21st August 2023

The date is set. This is the date where I will be attempting another world record. I am hoping to become the 1st female to complete a 12 hour continuous wheel using my everyday non-sport wheelchair. The actual record (pending Guiness approval) will be the furthest distance traveled in 12 hours in a manual wheelchair (female). I am also hoping to beat the male record, if I can! To do this I will have to travel more than 87.5 miles. Not easy! But in my typical fashion, I will give it my all. What is the point in doing something that is easy? If it was easy, it wouldn’t be a new world record!

So I have been training since I recovered from surgery. I manged my 1st marathon just before Christmas. Which was just a month after leaving hospital, following 3 surgeries and 2 infections, totalling a month stay! So I was pleased with that. It wasn’t fast. But that isn’t what it is about at the moment. It’s about time in the seat!

So, 2 days ago I completed my 1st marathon this year, which I was super happy with. Unfortunately as keeps happening, my strava went a bit doolally. I did my usual marathon route. One I’ve completed 4 times now, but for some reason it diddnt count the whole way. The segments are way off as well. But rather than accept what is said which was 37km, and know I’d done the marathon, I kept going until it said that all important 42km. So I actually think I did 55km in total! I’m sure that anyone who has strava knows that feeling! Circling a carpark for a few yards just to make it to the number you wanted?!

So marathon complete. I had hoped this would be the bump in confidence I need. It has helped. But apparently I’m suffering from the same thing all athletes suffer when you achieve what you set out to do! A post achievement lul! I set my 2 world records last year, which I was desperate to achieve. Plus the 7 events and 13 virtual events. Now the records are on the wall, it feel like I’ve never done them at all!

How does one go about getting back the mojo? I have no idea.. but i have the desire to try, and that is the most important thing. I really want to make this 12 hour continuous wheel. I will be the 1st recorded female ever to do a something else. In the big plan, there are so many more of these. But I have to learn to pace myself and not stress about having time off!

So, what do I do when I’m not wheeling? Well, most of my time at the moment is taken up attempting to get sponsors. To get backing and to raise funds for the amazing charity I am hoping to raise money for this year, the Aaron Lewis foundation 🙏. They are am awesome charity who help veterans like me get back into sport. They have made it possible for me to complete my Triathlons by purchasing a handbike for me. They also keep in regular contact with me. They are amazing. I just hope I can give something back to them. People keep saying that I should give to one of the bigger charities. I’d get more notariety that way, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about important charities. It’s about showing what can be done with the equipment you have. So you don’t have a sport wheelchair, but you can still do a 5k, or more in the chair that you have.

So that’s it for now. Today I have the pleasure of feeling sick all day, after having my every 3 day lot of lactulose! Yum! Then tomorrow I hope to be at the gym, depending on how my shoulders are healing from Sundays jaunt!

Progress…

So, in the past couple of weeks I have been making some good progress in training. I have also added another 2 events to the calendar. The Cardiff summer half marathon on the 3rd of July and The Rehabilitation Triathlon for amputee veterans in Plymouth on 23rd June. Both great events, and right in between the others. This brings the official total to 7 events, although there will be a number of virtual ones as well. On theat subject, I managed to complete the niagra falls conquer challenge yesterday, 113km in 29 days. I was very happy with this, as I’ve had to have almost 2 weeks off from training with various flares.

So, I have had some questions about the gloves which I wear for wheeling. I purchase work gloves from ebay, which retail from £2-7 per pair depending on the thickness. The orange ones in the photo below are warm lined and waterproof, which is brilliant for the winter. The red ones come in various types, and you can bulk buy. They are great for warmer weather, and when it is very warm, I lop off the fingers and hey presto, perfect summer wheeling gloves which virtually eliminate blisters. They are all gripped with a form of latex which is perfect for wheeling.

As for post workout nutrition, I use a sports drink to replace lost electrolytes. Very important if you want to avoid cramp, or other more potential serious health problems caused by an imbalance of electrolytes. I use High 5 as it is gluten and sugar free. Food wise, I’m a bit of a sucker for midget gems, so normally have 50g of them, and some form of protein and carbs, such as a protein bar.

As mentioned, I have now finished my 4th challenge with #theconquerchallenges. They are great fun to do, and really keep that motivation up. I have also now included handcycling, swimming and weights at the gym to my weekly program. I do have a day off a week, and sometimes more when my body dictates it so. Probably the most annoying part of CRPS (next to the pain) is the how unpredictable it is. Also Fibromyalgia follows the same trend = completely unpredictable. Although I have found a couple of triggers, which are so important to identify. I have discovered that cigarette smoke, and pungent hair spray, as well as post menstrual hormone changes are a big trigger for me. These three put me out of training for a week at a time. With CRPS, my biggest trigger is sugar and stress. Also anything touching my leg. So I have to almost wrap myself in cotton wool, and behave, just so I can train. I have had to give up alot of other pursuits to complete this year’s challenges, but it will be worth it, and I’m hoping Blesma will reap the benefits of my labour.

Yesterdays wheel (above), & medals so far 😊

It’s 6 weeks before my first event. My lovely wife will be doing the first 2 with me (running), which will be wonderful. It will be the first time we have both started on the same start line, and her first ever events. I am so happy to be able to share this with her. So, off to do some more training today. Wish me luck!

Ive got a logo!

This is my new logo for the event. I have made some clothes trying to get things out there a bit. I have a hoodie, baseball cap, T shirt, vest, and a long sleeve T shirt. All with my logo on. Cat also has a hoodie. Theyre all awaiting sponsorship logos. I still havnt got any definate sponsors as yet. I am sending emails out all of the time. I will persevere and perhapse change the email. I was sent a T shirt and hoodie from Saltrock which will come in handy post training. Sunwise are also sending me a pair of sunglasses. All of these things are absolutely wonderful, but none of them are getting me closer to my goal. I need to get my event out there. I have been speaking to the British Legion about my wheelchair, and they said they would help me. Im just awaiting a home visit at the moment. Ive just joined BLESMA too. Which is for veteran amputees. They have also been really helpful so far, and will be sending someone out to help. So I have made some progress. Now keep all fingers and toes crossed for the new chair. I only have 15 to cross now, so I need help with the others.

I had a really nice suprise last week. Steel bones had put a feature on their facebook page and web page about me, and what Im doing. I thaught that was lovely. So things are getting out there more and more. But not enough yet. I despirately need some sponsors. But I think that everything is a learning curve, and what doesnt work the 1st time, may need to be changed and adjusted. I will not give up.

TRAINING:

This has been steady. The Gym sessions are going great. Getting some good strength and endurance. Were trying things that weve never done before, which is so much fun. The wheeling or pushing, some people call is, is going well in some ways. But I really just need the chair. The NHS finally came up with my replacement. I was really hopeful. I thaught that it must be a little better than the one I had. It futs better, in that the width of the seat is smaller, and so it fits, but that is it. The extent of the improvements stop there. It isnt lighter, even though its made up of half plastic! The seat is too short. The wheel I use for self propulsion is really difficult to grab and I cant use it without gloves. My padded gloves dont stick at all, like they used to with the other one. I could go on, and on. Safe to say, it is a huge disapointment. I went out today for my 1st training session and it was disasterous. Really slow. The wheels seem to love to go towards every gradient. It doesnt free wheel at all, even downhill! It does have anti tipping, which is amazing. I actually think that the red one was better for training, and thats saying something! But as always. I will keep trying. Keep plodding on. Theres always a plus side to everything. Maybe this is supposes to be this way. Give me some good strenth before I get my real chair. I hope so anyway.