First cycle in Bulgaria

I cannot find any of the outlets that hires bikes for a week as advertised before I got here but there is bikes for rent on nearly every corner but the quality of these are not good but would over come the issue of if hire for week where would I put bike but in reality what do I need? Basically a mountain bike would do the job.

Out for lunch today I finally find a street renter who has bikes with at least decent saddle and for 12 leva for 3 hours working out at £4.50 this will do me so back to hotel to change into cycling kit and off I go.

Sunny beach is a busy holiday town with many side roads which I make my way through but quickly I come across what looks like the Main Street through sunny beach and surrounding resorts, it is busy but wide so actually good to cycle but I keep dreading getting to junctions when the panic sets in on rights of way.

I cycle for 2 hours but forget to take my phone for "runkeeper" cycle app but am happy with just cycling & scouting local area, it is warm but not uncomfortable and I don't feel any adverse effects from cclng in this heat so my planning turns to rest of holiday.

I so find a shop that looks like better quality bikes to rent but I get the " my English poor" or words like that so out goes that plan, the scenery as I get out of most build up area is beautiful so I think training this week could be good. 

Thanks for following my journey

Training

As I write this blog i am sitting on runway at Gatwick airport on a flight that has just announced we might have to sit here for over 2 hours but they are hopeful of a quicker departure time and my thoughts are only on hopefully still being able to pick up my hire bike today so that i can continue my training.

Current weather in bulgaria is apparently about 30c and constant sun so hardly trying to match my training within my expected conditions on End to end but this will be a good chance to get some real miles & hours on a bike.

My training so far has throw up very few little surprises and if honest only more confidence in my physical abiltiy to achieve this. I have been on a bike most days with little or no side effects. My longest ride of 60 miles and 8 hours only threw up issues more psychological than physical.

Our flight leaves only around 45 minutes late, Our family holiday or more selfishly my hot weather training camp has begun.

John

My blogs on living with heart failure

I have enjoyed writing a blog about living with heart failure over the last few months, so have brought them over to my own blog site for reference & for others to catch up on 

Here they are 

The beginning 

https://worldhealthinnovationsummit.wordpress.com/2015/06/25/heart-failure-the-beginning/

 

Heart Failure – State of play 

https://t.co/OzQQUXd2H5 http://t.co/LcWtNB4aeI

Too little too much

https://t.co/F3vxBVCVBY

How open to be

https://t.co/GY1eKgK2yr

Why end to end now

End to End

So I have announced on social media that I will cycle John O’Groats to lands end as my next goal, it has been in planning for over a year but have waited till 6 weeks before for the obvious reason of will my current health allow it? So of course I think it will.

Why attempt it? Simply because I believe I can do it and long held the ambition to do even before diagnosis but to me it seems a logical end to the last 8 years of working out what I am capable of both physically & mentally, I fully understand my heart failure body & mind now & how it works but feel that could change once device (Barry the box) is changed. of course I have doubts but who wouldn't?

what I simply want to do is show heart failure can be tackled by all to achieve something & anything, I want to thank and show all those around me be it my family, friends & medical staff that I have loved  their support but most of all as someone fully aware of how quickly life can change or end I want to leave memories that maybe make those closest to me proud of me & I want to raise awareness that not all heart failure is negative.

I look at baby Oliver who I will fundraiser for  and see a family living in an amazing world of medical advancement like I am but I had a life before DCM & Oliver hasn't so I want to simply try to give him & his family a good memory of maybe a holiday as I know such positive things to look forward to & memories are key to positively living with a chronic illness.

I have read so much about how to train for this but I simply cannot train for 6 months for something as my body won't allow it. what I can do is intensely train for 2 months & use my already gained stamina to meet the physical demands knowing full well post completion like it always is will be hard but more psychologically than physically.

I have spoken to those medically around me & I fully except they can't endorse me to do it 

but they know the whole story and the ups & down so none have or will say don't.” Don't” is not a word I have ever heard them say to me as I think about it. If I believed “don't” in every booklet about heart failure where would I be? 

My work & especially boss have again been supportive & understanding. A key lesson from the last 8 years has been probably how I have maybe not handled this area well but without them this would not be possible hopefully together we are both learning  how someone with heart failure can return to work with something medically was maybe not possible even the year before. I still see the confusion in some of thinking “how hard is it to live with heart failure if he can do this?” That is view we need to change.

My best friend always said “if going to be a bear be a grizzly” so my final goal of Barry the box needs to follow that saying, I know many will question my thinking & risk taking  but as explained in earlier blogs of course I am scared, of course I am struggling to get the training in and suffer set backs but as Lorna & I say “ok I want to do this so how do we make it happen?” So by announcing it I have committed to making it happen & it will happen.

Need to go am off for cycle.