18/05/2012
Radbrook social ride
27/05/2012
Free use of Sports Village cycle track
03/06/2012
Women on wheels social ride
16/06/2012
Breeze champion training
23/06/2012
Shrewsbury BikeFest - cancelled
There are some great places in Shrewsbury to train!
Ian McAdam tells us how he's been training for his London-Paris ride to raise money for MNDA in September, including cycling by the river with his daughter and building up the miles on the Sports Village track...
With that blip aside I have continued to do a lot of solo riding, particularly in the evenings, as the weather has improved. I have also been fortunate enough to be joined by a couple of regulars on our Sunday morning rides, Iain Price and Al Martin, old friends who, as part of their own fitness, have supported and entertained me; which not only makes the miles fly by but adds a great social element to our time in the saddle and our enjoyment of the countryside. If anyone would care to join us you are most welcome, of course.
The nicer weather last weekend also allowed me to attach my daughter Emily’s tagalong to my bike and head off around the cycle ways of Shrewsbury, this is something we started last year and gives us some great and precious time together. She sits behind me babbling away and ringing her bell at every opportunity and for whatever reason it never fails to raise a smile from pedestrians as we fly along the river. From a training point of view 10 to 15 miles of that is a little like pulling a tyre on a rope which is a fairly good workout, only perhaps spoiled by the obligatory ice cream stop!
If you ever want to find a way of getting your kids on a bike but feel they are a little young for any longer journeys I would thoroughly recommend a tagalong as a sound investment provided you can cope with the accompanying soundtrack!
As another side to my training, I have now also experienced Tuesday nights on the cycle track at Sundorne sports village. I was persuaded by a colleague who is a very dedicated racer and was initially worried that I would be surrounded by lycra clad supermen and women who would leave me feeling unfit and tortoise slow. Nothing could be further from the truth, everyone I have met has been helpful, encouraging and very friendly and I was encouraged that I was not the slowest there. It has proved invaluable for getting some miles in my legs with 30 to 40 miles a session the norm, it also has the added advantage of allowing you to focus on your technique etc without worrying about traffic and all the other considerations. It does, however lack the stunning views and ever changing scenery of the county's roads.
I also discovered that they have a selection of bikes and trikes etc for use by the public with some very nice racing bikes for kids to have a trial on before you commit any money to kitting them out, something that Emily is very much up for. I think as a facility it is excellent and we are very fortunate to have it here in Shrewsbury. I would suggest if you have not tried it to give it a whirl, just keep an eye out for the odd startled bunny!
As the date gets ever nearer for our challenge the whole thing gathers momentum with fundraising now a major part of my focus. I have had some very generous sponsors so far with many people taking an interest in MND and the work done by the MNDA. I have a few small events planned throughout the year so don’t be surprised to see a slightly embarrassed cyclist in a bath of beans at some point, anything to raise the profile of MND and some money of course. However, feel free to sponsor me if you should wish, it would be greatly appreciated.
Ian and his friend Simon will be blogging regularly during their training for their ride to Paris. Check back soon to find out how they are getting on.
Read Ian's first blog and find out how to sponsor him here.
Read Simon's first blog here, his second blog here and sponsor him here.
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