WORDS AND PICTURES RICHARD BETTS
Arrivée149Autumn2020
Accepting with serenity the things that cannot be changed
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NOTHING EVER GOES TO PLAN in life. Life is defined by the setbacks you will face and how you deal with them. You must accept that things will not always go to plan – and that things will go wrong. When I received a letter from the NHS in March 2020 informing me that I was classified as “Extremely Vulnerable” and I should self-quarantine for the next 12 weeks to avoid catching the coronavirus, I was quite depressed. “I’m not ill,” I told my GP. “I go cycling and hillwalking, and I play sport. There is no way I should be considered extremely vulnerable,” I protested. My GP explained that as I had suffered from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2012, my card was marked. We discussed the benefits of exercising, and agreed that I could leave my house for daily exercise which would be a bike ride or a walk. This time served to reinforce my love of cycling and the health benefits which it delivers. Cycling has made my shielding period bearable and sometimes enjoyable. I recently received an email that informed me a fellow Audaxer had succumbed to a similar illness and was undergoing treatment. This made me think about my own story and the outcomes I experienced. My story was not complete. I needed to detail my recovery and return to Audax cycling. There are people, just like me in 2012, who may have a cancer diagnosis or something equally devastating, who want to know what the future holds for them and if they’ll get out cycling again. If this contribution helps just one person then I’ll be content.
Richard Betts was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2012. He wrote an article for Arrivée in 2015, describing how Audax cycling had saved his life. The stamina he’d built from Audax events was a contributing factor in his survival, and his achieving full remission. But the cancer left its legacy on 61 year old Richard’s body. Here he tells of his long battle with the debilitating effects of the illness, his determination to get back to long-distance riding, and the eventual outcome…
I was in full remission in 2015. I’d started driving again and was back at work. Almost as important, I’d got back on my bike and cycling with friends at the weekend. I was slow and had no strength when it came to climbing hills. My friends were patient and spent a lot of time waiting at minor summits while I puffed and panted to catch up. Both my legs were weak after so much time out of the saddle. I thought that once I started putting the miles in, I’d build some strength back into them. There was a limited improvement in my left leg, but unfortunately not in my right. I went to see a neurologist, also a cyclist, to see if he could help. He explained that the lymphoma had damaged my nerves and compromised function to my lower right leg and foot. He recommended physiotherapy but did not offer confidence of success. I met some excellent physiotherapists who persevered with me but had only limited success. One suggested I try yoga and Pilates, which turned out to be excellent advice. A friend told me the story of his first PBP. He was near the end and the spectators suddenly burst into applause. He thought it was for him but when he was overtaken by a one-legged French cyclist, he understood. This demonstrated that my own troubles were minor and insignificant. One thing that I couldn’t ignore was that I found it almost impossible to unclip from my SPD pedals on my bike with my weak right foot. I fitted flat pedals and continued cycling. I also found that I would tire more quickly and after some
longer rides I was exhausted. I decided that if I were to complete an Audax it would have to be a flat one. As luck would have it, my friend Jonathan Greenway was the organiser for the Morley Meander, a 113km ride with only 600m of climb, across Norfolk. I signed up for this ride on the 25 April, 2015. My legs were now a bit stronger and I’d decided to refit my SPD pedals again. This proved to be a mistake. We started from Morley village hall with everybody racing off. I got caught up in the excitement and found myself going far too fast in the peloton. We approached a main road junction and I braked with the other cyclists. As I slowed down, I tried to release my right foot from the SPDs to steady myself when coming to a halt, but nothing happened. I fell, skidding along a fairly greasy road. I picked myself up and carried on, and enjoyed the ride as a solitary rider, cycling at a more pedestrian pace. There was one more episode where I was unable to release myself from my SPDs, this time following a meeting with a pothole while talking to Nigel Shedd and not paying attention. Fortunately, this time I landed on a soft grassy bank. I considered this ride as refresher training after my long lay-off. Jonathan Greenway congratulated me on finishing the ride and directed me towards one of the most sumptuous post-ride buffets I had ever experienced. I didn’t feel too bad. I was back to enjoying Audax events again. I decided to do some more 100s during 2015, a bit closer to home and a bit more challenging
