Thanks for visiting my page. My name is Adrian lamb and those that know me well, have always known that I’ve been a live wire and can’t sit still from about the age of 2 years old.

So Clarence my dear friend has been championing me as he has seen my progress on my road to recovery and has planted the seed to attempt the #rapha500 or festive500 which is to cycle 500km from December 24th to December 31st. 

This is the challenge which has been laid down on the table and a massive feat for me to even take this in let alone cycle it, here is a little bit of my story so far.

I will be lapping Regent’s Park with in these dates above and would love you all to come and join me.

Over the years I have done a lot of crazy bike rides for my aunties MS society charity, some include riding Lands end to John O’groats a 1000 miles in 9 days unsupported and riding just over 400 miles fixed gear  in just over 24 hours and climbing Mont Ventoux 11 times in over a 3 year period and cycling to London - Oxford - Cambridge - London to name a few, , with friends that carried me and became even greater friends through our adventures together, so I here you say oh 500km should be easy, yes in my previous days that would have probably been the case, here is a little story of my journey so far. 

In April 2022 after many a year of suffering I finally got diagnosed with complete heart block which came as a complete shock and not at the same time, as many a year I suffered with depression as I could never understand how I could complete such challenges as climbing Mont Ventoux 3 times in a day and then the wheels completely falling off as I couldn’t breath or concentrate properly or felt like I let countless people down over the years when I had these episodes of complete exhaustion, over the years these episodes increased but no one could ever tell me why and the doctors always put it down to doing to much, but when I slowed down it made the symptoms worse , I felt so low but yet still kept my eye on the bike as that was the only key I saw and knew to keep me going, hence maybe why my challenges on the bike got bigger and bigger as it taught me focus and was to survive as this was the only way I knew. Cycling in a way teaches you how to suffer but teaches you very important life skills. When I got diagnosed the doctors in so many words said cycling saved your life as it taught your body how to suffer and overcome. 

I now have a pace maker fitted to keep me alive at night as my heart would drop into the very low 30’s and would then explain why every time I raced I felt like I was dying at the end or why I failed at my running in the county championships at school when I was 14/15 years old, I can now pinpoint every episode to knowing that complete heart block was occurring at such points through my life. 

Cycling gave me so much as on all my adventures and years I cycled I made so many true friends that made me the person I am and kept me going on episodes when I felt I had nothing left. I have met so many inspirational friends on the way and the best part is I can still ride with them now the NHS and British heart foundation have put all the work into research and development.

One dear friend in particular Hughe, one of my mentors and inspirations of my life, no matter the weather Hughe and I would ride and his laugh and smile I can still remember to this day would keep me going as the rain would sting my eyes from our training rides we did in all the weathers, he was such an inspiration that he won a Mens Fitness health competition at the age of 50 plus, and when I say won I meant he won overall he beat everyone even at his age, he showed me just give it your all and the rest will happen and then smile. Sadly Hughe died of a heart attack and miss him dearly. 

Opening up like this has been hard and a lot of learning and good days and bad, but when they told me that I need a pace maker at 40 I was like woah. But recollecting my thoughts I nearly didn’t make it to my 40th due to this condition, but when I was taken in  at hospital in Homerton hospital and St Barts it turned out, the two doctors that fought my corner were actually my customers at work and it turned out that working in a world famous bike shop people knew who you were and was so nice to hear how I had helped them with bike things. I was quite a celebrity whilst in hospital as I was still here and all the nurses and doctors were amazed that I was still able to do so much with the heart block and were asking me so many questions as I guess I was just someone you learn about in a text book, so to have the real thing in front of you must be so amazing. My thinking was well it’s covid times so hospitals were a strange place to be, visiting times were strange times so I come up with, if I can help, if I can inspire, if I can uplift, if I can make someone smile then I must be doing ok, so if I could give enough info then maybe I could make one of these students quiz their teachers at uni so it could later down the line save someone a lot earlier.

All the work that the NHS and British heart foundation is amazing all the work they put into the learning that goes into these departments that saved me is amazing.

My road to recovery has been a tough one so far as I had 7-8 weeks off the bike after the pacemaker went in and lost a lot of movement in my arm and shoulder so it meant I couldn’t hold my handle bar properly and, when I got the ok to exercise I started slow but one main goal was always to ride even if it was just at Regent’s Park with all my friends again, and just do that and be happy, but me being me I always have to have goals or a bucket list to tick, like ride with friends and make it fun and a cake at the end. The road has been tough with days of wanting to give up but with friends championing me and inspiring me so much with their journeys I couldn’t give up. 

So here I am asking for what ever you may have to give and spare big or small every little gesture counts to saving lots of souls like me that can keep the world cycling and inspiring others to keep going. 

So Adrian lamb the condor basket cyclist Is raising money for the British Heart Foundation and I'd be so grateful for your support. The BHF has helped halve the number of people dying from heart and circulatory disease in the UK but sadly every day hundreds of people lose their lives. It's only thanks to support from people like us that the BHF can create new treatments and discover new cures. £24 could pay for two hours of research by an early career scientist, but every pound helps so please give what you can to help me and others too. 

Thank you for reading my journey so far and if you would like to see more check out  @lambadrian on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/lambadrian/?hl=en

Thank you for your time 

Ps please come and join me for laps at regents where I will attempt this as after we have all been through these last few years, I would love to just bring everyone together for a ride and chat and laugh and cry if u want. We all need to be together. 

Peace out 

Adrian