Ride with Brad – Rob’s Training Diary 25/07/13

Hello, my name is Rob,

I am a designer here at cottages4you and I have only started back cycling in the last month or so. This year I decided to take part in the Ride with Brad 50k event here in Lancashire and hopefully help raise some funds for the Pendleside Hospice. They do great work and have supported and helped some of my friends in the past through some really rough times.

This will be the route I will be following, a little over 50km (30 miles) ascent about 476 meters, probably taking me 2 ½ – 3 hours, I hope 🙂

Map link: http://goo.gl/maps/rDsJ0

As you can see my cycling experience is vast and my bikes have helped transport me throughout my life, literally because we didn’t have a car. When I was about 6 I had a metallic blue BMX complete with stabilisers and that checked pattern spongy thing that clipped onto the cross bar. I was fierce and fast, you could tell when I arrived at your doorstep by the rasping sound of a clacking card against my spokes held in place by an industrial strength clothes peg.

Moving forward a couple of years and leaving the stabilisers behind. I had a white Freestyler BMX, perfect for homemade ramps, wheelies and cycling to school. At one point I had a dynamo connected to it, so I could be safe at night. All it did was slow me down & break all the time! And from there on I would continue to use my bike to get around; it was my independence to be able to visit my friend’s houses without relying on walking or bus timetables. Walking takes too long, and buses never come on time. I’m a man on the go and have no time for those shenanigans! I pretty much cycled everywhere until I finished uni, and then there was nothing…

Well that’s not quite true. There were jobs that required traveling, a desk, coffee, cakes, and biscuits. How can I resist all that and still have the time to be active!

This year on holiday I realised that I have been getting a little soft around the edges. I know it’s hard to tell because I hold it so well, but I know I could be healthier. Plus I like eating food. So if I exercise lots, that means I can continue eating the food I like (which is probably not good advice).

I tried going to the gym, but it bores me. Swimming was good, but I can’t access the pool whenever I want. Running was OK, but I did find it a little hard on my knees after doing long distances. But cycling, cycling is awesome. On-road or off-road, fantastic views (being in Lancashire), when I’m tired I just let the bike roll, it is also great for exploring off the beaten track and a quick transport to pop to the shops.

So over the next few weeks you can expect to see some entries on how I’m doing with my training and possibly a cheeky video or two 🙂 Please support the Pendleside Hospice and make a donation.

If you have any questions or comments for me feel free to ask.

Over and out,
Rob