Colchester FC in Essex. I went to the University of Essex in Colchester so this was something of a homecoming for me.

Not my most flattering photo! This is just as we set off on our 100-mile epic.

The event was billed as ‘a scenic, rolling course ideal for those attempting their first 100-mile sportive’. There were three rides to choose from, Short, Standard and Epic. This last was 100 miles and of course this was the one we went for. This was my second 100 miler of this year, the first being Wiggle’s Dragon Ride, which was my first and is generally described as challenging and not best for newcomers. I don’t believe in doing things by halves.

The Only Way followed a stunning circular route through Essex and Suffolk, via country lanes and villages. It was an absolutely beautiful day for cycling and Biking Buddy Claire and I had a wonderful time.

The route was incredibly well marked and at no point did I feel at all nervous that we might have gone wrong. There were three feeding stations along the way. We didn’t feel the need to take advantage of the final one, which was just 14 miles from the finish. These weren’t as well stocked as those on the Dragon Ride, but there were bananas, flapjacks, fig rolls, crisps and sweets to indulge in, as well as plenty of water to top up depleted bottles.

The Only Way followed a stunning circular route through Essex and Suffolk, via country lanes and villages – it was an absolutely beautiful day for cycling

We completed the ride in 6 hours and 54 minutes, according to Strava, or 7 hours 9 minutes according to the organisers. The latter includes stopping time, whereas Strava doesn’t. Both times represent more than an hour’s improvement on our Dragon Ride time and won us a Silver certificate. Most importantly, though, we had a thoroughly enjoyable day.

As well as the certificate, we got a medal and a finisher’s T-shirt.

My only criticism is that there wasn’t very much going on at the finish. Some food stalls, a bar and a cafe would have been a nice touch.

I’d like to take part in more of these events. I want longer and more challenging rides, as well as multi-day events. I also plan to cycle Hadrian's Wall Cycleway. But for now I’ll just quietly congratulate myself on completing this sportive and remember what fun I had on the day.

To the winner the spoils! A T-shirt and medal. The T-shirt is actually pretty massive so I've been wearing it to sleep in.

Review: Maloja Women’s SilsM sleeveless jersey

VERDICT: An attractive, comfortable and nicely fitting summer jersey that’s almost good enough to wear as a ‘normal’ top

The cut and pattern are nicely feminine without
being pink.

I bought this top in an attempt to even out my cyclist tan lines. Being out on the bike so much during summer inevitably means getting a tan, and my short-sleeved jerseys meant I had a very defined tan/white line across the tops of my arms.

Most sleeveless or strappy cycling jerseys seem to have integral bras, which are no good for me. Anything that fits around the waist is way too small in the bra area, while if the bra fits the top will be hugely baggy everywhere else. Also, I have really good sports bras, so why would I want a top with an integral bra that simply won’t offer the same support?

A trawl through all of Wiggle’s short-sleeved women’s jerseys turned up just a couple that were both sleeveless and didn’t have internal support. Maloja’s SilsM jersey was one. I instantly liked the design: very pretty without being at all pink. I like pink, a lot, but I don’t want everything I wear to be that colour. At £54 it’s a bit more costly than I usually pay, but I really did like it so decided to treat myself (although as of today, 30 July, it’s in Wiggle’s sale for just £42.66).

The fit is more relaxed than my usual race look, but that’s probably a good thing in the heat and no doubt contributed to what is a very comfortable to wear top

I tested the jersey on a 30-mile ride through the Essex countryside on a hot and sunny day. The fit is more relaxed than my usual race look, but that’s probably a good thing in the heat and no doubt contributed to what is a very comfortable to wear top. Moisture wicking was pretty efficient and even after a few uses in the sun there was no telltale sweaty aroma. The manmade fabric is light and smooth against the skin.

There are two generously sized pockets, but no zipped pocket for valuables. I tend to use a saddlebag for keys and cash so this isn’t a problem for me, but it’s something of an oversight that could be easily remedied. There’s also no zip on the front so it can’t be adjusted for extra airflow, and there are only two, rather dark, colour options. But these really are the only criticisms I can make. On the whole, this is a nice looking, well fitting and comfortable jersey from which I expect to get lots of miles. I’ll certainly be buying more Maloja clothing in the future.

Not a great photo, but kind of shows what it looks like on.

The Dragon is slain!

We did it! We completed our first-ever Wiggle Dragon Ride. And it was fantastic

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The Wiggle Dragon Ride was, quite frankly, one of the best things I’ve ever done, as well as one of the hardest. Here’s how the weekend panned out.

Despite staying up till 4am drinking wine and vodka (not in the same glass) on Friday night/Saturday morning, I was up on time Saturday, having already packed the night before. The taxi arrived, I said goodbye to The Chap and set off, arriving at Paddington with a good 20 minutes to pick up tickets and find the train.

After securing Florence in the bike carriage, I found my seat, got out my Kindle and settled down for three hours of reading. I got to Swansea feeling rested and not at all hungover – result! And my bike was still safe in its carriage. Unfortunately, however, Biking Buddy Claire had also been up late drinking and wasn’t faring so well as me. She was running a couple of hours late. So I installed myself in the station Costa with some food and a massive latte and settled in to more reading.

Me on the Dragon Ride. I really was that happy. I've bought this photo and ordered a print. 

Claire finally arrived and we secured my bike to the rack and drove off to the airbnb. I really didn’t know what to expect for this, having never stayed in one before. But it was lovely. The house was gorgeous, the people so friendly and welcoming and the position fantastic, right on the Gower. It would be a beautiful place to stay for several days, just enjoying the beach and doing lots of walking.

We walked to a local pub for dinner, treating ourselves to carb-heavy pasta and garlic bread dishes. And then back to the house for an early night.

Race day
I was terrified by this point – convinced I wouldn’t make it all the way round and that the mountains would defeat me. It just all seemed too much. Then inspiration hit: instead of thinking of it as one massive 100-mile ride, break it down. There are two feeding stations and the finish line, so logically the stopping points should be around 30-35 mile distance. So it made much more sense to think of it as three 30-35 mile rides. And we agreed that if either one of us got to a station and felt like we couldn’t go on we’d both stop.

This made me feel much better – 35 miles is absolutely manageable and knowing that I could bail out if I needed to meant the pressure was off. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Once I got on my bike all my concerns disappeared and I just started cycling. This always happens when I’m on the bike. I love it so much it just makes me happy.

The ride was amazing. It was also very challenging, of course, but at no point did I feel it was too much. We did get off and walk for one hill, known as the Devil’s Elbow. It was incredibly steep and long, and lots of riders had dismounted. One chap opined “I’m getting overtaken even when walking!” as we went past him. Other than that we managed all the inclines and had huge fun free-wheeling down the declines.

The scenery was fantastic. We rode through the Brecon Beacons National Park and it was truly stunning. I didn’t have a camera with me, preferring to travel as light as possible, but this really is beautiful part of the country and worth visiting. I may well go back next year for holiday.

The ride was so well organised. Free food and water were provided at each stop. The salted potatoes were amazing – one lady described them as “magic potatoes”, and she wasn’t wrong. Flapjacks, jelly babies, crisps, bananas and pasties were all provided and we took full advantage.

Our time. Top one is me, bottom is Claire.

By the time we got to each feed station I was most definitely ready for some sustenance and a bit of time out of the saddle. Which would imply that the stops were in exactly the right positions. At the very end of the ride we were back on the same roads as we set out on, and it was something of a relief to start recognising landmarks and realise that we were very much on the home run.

There was free pasta or noodles for participants at the end of the ride, as well as a massage area (which you had pay for). I didn’t indulge in a massage, but the food was very welcome.

The ride was amazing. It was also very challenging, of course, but at no point did I feel it was too much

My only complaint is the lack of transport. The last train back to London left Swansea at 1955, which didn’t give much time to get there. Luckily it stopped at Port Talbot Parkway at 2014, which is much closer and meant Claire could drop me off with plenty of time to get the train. However, many people were still finishing as we left, so I guess they either drove or were staying over. This wasn’t an option for me and missing that last train would have had serious work repercussions.

Obviously train times are nothing to do with the event organisers, but maybe they could talk to the train company to get a couple of later trains put on. Also, transport from Margam Park to the station would have been very useful.

What next?
So we slayed the Dragon and rode 96 miles in mountains. What will be the next challenge? There are longer rides and I’d like to do one. I wasn’t dead on my legs after this one and I did feel that I could go on.

And, of course, this ride wasn’t quite 100 miles. It was close enough, but I can’t in all honesty say I’ve done the century. So Claire and I have both signed up for the Epic ride in The Only Way, a 100-mile ride through the Essex countryside. After conquering my fear of mountains, this largely flat sportive mostly sounds like a lot of fun. We did the Dragon Ride in 8 hours 27 minutes including stops – I wonder how much quicker we’ll be on much flatter ground?

Elsewhere, some friends did the Tour of Cambridgeshire on the same weekend as the Dragon and if that runs again next year I definitely want to take part. This is a 100-mile closed-road gran fondo through Cambridgeshire.

Slaying the Dragon

I’m taking part in the infamous Wiggle Dragon Ride this Sunday, and I’m scared

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After last year’s 60-mile London to Cambridge I really wanted to do something longer and more challenging. A 100-mile ride was the obvious choice. I applied for the London 100, but unfortunately didn’t get in. It’s a hugely popular ride with many thousands more applying than can be accepted.

So when my bike buddy Claire said she’d signed up for the Wiggle Dragon Ride, I decided I’d give it a go too. I left it late to sign up so had to apply via the official charity, Macmillan Cancer Support. This meant I had to raise a minimum of £200 in order to take part. The generosity of my fabulous friends and family means I’ve actually raised more than this.

There are four main options in the ride: Corto, which is 43km; Medio Fondo, 153km; Gran Fondo, 226km; and Dragon Devil, a whopping 302km. There’s also a women’s only Cycletta of 43km. Claire and I have gone for the Medio. I’d love to do something like the Devil, but I’m not sure I could manage it in a day. Maybe that’s something to work up to …

There’s also a three-day Dragon Tour, which takes places over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday involves riding 102km, Saturday 96km, then on Sunday riders choose one of the distances above. So the really intrepid could do a total of 500km in three days. Wow.

I have to admit I’m really quite nervous. In fact I’m nervous about pretty much all of it! Going to Wales on my own (I’ve never been to Wales), getting my bike to Paddington (I’ve never taken my bike on public transport in London), even using airbnb for the first time (I didn’t even know what to do about breakfast!).

It’s hard to train for hills in London – we simply don’t have any

So I’ve been breaking it all down into more manageable chunks. My train tickets are booked and I’ve got a bike space. The airbnb is booked and I emailed about the breakfast – she puts out some cereals, bread, eggs, fruit and so on and we just make our own. I’m probably going to take a taxi to Paddington. So all my fears are being conquered one by one.

Which just leaves the ride itself. And it’s terrifying. It’s not so much the distance I’m worried about. I’ve not ridden 153km before, but my longest solo ride was 101km. It’s easier to do it in a group with support, so I’m pretty confident I can do the full 153.

What I don’t feel prepared for, though, is the hills. It’s hard to train for hills in London. We simply don’t have any. Not proper ones. I’ve changed my routes into and from work to incorporate a few up-and-down bits and I’ve been trying to take these faster and in higher gears to strengthen my legs, but there’s really no substitute for the real thing. And let’s face it, up-and-down bits in London are nothing like the hills I’ll encounter in Wales. My rides out into the Essex countryside have also included some hilly parts, but again not Welsh-style hilly parts.

I’ve put in a lot of training and I rack up a lot of miles over a week. My general fitness is really quite good and my legs are pretty strong. Despite all that, though, those hills really do scare me. This is going to be an incredibly challenging ride, and I hope I’m up to it. Will I slay the Dragon, or will it slay me? I guess there’s only one way to find out!

By the way, you can still sponsor me via my Just Giving page.

Me having finished the London to Cambridge. Look how happy I am!

Review: dhb Flashlight arm warmers

VERDICT: A useful piece of kit that does the job – just be careful with sizing

What’s the point of arm warmers, I thought to myself. Just wear a long-sleeved top. Then April arrived with its chilly mornings and much milder evenings, and suddenly I understood.

I commute by bike at least four days a week and this means bringing in a day’s clothes, food, spare inner tube, mini pump and other bits and pieces. April’s spring weather meant that mornings were still cool enough to require covering up, but the evenings were much warmer and sunnier and I wanted bare arms.

They do exactly what they were intended, keeping my arms warm and covered in the chilly mornings but small and light enough to roll up and put in my rucksack on the way home

I took to bringing in a short-sleeved top for the evening and a long-sleeved one for morning. Adding yet more gear to everything I already need wasn’t ideal. It took a full week of doing this but eventually the penny dropped: this is why people buy arm warmers.

So I invested in the dhb Flashlights. I’ve got various items from the Flashlight range (a long-sleeved jersey, full-length tights, quarter-length unpadded tights and quarter-length padded tights) because I like being seen at night.

The arm warmers work much as you might expect: a tube of stretchy material that you pull on up to your upper arms and under your T-shirt sleeves. There are rubber grippers at both ends to keep the product in place. These are advertised as black, but I would describe them as a very dark slate grey. The Flashlight logo is emblazoned on the lower arm.

They do exactly what they were intended, keeping my arms warm and covered in the chilly mornings but small and light enough to roll up and put in my rucksack on the way home. They’re actually small enough to stuff in my jersey pockets, so if temperatures do rise while I’m wearing them I won’t even even have to go in my bag.

Arm warmer selfie

Length-wise they’re perfect – just long enough to stretch over my gloves and so keep the cold air off my hands and wrists. However, despite me carefully measuring the tops of my arms and concluding I needed a medium, the arm warmers are too loose around the top, so they tend to slide down when I’m riding. This is annoying and definitely lessens the product’s usefulness.

• NB: since writing this I’ve invested in a pair of small arm warmers and they fit perfectly.

Tech spec
• Sizes: small, medium, large (medium tested) • Length: 45.5cm • Colour: black • RRP: £16.99 • Available from Wiggle • I bought this product •

30 Days of Biking: how I fared

Standfirst and dotted line

As the 30 Days of Biking challenge comes to an end, I reflect on a full month in the saddle

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So April has come to an end, and with it the 30 Days of Biking challenge. And how did I do?

Well, if I’m honest, I failed. I knew I would within a few days of registering for the challenge. I was invited on a press trip to Coto Donana in Spain’s Andalucia region. There was no way I was going to explain to my editor that I couldn’t go because I had to cycle every day in April. So that was four days out of the 30 that I couldn’t get on my bike. I did cycle every other day, though. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My aim is to always improve on past records and goals, so I’m going to have to really up my game for May – I can’t wait!

Usually I take a couple of days off the bike every week. Most often these are Wednesdays and Saturdays. I use these days as cross training, so on the former I walk at least 10,000 steps and on the latter I do toning exercises. Not wanting to overdo things, I dropped the cross training for the duration of the challenge; I also did much shorter rides on those two days.

My main concern for the challenge was whether my legs would be up to it. Up to the 16th (which is when I went to Spain), they were fine; more than fine, in fact, they were strong. But on getting back on the bike after my trip I could definitely feel it in my legs. On one day I even cut down my commutes and avoided my hilly routes. I felt better for it and the next day was back to my hilly 10-mile rides.

I am quite disappointed that I didn’t get to complete the challenge. It would have been a different matter if I hadn’t been able to – I would have known I’d given it my best shot. But I simply didn’t have access to a bike. I’m pretty sure I could have completed it, but I don’t know that I could. And that bugs me.

Me on completing my first ride right at the beginning of the challenge.

I really enjoyed taking part in the challenge and I'm definitely going to do it again next year. I’m very pleased with the extra kilometres it’s given me. According to Strava, I’ve cycled 634km this month, which is my highest monthly record ever. My aim is to always improve on past records and goals, so I’m going to have to really up my game for May. This will mean more cycling and extra miles. I can’t wait!

30 days of biking challenge

I’ve pledged to cycle every day in April – have you?

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Always on the lookout for new and exciting challenges to do on my bike, I recently pledged to do 30 days of biking. It’s simple enough, you just ride your bike every day in April. It doesn’t matter how far or where to, as long as you do it, and then share your biking adventures online. The challenge started back in 2010 and now thousands of people worldwide take part.

It’s simple enough, you just ride your bike every day in April

I found the challenge on Twitter (where else?) and thought it sounded fun. I usually have a couple of days off the bike every week so riding every day will be interesting. Will my legs take it? You can follow the fun on the event Twitter account @30daysofbiking or using the hashtag #30daysofbiking on both Twitter and Instagram.

Unfortunately (or not), mere minutes after pledging I was told I was going to Spain for four days for work (I know, it’s a hard life). Which means I can’t actually complete the pledge in April. I will add an extra four days on the end to make up, but I don’t really think that’s the spirit of things. I am slightly disappointed, but explaining to my editor that I can’t go to Spain because I want to ride my bike every day wasn’t going to happen. I will cycle every other day in April. And I will share my adventures as I go.

Today was the first day of the challenge and I cycled to work, as I usually do. This morning’s ride was 9.9 miles taking in Walthamstow Marshes, Springfield Park and Finsbury Park.

A happy me arrives at work on the first day of the 30 days of biking challenge.

Using tech to get healthy

My Fitness Pal is a website and app that helps you keep motivated to get fit and lose weight

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The MFP website. I've burned more than 300 calories today.

I do quite a lot of exercise, so I’m pretty fit and healthy. However, I’m not entirely happy with my weight – or rather my size as it’s the fit of my clothes by which I tend to judge. When it comes to weight loss – as oppose to getting fit or maintaining a healthy weight – it’s 80% about cutting calories rather than upping burning them. So it was time to change my diet.

I haven’t made major changes. More fruit and salads and smaller portions, cutting down on the amount of oil used in cooking, cutting down a bit on carbs. Small changes that are easy to maintain. I don’t believe in denying myself, so instead of cutting out foods like cake and chocolate, I just have them in small pieces. I don’t diet, as such, as I don’t believe it works. This is about retraining my eating habits to be healthier – for good.

It does get rather dispiriting at times, though. Especially when you see someone tucking into a huge piece of cake and can’t help but think ‘Why can’t I just eat whatever I want and not put on any weight?’ Which is why you should never compare yourself to others. Heck, for all I know that person might run straight to loo and throw up everything they’ve just eaten. And that’s certainly not something I want to be doing.

Mr motivator
Staying motivated when these thoughts hit can be challenging. So after a bit of advice from friends I did what I usually do and turned to the internet. My Fitness Pal is a website and app. It’s easy to use and really quite simple – you input your weight, how much you want to lose, the time scale and various other personal data.

The app, showing my healthy
breakfast of porridge and jam!

MFP then generates a daily calorie target and you just log the food you eat and the exercise you do. The number of calories you burn is offset against the number you take in and when you’ve finished your food and exercise diary for the day the software will calculate your weight loss (or gain!) if you ate like this every day.

It’s been an absolute revelation to me. Weight loss advice nearly always includes keeping a food diary, but I’ve never seen the point. I know what I eat during the day, so why would writing it down make a difference, I always thought. How wrong I was. The knowledge that everything you’ve eaten will be there in black and white (or rather pixels) for you and all your MFP friends to see really does make you think about what you’re putting in your mouth. It also turns out that I’m really quite competitive – not so much with other people, but with myself. I really want to ‘win’ at losing weight.

This hasn’t meant that I’ve particularly been denying myself, but I do think more about my caloric intake. I’ll maybe eat a smaller dinner if I want to have cake. I also do an awful lot of exercise to offset those calories.

It also works well with other software I use. I recently invested in a Fitbit to count steps on days off the bike (usually Wednesdays and Saturdays). Your Fitbit account can be linked to your MFP account, so the calories you’ve burned by walking are offset against what you’ve eaten. I’m also a huge fan of Strava, which again can be linked to your MFP account.

I’ve never seen the point of keeping a food diary; how wrong I was

I’ve been seriously impressed at how smoothly all these various things have worked together. All three are both website and app based, and all I’ve had to do is tap the relevant button on the apps to link them up. Then the data is automatically transferred. MFP then tells me how many minutes I’ve exercised and how many calories I’ve burned per day and per week. It’s been really quite eye opening to see just how much I work out these days.

But the real test is whether it’s worked – have I lost weight? Well, yes, I have, though not quite as much I’d hoped. But I have lost size. Those trousers that were a bit tight fit properly again and I’ve gone down a notch on my belt. I suspect the main reason the weight isn’t going down as quickly I wanted is the amount of exercise I do. I’m building muscle tissue and losing fat, which is a good thing. The fact that I pretty much eat my own body weight in crisps whenever I get drunk is probably playing a part too, though.

What this girl thinks of This Girl Can

A new project to encourage more women to participate in sport is a fantastic idea, but is there a touch of sexism about it?

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This Girl Can is a new campaign aimed at getting more women and girls into sport. It’s a fantastic idea. Women are under-represented at all levels of sport, from taking part in it at both amateur and professional level, to media and TV coverage, all the way up to management and governing bodies. In fact, research carried out by Sport England (the organisers of the This Girl Can campaign) shows that 1.75 million fewer women than men regularly take part in sport or exercise, while of the 1.3 million coaches in the UK (across all sectors of sport), only 17% are women.

Much of this is to do with good-old-fashioned sexism and the old boys’ network that operates across much of our society. But there are other factors, many of which I believe start in school.

Women’s bodies are scrutinised in ways that men just do not experience or understand and this happens from a young age, as soon as puberty begins. We are put under huge pressure to conform to an unrealistic and unobtainable ideal, and if we don’t measure up to it we’re not good enough – in our own eyes, in those of our friends and the men and boys we’re told we need to impress. We worry that we’re not fit enough, not thin enough, not skilled enough, and that we don’t look good enough in lycra.

When I’m working out I don’t care about my wobbly thighs or love handles

With all that self-judgement going on it’s no wonder we don’t want to get out there and play sports or hit the gym. There’s also a fear – particularly among teenage girls – that sport isn’t feminine and that exercising too much will make them muscular and unattractive.

This Girl Can seeks to address these fears and lack of self-confidence. There is much to love about the campaign. The fact that it even exists is a huge step in the right direction. Sport England are going all out on it. There’s a website, Twitter account (with attendant #ThisGirlCan hashtag) and TV and billboard advertising. And judging by the tweets I’ve seen using that hashtag it’s working. Woman all over the country are responding favourably. At time of writing, the advert had been viewed 5,279,704 times on YouTube, having been online for just two weeks.

To really judge the effectiveness of the campaign, though, Sport England will have research whether more women are taking part in regular exercise. I hope the organisation does take the time to do this.

Screen shot from the This Girl Can TV ad.

I love the way they’ve used women of all shapes, sizes and ages. I refuse to use the term ‘real women’ – the idea that a woman is less real than another because she’s skinny is as abhorrent as insisting that all women must be thin. Black and disabled women are also represented. The women are shown doing all kinds of activity, from dance classes and netball to boxing and football.

The ad uses some inspiring slogans: “I swim because I love my body. Not because I hate it”, “I may be slow, but I’m lapping everyone on the couch”, or “I kick balls. Deal with it”.

But – you knew that was coming didn’t you? – there are elements I’m not so enamoured of. Slogans like: “Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox”, “Hot, not bothered”, or “My game face has lipstick on it”.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m training feeling hot or foxy is not a priority, and I certainly don’t get fully made up before getting on the bike. This feels like a retrograde step to me: it’s reducing women to physical appearance again, telling us that what we look like is what’s most important about us. It’s “Hey girls, do some exercise and you’ll be more attractive to boys.”

Like many women I have issues with my body, but when I’m working out I don’t care about my wobbly thighs or love handles. Pushing myself to get up that last stretch of hill or swimming against the tide in the sea, I don’t care about feeling beautiful, because I feel strong, healthy, powerful. It’s about the only time I’m truly proud of my body, of what it can do.

Screen shot from the This Girl Can TV ad.

Taking part in exercise brings with it all kinds of benefits, both mental and physical. It can improve self-confidence. Joining clubs, teams or groups widens your circle of friends. It makes you stronger, fitter, healthier and can mean you’ll live longer (importantly it also increases the quality of those extra years). You’ll probably will lose weight; or size, at any rate, as changes in muscle: fat ratio could mean an increase in weight despite getting smaller.

All of these things in combination will almost certainly make you feel and look more attractive. But this is secondary to all those other fantastic benefits, and it’s those benefits that the campaign should be centring on. Can you imagine a similar campaign aimed at men and boys telling them they look foxy?

But maybe I’m over-reacting. The campaign appears to have gone down very well in general, and maybe I should just be glad it exists. What do you think?

Living with depression

Mental health isn’t easy to write about, but it is important, so here’s my take on depression

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When I first started this blog I decided it would only be about cycling; any other topics would be covered in my Idoru Knits blog. However, I’ve changed my mind and I’m going to extend the blog to general fitness and health, including mental health. It’s not easy to talk about mental health, but I believe it is important. So today I’m going to discuss my depression.

A lot of people suffer depression: about 350 million worldwide, according the World Health Organisation. Many of those people will have a mild episode which will be treated – either with talking therapies or antidepressants – and recover, never to suffer the illness again.

There are still days like this, but
they're far fewer than they used to be.

My depression isn’t like that, though. It’s just always there. I’m no longer on antidepressants. I came off them after four years and a course of cognitive behavioural therapy. Coming off them was a big step for me, one that meant a lot. But it didn’t mean that the depression had gone away. Part of dealing with this illness – for me, at least – was accepting that wasn’t ever going to go away.

On a day-to-day basis this doesn’t affect my life massively. There are certain things that I know will bring me down – not eating properly, not getting enough sleep, too much stress – but these are generally things that I would avoid anyway in pursuit of a (mostly) healthy lifestyle. I have to give myself extra time to recharge after a busy period at work and I can’t deal with crowds anymore.

I keep a mental eye on my mood. It’s normal for everyone to feel down sometimes, but I need to be aware of this in case it’s a sign that things are getting bad again. This isn’t just a pointless, navel-gazing exercise – it could save my life. I realise that sounds ridiculously melodramatic, but it is true. I’ve had three separate episodes of feeling suicidal and it’s only the love and support of friends and family (and antidepressants) that have kept me from acting on this.

Sometimes, however, I have bad days. These are days when even getting off the sofa is too much effort. They’re far fewer than they used to be and not as severe. Time was when I couldn’t even get out of bed, never mind make it to the sofa.

There was no way I was going to be able to carry out those plans. Leaving the house or doing actual physical exercise were beyond me

Sunday (17 January) was one such day. I had things planned. I was going to go on a bike ride. First to Wanstead Flats to see a Slavonian Grebe – a rare bird in London that’s been using the Heronry Pond on the flats as its home for the past week or so – then to Stoke Newington for lunch and a trawl of the charity shops.

There was no way I was going to be able to carry out those plans. Even knitting or reading was beyond me, never mind leaving the house or doing actual physical exercise. I hate it when this happens, when this illness stops me doing things I enjoy, things I’ve been looking forward to. But of course feeling like that is counter-productive. It makes me worse, giving the depression a stronger hold on me.

Part of living with depression for me is knowing when to give myself a break. Knowing that it’s OK to lie on the sofa listening to Radio 2 all day, and to not beat myself up when that happens. For me there’s no such thing as beating this illness or even of controlling it. It’s about dealing with it and not letting it beat me.

My 2015 cycling goals

Some notes on what I want to achieve on the bike this year

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Since I first started cycling nearly two years ago I’ve developed a real love for it. I don’t just cycle to get to work, I don’t just cycle for fitness – although these things are factors. I cycle because it makes me happy, because I enjoy it.

This year I want to capitalise on that enjoyment and go further and faster. I absolutely loved taking part in the London to Cambridge last year, so in 2015 I want to do more sportives. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to ride 60 miles in one go, but far from being destroyed by the end of it I felt energised and wanted to go even further. So I’ve registered for the London 100. I find out next month if I’ve been successful.

Me on completing the London to Cambridge.

There are loads of other sportives all over the country, with distances ranging from about 45 miles up to 100. Some are charity rides, others are organised by various cycling organisations. I really like the idea of choosing somewhere like the New Forest and making a weekend of it: heading down the day before, exploring the area and staying a couple of nights in a hotel. I could do a few throughout the year, heading off to different parts of the country.

The UK’s first Gran Fondo is taking place in Cambridge and I’d love to take part. The Tour of Cambridgeshire starts and ends in Peterborough and is a 82-mile ride through the Cambridgeshire countryside. Taking place on 7 June it would be excellent training for the London 100 on 2 August.

Obviously this means I’ll have to invest in a new bike

My final two goals are self-organised. First I want to do some longer solo rides (or rides with friends if anyone wants to come with me!). The idea is to choose somewhere at least 30 miles away, book a room in a B&B, pack an overnight bag and head off. I’ll cycle home the next day. Current favourite candidates are Southend, Ware and Wivenhoe.

I also want to cycle the whole of the Hadrian’s Cycleway. This 174-mile Sustrans route crosses England, from Ravenglass on the Cumbrian coast to South Shields in Co Durham. It’s usually cycled west to east. It goes through some stunning countryside, passing Roman forts, museums, quaint villages and picturesque market towns. It sounds gorgeous, as well as being a real challenge.

According to the Sustrans website, most people can complete it in three days, but I think I’d like to give myself four or five; for one thing I want time to stop and enjoy the scenery as I go. Obviously this means I’ll have to invest in a new bike. Florence can’t have pannier racks fitted, and I’ll need these (probably both front and back) in order to carry everything I’ll need for four-day road trip.

 So there we have it. My goals for 2015 – I'll keep you updated on how I do throughout the year.