My first bike ride with the new bike

The day I bought my new bike I went for a quick cycle up and down my street to try and ensure everything was in good working order. 

Everything seemed fine. But it wasn't until the first big ride attempt when things started to go wrong.

My intention was to ride 20 miles (ish) from my home in Warrington to Lymm, through Warburton, into Glazebrook, passing through Culcheth, through Croft and back round to home. Its essentially one big circular loop, and I wouldn't be coming back on myself at all.

However I got as far as Thelwall before my saddle started to slide off. The saddle clearly hadn't been checked before setting off, and the nut that was holding it onto the bike had come loose due to my weight (didn't think I was that heavy!)

Thankfully I have some very supportive parents, who brought a set of tools to help me whilst I sat next to the Manchester Ship Canal waiting patiently. I never knew there was beauty in seeing Latchford Locks on a sunny day!

Once the saddle was bolted on securely, it was nearly rush hour. So I decided not to risk my life riding up and down the Warburton Bridge at its busiest time of day, and set off for home the way I came. A round trip of eight miles overall.

A disappointment, but I have only got the bike and I'm still getting used to riding it, so maybe it wasn't a good idea putting in 20 miles to start off with.

However I have learnt some important things about road cycling.

• Always take a bag full of Allan keys and screw drivers.
• Pack a hand pump in case you get a puncture.
• On the topic of punctures, take some inner tubes and tyre leavers with you. 

This means you don't need to rely on Mummy to drive to your location and help you out.

@nickwoody89

I bought a new bike

I went and did it. I only went and spent £299.99 on a new road bike, and there is no way I can back out of this 100 miler now.

The bike I bought was a Carrera Zelos 2013 Limited Edition (a fancy name, a load of bollocks really) from Halfords.

(c) Halfords.com

I've heard good and bad points about this bike. The good being its a really smart, value for money road bike suitable for entry level cyclists. The bad being its not a good quality bike. And that's the only argument I heard against it, was that its not in the same league as other bikes.

These comments usually came from experienced cyclists who have been cycling for years, so I can understand why they would warn anyone off buying a 'cheap' £300 bike. They have no doubt ridden dozens of bikes, and understand the different and quality between any two products.

But for me and my needs, it suits me down to the ground. I fully intend to continue cycling after this big charity bike ride in Manchester, and maybe raise money for other charities riding similar distances. And because I have no intention to start racing, I'm not going to risk or push the bike to its limits. On top of that, I can use the bike to keep me fit during the Rugby League season and train for my match official's fitness test each year.

Therefore I'm quite happy with my purchase. Unlike my 12-year old mountain bike, this new bike's wheels are easily taken off when punctures occur. The brakes and handle bar is completely different to the style I'm used to, but I've not doubt I'll get the hang of it eventually.

I have 13 weeks to get training. And with the handy training guide Paul sent out a few weeks ago, getting a few weeks practice before the training plan kicks in would be an excellent way to start.

@nickwoody89

I've got a new cycling mate...

One of my best dickheads - sorry, friends, has decided to ride the 100 mile course with me on September 1.

Meet Jamie Turner...

(c) Des Thompson

I know what you are thinking, he's a bit of a knob. And you'd be right. But he is. But he also has a lot of good qualities which make him a very good mate. I sometimes forget what they are, especially when I look at this picture, but they're there somewhere.

Jamie is currently taking part in a boot camp in Leigh, with Warrington Wolves's Paul Wood and Garreth Carvell. He is a former amateur boxer, MMA fighter, a junior rugby league player (how we met) so his level of fitness is generally high anyway.

As a pair we are yet to train together for the big ride, but after his boot camp he should have a high level of fitness so that all he needs to do is get used to sitting in the saddle. I have warned him he'll need, at the very least, padded cycling shorts (passing on my own wisdom, there) or else expect a very raw arse halfway through.

I'll post a link to his Just Giving page as soon as he sets it up (he's such a technophobe, or a lazy bastard) but in the mean time if you fancy sponsoring me to complete the 100 miles around Cheshire's countryside, my Just Giving page can be found here.

@nickwoody89

More intrepid tales trying to get fit

Its a frustrating matter trying to get your body fit enough to cycle 100 miles, whilst being restricted due to injury. 

That is what I'm currently facing.

I'm now three and a half months into recovery from a hamstring strain, and the only problem I'm coming to grips with now is strengthening the muscle and getting back to full fitness.

Getting myself in physical shape was one of the reasons I joined JJ100, but on Tuesday I suffered another setback.

My second venture onto the treadmill at my local gym since the injury ended prematurely. My first effort a few weeks ago involved setting the incline to 15%, at fast walking speed, making sure my heel hit the treadmill every time.

This, in theory, was supposed the stretch the hamstring muscle while exercising and was a form of recovery activity recommended to me by Alice, who is resident physio for the RFL match officials. And it worked, although I thought it was better for my calf than hamstring.

However, my second attempt on the treadmill resulted in me stopping after five minutes. Thankfully I only stopped as a precaution.

As I began to build up speed on the treadmill, I began to feel a pull on my injured muscle. I was only running at a leisurely level eight.

I carried on, thinking it was simply a soreness caused by not working the muscle as much previously. When muscles aren't used for long periods, they can become sore when they are eventually used. I know only too better, having gone through two full RFL pre-season training campaigns under Aileen Mills!

However when I felt it pull again on the second occasion, I knew it was something more serious. Without wanting to risk further injury, I stopped running. I stretched off as a cool down, and was even able to perform a hamstring stretch without pain, before applying ice to the area when I got home as a precaution.

My friend Rob, who graduated from Edge Hill University as a sports therapist and has been helping me recover since December, had a look at it and came up with a theory of what happened.

In layman's terms, he said: "Running on the treadmill, a hard surface, is putting more pressure onto the muscle as the foot hits the treadmill. Therefore the weaker muscle is struggling to withstand the pressure.

"This is in contrast to a cross-runner or bicycle machine, where the foot is supported  throughout and therefore less pressure is applied to the leg muscles whilst exercising."

After a quick rub down, he also determined there was no damage he could feel on the hamstring as a result of me running on the treadmill. He also worked on the gracilis muscle, which I also managed to damage during the initial injury.

So the good news is I intend to get back into exercise when my personal time allows. The bad news is, I cannot run for a while. But then again, I'm not running on September, 1st.

@nickwoody89

Happy Easter!

When the Lord Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead, I'm pretty sure he did it with Super League in mind. So we could have an excuse to fit two rounds into an extended weekend.

Whatever games you will be attending this weekend, whether its in Super League, the Championships or within the grassroots community, enjoy it!

Enjoy your weekend. But in the meantime, and within the spirit of Easter, let me leave you with a tiny chick holding a road bike... (scroll down)

Source: forums.mtbr.com

Hey, I didn't say which type of chick.

Enjoy!

@nickwoody89

A big thank you to Anonymous

I was excited to get my first donations come through on my JustGiving page the other week.

Despite choosing to be anonymous (to everyone except me, I should add), I would like to thank the two individuals who have so far contributed towards my minimum total of £100 for Joining Jack.

My individual total raised so far is £25, while the JJ100 Team team overall has raised £6,246.00. Considering I have six months until the event itself, I'm not worried that I won't reach the £100 target... yet!

However I would like to raise as much money as possible, so if you haven't sponsored me to cycle 100 miles yet, please do so by clicking here.

You can join in the fun by enquiring about joining Team JJ100, see the image below.

Email billy1449@sky.com or ask on Twitter, @jjack100. You can sponsor the team itself by clicking here.

#JJ100

@nickwoody89

Curse you, bloody hamstring!

I'm the most inpatient person in the world, and coming through the other side of a hamstring tear* is as frustrating than I could ever imagine.

Hamstring injuries need to be rested. They need to be massaged relentlessly to help get the muscle back into the shape it was before the injury. They are very easily damaged. And I've sadly learnt this the hard way.

Previous readers of this waffle will know I tore my muscle during the middle of a rugby league match I was refereeing in October 2012. It was torn again five weeks later when I returned to light training too early.

Since then I've struggled to regain the confidence I once had. Having sat out all of December, January and February, except for a couple of swimming lessons to regain some flexibility and perform a few stretches, I've done nothing in terms of actual exercise. I was forced to miss the Rugby Football League match official's fitness test twice, before and after Christmas.

Once March hit I decided it was time to get myself back into some form of shape, and this meant starting to redevelop my confidence running on foot. I take stretching and warming up far more seriously now, so I did a lap of the field at Bennetts Rec, Padgate.

I was knackered after that!

I then spent a good 15 to 20 minutes stretching myself off, covering all the muscle areas in my legs. Hamstring, quads, groin and calf. Unfortunately after two more laps I began to feel cramp within both of my calfs. I did a quick warm down and home, there is no need to overdo it at this stage.

Two further attempts were made to do consistent laps of the same field through out the week, and progress was made slowly. Until I went back to weekly training in Wigan with other officials. It was then I realised I couldn't sprint!

Looking back, I realise wasm having a confidence issue. After tearing my hamstring twice within five weeks, and without the assistance of professional sports rehabilitation specialists, I realised it takes an amateur picking up an injury like this a lot longer to recover from than a professional sports person. All the facilities and help they need to recover are provided by the club or governing body. Whereas an amateur is forced to pay through the nose themselves for treatment.

I was given some advise from Aileen Mills, a former Commonwealth Games athlete, all round legend, and Saint due to the amount of patience she can hold. Especially when I turn up to training. It was Aileen who taught me all the leg stretches I know now. Because of her, using images of beautifully toned and tanned women, I can identify the different stretches that have aided my recovery so far.

Supine Hamstring Stretch

Source: Stack.com

Inner Thigh Stretch (Personal trainer not included)

Source: Bodybuilder.com

Single Leg Raise

Source: Diyhealth.com

Standing Hamstring Stretch

Source: Teachpe.com

She also said to go to a field, and start to increase your pace. Do it until you feel a slight pain. Hold it at that pace for a few more seconds and then slow down.

I did. And a day before the final fitness test of the year for ungraded referees, I was able to sprint half the length of a football field.

It was the boost I needed, although it was fair to say I was nowhere near fit enough to pass the test the RFL had laid out.

The Yo-Yo Intermittent Test involves running 20 metres to the sound of the bleep (like a bleep test) but with additional cones placed five metres behind the starting point. The subject runs 20m forward, then returns to the starting point before walking around the cone placed five metres behind from the start.

There are various levels the subject has to complete, and the higher the level the subject drops out at, the better their endurance will be.

Of the seven people that took part, I was the first to drop out at level 14.4. Not surprising, I knew I would fail.

So why did I take part in it? I wanted a level to which I could use as a starting point for the remainder of my recovery. I needed something to judge myself on, and see how bad my fitness was in comparison to how it should be. Considering I only did light training on foot for three weeks, I did better than I anticipated. But the destination along the road to recovery is still quite a way away.

In fact it took my leg five days to recover from that early week's activity. So more rest is required before I get back out there.

But I am still committed to cycling for Joining Jack, and with six months to go I'm on track to be there at the starting line fit and ready to go!

@nickwoody89

(* and damage to the gracilis muscle, which has actually been main cause of my time off. But its a muscle no one has heard of, and its easier to say hamstring!)

Spend, spend, spend...!

After Saturday's horrendous attempt to cycle across Warrington, with my arse feeling like I'd done the rounds at Risley prison, I decided to take the plunge and look into buying some proper cycling clothes.

You've probably seen cyclists on the road wearing skin tight lycra in the middle of winter, riding a thin framed bike that looks barely able to hold the riders' weight as they struggle to make their way down a country lane.

Well that image may well be me.

I originally looked into cycling shorts as early as Saturday evening, sitting uncomfortably as possible on a couch, on top of a pillow, with London Broncos v Hull KR on telly in the back ground. The consensus seemed to be, I needed shorts with a padding under the crotch so when I sit down on the saddle I don't feel the pain as much.

But while I was online I looked into cycling jerseys, and what they do to help the cyclist. Overall the very best jerseys are technologically advanced enough to remove seat from the body. This cools the rider down as they generate heat and sweat from the exercise, which is very important in warm weather.

With that in mind, I searched for reasonably priced clothing and equipment. After all, I still don't own a helmet.

After a quick search, I found this Team Sky jersey. It cost £140 from the manufacturers, Rapha.

Source: Rapha.cc

Meanwhile the shorts were designed with an upper body undergarment, like so. This cost £170, also from Rapha.

Source: Rapha.cc

You put the shorts on first, then wear the jersey on top of the white undergarment. So for a combined total of £310 I could wear the apparel of Team Sky in 2013. 

Luckily I had sense, and opted not to purchase the Team Sky clothing. Instead I looked a little closer to home. 

I originally looked on Sports Direct.com. I have always found their sports clothing and equipment to be reasonably priced, to borderline cheap. But as you might expect, the quality isn't always there. After all, they are marketing to amateur sports people of all abilities who are on a budget. But luckily I was able to pick out some suitable clothing online.

I found these shorts from Muddyfox.

Source: SportsDirect.com

Costing only £19.99 online, Muddyfox the biggest supplier of cycling clothing to Sports Direct. 

I also found this jersey, also unsurprisingly from Muddyfox, which comes in a variety of colours at only £7 online.

Source: SportsDirect.com

A nice red and black jersey, the colours of Joining Jack, was perfect. Now all I needed was a helmet.

I decided to leave looking at helmets until I got in store. I could have easily bought all of the gear online, but my personal preference is to go in-store so you can try the clothing on for yourself.

It took me five minutes to find the cycling gear in Sports Direct, Warrington. Tucked away next to the golf equipment.

My Mum came with me, because I'm cheap and didn't want to use my own petrol. I convinced her she could go around the new New Look afterwards, which had opened in the Golden Square Shopping Centre. 

Jackpot!

Unfortunately this Sports Direct store didn't have the shorts I wanted in stock. So I looked through their range of Muddyfox shorts they had available. They ranged from all black shorts, to black shorts with a green reflective trim down the side. They were £9.99 in-store, and I was about to buy them until I saw they had a pair of full-length padded leggings in my size.

They would be very handy. 

One of the reasons my hamstring injury, as mentioned in an earlier post, hasn't recovered as quickly as it could have is because of my own stupidity. Five weeks after the under 17s match, I was back training when it popped again. This was put down to me wearing very short shorts on a bitterly cold November evening, which meant unless I was running constantly the muscle would get cold and stiffen up very quickly.

I bought the leggings at £12.99. Hardly breaking the bank. I can always buy the shorts in the summer when I'm sure my muscle is fully healed. 

Source: SportsDirect.com

The in-store price of the jersey I had looked at online, had mysteriously shot up to to £9.99. However there was an offer on, two for £14. It made sense to get a second jersey, as I intend to train a couple of times a week.

The red jersey was joined by a blue and black one, in support of Help For Heroes, the other charity which I represent wearing a wristband for.

Finally it came down to picking a helmet. There wasn't much choice for adults in-store, but luckily the choice they did have came in the colours of red and black.

Source: SportsDirect.com

Priced at £9.99, its hardly the most streamlined helmet you'll ever see. In fact its made from polystyrene, so high speed crashes won't save me wearing this thing.

Just when I'm about to go to the checkout, my Mum chirps up: "Don't you need some gloves?"

I have absolutely no idea what cycling gloves will help with. All I can think is that its to do with warmth and grip in cold weather.

After two minutes spent questioning her, I give in and buy the Dunlop gloves, priced at £7.99.

Source: SportsDirect.com

 So that's, that!

Five items later, and £44.97 less, I think I'm prepared to face the elements on the bike.

Needless to say, despite having a wedding to go to in March, Mum couldn't find anything she liked in New Look.

My first cycle ride back

It seemed like a simple idea. Ride to Crosfields ARLFC, watch their National Conference League match with Coventry Bears, ride home.

No, no, no, no, no! The Lord wasn't going to let me have it that easy.

I had done a few bike checks a few days before the ride. Shortly after I decided to commit to this silly bike ride I dug out my old Raleigh Aggressor mountain bike. It was looking a little dirty and rusty, but then I can't even remember when it was bought. All I remember is that it was bought for me one Christmas, and I know it was at a bicycle shop next to Cantilever Park, the home of Warrington Town FC. I don't think that shop is there now.

It is at least 10 years old, and deciding to do a ride on this could have had serious consequences if it remained unchecked. So I gave the thing a good cleaning. I tried to adjust the handle bar height, but the Allen key wouldn't budge. I got out a hammer, and knocked the thing around, slowly turning they keyhole. Or so I thought. Turns out all I did was wear the Allen key down so it now resembles a circle.

A good start! But luckily I only needed it adjusting a teeny bit. The handle bars were level with the saddle, which apparently isn't the end of the world if you're riding a road bike on a seemingly flat route. So they were left alone.

The second problem I had was my tyres. Now, the last time I rode the bike I went through a phase where I seemed to keep picking up punctures. This was when I was playing for Culcheth Eagles ARLFC, and would ride to training during the summer. A trip of 4.4 miles there, and 4.4 miles back after getting flogged in a pre-season session. I was 17 at the time, and I'm now 23. However back in 2007, I managed to pick up two punctures in the space of two weeks.

This first saw a thin but shark piece of wood pierce the front tyre, the second saw a metal nail rip through the front tyre. I walked the remainder of the journey home on both occasions.

So six years on, how were my tyres coping? Not much better. Both were flat as pancakes, so I used the foot pump to inflate them.

I rode up and down the empty street to see if the brakes and gears still worked. They did... just! And before I knew it, the rain came tumbling down, so the bike was back in the garage until Saturday.

Saturday came. I pushed the bike out of the garage, and gave the tyres a goo grope... only to find they weren't as inflated as they had been earlier in the week. However they didn't feel too deflated. I plonked my fat arse on the saddle and looked down. The back wheel wasn't flat and touching the surface of the front drive, but it didn't look fully inflated. Neither did the front tyre.

Common sense evaded me, and I set off for Crosfields. I was already late, and was set to miss kick off.

Why was I riding to Crosfields? They had a game on, and it was on the other side of town. A perfect excuse for a bike ride, if you ask me.

I wore many layers for the ride, in what can only be described as a bitterly cold drizzle. Two t-shirts, a thick long sleeve rugby top, a water proof jacket, ISC Compression shorts for my hamstring, tracksuit bottoms, rugby socks and trainers. That was my choice of apparel.

Interestingly, no helmet!

Yes, I took a risk. A serious one considering I planned to ride down Cromwell Avenue, a narrow main road that pretty much links all of north-west Warrington. It is also a handy road for shoppers going to either Westbrook Shopping Centre, or Gemini Retail Park. Bear in mind I was riding down there on a Saturday!

It wasn't pleasant, but my handy knowledge of the Highway Code kept me safe. Stick to the left side of the road, don't swerve out, ride over as many uncomfortable pot holes and drainage grids as possible, use your hands to indicate to drivers where you're going.

All was going well until I got to the roundabout at Cavendish Close and Old Hall Road. My mistake was thinking this was the right-hand turn to go down Canons Road, linking me to Hood Lane North.

Nope!

But me trying to be clever made me look like a dick... if anyone had actually been watching me. I decided instead of turning around straight away, was to follow my sense of direction and use the residential streets to come out on Canons Road. There was bound to be a back alley which would lead me out.

Instead I was met with the Manchester to Liverpool railway line. The only way over? The bridge on the main road.

D'oh!

Back I went, and I eventually found myself at Crosfields' ground 20 minutes after kick off.

The route I took overall was 6.4 miles long (including the diversion), and took me 45 minutes to complete.

After a 16-all draw I made my way home, but this time I went through the town centre. I cycled pretty much as the crow flies cutting my distance by almost half. Sankey Way, Froghall Lane, Tanners Lane, Orford Lane, Orford Ave, Hallfields Road, Smith Drive, Hilden Road....

Then my arse gave up on me. I was wearing compression shorts and tracksuit bottoms. Not the best protection, or the timing, for a sensitive bum to start crying out.

I had rode, in all, for over an hour. I got off at the traffic lights at the crossroads and walked the remaining distance home. Not too far, only 0.4 miles.

I text my mate, and told him if he was serious about doing this ride, he should get himself some proper cycling shorts with padding. He text me back an hour later saying his bike saddle resembled that of a dildo!

I'm starting to think this may be more trouble than its worth!

@nickwoody89

Why am I Joining Jack?

Hello.

My name is Nick, here is a picture of me dressed up as Reg Reagan!

I've been a Rugby League fan from birth, and by that very definition, a supporter of the Joining Jack charity. I've gone into details of why I'm joining Jack elsewhere in this blog, so please forgive me if I just jump straight to the point.

I'm happy to raise as much money for Joining Jack cycling the Manchester 100 on Sunday, September 1st 2013, but there are a few selfish reasons for my participation.

I'm a recovering hamstring tear sufferer. I was refereeing a North West Youth game between Wigan St Patricks and Orrell St James under 17s in October 2012 when I felt a pop in the back of my upper leg. I went down like a sack of potatoes, and to cut an even longer story short, haven't been able to run properly until late-February 2013. 

As part of my rehabilitation I have been cycling (as well as swimming and jogging on soft surfaces, such as grass). It is recommended as a form of recovery, as there is minimal pressure being applied to the muscle as the leg rotates pushing the pedal.

It was during this time when I happened to be researching about bicycle fundraising events for a project at work. Me and a mate agreed to take part in a bicycle charity event many years down the line, as long as I joined him in a race in the Sahara Desert for charity.

Later that night I browsed the internet to search for any bicycle fundraising events for 2014. That was until I came across @JJack100. A few years down the line became a few months.

It was the perfect opportunity to motivate myself back to fitness, and raise some cash for a very worthy cause. What could be better? A 100 mile cycle ride around Cheshire is the perfect way to prove my own fitness.

My mate agreed to join me, and we put the idea to two other victims. If they finally agree to do the ride, I'll feature them all later on.

I set up my JustGiving page before them, in order to get a head start in fundraising for the event. Please find enough pennies behind the couch, or in the bottle jar, to sponsor me and donate to Joining Jack. It's for a very worthy cause.

I have over six months to get myself fit for the big day, both athletically and physically. It could be a nervous few months, but I'm determined to cross the finish line on September, 1st.

@nickwoody89