A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Julian Earl — Wed, 08 May 2019 10:54:54 GMT

Heaven forfend that anyone shuld have to go through anything similar to my history but hopefully for anyone having such difficulties, there is always hope of improvement. I openly confess to being obsessed by my sport, devoting as much time and effort as I can and am very pleased to report that even now I am I a good place, being on a roll in current events, ( No pun intended) because during the last two weeks, I've had that result in the National Series, then had a third place in my own club's hilly 18 miles event on the 2nd May, and last night set my personal best time for the last two years and the "new-me" Not on my most local course but a ten miles circuit starting up a three miles hill before a few miles along an undulating B-road and a gentle descent to the finish. I pace myself by setting objectives for a few landmarks on the course and have to make myself be realistic otherwise disappointment and frustration lies ahead. Happily I hit all my targets last night, setting a time that was 1.5 minutes faster than my previous best-time on the course, set in May last year. I slept well last night both from the physical fatigue plus the pure mental satisfaction and relief at hitting various targets. I should be on the course again in July or August.

As a stress-buster from work, I can only recommend finding a sport that is as satisfying as mine has been!

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Julian Earl — Wed, 01 May 2019 11:04:33 GMT

[quote user="Mark Hedberg"]

Congratulations, Julian, you are unstoppable! :)

[/quote]

Err, as long as I do not hit another kerbstone etc. with my head! I don't plan on doing anything as daft as that though!

Back when I started riding in Liverpool commuting as a student, my only head-protection was my green woolly bobble-hat! I was knocked off by a taxi once but only bruised my shoulder. It does not really bear thinking about how much I could have lost with my 2012-injury happening back in 1977!

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Julian Earl — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 11:01:41 GMT

Thanks Kath, Yes, fortunately I made the last minute decision to wear my thermal winter gloves and not my fingerless race-mitts! You only make that mistake once! {Or twice etc...!]

|s I reflect on yesterday, it lifts my spirits. Before the event, there was some inevitable nerves but I tell myself, just be-yourself and do your best! What more can one do? It worked, and the only person putting pressure on myself to break records so to speak is myself. But I am a hard taskmaster sometimes to get faster all the time!

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 09:18:29 GMT

Congratulations, Julian, you are unstoppable! :)

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

KathW — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 23:06:52 GMT

Well done Julian. You should be very pleased, especially with today’s weather to contend with as well.

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 21:26:27 GMT

Brilliant...well done!

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Julian Earl — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 20:55:17 GMT

My best result so far his year... Today I rode Round two of th Para-cycling toime-trial Series. An event of 14.3 miles near Chester and lluckily the same course on which the National Championship was held back in July 2017. So I had a target: To beat my time set almost two years ago. Today it was very cold, wet and breezy but despite that I beat my 2017 result by about two minutes. I achieved fifth place in my category and most unexpectedly received 16 UCI-points because it was an International event. Most foreign riders seemed to be from "Team-Ireland" but when I was in hospital all I really wanted was to get back on the bike and ride local club-events. This one is a huge step up from those. Those points made it very worthwhile travelling all the way to Cheshire plus braving the cold and wet!

When I tell my consultant I think he will be as pleased as me! Another local vent of 18 miles on Thursday [ = 4 day's time] if I've recovered enough!

For non-cyclists reading this, UCI-points re the standing of riders to compare across different countries. A mean of seeding, if you like?

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 10:48:30 GMT

Thanks for the advice Julian but my position is totally dialed, perfected over 50 years of serious cycling and a bike fit which didn't tell me anything other than my position was already perfect. And I spin at a cadence of 90 even uphill.

No, the knee injury is from running further than usual when I couldn't cycle after I'd fractured my shoulder blades skiing in January then exacerbated it skiing again in March. I should have backed off then but having lost 2 weeks skiing already didn't want to lose the third so I just put on a brace and took more pain killers and invoked Rule #5. Foolish as I could barely walk afterwards. I suspect I have a torn lateral meniscus and got a shin splint. Cycling is generally pain free while I'm doing it but after a 3 hour ride it is sometimes painful to bend or climb stairs. I passed it by the orthopod when he was looking at my shoulders a month back and although he is no knee specialist agreed with my diagnosis!! I muttered about surgery but he advised against and to give it at least 3 months to recover.

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Julian Earl — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 10:18:30 GMT

Thanks Martin.

Knee problem? Been here done that I'm afraid! You probably know this already but check your saddle height is not too low. Over-flexing aggravates knee-issues. Low saddle = bad knee(s)/ high saddle = Achilles tendon problems. Don't ask me how I learnt this!! Also, importantly, using gears too high is bad for knees as well.

Apologies if you are fully aware of these but others might not be. One can see loads of people cycling around with the saddle height completely wrong! = A common error.

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 09:56:01 GMT

Well done Julian. Your achievement and all this talk of epic alpine adventures has made me feel pretty guilty that I chickened out of my planned 200 mile weekend trip to the Cotswolds because of the likelihood of exacerbating an ongoing knee injury, drove to the B&B to meet my friend and only managed 90 over the weekend. Common sense prevailed for once but it still didn't stop me feeling like a failure and not invoking Rule #5! I did however enjoy riding on lanes I didn't know instead of most of the journey being on roads I know like the back of my hand riding there from home.

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Julian Earl — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 10:17:37 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

[quote user="Liz Barton"]I'll have to contact you soon for some tips about this Tourmalet challenge[/quote]

Sounds exciting- what are you doing??!!! Ian and I stayed in Luz a few years ago and Ian cycled all the cols, including tourmalet. He loved it.

Feel free to e-mail me, I could talk all day about the riding there!! I loved the place. At the top of the Aspin we sat on the grassy bank looking ahead to the descent and we were above the clouds, looking down on eagles and hawks circling above the valley below. I used to say it is the nearest place to heaven that I had been. A bright sunny blue sky with good friends undertaking a sporting challenge that we all loved. Brilliant. After my accident my wife says I've now been even closer!! Eek!But I try not to think about that. The Aspin ertainly was memorable.

Anyway, feel free to e-mail me for any information that you need.

[/quote]

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 09:27:53 GMT

[quote user="Liz Barton"]I'll have to contact you soon for some tips about this Tourmalet challenge[/quote]

Sounds exciting- what are you doing??!!! Ian and I stayed in Luz a few years ago and Ian cycled all the cols, including tourmalet. He loved it.

I, however, used a car to get there. We're heading back to the Pyrenees this year, as part of our month touring France in a motorhome, so maybe I'll give it a go this time.....

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Liz Barton — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 22:46:29 GMT

WOW! Congratulations!! I'll have to contact you soon for some tips about this Tourmalet challenge

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 13:41:58 GMT

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

George Cooper — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 12:43:15 GMT

Wooo-Hooo! Quite right to share it with your world on here, so we can share in your joy at your achievement.

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 11:31:27 GMT

Fantastic, congratulations!

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Elisabeth Knappett — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 10:39:57 GMT

Congratulations - a truly fantastic achievement!

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 10:36:54 GMT

Wow congratulations Julian , that must have taken so much hard work and tenacity, no wonder you are chuffed and thanks for sharing it with us.

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Jill Butterworth — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 09:22:25 GMT

Well done

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Niall Connell — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 06:39:53 GMT

Well done, Julian. Your achievements continue to inspire us. Keep up the good work!

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Dinu Catilina — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 22:57:30 GMT

Congratulations! Great achievement :)

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Julie Innes — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 22:29:14 GMT

Brilliant! Totally chuffed for you!

RE: A moderate success. Hugely satisfying for me.

Dagmar Steele — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 21:55:24 GMT

Congratulations Julian, you are truly inspirational!