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Beast On A Bike

@louishatchwell

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Ex GB Ski Racer🎿
Still Fast-ish 🐌
Currently recovering from a brain haemorrhage 🤯

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At 09:45 yesterday, I suffered a brain bleed (acute subarachnoid hemorrhage), just as I left the gym.
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I self-diagnosed very quickly and called 999, I was taken to the royal free where a fabulous Dr fast-tracked my CT, ran a 2nd with contrast & shipped me straight to Queen’s Square Neurological Hospital. So I’m in the very best position possible but it remains a “life threatening” situation for a human, no worries for me then… 🦴🦍
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I have never been fitter, wiser or more responsible than I currently am & in medical terms, this was just “incredibly unlucky”. BP is low. HR is low. I have 0 “risk parameters”. I don’t really drink. I don’t smoke. I have 0 “genetically predisposed” markers…. And yet, I nearly DNF’d this whole game of life 🎲.
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The first paramedics thought it was likely a “cluster headache”, or form of “vertigo”. I did not… your head filling with fluid/pressure is unlike anything else you will ever experience. Should it ever happen to you, listen to these signs: Worst headache you’ve ever had. Nausea. Heavy eyes. Sensitivity. Can’t touch chin to chest. Difficulty speaking. Colour change. Loss of muscular power. Do NOT ignore it 🚨.
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It’s yet another lesson to trust yourself & your body, always. I told my partner Charlotte within 5 minutes that I thought I might be haemorrhaging… ugh 😩, why am I always right 😂.
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I have lost a life 🐈 and am not out the woods 🌳 just yet but I had a diagnostic angiogram this morning which has mostly ruled out aneurism & shows it to be the lesser of 2 evils - a random bleed. Still a small possibility of an unseen aneurysm, and further issues, so I have to be very careful.
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I’ll be in hospital for minimum 1 week… 🫠. After that, we will see, but life’s good and I’m alive. I’ll keep you posted… Unless I die… then if I’m lucky, somebody will post something up on my behalf 👍🏼.
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Big love. Stay sharp. Look after you & yours. Most of all, take nothing for granted comrades ❤️🫡 xx
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#braininjury #recovery by @louishatchwell

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4 months ago

Good shoulder strength + mobility is essential to holding a fast, and incredibly unnatural position. Support your riding 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼.
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#coachingtips #cycling #shouldermobility by @louishatchwell

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a day ago

🛑 Stop Neglecting Your Hips 🫵🏼. Try these BEFORE you ride & watch how they help your back discomfort, amongst other things….
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#cycling #coachingtips #hipmobility by @louishatchwell

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9 days ago

Within minutes, everything changed.

@louishatchwell Louis, 33, shares his story of surviving a brain bleed and the long road back.

Full episode this Thursday, 8 October, on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. by @louishatchwell

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10 days ago

A functional core HAS to be strong in all directions & a properly trained core, will not only significantly lower your risk of injury, but will never be the ‘limiting factor’ to your progress. Your core controls your entire body 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼.
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#cycling #corettraining #coachingtips by @louishatchwell

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14 days ago

Front, back, and sides: Try these AFTER your rides 🫡
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#cycling #coretraining #coachingtips by @louishatchwell

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16 days ago

Recently, life (rather aggressively) reminded me that nothing actually matters if you don’t have your health. I thought I already knew that… but it seems to have been etched in stone this time round 🪨✍️.
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Not everyone gets a brain haemorrhage as a reminder though, and it’s dangerously easy to get caught up in social media, even when it’s not your job. The numbers, even though they may dictate your income… simply don’t matter. Social media is dope, it’s inspiring, entertaining, humbling… but if a big red button got pushed tomorrow and social media disappeared, humans would adjust in minutes… Cause that’s what we do.
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To me now, having the opportunity to create, is a privilege... Nothing more, nothing less… There will be as many lows as their are highs. People, jobs and opportunities that you think are “the one” will come and go continuously and yet you will remain, absolutely fine.
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Maturing, is realising that a) it isn’t personal and b) there will be 1000 other moments to win 🏆 and the only way to lose, is if you stop. by @louishatchwell

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18 days ago

Feeling tight post flight? Yeah, me too 🫡
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#coachingtips #mobilitytraining #cycling by @louishatchwell

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23 days ago

I accepted that running just “hurts”… notably my flexors + knees… and I often “tweaked” or “strained” them, even when they were thoroughly “warmed up”. Then I started doing sport specific activations (notably banded variations) BEFORE running & those “pains” slowly disappeared. Now, as long as I don’t go mental straight out the door, I’m pretty much always moving pain free. Give it a crack - hopefully the also work for you 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼
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#coachingtips #running #injuryprevention by @louishatchwell

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a month ago

Doc told me she’d never seen anyone recover from the fatigue in less than 6 months. Hold my 🍺 Doc, today marks 3 months & 3 days 🫡.
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#cycling #motivation #braininjury #recovery by @louishatchwell

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a month ago

Game recognises game 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼
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#cycling #relatable by @louishatchwell

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a month ago

I hit my highest peak power ever today (1618W), in spite of 0 sprint intervals in +3 months… and I’m absolutely certain it’s connected to all the work I have done off the bike since the haemorrhage - your core connects your entire chain, top-to-bottom, front-to-back. If you can’t deliver your power to the pedals, it’s wasted 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼.
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#coachingtips #coretraining #cycling by @louishatchwell

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2 months ago