Team Intrepid but decrepit and the Way of the Roses.

Well it seemed a good idea for two sisters to plan a coast to coast cycle challenge on New Years Eve, having drunk copious amounts of alcohol . 
After all these things are talked about but never come off......
Then Liz (the fit one in the centre) jumped aboard and it became all the more real.
So a few months of 'training'  and on May 22nd 2017 we set off to conquer the beautiful Way of the Roses.
Three women of a certain age calling themselves Team Intrepid but Decrepit raising money in memory of Gill's nephew, Adrian who took his own life in November last year, aged just 33 years.We knew that some ultra fit people have done the route in a day but we decided sensibly to take four and enjoy the views with frequent breaks and make it a bit of a holiday with a difference.  Our first long cycle tour.

The team.

• Gill. (right in pic)...role...medic and accommodation organiser. Road bike.
• Liz (the fit one)...role.... bike mechanic and route finder. Tourer.
• Chrissie (left in pc)...role...route finder and seeker of sustenance. Hybrid.

Day 1
Having had a peaceful and very comfy night at the Berkeley B&B in Morecambe, and with a good breakfast on board we set off for Settle. A warm, dry day to be thankful for. We knew this would be  a reasonably hilly start (Gill had yet to tackle a hill) and so we organised a shortish route of 35 miles which we managed in a fresh faced and enthusiastic way. It was great, if tiring in the heat but that beer when we had finished the days ride was like nectar especially as it was garnished with a great sense of achievement.  We then made the mistake of going to look at the hill out of Settle..... 

Day 2
THAT hill out of Settle. It is no laughing matter.  The hill is a 16-20%gradient which climbs 1000ft over 1.5 miles out of the town ...it was not a good idea to start the day with tired legs, no warm up or run up, cobbles to start and then a steep ascent. On reflection we should have included it in the first day and headed for Cracoe for our overnight stop. Liz, all but made it, Chrissie had a good old go but then a bad gear change stuffed her attempt. I really tried but ended up pushing the bike up some of it which was also bloody hard work on a very hot day. This was a tough day all round although the views were stunning. I did really struggle at times.  Chrissie and Liz's hill training back in Portsmouth paid off for them. The descents were of course wonderful but there was hill after hill and I was ready to give up at one point except there was no choice but to continue on the route. Greenhow Hill is another b*****d although we were headed in the 'kinder' direction.  A long, very steep and winding descent with tight turns around bends (make sure that your brakes are working well). 
With each hill Liz, winched her way up in a very low gear  with some sheer strength and determination.,Chrissie chanted 'my head is strong, my legs are strong' and just got to the top every time in her own way, like a traction engine. I chanted 'I hate hills, I hate hills and wish I had done some hill training.' 
Here I am at the top of Settle Hill...

Day 3...
A wonderful overnight stay at Boxtree Cottages in Ripon really set us up well for the day ahead.  The route heads for Pocklington via York and Stamford Bridge and we decided to hole up at my place near Howden overnight and so we ended up riding 75 miles today.  It was good riding though. Some 'undulations' were described (these are hills but softer ones) but on the whole this was a lovely day. Hot and sunny again. We stopped in York for a sarnie and enjoyed the cycle path out of the City. We were pleased to get to mine for a much needed meal and shower. I had really got to know my bike by now, my gear changes (and anticipation of what was needed) was much improved and my legs stronger than ever, if a little stiff. Interesting that I sailed through this day (compared to others that is) on the flat (which is absolutely what I am used to) whereas Chrissie and Liz found the lack of positional changes offered by a varied terrain caused their shoulders to ache somewhat.

Day 4...
Back to Pocklington from mine plus a few add ons gave us something in the realm of 66 miles today. Bridlington via Driffield and some of the beautiful surrounding villages. A few sneaky ascents today (Millington Hill is one to note, hard work in the heat) through the beautiful wolds and some glorious scenery to take in. Another great day's riding. 

A much kinder day with the scent of the finishing point in our nostrils. To arrive in Bridlington and know that we had achieved what we had set out to do was just fantastic. 

A  very welcome cup of tea at the Bluebell Guest House on our arrival and fish and chips at the harbour to end our day.

Team Intrepid but Decrepit nailed it!!! Now just the 60 miles home to pedal.........

Tips......

• Pack light. Your baggage really affects your ride. You need less than you think.
• Add SIS tablets in your water bottle especially if it's hot. They really helped to reduce fatigue.
• Do some training. This route is described as moderate in difficulty. There are some really challenging hills.
• Take a map if like us you were unsupported.
• Take breaks and be aware of each other.
• Remember those stretches at the end of the day.

A few thankyous to...

• My brilliant team mates.It's been a pleasure.
• The weather...glorious sunshine all the way.
• Sustrans for a really lovely and on the whole very well signed route.
• My bike (christened Alex en route) who I now know a whole lot better.
• The supporters who raised all the money. You are priceless (over £2,000 to C.A.L.M.).
• The man who ran out of Wetherspoons in Ripon to give us a tenner and the lady who emptied her purse while we were having a sarnie somewhere. Touching.
• Our partners for the cheers and support..
• My legs

If you are thinking of having a go. my advice is to DO IT!!!!!

Thanks for the memory. My 'take' on Alzheimer's.

I read a fair few posts about the horrors of Alzheimers disease/Dementia and most of them seem to imply that the person with this condition assumes a babbling, pitiful state that no one should have to endure.
I want to 'put the record' straight from my perspective. Yes aAlzheimer's is  a terminal health condition. It affects the most important of our organs (the brain) and its impact can indeed be devastating but it does affect each individual differently. It is wrong to put  all those with the condition in the same pot labelled 'babbling idiot'. They are not. In essence they are still the person they always were, but one has to dig a little deeper to find them and to try to view the world from their perspective. Like life in reverse if you like. As our children grow and learn and their cognitive function improves, those with dementia shrink and their cognitive functions diminish.

I have observed and loved both my parents through this condition.

My  late father Doug, was a proud, handsome, arrogant, clever,  man with an enquiring mind and a sharp wit. He was used to being in charge, was strict but usually fair, and rather emotionally constipated, in that he found it hard to express affection/love (like many of is generation I would guess). When he first began to lose his memory he was angry and frustrated by what was happening to his brain. In his last year he found being cared for extremely difficult, tortured by his loss of liberty and he became angry and sometimes aggressive as a consequence. I beleive he always had a temper which he kept very well under control, but dementia seems to strip people of the finesse of  the social dishonesty that many of us have to live by, lay them open and his temper became more apparent.
He did though became more affectionate and told me that he loved me so many times in his last years (something I never remember hearing as a child).

The condition took his life eventually. In truth he slowly starved to death, forgetting or refusing to eat and becoming smaller and smaller. Not a spectator sport and I was very anguished by his demise, because I knew the man he was.

My dear Mum is quite different. She is now in the latter stages of the condition. A good, warm, loving woman who spent her entire life looking after others and has accepted being cared for far more willingly. She likes the banter and having been quite buttoned up in life  (I never once heard her swear) she became funny, outrageous and very rude in an extremely comical way. It's not often one hears ones Mum singing 'While Shepherds washed their cocks by night' at the Christmas carol concert!!!

I have spent some of the happiest and most meaningful times with her SINCE she was diagnosed, knowing that every day is precious as I watch her lose so much of herself. However she is largely content and even though her speech is very disordered and largely incoherent we continue to have some wonderful conversations and laugh out loud moments. Yes she is incontinent and can no longer feed herself but she is not aware of that, it does not haunt her.

Don't get me wrong some days I could (and do) sob.  She can be difficult and surprisingly strong when essential care is being given, but she is genuinely delightful and I am very lucky to have had her in my life for so long. She too eats less and less and is shrinking before my eyes.

Of course I would prefer that neither of my parents had succumbed to a mixed dementia, but they did. It  is a condition that will affect most of us in some shape or form as people live longer, but what I am trying to say is that whilst there are times of real gut wrenching sadness and anguish, these can be and often are tempered with moments of real wonder and delight. I never felt I have lost my parents to the disease.

It is the hand that they were dealt and with kindness and a genuine regard for the person that dementia has shaped they are not less; just different.
With or without dementia they are the parents that I love, still worthy of  respect and kindness  and still able to experience moments of real joy.
,

The girl who forgot how to read.

The Girl who Forgot how to Read.

Recently I was chatting with a lovely young adult, who as well as having a severe form of dyspraxia/DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder) also has severe dyscalculia.

Dyscalculia = is a difficulty in the learning or comprehension of arithmetic, such as difficulty understanding and manipulating  numbers, and learning mathematics.

People usually think of challenges with maths in terms of learning in the classroom; however, if an individual has dyscalculia the ramifications of this extend across many other areas which are significant for daily living. These include money and budgeting, time keeping and organisation, understanding weight and measurement. This can have a profound influence on job opportunity and retention.

The chat with this delightful individual exposed the fact that she experiences a sense of profound panic when it comes to dealing with money because numbers have no meaning for her.
She has recently moved out of home into a wonderful supported environment where the staff are trying to help her towards greater independence and a degree of independent financial decision making. Dyscalculia is one difficulty amongst a complex profile of specific learning difficulties, which as a bundle makes daily living very challenging indeed for this person.

It had been agreed that to make things as easy as possible whilst she gets used to all the change she is encountering that staff would work out with her what monies she would need to see her through the week, to pay for various activities and refreshments. To ease things further she agreed to her monies being given to her each day so she had only to consider one day at a time.

However it came to the  attention of her key worker that she was secreting money away to collect it up so that she always had a bundle of money on her person 'just incase'.
Further conversation exposed the fact that when she bought her lunch,  the numbers on the menu were meaningless. She was unable to calculate if £4.95 was less than the £8 she had to spend, she felt a sense of terrible panic. She was terrified that she would not be able to pay for what she had ordered. She thought that she would look utterly stupid and people would not understand that she was unable to interpret numerical information.

So what has this got to do with forgetting how to read?

I was reminded of a story of a child who went overseas on holiday with her family. When she arrived at her destination she exclaimed 'Mummy I have forgotten how to read!!!'. What she didn't know was that all the signage etc was in fact in another language and she simply couldn't read it because she didn't understand that language.

I figure that this is how it must be for the young woman and her money issues, like landing in a foreign country every time she looks at a menu, or a price tag.  

It seems to me that this must be very anxiety provoking, and this young person's need to have a wad of money about her was a way of always knowing that she could pay for whatever she had ordered. However, it also left her vulnerable  as she carried around a significant (and often unknown amount) of cash, 'just in case'.

These invisible issues are the kind of experiences people around us are living with all the time. Whether they have acquired a diagnosis is immaterial, the difficulties still exist.

Definitions and research into dyscalculia are in their infancy, but the prevalence of the condition suggests that it affects between 3-6% of the UK population. That is 1 in every 20 children. One in every classroom. A significant number of people.

In many people it co exists alongside other conditions as it did with the young woman whose experience I am describing. She is dealing with this anxiety alongside the anxiety that her experiences with dyspraxia also creates.

As a society we are very poor at recognising and understanding invisible difficulties, and yet they render very able, creative, tenacious people at a huge disadvantage in our classrooms and workplaces. It begs the question of how many people who are very capable in many ways do not get the success they deserve, or meet their own potential. We are very good at catching people being bad, and often focus on their weaknesses, rather than their strengths.

If you see someone who seems to be struggling, ask if you can assist them. It just takes a little thought and kindness to get someone else out of a difficult spot.



Ref
C. Lewis, G. J. Hitch, and P. Walker, "The prevalence of specific arithmetic difficulties and specific reading difficulties in 9- to 10-year old boys and girls," Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, vol. 35, pp. 283-292, 1994.

Dyspraxia/DCD It ain't rocket science.

Dyspraxia/DCD.....It ain't rocket science.

Having lived in a house governed by the different needs of those with dyspraxia/DCD for the past 30 years it seems to me that a lot of words, research and work goes into trying to unpick the differences displayed by this exceptional group of people.

Yet to me as someone who lives with and loves three different people with different degrees of the condition it seems that really all is needed is some desire to understand, and empathy.

Empathy = The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Dyspraxia, also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), is a common, lifelong disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults.

Motor co ordination = is the combination of body movements created with the kinematic (such as spatial direction) and kinetic (force) parameters that result in intended actions.

So the condition is all about movement and when we consider that term we think of the very obvious large movements we make that can be easily seen and monitored.

Movement  though is a very complex and necessary activity. Nash- Wortham describes it as

‘…a fundamental activity of life. It is perceived in liveliness of thinking, in fluctuations of feeling and human interaction and most obviously in the physical body.’

(Take Time, 1979, p.3)

So movement is not just about taking physical steps, moving our arms and legs, it is about breathing, speaking, doing, being. We are movement, and when something happens which affects movement it affects our very being, and sets us apart from others. That can be seen obviously in the case of a devastating accident resulting in paralysis, or conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, or Cerebral Palsy but it is also evident in a more subtle form in a condition such as dyspraxia/DCD…..it is about doing and being.

As Biggs says

It is the fight to produce readable handwriting and a good essay at the same time. It is the frustration that you feel when you’re trying to cross the road, but don’t dare to move because you can’t judge the speed of oncoming traffic. It is the chaos that whirls through your head when someone asks you to plan ahead. It colours every area of living.

(Biggs, V. 2005, p.16)

So dyspraxia may affect an individual's physical movement (the poorly co-ordinated, accident prone person with handwriting difficulties), his speech and language (difficulties in articulation, processing, volume control, listening and understanding), his thoughts (difficulty in planning, sequencing, and organising), his perception (the sense he makes of the world) and his vision (visual related learning difficulties).

When we begin to understand this, and explore it we learn that our bodies are extremely finely tuned organisms, each minutiae of which is dependent on the effortless fluidity of all other processes. When we are even a little ‘out of step’ it can have devastating consequences because all those details simply do not react as a fluid whole in a wonderful display of efficiency. We seem awkward, a little behind what has been said, a little confused by the mass of instruction and expectation in the very social world in which we live. We don’t keep pace, the world is less stable, and our reactions and responses are not ‘usual’.

Add to this the fact that many people with dyspraxia/DCD live with other coexisting conditions (such as dyslexia or ADHD) and it becomes so very evident that the world is harder to interpret and therefore anxiety provoking.

If people took the time to empathise, to consider life as lived by those with dyspraxia/DCD the world would be a kinder place all round.

To me it isn’t rocket science. It is about embracing the fact that people with dyspraxia/DCD (and other invisible disabilities) are in fact exceptional. They function day in and day out swimming against the tide of expectations.

As a result, they think more creatively, approach things with more tenacity, look at others with more forgiveness, and laugh at the very things that would make many of us cry.

Cut them some slack.

Dyspraxia/DCD is here to stay, embrace it, celebrate it, accept it and support those with it.

Ref

Biggs, V (2005) Caged in Chaos. A Dyspraxic Guide to Breaking Free. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Nash- Wortham, M (1979) Take Time The Robinson Press: England.

Dixon, G.  Dyspraxia the Foundations.  Available as an Amazon e book at https://www.amazon.co.uk/DYSPRAXIA-Foundations-Gill-Dixon-ebook/dp/B00TA4ZYUS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485701918&sr=8-1&keywords=dyspraxia+The+foundations