In the bleak mid winter - Cornish Chaos

Apologies for my 1st post that isn’t really bike related – I have nothing of interest to say on the cycling front! So the only thing to talk about is the weather! I went to the hairdressers yesterday, so I am quite up-to-date on weather matters. ;-)

As I have said before the Cornish weather is generally milder than the rest of the UK and snow here is extremely rare. We had a slight flurry last year, which comically stopped the county in its tracks, so when much heavier snowy white stuff arrived last week pandemonium ensued. Most "locals" have never seen anything like this and unfortunately, the “it’ll never happen in Cornwall” attitude has left many really disconnected with the British climate. So when it happened there was absolute chaos!

(photo by Mullerton)

The county just isn't equipped for extreme weather conditions. The council are obviously unprepared – the grit supply is pretty much non-existent, the gritter trucks were nowhere to be seen and even when they did appear they only cleared the main roads - which, in such a rural county, doesn't really help the locals who are stranded in small villages and hamlets. *Sigh* ... If only we lived eslewhere in Europe, where the farmers and other locals help out by keeping the local minor roads clear. Basically the whole community ends up shut down, as many roads are impassable and most of the population do not know how to drive in snowy conditions anyway. To add to the choas, people irrationally start buying food essentials as if the world is in fear of a nuclear attack.


More irritatingly, the kids here have never seen snow before so they take great pleasure in the novelty of throwing snowballs. Not too bad, but they insist on throwing them at windows, seemingly unaware that glass will actually break. Even more irritatingly, the little yobs congregate and on-mass pelt anyone that passes by (on foot, on bike or in car) with large ice-balls from very close range; not realising the potential dangers as their victim is already dealing with treacherous conditions. Good god, and how dare anyone raise their voice to reprimand "little Johnny" and warn them of the dangers as the victim loses balance and slips towards a passing car…. It was “only a snowball, mister!” Little idiots! Bring back corporal punishment!

(No offense is meant to this innocent primate by comparing it to an idiotic human child)

The bad weather meant a couple of extra days off for Mullerton (as I said, the whole of the county stops in bad weather) but unfortunately healthcare workers don’t have that luxury. For some reason people who cancel appointments with their doctors - because they can’t get to the surgery, then expect the community healthcare staff to be able to get to them? Do we all fly in choppers or something? Dim-wits! At one point, I half expected to be doing my rounds on foot, or even by bicycle. Ahhh, what a charming image, a throwback to when community nursing staff rode between patients. Unfortunately, I had far too much stuff to carry and too many sharps to feel safe riding, so the bike was ruled out. :-( Was a shame really, as I felt the need to get out and ride. (I have spent the last few weeks completing my weekly mileage on the trainer…. I need some fresh air!)

OK thats my rant over. ROFL! I feel like one of those grumpy old women that used to shout at me when I was little for running down the alley laughing too loudly! Have I become less tolerant as I've grown older… or am I expecting too much from the Cornish, who are supposed to be notoriously laid back! Ahhh well, the snow has gone and the ice seems to be thawing. Hopefully normality will resume soon and I will be able to get back outside on my bike and drain some of this negative energy.

No snow in Cornwall - but still very miserable riding conditions

SNOW seems to be this weeks hot bloggin’ topic but at this end of the UK we have had only the smallest amount. It seldom snows here and even when it does it never sticks for long (I guess it is all the salty ocean air!) The air temperature has also probably been a little more bearable than elsewhere in Britain – never really dropping below zero for too long! It’s not all sunshine and ice-creams though, as it has been beyond a little chilly. And again it’s all to do with that pesky ocean breeze. Brrrrr! The wind chill factor has made temperatures unbearable, and particularly uncomfortable to ride in.

After my first really unpleasant and soul-destroying ride last week in this weather (see previous post) I was despondent. The bitter wind had destroyed my lungs and psychologically drained me. So much so, that I couldn’t bring myself to get back outside again until I had another chance to ride with Mikey. There was no way I would be able to muster up the willpower to go out and ride in these conditions alone. So, instead, I forced myself to complete another session on the Turbo Trainer mid week, to ensure I would still be on track to meet my weekly target. Predictably it was dull and I struggled - the dent the last ride had made in my confidence was playing on my mind. I needed to get back out there and beat my demons! So on Sunday, as the South West Cross Season is over, I was able to convince Mikey that he wanted to take a spin around the local lanes with me.

I wrapped up well. In fact, the neighbours probably thought I had changed religion as by the time I had covered my ears and mouth with a combination of buffs, there was little left of my face on display! I didn’t care how I looked - I had to beat this stupid weather. I was determined; I couldn’t let the suffering of the last ride keep me from riding again.
The motivation didn’t last long after I struggled to make it to the top of the first hill – a short hill that hasn’t defeated me since the start of my bicycle rediscovery. Despite a fleece "snood" over my mouth, the air that was hitting my lungs was still bitter and almost instantaneously they shrank. Saying it was "painful" wouldn’t really be close to describing how I felt. For the first 6 miles I was in agony; every extremity, despite the thick clothing, was numb from a combination of the cold and the lack of Oxygen. For those first 6 miles I was close to tears and defeat. Somehow, I dug deep and found it in me to battle on – I think it was sheer stubbornness rather than determination. Oddly by 7 miles in, the pain had slightly subsided and my lungs were working vaguely more efficiently and I nearly enjoyed the next few miles. I say “nearly” enjoyed them – it’s all comparative. I hated the first 5 or so miles and was more than ready to throw my bike in the nearest ditch, so anything that was remotely more agreeable could be classed as “enjoyable”. I got back semi-satisfied. I had done my best! I had struggled on through the pain and the dire weather. I had added 10.5 road miles to my log.

Grrr! I wanted to be chuffed, but the pain of the first few miles was playing on my mind, I was deflated. One of the main reasons that I have started riding again was to try and improve the condition of my lungs. Since having pneumonia last year, my asthma had started to affect my general health. However in the last few months, as a result of my bicycle rediscovery, there were noticeable improvements and I think it was these that had lulled me into a false sense of achievement and made me have unrealistic expectations. I guess I still have a long way to go before I can be free from inhalers and steroids for good. But for now, I will just have to keep reminding myself of the initial improvements…. I shudder to think how ghastly my lungs would be without all these recent miles under my belt.