#overcomingms

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OMS Door to Door Challenge – Departure Date minus 1 week

Ian's fortnight

Playlist: Classics

Riding on My Bike - Madness

The Bike Song - Mark Ronson

Bicycle - John Cale

Bicycle Race - Queen

Broken Bicycles - Tom Waits

Bicycle Song - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Bike - Pink Floyd

Silver Machine - Hawkweed

Nine Million Bicycles - Katie Melua

Riding On My Bike - Sia

From The Little Book of Cycling.

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve contributed to our blog so I thought it was time I wrote something. 

The last few weeks have been my out on several rides of different lengths including a circuit going past Wellington Monument to Culm Head before going passed Smeatharpe airfield to Dunkeswell. I then headed towards Culmstock, through Uffculme to Willand, Sampford Peverell, Uplowman, Huntsham ant the Staple Cross before retuning to Holcombe through Hockworthy. A ride of about forty-six miles which I completed in three and a half hours at an average speed of thirteen and a half miles an hour.

I have also completed several other rides as well as visiting the gym a few times to do some leg and back exercises.

Last week I had both the bikes serviced in Exeter, Bike No1 just needed a check over, but Bike No2 required some attention as it hadn’t had much done to it since I bought it about twelve years ago. It did give me the opportunity to cycle back from Exeter.  Approaching Cullompton I was overtaken by a bunch of about ten keen cyclists, and I managed to tag onto the back go the group & cadge a lift to near Willand. I showed the benefits of slip-streaming, which I won’t have the benefit of during the challenge.

I also saw my Osteopath this week, I tend to go every three months, probably in a vain attempt to keep myself as fit as I can.  She went through a number of exercises and stretches someone of my age should be doing when taking on a long cycle like this one.

With just a week left before we set off, I have several rides planned which will hopefully include a couple of longer routes and going out on consecutive days, I’m happy with my level of fitness so it’s now just about spending time on the bike.

Celeste our motorhome went in for a service and wash this week and I decided to go for a ride while I was waiting. I rode what will be part of the first day, leaving Wellington I climbed on to The Blackdown hills and on to Chard, through Winsham to Drimpton where I turned round and did it all in reverse. It’s fairly hilly but with some lovely countryside and pretty villages. The climb back on to The Blackdowns was tough but in all I rode 51 miles in about four hours which I was pleased with. Unfortunately, my phone went flat halfway through the ride, so I only managed to record part of the ride on Strava through which I monitor my performance.

I have to keep Jane and my cousin Heather musically happy during our time away so I have been buying CDs and downloading songs by the likes of ABBA, Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston and Coldplay to name a few. There may be times when I’m glad to be on my bike!

Heading into the final week before departure I have a couple of jobs to finish off on Celeste before packing her up ready for the off and of course we have our Fundraiser on Friday the 6th, The final Holcombe Rogus Pop Up Pub in the village hall so hopefully we will see you there.

Once we are on the challenge, there will be far fewer text blogs and more videos, pictures and interviews.

Thank you for your support and readership over the last few months.  Your comments and support has really helped us to prepare for our journey.

As you know we are raising funds for Overcoming MS. If you would like to support this amazing charity which helps to improve the life of people with MS you can follow this link.

Jane and Ian's 950 mile Door to Door cycle for Overcoming MS

Help Jane Airey-Regardsoe raise money to support Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis

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OMS Door to Door Challenge Departure Day minus 10 weeks

Jane's week

The last couple of weeks we have been in France, which has given us the opportunity to go on a Motorhome road trip.

So first up, do you remember how I insisted that we got wing mirror protectors for the Motorhome.  Well, so glad we did.  First day out, and guess who clipped the motorhome wingmirrors on the kiosk at the péage tollbooth.  Yes ME.  Of course, you are trying to hug the van in as close to the ticket machine as possible but not only is it on the passenger side, you tend to be looking at the distance between ticket slot and the van window and not the wingmirror and the wall of the kiosk. Oops. Anyway, that’s to our protectors, no damage done.

So, we planned an overnight stay at an aire at Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val.  This is very close to our Challenge route, and so we were able to check out some of the aire’s we plan to stay at.  We also put the Satnav to good use, finding a way to quickly look up the aire’s and campsites we will be staying at.

However, we have realised that the Satnav cannot be completely trusted.  Firstly, it kept trying to re-route us away from a beautiful riverside route that we wanted to drive along.  In the end we decided to ignore the Satnav and just drive it, rather than take the long detour that it was suggesting.  I was driving and went into complete panic when the Satnav told me the tunnel up ahead had a height restriction of 2.4 meters.  We are 2.8 meters high.  Strangely the tunnel looked very high, so we decided to go for it.  However, we could not see the end of the tunnel, so I believe that I made panic noises for the whole length of the tunnel.  I expected there to be some low hanging structure ready to take the solar panel off.  Luckily, the road signs were wrong, and all was fine and I am glad that I discovered this with Ian in the motorhome with me rather than on my own.

The other thing that we cannot completely trust on the Satnav is this clever little programme that plans your arrival at your aire.  Case in point was our arrival at the aire at Saint-Antonin.  We cruised along a narrow little lane into the aire.  One section of the aire is set up as a Boule area and there were several locals playing the game.  As I arrived, they all stopped playing Boule to look at us (me).  I thought, maybe we were of interest because of the UK number plate.  Maybe (although very un-PC) they were waiting to see how I was going to park the motorhome.  (I reversed it beautifully for the record).  Then, when we went for a walk into the town 15 minutes later, we realised the Satnav had completely ignored the main aire entrance and had taken a rather unorthodox route into the aire.  Not wonder they stopped playing to stare at us. (Tourists!!!)

The following day we visited our friends Anne and Tim who live in France.  Anne and I met last November at an Overcoming MS retreat that was run in Somerset.  She had made the long journey from France to Somerset to attend.  So, it was so special to meet up with her again and to meet her husband Tim. We had a fabulous visit with them, and as Tim and Anne have a motorhome as well as their house in France, we talked in detail about the route and the pros and cons of motor homing in France.  They helped us to pick one of the aire’s that we still had to decide on and we are really hoping that they will be able to meet up with us on part of the Challenge.  That would be so exciting.

We are now back at our house in Auzat and have found out (via a Facebook group) that our first stop on the challenge (a pub on the outskirts of Poole) is no longer accepting Motorhomes in their car park.  Luckily, we picked up on that, and we have been able to think of an alternative.  No doubt that won’t be the only revision needed before we get to start the challenge.

Ian’s week

Quote of the week.

“You can say that climbers suffer the same as the other riders, but they suffer in a different way. You feel the pain, but you’re glad to be there.”        Richard Virenque.

I stepped up the training with some longer & tougher rides in the last few days including a ride out to the Pont Diable, the Devils Bridge, and then back to Auzat via Tarascon. This ride has a couple of short sharp climbs, steeper than any of the other rides but only a few hundred yards long.

This week I also completed the biggest climb so far up to Goulier Neige which is a very small ski station with just two drag lifts & a hand full of runs. I once skied there whilst my friends children were having a lesson. I was the only adult skiing any of the runs. The climb of over 2600 feet in just seven miles is higher than any individual climb I will encounter during the challenge.

The weather has turned quite hot here getting up to 28 degrees so I’ve not been out as much as I would have liked, just a few shorter rides to keep me on the bike. I did go to Tarascon and back and averaged nearly fifteen miles an hour which I’m very happy with. The last time my average was over fifteen was about fifteen years ago!

Thank you for reading our blog. We hope you are enjoying it. There is not much longer to go and our preparations are becoming more intense. If you have already sponsored us, thank you so much - your support means a massive amount to us. If you know anyone else who either has MS or may be inspired by what we are doing, please share this blog or our Justgiving link below.

Thank you

Jane & Ian

Jane and Ian's 950 mile Door to Door cycle for Overcoming MS

Help Jane Airey-Regardsoe raise money to support Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis

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OMS Door to Door Challenge departure date minus 17 weeks

Quote of the week.

“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realise fishing is boring and stupid”  Desmond Tutu.

Ian's week

Contrasts.

This last week saw contrast in where I cycled. On the previous Sunday my friend Andrew dropped me off at Black Cat near Bampton so I could cycle home, a fairly short route of 10.5 miles but with a couple of decent climbs.  On the Thursday Jane & I along with the dogs headed off to the Gower Peninsular in Wales for our annual camping weekend with friends. This was after carrying out emergency repairs to Pete & Carol’s trailer tent so that they could join us.

Friday saw me go on a 15 mile ride, passed the Britannia Inn at Llanmadoc to Llanrhidian.

I then turned right towards Reynoldston, along the road through the centre of Gower with its challenging climb to the point where you can see both coasts.

The views are fantastic and remind me a bit of Exmoor, especially with the additional hazard of cattle & sheep wandering across the road without looking. Someone needs to teach them the Green Cross Code!. I then passed the King Arthur hotel before joining the Port Eynon road for a short while before heading back to the campsite through Burry Green.

Later that day we all set off to the beach at Llangenneth. I cycled both ways. A short cycle, but with a climb in each direction.

On the Saturday I rode a similar route but extended it to over 20 miles by going out to Three Crosses and joining the B4271 back across Gower to Reynolston.

Cycling on the Gower was fantastic, I loved it, it was challenging, great training & as Desmond Tutu states, better than fishing.

Jane’s week

So very pleased to be able to bring you the promised interview.  I just needed a quiet few minutes to think through how I was going to up load it.  Thank you once again to our interviewer Claire.  Enjoy.

Purchase of the week for Celeste was ‘Ear Defenders’ for Celeste (wingmirror protectors).

I now feel less likely to face a rather expensive repair if someone catches our wingmirror. Having no rear view mirror (although there is a reversing camera) I also don’t want to loose some of the drivers view.  So with the new equipment we had a great drive down to Gower.  Our new super duper Sat Nav/Dash Cam beeps all the time: video saves, collision warning (when someone pulls in front too close not because I’m dangerous), 70mph, speed camera ahead, sharp bend ahead (on a motorway!).  Good news is I reckon I have cracked driving Celeste, I just need to get used to the length when pulling back in after overtaking.  Ian will be pleased when he can stop having to shout ‘CLEAR’ so I know when I can complete the manoeuvre.

But the big challenge for me was to set up Celeste once we arrived at the Campsite all on my own.  So Ian had the luxury of just standing and watching which I pulled things out of the ‘garage’, cranked up the awning and then hit the windbreak poles into the ground.  We have three windbreaks, which are needed to give our dogs a safe space.  I managed one of three before I had really had enough.  I was really pleased with my effort.  I just need to build up my strength and I am already on a strength improvement programme (thank you Sarah Grey - Pilates South West and Martyn Phillips – Phoenix Endeavour).

We took the dogs to the beach, and it would have been the perfect opportunity to use those dog drying bags we bought. But we left them at home, so here is a photo of the dogs anyway enjoying one of their walks.

And finally, I can't complete this blog without a photo of the Northern Lights. What an experience. My number one bucket list is now ticked.

So we feel that our preparations for the 950 miles cycle challenge are going well. I what we are doing has inspired you, we would be so very grateful for any donations towards Overcoming MS. Our justgiving page link and training route are here.

Jane and Ian's 950 mile Door to Door cycle for Overcoming MS

Help Jane Airey-Regardsoe raise money to support Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis

Thank you Jane & Ian

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Door to Door Challenge Departure date minus 18 weeks

As promised, we took the brave move to put ourselves on camera, which we thought might be a little more interesting for you than just reading the blog all the time. Our great friend Claire, kindly offered to be our ‘Interviewer’ and she did an amazing job. Thank you, Claire.

However

No matter what I do, the video is too big to upload to tumblr. Tech frustration is the worst.

So I will keep trying over the next few weeks, but if any techie person thinks they can help please get in touch!!

In other news

Ian’s week

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving”. Albert Einstein

A new bike computer.

This week saw a change for me. I’ve never been one for technology. I avoided a mobile phone for years, and when I did get one, it was a “brick”! So, on Thursday I took control of a Hammerhead Karoo 2 cycle computer. Or is it taking control of me? I used it for the first time on Friday for a training ride. I must remember to look where I’m going instead of the map in front of me! It’s interesting to use. If you go wrong the route is highlighted in red, on a climb it's in blue and shows how long the climb is. I may disable this for the last two climbs in the Pyrenees!

I’m sure I’ll get used to doing what I’m told instead of writing down various en-route villages on a piece of paper & hoping I can remember them.

I also did a gym session on Tuesday. The weather was too bad even for me to go out on the bike, so I did 35 minutes in a spinning bike & 35 minutes on resistance weight machines mainly leg exercises. Totally un-connected I also had a session with my Osteopath later that day and she told me I needed to work on my back and neck as well as my legs, so she went through a couple of exercises for me to work on.

One thing I forgot to mention last week, is that towards the end of the trial ride to the Bakers Arms I took a little spill, I misjudged a curb whilst looking for a cycle route sign and ended up with a couple of bruises and a grazed knee. I also slightly twisted the handle bars on Bike No 2, so I put it on the stand that Ewan has kindly lent me and gave it a good clean &and check over before straightening it up.

I had my birthday this weekend, a lovely day planned by Jane which included a lunch at The Lost Kitchen followed by an evening meal with friends before going to “Bonkers Bingo” in the village hall.

One present I received was a book of cycling quotes, some of which I will include in this blog, the first being at the begging of this one.

Jane’s week

A quieter week for me, but along with the usual training I had the delights of having to reapply for my driving licence. This is something I have to do every three years as a result of my MS and the eye issue that is related to it. There were 11 pages to complete in hardcopy, which is not great for someone with an eyesight issue. But going through the forms reminded me of the proper name of my eye condition. I have been incorrectly calling it Opitic Neuritis, which can come and go. Going back over my diagnosis letters reminded me that I actually have something called a right inferior homonymous quandrantanopia. No surprise that I can’t remember what it is called. So, the forms have been sent to the DVLA and I am expecting to be asked to have a particular eye test. I am not allowed to know the result; it has to be sent confidentially to the DVLA. So, then I wait. Technically, if I don’t meet the standard for driving, then my licence will be taken away immediately, forever. Not only is that pretty grim but it would also put a massive spanner in our OMS Door to Door plans. But to be honest, I am fairly confident that my tests will reach the required standard.

Thank you for reading and listening and thank you once again to Claire. If you would like another interview further down the line, please let us know by messaging one of us.

Jane and Ian

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OMS Door to Door Challenge Departure date minus 19 weeks

Ian's week

Training & a trial run.

The first training ride this week was the Culm Valley loop again, it felt hard but when I got back, I had completed it three minutes quicker than the previous time.  This would explain why it seemed harder.

The second ride was a trial run of part of the first day of the ONS Door to Door Challenge.  We had lunch at the Sun Inn near Dorchester and I cycled about 23 miles to the Bakers Arms at Lytchett Minster.  This is a possible first night stopover, being very close to the ferry terminal.

A bit of a pub theme developing, I think!

It was a good ride through interesting countryside and villages, but very flat which meant I kept up a good speed.  But the disadvantage of a flat terrain is that I had to pedal all the time because there was no downhill section to rest on.

Jane's week

Crash and Burn

This has been a week of two halves, great fun but with massive consequences.  Will I ever learn?  At the start of the week, I was away with some friends near Bicester.  Get a few ladies together and there was a fair bit of singing and general larking around.  Such as teaching each other how to Moonwalk (I learnt that), trying out front rolls (I declined trying that) and trying out the Worm dance move. 

I paid for that one the following day and stayed at the house to have a quiet day.  A wise move as I felt much better for it.

Monday was Vitamin D test day.  I test myself twice a year.  I could get an annual test on the NHS, but with UK weather it seems to make sense to me to do one in the spring as the UV is increasing (believe it or not we had UV 4 the other day), and also to do one in the autumn to see how my Vitamin D levels have been through the summer and what the starting point is for the winter.  I can then make a judgement about how much I need to take to try to maintain it at a level in line with the OMS programme. It’s a really simple process, but I am a bleeder and a wimp.  Before I knew it, I was dashing to the sink to stop everywhere becoming covered.

I had a great swimming session this week with friends, great Pilates on Thursday and Friday and in the afternoon Ian and I were interviewed for our blog.  That will be coming in next week’s blog.  But then I started to feel fatigue and decided not to go out as planned.

I was a little concerned because we had our Day One test run over the weekend.  In some ways it went well but in others I was disappointed.  I did some of the driving but not as much as I would have liked but we tested out the new Sat Nav, which I am very pleased with.  However, during Ian’s drive (not he did not cycle all the way to Poole as was our original plan), the Sat Nav started to come unstuck (crash number 1), so by the time I drove (and Ian cycled) it had to sit on the seat next to me and I had to try to follow directions like that.  So, Ian cycled some of the way but what he hasn’t mentioned is that he too had a little crash on his bike. (Crash number two). He’s fine with only a scraped knee and handlebars that needed to be straightened.  (I am talking about the bike’s, not Ian of course.)

We had our meal at the Sun Inn but by that time I was really tired.  I was a little bit anxious about the massive dog at the next table in the bar and how Belle might be (Actually she was brilliant).  It was very noisy, and it was hot.  Heat and noise do not go well with my MS and the following day I had a lot of my MS symptoms hit me all at once.  We were seeing some of Ian’s family in Dorset on the Sunday and I had to go to bed and then we came home a day early.  (My crash and burn).   I pretty much spent the day in bed on Monday.  I was disappointed and felt as flat as a flat tyre.  The worst I have felt for some time.

I’m back in the ‘saddle’ now though but taking things slowly and concentrating on my OMS programme.

Looking forward to a better week coming up and don’t forget that in the next blog we have our interview.

Thank you for reading Jane and Ian

Thank you for your amazing support. Ian's strava routes and just giving links are here.

Jane and Ian's 950 mile Door to Door cycle for Overcoming MS

Help Jane Airey-Regardsoe raise money to support Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis

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Blog Extra - MS Awareness Week 22nd April to 28th April 2024

This week is UK MS Awareness Week and this year Overcoming MS is running a campaign called #MSUnfiltered.

As part of the campaign, OMS is working with MS Society UK, MS Together, Multiple Sclerosis Trust, MS-UK, Neuro Therapy Network and Shift.ms to survey over 1,400 people in the UK living with MS. The survey results showed us that:

When I was diagnosed the first thing I did was to check out the MS charity websites, as recommended by my neurologist.  When I read the long list of symptoms

I was appalled because I had virtually all of these symptoms to some degree or another. 

Here is the list of symptoms combined from the MS Trust and the MS Society websites:

Fatigue

Strange Skin sensations (numbness tingling, pins and needles, a crawling)

Balance and Co-ordination

Vision Problems

Walking difficulties

Thinking & memory difficulties (brain fog)

Bladder & bowel issues

Temperature sensitivity

Low mood, emotional problems, depression, and anxiety

Pain

Sexual issues

Sleep problems

Speech and swallowing problems

Hearing difficulties

Tremors

So when I read the list not only was I dismayed, I was also rather confused.  Because, some of those symptoms I had been putting down to my age.  So how do I know is it my MS or an age thing?

But I’m really hear to talk about the #MSUnfiltered campaign and what we don’t usually talk about.

While I have been very open about my MS diagnosis, there are some people who chose not to tell their employer for fear of being judged and side-lined at work. And when I chose to give up work, I didn’t tell my clients the full reasons behind my decision.  Which were, that I no longer trusted myself to build an accurate spreadsheet of financial projections or that it took me three times longer that it should to write a simple report due to my brain fog and reduction in manual dexterity at the keyboard.  The reduction in my ability to hold complex ideas in my mind undermined my confidence in my own abilities.  I wanted them to remember me as someone capable of doing everything that I used.

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by outside stimulus that I struggle to think straight or to express myself properly.  All I can manage is a grunt because I can’t get the words that I want to say out.  I come over as inarticulate and I worry people will think I am rude because I only use a few words and need to go and lie down.

Up to 50% of people with MS have poor mental health – this is something I am comfortable talking about and I am happy to fly the flag here.  However, when I went on an MS retreat in November and started to talk about how MS affects my mental health, not one person had the courage to talk about their own issues. Even though there were 40 people in the room, and we were in a ‘safe space’.  If the stats are right at least 20 people in that room must have experience of poor mental health. For a moment, I felt a bit embarrassed for raising the topic, but only for a moment.  What I really felt was sympathy that no one else had the courage to share.

And finally, my closest friends will know that I use the loo A LOT. I now have a RADAR key but I haven't had to use it YET.

#MSAwarenessWeek #MSAwareness #MS #MSDiagnosis #OvercomingMS #OMS #MSSymptoms

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Door to Door Challenge Departure Date minus 21 weeks

Spring Cleaning

Ian's week

I’ve upped the training this week, a couple of cycles and a trip to the gym.

My first ride this week is the regular Uplowman loop, a ride I always enjoy, With Mondays weather being wet & windy (surprise surprise) I headed for the gym, thirty minutes doing interval training on a spinning bike followed by 40 minutes of mainly leg exercises on the resistance machines, 50 reps of 7 different exercises which added up to a good workout.

For my second ride of the week I cycled what I will call the Culm Valley loop. Holcombe, Sampford Moor, (The Blue Ball was closed), Culmstock & through Uffculme to Willand, I then took the cycle path to Tiverton Parkway returning to Holcombe via Westleigh. Although tempted I managed to cycle past The Culm Valley Inn without stopping!

Bike No 3 also got a well-deserved clean & check over.

We’re off to a Motorhome show at Westpoint Exeter Sunday where we hope to pick up some information & maybe the odd bargain.

Jane’s Week

Swimming in the Rain

Here’s my weekly stats – back again as promised

Although I feel completely shattered as I type this, the numbers suggest that, overall I am achieving more and feeling less time.  I’m really pleased about that because, right now, typing this, it does not feel like that at all.

That could be because I met a good friend in Bristol for a (very) long lunch at Mud Dock Café followed by a tour on the Balmoral, docked there and on display for a little while. 

Now, I didn’t know this when I picked the Mud Dock café (my choice was based on it’s menu) but some of you may know that it is built above a bike shop.  Ian wasn’t with us. If he had he may have got lost in their shop.  But in the café they have these amazing posters.  I am planning to try to replicate something like this for Ian’s finish (not how that’s going to work right now).

I also might be tired because last weekend we celebrated friends triple birthday party.  There was music and dancing and I danced until I nearly dropped.  Boy did I pay for that over the next few days, which is partly why I am so pleased with the numbers in the table.

Also big news this week.  I have upped my swimming.  I went, with a couple of friends to Wivy Pool, which is a Lido.  It was a chilly day, but we braved the weather and plunged in.  A bit overcast to start with, it then started raining.  At which point, I could not help myself – I had to sing, Gene Kelly style, Swimming In The Rain. (while trying not to swallow water). 

On another swimming related note, out of the 3 of us, on one could decide the best way to get to Wiveliscombe from Holcombe Rogus.  One of us had only been there once, and the other two would have gone completely different ways.  It’s just one of those routes – there does not seem to be a consensus on the best route to Wiveliscombe.  On no, I feel another song coming on:  ‘Is this the way to Amerillo Wiveliscombe?

So the bottom line is, I am going more – bit by bit – step by step.

As Ian mentioned, we go to a Motorhome show.  We’re just going to look, we won't spend any money…….promise

Thanks for reading and keeping up with our news

Jane and Ian

Please catch our links here:

Strava and Just Giving (not sure why that is now randomly showing runners!!!)

Jane and Ian's 950 mile Door to Door cycle for Overcoming MS

Help Jane Airey-Regardsoe raise money to support Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis

Videos

Training Begins

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MS Awareness Month - A Special Post

March is MS Awareness month. I think this this is particularly marked in the USA, which is why you will see so much on social media.

In the UK we also have MS Awareness week which is 22nd - 28th April . Finally, there is World MS Day, marked on 30th May.

Wow, that's a lot of public awareness, but with Official estimates suggest that there are two and a half million people with MS globally, and the rate of MS is increasing by two percent annually there needs to be a high level of awareness. So I will be shouting load and clear at all three of those special times.

I'm not going to do much typing, pictures can speak louder that words and I certainly could not get over in words what these images can. I take no credit for these images - they are all sourced from a number of sites and Facebook groups.

So here goes:

A BIG symptom missing here is FATIGUE.

But when you tell someone you have MS, they immediately wonder why your not in a wheelchair, that's because most people think......

So, what is MS like for me? Well I definitely live with these cute guys:

And this my brain feels just like this when I get information overload.

This was just one of the big reasons I had to give up work. I no longer felt that I had much credibility when a lot of what I said came out scrambled.

This one too....

I'd just like to reassure you all though, that my driving licence only valid for 3 years. To keep my driving licence, I have to get my eyesight. So I'm OK for the Door to Door Challenge.

And I love this picture and shows a trick I use to cope with dizziness.

At it's most hideous, it sometimes (luckily not too often for me) feels like this....

All of the above is TRUE. But the next few pictures are far more important to me.

Coming soon, our weekly update, including first training rides and first big fundraiser.

Thank you for reading this blog.

Jane x

P.S. if any of this makes you feel like you'd like to help people to live as good a life as possible, our Door to Door Challenge will be raising money for Overcoming MS and our Just Giving page is here:

Jane and Ian's 950 mile Door to Door cycle for Overcoming MS

Help Jane Airey-Regardsoe raise money to support Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis