Posts tagged outdoors

I’m Ruth, one of The Impossibles, and I have set myself a challenge of riding my old bike 50 miles!

The exclamation mark indicates to me (and hopefully to you) that, for me, this is a long, long way!! It is way out of my ‘comfort zone’. I was away recently and got chatting to a guy who had cycled from London to Moscow!!! My jaw dropped…I was staggered…so many miles…I began to question if what I was doing was ‘enough’….then on reflection I realised that actually my journey is the equivalent of his Moscow!!!

The journey is such that it is a challenge…I’m the one who has set it…and I know that it is going to be an achievement. I think too often we question if we can do something new because it is too big to imagine doing..we need to think ‘steps’ ( or pedals?!) and this is the way we break through that ‘I can’t do that barrier’.

Why am I doing this you may ask…I want to make my pulse race! (in the nicest possible way!!)

So what has the You Can Hub done for me? I have been working with them for about two years. The following will help to put you in the picture I think about the ‘why’.

I’ve always been a team player….never a leader…but since working with the You Can Hub I’ve recognised that I can do it! I can do both!The You Can Hub has helped me to feel that my decisions…my choices are valid…that they have come from my experiences which I now realise is actually extensive! I now feel as if people want to know what I think…they want to know how I work…I seem to be a person who has something to say and others want to know about it! The You Can Hub has done that!

It has felt a two way process… I’m giving as well as receiving…I like that! I don’t feel as though I’m being mentored…it’s about natural positive support…enabling me to try stuff out…not to feel panic stricken if things don’t work out…reminding me that we often learn the most when we make mistakes…and that’s actually not only ok but bloody brilliant! New stuff happens!

There have been tears! But actually they’ve mostly been tears of laughter! There has been the odd occasion when I felt that its all too much…so I’ve cried…and I’ve discovered actually its not been about it all being ‘too much’ it’s actually been about change happening ….and I’ve ‘wobbled’ …(nothing wrong with worry wobbles I say)..so now I recognise that I feel more in control…less panicky…

Through The You Can Hub I have become project facilitator of a project called You Can Bike Too. I did that! The You Can Bike Too project has developed further than I would have thought possible…it’s continuing to develop… The You Can Hub has helped me to see the ‘bigger picture’. I am a very ‘reactive’ person who likes to deal with what’s in front of me…sort it! I’m now beginning to relax re the bigger picture…!

So how does it work? Offers of help….doing the stuff that I struggle with…whilst encouraging me to ‘have a go’ …praising my efforts…”your passion shines through!” Those kind of words(whilst I struggle to fill in a funding form!) Help to say that I don’t know how to…even the little things… I feel that it’s ok (must be annoying!) to say where’s the ‘on’ button? ( if you know what I mean!)

So I’m doing my ‘Moscow’ cycle ride very soon…I’ve decided to be part of The You Can ‘The Impossibles.’ These people are people who cheer you on…help you to see that there is a community out there willing you on to do it! I love the fact that there is a Facebook group for people who choose their challenge and need support off each other…giving and receiving support from each other. People who are total strangers can come together in their Impossible Community.

My big ride is this Friday, weather permitting. I’ll let you know how I get on! Bring it on! For an extra level of accountability I’m doing this as a sponsored challenge, raising funds for the You Can Hub. Please feel free to make me accountable and make a donation! Click the link to read more about me and make a donation on my sponsorship page.

And feel free to get involved! Join the Impossibles!

I’m Ruth, one of The Impossibles, and I have set myself a challenge of riding my old bike 50 miles!

The exclamation mark indicates to me (and hopefully to you) that, for me, this is a long, long way!! It is way out of my ‘comfort zone’. I was away recently and got chatting to a guy who had cycled from London to Moscow!!! My jaw dropped…I was staggered…so many miles…I began to question if what I was doing was ‘enough’….then on reflection I realised that actually my journey is the equivalent of his Moscow!!!

The journey is such that it is a challenge…I’m the one who has set it…and I know that it is going to be an achievement. I think too often we question if we can do something new because it is too big to imagine doing..we need to think ‘steps’ ( or pedals?!) and this is the way we break through that ‘I can’t do that barrier’.

Why am I doing this you may ask…I want to make my pulse race! (in the nicest possible way!!)

So what has the You Can Hub done for me? I have been working with them for about two years. The following will help to put you in the picture I think about the ‘why’.

I’ve always been a team player….never a leader…but since working with the You Can Hub I’ve recognised that I can do it! I can do both!The You Can Hub has helped me to feel that my decisions…my choices are valid…that they have come from my experiences which I now realise is actually extensive! I now feel as if people want to know what I think…they want to know how I work…I seem to be a person who has something to say and others want to know about it! The You Can Hub has done that!

It has felt a two way process… I’m giving as well as receiving…I like that! I don’t feel as though I’m being mentored…it’s about natural positive support…enabling me to try stuff out…not to feel panic stricken if things don’t work out…reminding me that we often learn the most when we make mistakes…and that’s actually not only ok but bloody brilliant! New stuff happens!

There have been tears! But actually they’ve mostly been tears of laughter! There has been the odd occasion when I felt that its all too much…so I’ve cried…and I’ve discovered actually its not been about it all being ‘too much’ it’s actually been about change happening ….and I’ve ‘wobbled’ …(nothing wrong with worry wobbles I say)..so now I recognise that I feel more in control…less panicky…

Through The You Can Hub I have become project facilitator of a project called You Can Bike Too. I did that! The You Can Bike Too project has developed further than I would have thought possible…it’s continuing to develop… The You Can Hub has helped me to see the ‘bigger picture’. I am a very ‘reactive’ person who likes to deal with what’s in front of me…sort it! I’m now beginning to relax re the bigger picture…!

So how does it work? Offers of help….doing the stuff that I struggle with…whilst encouraging me to ‘have a go’ …praising my efforts…”your passion shines through!” Those kind of words(whilst I struggle to fill in a funding form!) Help to say that I don’t know how to…even the little things… I feel that it’s ok (must be annoying!) to say where’s the ‘on’ button? ( if you know what I mean!)

So I’m doing my ‘Moscow’ cycle ride very soon…I’ve decided to be part of The You Can ‘The Impossibles.’ These people are people who cheer you on…help you to see that there is a community out there willing you on to do it! I love the fact that there is a Facebook group for people who choose their challenge and need support off each other…giving and receiving support from each other. People who are total strangers can come together in their Impossible Community.

My big ride is this Friday, weather permitting. I’ll let you know how I get on! Bring it on! For an extra level of accountability I’m doing this as a sponsored challenge, raising funds for the You Can Hub. Please feel free to make me accountable and make a donation! Click the link to read more about me and make a donation on my sponsorship page.

And feel free to get involved! Join the Impossibles!

In the past seven days, I’ve been making a start on my first 30 day impossible challenge – to get up, get outside, and get a photo of the sun rising. As Mel recently asked, “Why would you want to do that?” – and I thought you might like to know too!

Ever since I was ill back in 2007, I have really struggled to get out of bed in the morning. I had some problems with getting diagnosed which meant that by the time I got appropriate treatment I was spending three quarters of the day in bed and still not feeling rested or refreshed. I found it incredibly difficult to wake up in the morning; I didn’t respond to the alarm, and my now husband used to have to wake me up, almost like being woken from a drugged sleep.

Once I was on the right treatment, I still had problems. I’ve struggled on and off with chronic fatigue and after some experimentation with medication in the years after my diagnosis I was finally told “some people just feel rubbish on the meds you take” (I take a synthetic form of a hormone that my body has stopped producing as a result of an autoimmune disease).

Related to my health challenges, I’m planning on running a 5k this Autumn (something you’ll hear about soon if you keep an eye on #theimpossibles). This is something that would have been impossible for me not that long ago. A side-effect of needing to do more training to build up my fitness was a need for more space in the morning. So it was time for an experiment. Could I get up earlier?

This felt so difficult I knew I needed two things:
1) An incentive
2) External accountability

I voiced my concerns to my good friend and photographer Israel Smith and he set me a challenge – get up and see the sunrise by the end of the week. Then report back. I reported back in the form of a photo:

It was a great experience. I learned that I could get up early, actually – it wasn’t physically impossible. And I learned that I enjoyed it. The only thing is, after a few days I was back to struggling to get up again. They say it takes 30 days to set a new habit, so I decided to turn this little experiment into a 30 Day Impossible Challenge and see if I could make a more permanent change to my daily routine.

So, what does it feel like to be on Day Eight? With 22 more days to go? It’s actually kind of surprising…

I’m really enjoying it.

The last couple of days I have been awake before the alarm goes off. The “problem” that has emerged is that I am actually struggling to come home. Once I’m out, it’s such a magical atmosphere and there’s so many amazing things to see and learn. I’m developing a friendly relationship with my local cows – although they’re getting a little too friendly with my bike:

Play “Spot the Bike”

I’m noticing the patterns of the day – the way the cows move around the fields in the morning, the way the birds are hidden but singing at first, but then once the sun’s gold emerges they start dancing through the sky. The way the water on the river is milky still some days, and rippled on others.

I am tired. But actually, I don’t think I’m any more tired than before. I’ve had days where, at the end of the day, I’ve felt very tired. But that just means that I do less in the evening, and think more carefully about what I do with my energy at that time. And actually, I’m sleeping a lot better. I was sleeping really fitfully before, and now I sleep right through. I’m being careful to get to sleep earlier and have a good sleep routine. The week before I started the challenge, I had a week away with my husband and we had a sort-of retreat – we made a pact not to watch TV. And I found that’s really helped too; not watching TV in the evenings means that I’m more likely* to make better decisions about what I need to do to look after myself.

It’s funny because for the past five years, I haven’t thought of myself as an early riser – not at all. And this little experiment might just have turned that thought on it’s head, and had some unexpected benefits – the discovery of some magical creative time in the morning, time when I can take photos of cows and spiders and bikes and grass and feel just a little bit more grateful about things.

What about you – does my “Impossible” seem like a walk in the park for you? If you did a 30 Day Challenge, what would it be? Which area of your life do you want to experiment with?

* No one’s perfect, right? 🙂

You can see the full set of photos I’ve taken so far here: Lou’s 30 Day Sunrise Photo Challenge on Flickr. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

In the past seven days, I’ve been making a start on my first 30 day impossible challenge – to get up, get outside, and get a photo of the sun rising. As Mel recently asked, “Why would you want to do that?” – and I thought you might like to know too!

Ever since I was ill back in 2007, I have really struggled to get out of bed in the morning. I had some problems with getting diagnosed which meant that by the time I got appropriate treatment I was spending three quarters of the day in bed and still not feeling rested or refreshed. I found it incredibly difficult to wake up in the morning; I didn’t respond to the alarm, and my now husband used to have to wake me up, almost like being woken from a drugged sleep.

Once I was on the right treatment, I still had problems. I’ve struggled on and off with chronic fatigue and after some experimentation with medication in the years after my diagnosis I was finally told “some people just feel rubbish on the meds you take” (I take a synthetic form of a hormone that my body has stopped producing as a result of an autoimmune disease).

Related to my health challenges, I’m planning on running a 5k this Autumn (something you’ll hear about soon if you keep an eye on #theimpossibles). This is something that would have been impossible for me not that long ago. A side-effect of needing to do more training to build up my fitness was a need for more space in the morning. So it was time for an experiment. Could I get up earlier?

This felt so difficult I knew I needed two things:
1) An incentive
2) External accountability

I voiced my concerns to my good friend and photographer Israel Smith and he set me a challenge – get up and see the sunrise by the end of the week. Then report back. I reported back in the form of a photo:

It was a great experience. I learned that I could get up early, actually – it wasn’t physically impossible. And I learned that I enjoyed it. The only thing is, after a few days I was back to struggling to get up again. They say it takes 30 days to set a new habit, so I decided to turn this little experiment into a 30 Day Impossible Challenge and see if I could make a more permanent change to my daily routine.

So, what does it feel like to be on Day Eight? With 22 more days to go? It’s actually kind of surprising…

I’m really enjoying it.

The last couple of days I have been awake before the alarm goes off. The “problem” that has emerged is that I am actually struggling to come home. Once I’m out, it’s such a magical atmosphere and there’s so many amazing things to see and learn. I’m developing a friendly relationship with my local cows – although they’re getting a little too friendly with my bike:

Play “Spot the Bike”

I’m noticing the patterns of the day – the way the cows move around the fields in the morning, the way the birds are hidden but singing at first, but then once the sun’s gold emerges they start dancing through the sky. The way the water on the river is milky still some days, and rippled on others.

I am tired. But actually, I don’t think I’m any more tired than before. I’ve had days where, at the end of the day, I’ve felt very tired. But that just means that I do less in the evening, and think more carefully about what I do with my energy at that time. And actually, I’m sleeping a lot better. I was sleeping really fitfully before, and now I sleep right through. I’m being careful to get to sleep earlier and have a good sleep routine. The week before I started the challenge, I had a week away with my husband and we had a sort-of retreat – we made a pact not to watch TV. And I found that’s really helped too; not watching TV in the evenings means that I’m more likely* to make better decisions about what I need to do to look after myself.

It’s funny because for the past five years, I haven’t thought of myself as an early riser – not at all. And this little experiment might just have turned that thought on it’s head, and had some unexpected benefits – the discovery of some magical creative time in the morning, time when I can take photos of cows and spiders and bikes and grass and feel just a little bit more grateful about things.

What about you – does my “Impossible” seem like a walk in the park for you? If you did a 30 Day Challenge, what would it be? Which area of your life do you want to experiment with?

* No one’s perfect, right? 🙂

You can see the full set of photos I’ve taken so far here: Lou’s 30 Day Sunrise Photo Challenge on Flickr. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Sentences are impossible: Raw. Passion. Commitment. Determination. Sacrifices.

Discuss…

… and see more of the amazing Mickey Smith here. #feelthelove

Have a go at cycling with your friends

What better way to get some quality time with your friends than jumping on a bike together.    As you might already know, it is possible to hire our bikes from Milton Country Park most days. (Just make sure you book ahead by calling 01223 420 060) But what about those people that are new to cycling or who may need an extra hand getting started? From September we will have times on many Tuesdays where there are instructors on hand for help and support. So come along and give these amazing bikes a try with a friend!

Be Inspired – Enjoy Cycling Together

Have all of these Olympics and now Paralympics given you the cycling fever? The catch phrase of these events were ‘Inspire a Generation’, so we want to do our part. From now until the end of December on the last Sunday of every month we will have instructors available to introduce you and your families to our adaptive bikes of all sizes and shapes. Then, you can have a go at cycling together. What better way to spend a Sunday morning together with your family?

I feel like things have been a long time a coming!! But we have what Angela (Project team member) calls some “action!”

Wheels For All (Cycling Projects) have loaned Milton Country Park four adaptive bikes which nudges up our total to seven bikes….plus of course the two-wheelers that we have for parents or anyone else to ride alongside the child or adult that they are supporting.

So what You Can Bike Too will do is use these whilst we collect our own ‘family’ of bikes! (I feel like we have ‘fostered’ these loan bikes for a short while….!)

The project team are very excited at the prospect of more bikes….and also very excited at the up and coming events planned.

1. Big Weeked on Parkers Piece, Saturday 7th July – This is a really exciting event because the Olympic Torch is coming to town! Ashfield Bikes are bringing their bikes for people to try out and we will have our volunteers and instructors helping out with lots of information! (And it was such a hit last time, Outspoken are bringing their fantastic Smoothie Maker Bike along too!)

While the Big Weekend continues on Sunday, our team re-locate to Milton Country Park for the Big Bike Ride.

2. Sunday 8th July –  The Big Bike Ride is going through Milton Country Park. You Can Bike Too will have a presence in the park so riders and support will see adaptive bikes. There is still time to register to cycle as part of the event and there are two routes to choose from.

So that’s this weekend covered… what next?

3. Sunday 15th July – Park Life at Milton Country Park. Loads more fun for everyone!! As well as being able to meet the bike project, there are lots of other activities…. canoeing, water walking and circus skills to name a few!

Looking Ahead to August…

August sees the Paralympic Torch arriving at Milton Country Park on Saturday 25th! There will be lots of activities to try including the bikes at You Can Bike Too  – we won’t be missing the fun, and we’ll have more information closer to the time…

So onwards and upwards!! A busy Summer ahead for the team getting ready for all these events… Which one will we see you at?

Gosh, it’s a very exciting time here at The You Can Hub. The You Can Bike Too project team supported by the unstoppable Ruth Brannan have had an amazing response to all of their hard work so far. The team have found that there are people out there who have never ridden a bike, don’t think they can ride a bike, or have ridden a bike in the past and think they’ve forgotten how to! And then there’s the people who just want to have a go at these interesting looking bikes! So how can I get involved, I hear you cry? I can sense your cycling legs itching to get started…

All you need to do is come along to the Bike Bike Day at Milton Country Park on Wednesday 4th April. There will be loads of different bikes to try, and all sorts of bike-related excitement to get involved with. Who knows what you’ll go home with? So come on, give it a try – fun for all the family!

Where have you seen our poster? Get involved with the poster-hunt over on our facebook page.

Thank you to… This event wouldn’t have been possible without our lovely partners, seen on our flyer above – not forgetting Cambridgeshire County Council!

This week looks to be one that gets us going in the right direction! So much to tell you….where do I start?

News on the block

Tokens that have been collected on behalf of ‘You Can Bike Too’ were given in to Cambridge Building Society offices (and Cambridge News offices) by supporters of our fantastic project…the aim being to benefit from ‘Cash For the Community,‘ an idea from the Cambridge News (in partnership with Cambridge Building Society) which was about cutting tokens that were printed daily and given in….however there were 25 projects nominated for a share of £10,000. In total 39,000 tokens were given in for all the projects! So we are going to be allocated £394 which I think is brilliant – but better than the cash is the publicity that this will bring to this project!

So today Aaran (Project Team Volunteer) and I are going to the presentation at the Cambridge News offices in Milton…woooh! A photo opportunity I feel! (Honestly I just can’t help using exclamation marks!)

Instructor Training to take place

Monday and Tuesday – Wheels for All (Cycling Projects) are going to deliver 2 days of instructor training to about 14 people – including myself, the manager of Milton Country Park, a parent, a carer or two, a couple of professionals and 3 or 4 young men with learning difficulties…how cool and inclusive is that?! Thanks to South Cambs Council for paying for this and thanks to Milton Country Park for hosting this training.

Wheels For All Training gives individuals, carers and support staff the confidence to work with adapted cycles for their clients or family member so that all can enjoy the benefits of cycling in a sociable environment.

Once we have these volunteers trained up we edge closer to the day when we see All Ability Cycling take place in Cambridge!

Funding

On Wednesday one of the project team and myself are going to Guildhall in Cambridge to make a presentation to Cycling and Pedestrian Members Steering group ….they are going to decide if the project can have some funding for the next year, with an emphasis of making sure that the project team of people with disabilities are kept in the picture as this project develops. This is an essential requirement…the idea for All Ability cycling project  came from a young man with disabilities and we need to make sure that in our effort to get this off the ground that these amazing volunteers are at the front of this project!

And on the other days I’m off to my ‘day’ job!….my other life! Till next time…

Editor: Update to this post – here’s a photo of Aaran and Ruth collecting their Cambridge Evening News cheque!