On Saturday the Revolution Academy attended the World Paracyclying International in Beverley.
We were able to cycle out in the parade along with lots of other cyclists. The atmosphere was amazing with the crowd and the other cyclists. We rode over the Westwood as a group with lots of people cheering. We then watched the elite cyclists start the stage which finished in Harrogate. Thankfully the weather was lovely and sunny!
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Training Day with James Kirton (Olympic Swimmer) Blog by Olly Somerset (Member of the Cycle Academy)17/9/2019 The R-evolution Cycle Academy met James Kirton (an Olympic swimmer) who put his heart and soul into his sporting future from a young age and despite setbacks such as injuries close to his event in the Olympics and after too, he still finds a love for sport.
We had a long, challenging day with James and surprisingly it was more of a mental challenge than anything. We did some skill games as a warm up and introduction throughout the morning which tested our mind power and team skills. Teaching us to use the skills with the people around us and put our heads together more than we would before. This proved frustrating and entertaining. Heading towards the afternoon we were warned about, we were introduced to a set of challenges consisting of memory, skill, strength, speed and team efforts. After being told the rules of each challenge and how failure of any single challenge we will have to start over. We set out to practice the challenges in the 45 minute time limit we were given. Some heading logically towards the memory tests and others heading to less important challenges - not mentioning any names! After the practice we managed to complete the first challenge on our third attempt and failed on the second one straight away. Persevering we continued and passed to then fail on a challenge again. After a long effort in a 40 minute time limit we managed to hustle ourselves up to get in some good teamwork, mental skills, strength and a vital sprint at the end…we passed! Previously being told that only 33% of people pass we could class ourselves as a minority. James had taught us some very vital life skills about how we should take advantage of team members and keep pursuing the targets we wish to achieve no matter how far away they may seem. He also told us more about his challenging career but also how he enjoyed every bit of it. In summary, a really great day that we all enjoyed thoroughly. I would like to thank James for the opportunity to have this day despite it being his day off. In general I personally think that James and Tim deserve many thanks for organising this for us…thanks a lot and I hope to have a day like this again! On last Wednesday's session we cycled to Trundlegate with the intention of practicing downhill cycling and cornering afterwards. We set off from Beverley with a slight headwind and sunny skies and rode as a team out towards South Newbald. As the ride progressed it started to rain and it was at its worst when we got to Trundlegate.
Before the descent we were briefed on how to descend properly in wet weather, that we should keep apart from each other and apply the brakes on and off in a controlled way. The descent itself was fun but at the bottom it was decided that we would turn around due to the worsening weather. On the route home a few riders got a cold lesson in bringing extra layers. It was a good ride nonetheless. On Sunday 1st September I took part in the Selby Three Swans Sportive where I rode the 63 miles.
This was my first time attempting such a large distance which meant I struggled towards the end but eventually finished in just over 4 hours. It was a mainly flat course with a few challenging hills towards the end which in some cases made my legs go numb and forced me to endure a different type of pain. The feeling of reaching the finish line knowing you’ve accomplished 63 miles on a bike is tough to beat! On Saturday the 24th August, the Cycle Academy went up to Dalby Forest for a coached session with Mark, Jane, Tim and Andy. It was great fun with steep drops and technical skills thrown in for good measure.
Before we set off, we had a briefing and started with a few technical drills on gravel to get us used to the surface and conditions. We then practiced mass starts and had a bit of a race around a small circuit. We then went on to the skills tracks. A few short routes with varying obstacles on each track. We focused on getting the jumps and cornering technically correct before we moved on. The next task was one of the most demanding hill climbs I've ever done and hope never to do again! The hill was long and steep and forced you to use all of your gears. Once we came over the top we joined up to the red mountain bike route and (when we got our breath back) proceeded to finish the rest of the course. Towards the end of the red mountain bike route, there was a fast and challenging descent with chicanes, jumps and rocks. It was the hardest descent I've ever done and it was extremely challenging. After that, we cycled back to the start of the track and parted ways. It was a really great day with great coaching and great company and I hope we visit again soon. |
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September 2019
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