Welcome
Thank you for visiting Challenging Times, The Ramblings of a Cyclopath.
Blogging seemed a good way to publicise a charity cycle from Vietnam to Cambodia with a group of friends who became affectionately known as The Cyclopaths. Still chronicling my cycle training and challenges, five years on, this blog now also offers insights into my experience of living with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. By doing so, I hope to promote an understanding and provide an easy opening to a conversation about the trials, tribulations and the occasional triumphs of living with Parkinson’s.
Blog Posts
Buzzing
With only 10 days to go until we set off from Cheltenham and 13 days until we start our journey from Brighton, there is a palpable feel of excitement amongst the team. Our WhatsApp group chat is buzzing as we share stories about our training rides, compare notes on our…
Keep reading
Clipless Pedalling
Five significant events contributed to my transformation from a novice to a serious cyclist. Each of these events were significant in their own rights but, for me, it was clipping into my pedals that truly marked the rite of passage in my transformation from a novice to a serious cyclist.…
Keep reading
Variation on a Theme
Variety has been the theme for this week’s cycle training. First the Wattbike at home, then cycling along a stretch of the East Coast of Scotland and finally a few days cycling in Madrid. The training mileage wasn’t high, compared to some recent weeks but over a variety of terrains,…
Keep readingTraining with a Difference
Image Source: Walkhighlands.co.uk We’re celebrating my mum’s 80th birthday this week and so I’m staying in the seaside town of Monifieth where I grew up. It’s lovely to spend time with family and friends but I am also aware that I can’t afford to miss a week’s training for our…
Keep reading
Endure or Enjoy?
Training for the Bike to Barcelona challenge has been ongoing throughout the winter period. Now, with only four months to go, it’s time to ramp up the duration, the distances, the frequency and hopefully, the fun. Last week, in addition to indoor training, I cycled 40km through the gorgeous Gloucestershire…
Keep reading
Brighton to Barcelona
With only 138 days to go, it feels like the right time to introduce the Brighton to Barcelona team. We are a group of 20 cyclists plus our guide. We will set off on 16th June this year and cycle an average of 106km each day until reaching Barcelona on…
Keep readingNew Year, New Challenge
Fabulous artwork by the very fabulous Jonny Acheson (https://jonnyachesonart.com) I love a challenge and thrive on the planning, preparation and training that goes with each new one. It gives me a sense of being in control – even if I’m not, challenges my brain and body – which can only…
Keep reading
Film ’22
Barry Norman, I most definitely am not but a film critic I have found myself becoming this week. And, what an exciting week it has been for those of us living with Parkinson’s who love nothing more than to indulge in a spot of symptom comparison with others. Two TV…
Keep reading
It All Adds Up
Today, my blog received its 10,000th view this year. Before I get carried away, I acknowledge that this falls quite short of the 5 million views required to officially become a viral TikTok sensation. A mere 4,990,000 views short to be precise. Oh, and it took me nine months to…
Keep readingLoading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Challenging Times 
1 thought on “The Ramblings of a Cyclopath”