"I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do..." I didn't hear much of what followed. It had all started a few years ago, when I'd had some clues that things weren't quite right, but typically I'd brushed them off. However, the doctor was now confirming what I'd recently suspected the cancer I'd been trying to battle since the diagnosis had spread to my lungs and was now incurable. I had a life expectancy of 18-24 months. Damn.
It would be wrong to suggest that getting a terminal illness doesn't change things. Of course it does. It's a daily struggle for my family and I, knowing that I have limited time left. But there are two ways to tackle it: either hide under the bedcovers until you die (a perfectly acceptable option by the way); or try to cram in as much as possible to make some memories to take with you. I chose the latter.
The terminal-cancer prognosis had come in March 2020. I'd got through cancer surgeries the previous year, then six weeks of adjuvant (post-surgery) radiotherapy, without too much disruption to my routine - it was just a bit trickier to fit everything into my diary - I'd taken to commuting by bike to my radiotherapy sessions to combine training and travel, to leave more time for work meetings and calls. Now it was time to prioritise me and my family a little more.
Denne historien er fra Summer 2022-utgaven av Cycling Plus UK.
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Denne historien er fra Summer 2022-utgaven av Cycling Plus UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Air Apparent - Pollution hasn't gone away. It's still there in every lungful, even if we can't see it in the air or on the news. But there are reasons to breathe easier, thanks to pioneering projects using cycling 'citizen scientists'. Rob Ainsley took part in one...
The toxic effects of pollution have been known about for years. 'Just two things of which you must beware: Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air!' sang 1960s satirist Tom Lehrer.Over recent decades, though, pollution has dropped down our list of things to worry about, thanks to ominously capitalised concerns such as Climate Change, AI, Global Conflict, Species Collapse, etc. That doesn't, unfortunately, mean the problem has expired. Air quality often exceeds safe limits, with far-reaching and crippling effects on our health.
No limits
Not every adventure needs to be that epic, says bikepacking Scotland founder Markus Stitz
UNBOUND UNLEASHED
Josh Patterson was one of 34 starters for the inaugural edition of Unbound in 2006. Now, with more than 5,000 riders taking part in today's event, he charts the rise of the most important race in gravel
FOREST COMMISSION
Looking for a goal race in 2025 that'll stimulate the synapses and live long in the memory? You'd struggle to do better than ENID CRV in Finland
15 OF THE BEST ADVENTURES
Featuring Yorkshire, the USA, Sri Lanka and more, here are our picks of the world's greatest gravel races and routes
The stuff of dreams
Ned sings the praises of the Paris Olympics road-race course
"I rode 3,000 miles around Britain on a bamboo bike to highlight our climate crisis"
Recordbreaking cyclist and triathlete Kate Strong, 45, took to the road to raise awareness of environmental issues
FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE
We venture into the hidden gem of the glorious Creuse, one of France's least populated regions
STAR TREK
New tube shapes and carbon lay-up makes the eighth generation of Trek's legendary Madone an aero and climbing bike all rolled into one
GOLD RUSH
With conflict around the world, Paris 2024 was a ray of light. Here are our highs of a mighty Olympics
