Starting the year off on a positive note, I thought I’d list the challenges I’m attempting in 2012. I’m doing this in the knowledge that I wasn’t successful with some of those I set myself for 2011, yet managed the cycling challenge I threw in later on. I don’t know whether that makes me more realistic or not, but I intend to have a bigger spread of challenges this year all the same.
It was back in April this year when I was asked if I fancied doing the Pedal for Scotland Sportive ride with my friends, Adrian, George and Paul. Envious of the good times they’d had on the several, sizeable cycling tours they’ve been on over the last few years I accepted the challenge straight away.
However, there were a couple of problems. Having given up on road biking for mountain biking back in the mid 90’s, I did not have a road bike. And, having been much slower to get on the bike in 2011, nor did I have the fitness for cycling the proposed 100 mile route from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
I felt I had the time to overcome both of those minor stumbling blocks, though, and made my mind up that after my trip to the Indy 500 I would throw myself into training.
I finally made it out to Carron Valley Mountainbike Trails yesterday, taking my brother along for the ride. Setting off a bit later than I’d wanted and dealing with very slow traffic on the Loch Lomond road, it took us about an hour to get over there. A little longer than I’d like it to be, but still not too big a haul for access to some custom built trails.
When we arrived the weather was perfect – dry and sunny with some broken cloud that would prevent it from getting too hot. Once I’d pulled the bikes out of the car – five years after buying it I’m still delighted that my Honda Jazz can swallow up a couple of bikes – and loading up pockets with bananas, cereal bars, and spare inner tubes, we set off up the forest roads.