30. Snakes and Ladders

Ups and Downs on the journey to... ?

A lot has happened since my last blog three weeks ago, so we’re not short of content. It’s concerning. therefore, that it’s taken me three weeks to publish this next instalment. As mentioned previously, I seem to have a trend of longer publication silences, interspersed with bigger multimedia blogs and, I don’t know about you. but I don’t like it. I get the sensation I’m reproducing my instagram gallery for you, and simply writing longer captions in between the pretty pictures. Which is fine, it’s a very valid creative output, and I know many of you enjoy these missives, but it’s not really what I want to be doing. I’ve replaced the kind of erudite musings and educated wit (lofty pretensions, much?) I wanted to publish originally with a monotonous record of events. What do you think?

So I’m strongly considering banning pictures from here. It’s going to screw the meagre SEO cachet I’ve built, and probably lose me a few subscribers and regular readers who (for enigmatic reasons beyond understanding refuse to just click subscribe), but it will be a return to principle, a glittering beacon of wordiness in a sea of predominately picture and video-based content. It will load faster on your devices, encourage more reading, stimulate imaginations, and also save me time. When I started this blog it was a wordy 45-60 min tapping per issue. It is now a 3-4hr search and selection of images off my IG, uploading, moving about, writing words around the images, scowling at the screen, staring out the window, sighing, wondering how I’ve become a photographer/videographer/documentarian and not a writer.

I just think… would you rather see a pic (horrific amateur photographer, iPhone camera, similar images abound globally) of me walking in a forest… or read two paragraphs I have written describing the forest, its sights and sounds and smells and what it means to me (criticize the writing, perhaps, but can’t deny the individuality), thereby stimulating imaginations and, I hope, satisfaction beyond the doom-scrolling you would otherwise have done? Which is better for your health? Which is better for your escapism/entertainment? Which is better for my writing skills? I’ve sold this to myself, haven’t I? I favour the quality of the consumption rather than the quantity of consumers.

So, I’d value hearing your opinion on this (DMs or comments on social, or email me tom@tomstaniford.com) but I think we’ll try this. My instagram account will continue exactly as normal, if you want your photo fix. Here we are words only. Starting next time.

These Legs Are Made For Walking

Walking practice with my prosthetic legs continued to go very well. Comfort, distance, speed and wear time all increasing. The improvements are not linear, there are small changes and adjustments required on a day-by-day basis, and even on an inter-day basis.
For example, typically your residual limb will reduce in size over the course of the day as a result of pressures, circulation, and temperature changes. This means that putting a medical sock over the limb to ‘pad him out’ may be needed in the afternoon in order to maintain snug fit within the prosthetic socket. It’s basically a game of constant vigilance for damage and fatigue, in which the goalposts unhelpfully relocate themselves a little from time to time. It can be a frustrating exercise, managing such unstable conditions, but the reward is that you, more often than not, get to walk up to a counter and order at eye-level. Or walk to the car without bringing a wheelchair along ‘for later’.
Unfortunately, many observers are unaware of these challenges. There is a tendency to assume if you have prosthetic legs and are using them, then you use them all the time, and the mobility problem is solved. The reality is that they are mobility/disability ‘aids’ - just as crutches, a wheelchair, glasses, hearing aids, CI, and so on are. When you wear glasses they don’t magically deliver 100% vision in all situations. Likewise with any of the aids above, they give a helping hand for certain functions in certain situations which are welcome. They are not a panacea.

Attending Exeter Mobility Centre for some adjustments to my prosthetic legs. This picture also the first documented evidence of me standing. And, I suppose, striking a power pose.

Greater comfort and skill on ‘me pins’ also means on non-challenging terrain I get to do ‘casual walking’ (a previously unimagined activity) - here we are casually walking to Calvo Loco, our favourite tapas bar on Magdalen Rd. Panama and brogues. Devastating combo.

And my travels even took me further afield… visiting the super Topsham Brewery down on the Quay, who very kindly created a Limited Edition beer for the Exeter UNESCO City of Literature BookMarket. Confidence on my legs was so great that I volunteered to perform Quality Control testing on samples of aforesaid beverage Passed with flying colours. The beer, that is. Although I suppose I did ok too.

The Sartorial Cyclist

Beyond walking, I think most people who know me or have followed my internet presence over the years know that men’s clothing, tailoring, and cycling wear are a preoccupation. I didn’t coin the phrase ‘go slow, look pro’ but it speaks to me on a primal level. I’ve written a previous blog about my recent visit to NoPinz for getting some cycling kit fitted. I am very proud to be sponsored by such a great British manufacturing success story, and ride for a team they also co-sponsor: Team Bottrill. Anyhow, kit arrived, immediate home photo shoot required.

(Pic credit © Alice Staniford 2026, because you know I’ll receive aggro otherwise)

I think we can all agree it’s pretty snazzy. Fits well. First time in 20 years of cycling that I’ve had sleeves which fit. Such a small thing. Such a big thing. Also, barrel chest looking more barrel than chest here, as I am spectacularly unfit/overweight after 3 years of wheelchair scooting and no proper CV. Working on this. Or will be, soon.

I’m wearing my trainers with platform pedals (above) as still unable to do a full pedalstroke, with prosthetics obstructing full knee flexion. Discussed previously here.

*obligatory canine attack pic*

It’s just my magnetic personality, right?

Bikefit aspirations have been further hampered by pedal choice. In the pic above you have no doubt identified by subzero cool Bontrager cycling shoes, and maybe even the Speedplay Zero pedals on the bike. I’ve been a Speedplay fan/user for 17 years now, and was even sponsored by them briefly, but sadly all good things come to an end. I have no ankles anymore. I have no ankle control. Clipping in, where a finetuning of angle, direction, balance and cant is needed, has become essentially impossible. Believe me, I’ve tried.

And so, the next stage of my cycling rebirth, necessitated a pedal change. I like/crave the safety/surety of clipless, but still want ease of access/disengagement. Enter MagPed. Fundamentally the same as other rear-retention clipless road pedals (Keo, Shimano SPD-SL, etc) but instead of mechanical retention, magnetic. Behold:

Ok, not the best video. Trying to film one-handed when the hand doesn’t work properly is not ideal. Christopher Nolan, your job is safe. But you get the idea. I went for the Road 2 Pedals as they seemed most appropriate for my intended use, and will report back on them once I’ve actually got the bike fitted to me. Initial thoughts are positive, however; they seem really robust and dependable. We shall see.

No Forest For The Wicked

One day people will truly appreciate my hilarious sub-headings. But, like all the greats, I go unappreciated in my own time.

My walking aspirations extend far beyond the quotidian pottering of the casual pedestrian. I intend to dabble in the hardcore world of ‘hiking’. And once I’ve reached dizzying distances and demonstrations of stamina, I will add weights to my rucksack and join the growing enthusiasts of rucking (aka yomping, tabbing, etc). But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Haldon Forest Park has for quite a few years now been a very special place for me. It’s 6-7 miles from home, a release, a retreat, and never fails to improve my mindset. The dogs love it, and as I’ve not really had functional legs for a while, we’ve been using the Trampers offered there as part of the superb Countryside Mobility scheme. If you have a health condition or are a bit unsteady on your pins for whatever reason, I strongly recommend you check them out.

It’s been one of the very best things about getting legs that I’ve now been able to explore the intro/family/beginner green trail for the first time on my own legs. One lap is 1.75miles off-road and that fits exactly with the top end of my current capabilities.

Squad goals. Pack goals. Goals. Wheelchair came with us as back-up in case of fatigue.

Haldon? Rivendell? Crouching Tiger? You decide.

An unexpected benefit of getting legs beyond ‘walking’ is ‘walking with dogs’. It’s unexpected because it seems like our two terriers, Brig and Badger, are delirious with joy that ‘Dad’ is now mobile. They love it when I come out with them in the wheelchair but there is some intangible unspoken subliminal additional signal for them about me ‘walking’ that they find just mind-blowingly satisfying. I’m not sure why, but they do.

This joy is especially apparent in Badger, the elder statesman of our nation household. He’s 13 now, with very bad eyesight and hearing (takes after his old man…), and sharply diminishing walking range and speed. With my burgeoning walking ability we are now perfectly matched on the trail. He stops for sniffs. I stop to avoid asphyxiation and catch my breath from the last exhausting walking interval. He’s always been my best friend (sentimental cringe) but now he’s also my best walking partner (even deeper cringe).

Injurious Gravel

It had to happen eventually. I’d just rather it didn’t happen so soon into my journey of walking progress. We did a medium-distance midweek walk in a new location, where the paths were gravelled (yay) but not compacted (boo). This meant, like walking on sand, the progress was strenuous and the surface was shifting under our feet with each step. It felt fine at the time (if extremely tiring) but later in the evening I realised some heavy bruising had occurred. Trevor, in particular, was not happy. Here he is, not looking happy.

Trevor and owner unhappy. Canine concerned. Coffee machine resplendent as usual.

So the last two weeks have been filled with concern, no prosthetic use, a GP visit, some precautionary antibiotics, some leg elevation, gentle massage, anti-inflammatories, wound dressings for small split in the skin following swelling, and general miserableness. I will skip the full record, but it hasn’t been fun.

I have really struggled. As a new amputee I have had new sensations, issues, timelines, and questions. But, more damaging than this ignorance has been that I got quite used to the simple joys of walking to the car, or walking to a counter in a shop, or to the toilet, or even just standing in the garden and breathing fresh air. With no support or pain or real physical compensations needed to do so. It was a brief and very satisfying awakening that felt like it was brutally ripped away in one day. You can’t wear prosthetics with any damage to the residual limb because it just compounds any issues. And so it was very much a cold turkey situation, after only a short high of what has been a very long time coming. Whinge. A very long two weeks.

Trevor is Risen

Healing occurred, as you would expect. There was a brief foray into some neurological damage and desensitization, and the removal of a worrying bit of bone growing in my wound (another story for another time), but we’re all on the mend now. I have worn my prosthetic for a 5-min test and comfort is returning. Which is great, because I have an appointment this Friday 19th with the prosthetist where we’ll tackle the long-awaited prosthetic adjustments (haircut?) to enable me to do a full pedalstroke on the bike again. Also, I’ve got walking training to do to raise my 2 mile range up to the 3 miles needed for the 5k Exeter Riverside ParkRun on Saturday 11th July. Exciting.

End of Season Objective

Something else that is really exciting: an end of season sportive on 12th September for the Devon Air Ambulance. This is their first ‘own’ cycling event and, while starting small this year, they have huge but very achievable ambitions for future iterations. I have a soft spot for the DAAT (the whole ‘saving my life’ thing is influential), evidenced by them being one of the recipients of last year’s #GoodbyeLegsRide charity campaign, so I was thrilled they’ve gone ‘all in’ on their own cycling event. I was also very proud to have been asked to help guide the event and make some suggestions and, naturally, I fully intend to ride it. Probably the middle distance 50-miles, provided legs and fitness are there.

Anyhow. If you’re looking for an end of season objective, or want to take advantage of our increasingly-customary Indian summers to enjoy 3 glorious routes (30, 50 and 100-mile) across beautiful Devon countryside, while raising vital funds for a critical emergency care charity… find out more here.

I hope to see you all in September.

Thanks for reading.

T