My first DNF for years

[DanialW]

I can barely remember the last time I failed to finish an audax ride, for anything other than total mechanical breakdown. I think it may be the time I tried to do Sheila Simpson's 164km dark peak/white peak grimpeur on my £200 hybrid bike with 2" wheels when I was a fat lad who'd barely been cycling three months. The Peak District was to be my downfall once again.

I should have listened to my body. I was signed up to ride The Irish Mail, a ride I've been looking forward to for yonks. Last night I decided I was too tired for a 4am start to get there, so I'd do a 400km perm instead. I didn't stop to think why I was dropping out of a ride I was looking forward to so readily.

So the plan was to ride to Leeds and back, testriding my Midlander event en route.

From the outset it felt wrong. I've had trouble digesting food the last few days. My breakfast sat funny my stomach whilst I headed towards Uttoxeter, leaving me feeling almost nauseous by the time I got there. I've been having trouble with reflux for a few months now, and it was making it difficult to keep fluids down.

The 47km section to Longnor is beautiful, hilly, and almost completely wiped me out. I was tired, bad tempered and glad to finish. A cake and sandwich did the power of good, but the climb to Cat & Fiddle left me drained. I had a pint of cola at a pub, which I promptly threw back up. I was a third of the way round and felt dreadful. I took a left, descended to Macclesfield, and came home.

It was so frustrating, but I realise now that I'm chronically tired. I've clearly got a reflux issue that needs looking at, but I'm wiped out after a lot of training, riding, and not nearly enough sleep. The Bryan Chapman knocked me for six, and I clearly haven't recovered.

Oh well, you live and learn. Tomorrow I shall walk the dog and tend to the garden. No cycling or training for two weeks, methinks.

[MSeries]

So the plan was to ride to Leeds and back, testriding my Midlander event en route.

 

You should have let me know and would have put the kettle on. Ne'er mind. Take care of yourself for a while

[eck]

It was so frustrating, but I realise now that I'm chronically tired. I've clearly got a reflux issue that needs looking at, but I'm wiped out after a lot of training, riding, and not nearly enough sleep. The Bryan Chapman knocked me for six, and I clearly haven't recovered.

Oh well, you live and learn. Tomorrow I shall walk the dog and tend to the garden. No cycling or training for two weeks, methinks.

Sorry to read of your reflux problems. I used to get very mild heartburn - reflux, and spent a couple of years drinking lots of milk, milkshakes etc especially during audaxes, thinking it would counteract the acid. It gradually got worse, and I was throwing up in the later stages of rides, unable to eat anything, until the penny finally dropped. It was the milk that was making me sick. 

I've cut it out completely this year and I've no problems at all so far, in fact I feel better than I've done for years.  HTH

[alan]

 Uttoxeter,

only 6 miles from me.Where did you start from?

The 47km section to Longnor is beautiful, .

Did you include the Manifold Trail in that section.?
It gives a 9 mile flat break from the surrounding ups, downs & more ups.

[Treewheeler]

Shame on you for packing
 I should take whats coming to you at the next A.G.M like a man.
De-bagging and radishing followed by a rear end thrashing with the entire series of O.S landrangers rolled up and in series order.
 It worked for me in 1987 when I packed the Windsor-Chester-Windsor...
 (Until this years Life of Brian Chapman of course)
Why do you think I ran away over seas...?
 

[Treewheeler]

enough sleep. The Bryan Chapman knocked me for six, and I clearly haven't recovered.

Big girls blouse...

[DanialW]

Thanks Martin, if only I'd thought. A cup of tea and a friendly face would have been most welcome.

I started from South Birmingham, Alan. The ride passes through part of the Manifold Valley, but the hills are what The Midlander ride are all about.

I suspect my reflux issues are more physical, Eck. I seem to have particular problems with vegetables and nuts and other hardier foodstuffs.

[DanialW]

De-bagging and radishing followed by a rear end thrashing with the entire series of O.S landrangers rolled up and in series order.
 

Woof!

[MSeries]

Thanks Martin, if only I'd thought. A cup of tea and a friendly face would have been most welcome.

If you reschedule your test run, let me know.

[annie]

Sorry to hear of your troubles.  I too had a problem with reflux and found it was related to milk.  Look after yourself.

[Hummers]

Shame on you for packing
 I should take whats coming to you at the next A.G.M like a man.
De-bagging and radishing followed by a rear end thrashing with the entire series of O.S landrangers rolled up and in series order.
 It worked for me in 1987 when I packed the Windsor-Chester-Windsor...
 (Until this years Life of Brian Chapman of course)
Why do you think I ran away over seas...?
 

One DNF this season?

PAH! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT???

Get to the back of the queue Dan - that birching is mine to collect.

H

[MSeries]

Perms don't really count anyway, you can just go and start again. Lucy has kindly said I can re-start the last DIY I started and abandoned. (when I got carted to HRI in an ambulance, getting home three weeks later unable to walk)

[Maladict]

Danial, this sounds exactly like my reasons for not starting the Irish Mail as well.  There is no way I am riding even a 200k this weekend.

You need to rest, just like me.  I've been having digestive troubles, and been feeling very tired as well.

[vorsprung]

Danial, this sounds exactly like my reasons for not starting the Irish Mail as well.  There is no way I am riding even a 200k this weekend.

You need to rest, just like me.  I've been having digestive troubles, and been feeling very tired as well.

Yeah you need all your powers for the Kernow and West 600 next weekend

[Dodge]

I know just how you feel Daniel, this was how I felt yesterday doing my first ever 300Km, but I didn't listen to my body nearly enough!  I got round, but being honest I have absolutely no idea how.

Sounds like you did exactly the right thing, better to rest and sort it now than potentially make it much worse.  I think resting up sounds like the best idea for sure.  I tend to find that it's not my diet as such that causes the problems but rather how fatigued and run down I am.  The more training/riding I do the more I suffer with similar problems.

At the end of the day maybe riding long distances and digesting food don't go all that well together in reality!

[marcus]

I can sympathise with your experience Danial. Sometimes you've just got to listen to your body when it's telling you that you really shouldn't be out on your bike!

I tried to do a shortish ride earlier this year when I was recovering from flu. Big mistake. I only managed 40 km but it wiped me out for the whole of the following week.

I'm sure you'll soon be back to sprinting up hills.

[DanialW]

Let's hope so, Marcus.

It's interesting that so many of us seem to suffer digestive problems when we're run down. It's very much my stomach that's the issue, and it still is today. I'm finding food is sitting badly in my stomach when I eat. My usual muesli and yoghurt breakfast left me feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

[frere yacker]

Oh well Danial, happens to the best of us.

I was a similar basketcase this weekend.  A bug hit me mid-week and got progressively worse, culminating in 12 hours of unpleasantness from 3am Thursday.  I hummed and hawwed about driving up to Shrewsbury "just in case I felt ok in the morning".  Glad I didn't - I went out for a 10km ride to test out a bike I'd built up from storage and struggled to get around.  God knows what I'd have been like on a 400.

[valkyrie]

I've cut it out completely this year and I've no problems at all so far, in fact I feel better than I've done for years.  HTH

He's not kidding - on the Deeside Loop it was a hard job to get the old bugger to slow down!