If you’re ill below the neck- don’t ride!

Posted on 2nd Feb 2012 by essiep

-4 to +1°C
Every year I am troubled by the same decision- when should I start riding again after a cold. Every year I am hit by a two week common cold and left resenting the lost time.

There are a few sites that discuss this dilemma:
.livestrong.com/article/552640

Sportsmedecine

So the conclusion- If you’re ill below the neck- don’t ride!
Does that sound like a good slogan for a tee-shirt?

As ever, that’s not the only criterion, look at the outside temperature; last night -4°C. The air has been extremely dry, so dry that there was barely any frost this morning. There is a 200 yard sheet of black ice on the way to work though. It’s remarkable that no-one has crunched their car on that slope.

Cold in a day

Posted on 20th Jan 2012 by essiep

8°C, strong Westerly

Set off on the drive to Lancashire late morning. Arrive to the certain knowledge that I have a cold. Early morning sticky throats can turn out to be anything, including nothing. This time, it’s not nothing. It’s a funny, curious phenomenon if you look at it in a dispassionate way. I woke with a fizzy energy and even considered a cycle ride before starting the drive.

I still think there is something in this. the surge of energy before a cold comes on happens more often than coincidence I suspect. I accept that there are other factors, and it’s possible to convince yourself of links that don’t exist.

Infamy, infamy, everyone’s got it in for me.

Posted on 15th Jan 2012 by essiep

-1 to 3°C. Clear, CA:43 miles

Three hour ride today. I really needed this one for its de-stress effects. The start was hard though, legs felt empty and riding hills was a disproportionate effort. I don’t really know what caused that so I rode along puzzling over plausible causes. Was that the stress causing the weakening too? I will never know, but it’s possible. It’s also possible that last night’s supper was guilty- too much cheese and not enough of the usual carbos.

Here we are, a new week. This one comes with a dark cloud hanging over it however. Maybe that will clear on Thursday.
Maybe not.

0300 Night Watch

Posted on 17th Dec 2011 by essiep

0°C, clear out. Orion visible

3am: often I’m awake at this time of night. It has formed a pattern like this over the past few months. I fall into deep sleep at 10pm, but wake at 3. It could be work stress adjusting my sleep cycle. Tonight is the first of my winter holiday but I will probably wake at 6, have some breakfast and then go back to bed until dawn. The routine wasn’t like this last year.

Moviral

Posted on 21st Nov 2011 by essiep

9°C, rain

Got myself a good old fashioned cold. The sort of throat bunging body acher that seems overdue in this long term. We’ve had a very dry autumn, perhaps the new damp air has woken the bugs.

traffic

L’endroit

Posted on 5th Nov 2011 by essiep

6°C, some veils of very dense mist

French teapot, really!

Superb French restaurant found by chance in Congleton, Cheshire. I ate the finest Risotto I can remember, and the place has a friendly, homely atmosphere. We didn’t choose the most exotic wine on the list- £255 per bottle, blimey. L’endroit comes very highly rated by me.

Caught something.

Posted on 20th Oct 2011 by essiep

5-12C, light cloud, fairly calm.

I have picked up something, my legs were so empty today that I got to work late. No other symptoms, just minimal energy. It’s like this before a cold, but then it’s like this before clearing up again. Wait & see.

Indian summer

Posted on 1st Oct 2011 by essiep

13° upto 28°C later

I have a cold and we’re basking in an Indian Summer. That’s not irony it’s just a co-incidence. this cold has been threatening for a week now and will probably drag on for another.

New colds’ season

Posted on 19th Sep 2011 by essiep

16C, light clouds, but…

It’s coming: a new cold, it’s now cold outside, but I’m not warm inside.

And it’s got nothing to do with my home heating not working. The boiler won’t light, but the repair man is dealing with that one. The timing couldn’t be better, it’s normally another month before I put the heating on in this house.

Legionellosis in the shower

Posted on 5th Sep 2011 by essiep

17C , some rain

I am forbidden to use the shower at work. Legionellosis has been detected in the showerhead, the boss told me I couldn’t ride in tomorrow because of it. There must be a way around this, maybe wash in a sink for just one day- it depends how long it takes to sterilise it. I have to wonder about the shower here at home- perhaps I should remove the head and leave it in a bucket of bleach overnight. It’s maybe worse here because I only shower at home once a week (the mostly shower at work). Is this why some people leave the showerhead lying on the shower floor to let the water drain?

Micycle

Mike thinks b/hikes

Category Archives: Health