The "Photos From Today's Ride" thread. (Vol. 2)
Discussion
defblade said:
I do count myself lucky - I've had enough training around mental health; experience around other family members (ok, that's not lucky so much, but you might get what I mean); and enough ability to look at myself that I could spot the problem before it got too serious... and also that simply changing the meds sorted it out a small number of weeks (even if the endless-cold-from-hell did come along and bugger it all up after).
It was actually cycling that really made me aware I had a problem - I have a route about 20-25 miles that links all my favourite local roads and I realised one day I was just dragging myself around it where normally it makes me glad to be alive and on a bike. Things gently clicked together in my head about what was going on with me, by the time I got home I knew I needed to sort something out.
Depression is a horrible thing as one of the first things it does is remove your ability to get things started, to get moving. So don't beat yourself up about losing days; chances are it's the illness, not you. Sounds like you've got a good wife; if she understands how depression nails you to a chair, she might also be the one who can pull out and get you started... I've spent fair chunks of time doing the same on and off for my wife and B-in-L; depression runs in their family.
And yes, BotB is my neck of the woods, so if you need a bed next year (when you're definitely not entering) or company camping, give me a yell
Great to read how sport and cycling has helped others too. Well done with your efforts. It was actually cycling that really made me aware I had a problem - I have a route about 20-25 miles that links all my favourite local roads and I realised one day I was just dragging myself around it where normally it makes me glad to be alive and on a bike. Things gently clicked together in my head about what was going on with me, by the time I got home I knew I needed to sort something out.
Depression is a horrible thing as one of the first things it does is remove your ability to get things started, to get moving. So don't beat yourself up about losing days; chances are it's the illness, not you. Sounds like you've got a good wife; if she understands how depression nails you to a chair, she might also be the one who can pull out and get you started... I've spent fair chunks of time doing the same on and off for my wife and B-in-L; depression runs in their family.
And yes, BotB is my neck of the woods, so if you need a bed next year (when you're definitely not entering) or company camping, give me a yell
Cycling was what ultimately saved me following my Mum's suicide and personal hell overcoming the mental aftermath of taking the life of a man who raped my sister in a life-threatening self-defence situation. I was very depressed and attempted suicide; saved and dealt with it by throwing myself into sport; specifically cycling.
Much more recently I went through a divorce when my wife announced she had met someone else from her hiking group. The day after she asked I did a 150 mile unplanned reflective ride. I've since met someone else and relocated back to the UK - during the worst times of the divorce I was winning MTB races since devoting myself to that level of training consumed most of my energy and gave me less time to dwell on the processes going on outside of my control.
Happily, I have resolved my divorce - as of yesterday it is finally agreed in terms of the asset split and we are now moving to signing a Consent Order.
I'm a huge advocate of wellness from sport activities as one of the means towards dealing with mental health issues.
PastelNata said:
Great to read how sport and cycling has helped others too. Well done with your efforts.
Cycling was what ultimately saved me following my Mum's suicide and personal hell overcoming the mental aftermath of taking the life of a man who raped my sister in a life-threatening self-defence situation. I was very depressed and attempted suicide; saved and dealt with it by throwing myself into sport; specifically cycling.
Much more recently I went through a divorce when my wife announced she had met someone else from her hiking group. The day after she asked I did a 150 mile unplanned reflective ride. I've since met someone else and relocated back to the UK - during the worst times of the divorce I was winning MTB races since devoting myself to that level of training consumed most of my energy and gave me less time to dwell on the processes going on outside of my control.
Happily, I have resolved my divorce - as of yesterday it is finally agreed in terms of the asset split and we are now moving to signing a Consent Order.
I'm a huge advocate of wellness from sport activities as one of the means towards dealing with mental health issues.
Just wow. Glad to hear you're in a better place now... cycling/sport/exercise is clearly powerful medicine!Cycling was what ultimately saved me following my Mum's suicide and personal hell overcoming the mental aftermath of taking the life of a man who raped my sister in a life-threatening self-defence situation. I was very depressed and attempted suicide; saved and dealt with it by throwing myself into sport; specifically cycling.
Much more recently I went through a divorce when my wife announced she had met someone else from her hiking group. The day after she asked I did a 150 mile unplanned reflective ride. I've since met someone else and relocated back to the UK - during the worst times of the divorce I was winning MTB races since devoting myself to that level of training consumed most of my energy and gave me less time to dwell on the processes going on outside of my control.
Happily, I have resolved my divorce - as of yesterday it is finally agreed in terms of the asset split and we are now moving to signing a Consent Order.
I'm a huge advocate of wellness from sport activities as one of the means towards dealing with mental health issues.
My son had his first taste of the red trails at Cannock Chase this afternoon - and rode like a trooper. When I asked if he wanted to re-ride the last section, he said he wanted to do another full lap of the blue trail instead.
LRCV8700 by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
LRCV8700 by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
defblade said:
And I hope to be back off the road this weekend, too.
I got a shiny new MTB last June... but I've only ridden it twice so far, thanks the year above - a grand total of 18 miles!
Very nearly doubled the mileage this morning I got a shiny new MTB last June... but I've only ridden it twice so far, thanks the year above - a grand total of 18 miles!
Spent the first few miles letting more and more pressure out of the front tyre. Being a 95kg roadie, I'm used to pumping tyres up pretty much as far as they'll go... but all my confidence on the MTB comes from the front tyre gripping not skipping about, so I had to take it down to "squishy" and eventually the noise it made changed (I guess more knobs on the ground) and a little bit of speed finally appeared
Proper work out this was, much needed!
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