HOLLA.
Happy New Year and all that shiz. Hope you had a great one. I can't really remember much of mine, but judging by the photos, I was wearing a bright orange fluffy hat all night. I suppose that can only mean one thing: I had a great night.
Due to the slight role reversal within my family, it came to light that my Dad had in fact been giving me Sambuca, which explains why I cannot remember a thing. Brilliant. Many thanks for that one, Pops.
Anyway. More to the point, I'm starting to think that I might be adopted...
It sounds strange, I know. However, it appears that the 'sporty gene' has most definitely skipped my generation.
It was my Gran's 60th Birthday yesterday, and with her not being like most other 60-year-olds, she really wanted to have a go at riding one of those bikes with no breaks round one of those vertical death traps. Yeah, you know what I mean. VELODROME RACING.
Being the delightful family that we are, we arranged to hire out the whole of the Newport Velodrome for a private lesson for her. However, the lesson wasn't just for her. Oh no. We all had to join in too.
Let me set the scene. There's my Gran: She came 7th in the World at the Rowing Championships. There's my Grandad: He's a retired firefighter who goes to the gym every day without fail. There's my Mum: She ran the London Marathon in 3hrs.40. There are my cousins, Alex and Natasha: They both compete for the county in Athletics. There's my Uncle: He's an actual cycling fanatic.
...And then there is me. Ex-gymnast, yes. But someone who can't even remember the last time she walked to the shop, let alone did anything that involved any actual physical exertion.
The first sign that the day at the Velodrome may not be quite suited to me was when the nice man who worked there asked me what size bike I needed. Was I supposed to know? Is it common knowledge that you know the size of the bike that you need? Are they measured in inches? Centimetres? Metres? Luckily, he didn't seem to bothered when I just laughed in his face. He sorted me out a lovely little bicycle. Red, with no breaks. Brilliant.
The second sign that the day at the Velodrome may not be quite suited to me was when the instructor asked how much cycling I did. Was it wrong to say "absolutely none. I don't even own a bike and most definitely cannot remember the last time I rode one"? In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have been quite so blunt, but I didn't want to lie and be made to ride at 100mph around the very top of the Velodrome straight away, now did I?
Despite my predominant lack of enthusiasm for the day at the Velodrome, I have to say it was a great day out. Even though I came last in pretty much every race, and was actually scared shitless the whole way round- I had a great time! I also felt a bit better about the amount of food that I had over indulged in over the Christmas period because I think I worked all of it off in just the 2hrs that I was there for.
AND. See where that cyclist right on the dark blue line is riding? I MADE IT UP TO THERE. Hooray. Achievement earned.
If you haven't ever done anything like this before, take it from me, it is actually a great experience and definitely worth a go!
If I can do it, so can you. Just call me Madame Motivator.
http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=leisure.centres&contentid=devxp001384