The XLCharity Riders Guest Blog: Fitness Tips From Pacey

The XLCharity Riders fitness regime is well and truly underway.... and while we are awaiting the final profile of the fifth XL... the elusive ‘Chunky,’ I thought it was about time to invite some guest blogs... so watch this space.... but lets start with my good friend known as Pacey. Pacey is 35, and tried everything in fitness there is to try and always hated it.... until she realised that once you find something you enjoy it makes sticking to a routine A LOT easier. **REMEMBER ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY NEW FITNESS ROUTINE** Words from Pacey... Firstly if you’ve not been to a gym in years then don’t go hell for leather sweating it on a treadmill for hours a day, you’ll get bored.... BELIEVE ME!!! To start with what you really need to look at doing is boosting your levels of general daily activity, this might be getting off the bus a stop earlier or taking the stairs at work. No one’s asking you to run a marathon straight off! Find something you enjoy! I made the mistake of hiring a personal trainer, who was more interested in making me lift weights than actually listening to what I liked doing. I lifted kettle bells until I was basically ready to drop them on my own foot, so I just didn’t have to go any more! Turns out all I really needed was to find something I enjoyed, and for me it’s dance based things. Zumba and body combat are my new favourites and I can’t get enough of them! I think I’d even enjoy bike riding if it was in tandem with Ashley Banjo and it included some body popping. If you’re trying to fit in exercise with work or raising a family then try and fit it in to what you already do. A group of people I work with have formed their own running club, every night after work they can be spotted sprinting round the car park! If you’ve got children then take them to the park, run round with them, instigate a game of rounders or football, you’ll get a work out and they’ll be tired (this is what’s known as a result!). If cost is an issue then don’t worry about having to rush out and join a gym and buy all the fanciest gym gear. Adapt it to what suits you, if you can afford to join a gym then great, but choose one close to home so you can’t put off going or invest in a couple of exercise DVD’s, there’s loads on the market and you can pick up quite a few in the bargin bin! Interval training can really help boost your stamina so something like the 30 day shred might be good for helping build your fitness for a Coast to Coast ride. If you’re carrying an injury and are worried about aggravating it then have a word with your doctor, they’ll point you in the right direction. DON’T JUST GRIN AND BARE IT! Whatever exercise you do, enjoy it and try and make it a social occasion, I love my post combat brew with my friend, we especially enjoy calling all the people in the class who take it way too seriously! Words from Trinderella... .... So far the lads seems to embracing some of these techniques and incorporating the routine in their daily lives. Dog walks seem to be the favourite way of doing this for the XL’s and I can’t say I blame them, although my dog is tiny and gets pooped walking down the road. Although I tease them about coming spinning with me and have thrown away Dave’s takeaway menus hidden in his desk, I’m really pleased with their commitment to the project.

Meet Mark Beldham.....ps Mark is the one on the left.

The fourth XlCharityrider, from this team of intrepid fundraisers, is 48 year old Mark Beldham. Mark has been married to the beautiful Cindy for nearly 25 years, and is father of three daughters, Jemma 21yrs, Nikki 18yrs and Chloe 10yrs (England 5 and Germany 1, night of passion)… according to my dad, who also lived in a house full of women for years, Mark will definitely do well at this challenge because he must have some stamina….I’m not sure how to take that!!! Despite my dads theories on the matter, Mark states he’s agreed to this challenge for a few reasons. Living in Linby, Mark is a local lad and says he feels privileged to be asked to participate in an event to raise money for local charity like NORSACA. Although he knows it won’t be easy and fully expects some pain along the way, he thrives on a challenge, and is committed to a strict training programme, which I’m sure Alfie his King Charles Spaniel will help supervise. Mark already has a keen interest in sport and as well as enjoying watching them goes to the gym every day… despite his sickenly healthy attitude to life, he also enjoys a beer with fellow XLCharityrider David Harding, which I’m sure must be a reference to the past as David assures me, he’s given up beer in favour of water. Good luck Mark!!! Keep us posted on your training.

Meet XLCharityRider Lee Wray

So far we've met three of the XLCharityRiders… but lest we forget there are two more that make up this team of intrepid adventurers. Number four is the 35 year old Lee Wray. Weighing in at 14 stone 9lbs and standing tall at 5ft 9 inches, Wray is one of the lighter XL's but is still eager to take part. For him, embarking on such a physical challenge is a long time ambition. Having sadly lost his father to Cancer, Lee has realised that life is for living and being fit and healthy is of vital importance. Being able to take part in the C2C challenge for such a worthy local organisation as NORSACA is great motivation for him and being a positive role model for his two boys Thomas and Benjamin stands as the icing on the cake. Although it's been two years since Lee was last on a bike I'm sure he'll do well… having two young children means you're not afraid of a challenge, and if he can keep up with them the C2C challenge should be a no problem!!

Training is well and truly underway for the XLCharityRiders; with Dave promising to attend a pilates class this Tuesday and Richard giving his 'rollers' a good battering in front of the television. But lest we forget there are three more XLCharityRiders that make up this team of intrepid fundraisers. So this week I am looking to the third of of the XL's… Sean Bailey. Sean is 53 years old, married with two grown up daughters and two grandkids. He can wiggle his ears and has a Japanese brother. Sean's motivation for the bike ride isn't the pursuit of the feel good factor of doing something for charity (although he does admit that's a bonus) rather, it's the fact that he's been bullied into it by Dave. A thing I can believe, since Dave can nag so hard, he can give your bottom a headache!!! Having said this, Sean admits that Dave's nagging started a ripple effect as he consequently decided to coerce his ex-army friend; the elusive Chunky Doyle into volunteering for the ride. If I was a gambling gal, I'd be willing to bet that Sean will do well at this, since he's owned a TREK 73 for a couple of years and frequently rides it to work and back, which he estimates is about 10 miles each way. Sean is also used to pain as he is a long suffering Forest Fan… so any bum twinges should be a breeze!!! I'm just wondering if a bit of ear wiggling might help with his aerodynamics. You never know!!!

Meet Richard Daniels... the definitive XLCharityRider

After witnessing various meals of badness eaten by XLCharityRider David Harding; I was interested to see how the others were faring in their training programme…. particularly as it has been snowy and V V VILE out there. So it was with high hopes that I looked to Richard Daniels. Having started his training programme the week preceding the vicious weather conditions, I was pleased to see that he had adorned his winter woollies and kept up the momentum nevertheless. In fact in anticipation of the cold weather conditions he'd even been and bought some 'rollers' so that he could sit on his bike when the weather got REALLY bad and at least get some practice miles in comfort of his own home. At 19 stone, Richard classes himself as the definitive XLCharityRider and is clearly determined to keep going whatever obstacles are thrown at him. Combining regular training with a low calorie diet (Dave pay attention!!!) Richard aims to crack the ten mile mark by the end of February. A point I shall be questioning him on come Leap Year Day!! However I have no doubt he'll achieve his goal. If the thought of me harassing him for results isn't enough to motivate him then the sponsorship offers he's already obtained for NORSACA should do the trick. Although Richard does appear to be dedicated to his training, with it taking up the vast majority of his time, he confesses he may occasionally become distracted by the occasional Forest game. Maybe he could cycle from his house to the matches!!! Just a thought Richard!!!!

Hello!

Welcome to the XLCharityriders blog.

The XLCharityriders are a group of 5 men training for a coast to coast bike ride in aid of raising money for local charity Norsaca. Supporting them all the way is me, local freelance writer Trinderella, who will quiz and question them within an inch of their lives. There will be no secrets, nowhere to hide and FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.

The Story so far…

In late 2011 a 48 years old middle aged man named Dave visited the doctors for a check-up. Whilst there, a young nurse asked him to step on the scales, which Dave (uncharacteristically for him) complied with. As the numbers rolled up to show a 106kg reading, the nurse gave a judgemental grimace, leaving Dave to ask a question which showed his age: "What's that in paper money?"

The nurse whipped out a pointer and on a rather scary BMI chart showed Dave that at 5ft 10inches tall and 106kg (or 16 stone 9 lbs) he was categorised as obese.  Dave was astonished (to put it politely) and immediately started to think of ways to rectify the matter.

Not quite grasping the concept of getting healthy, Dave talked the matter over a beer with the guys who are now the rest of the XLCharityriders:

Sean Bailey

Mark Beldham

Richard Daniels

Lee Wray

… and someone whom Dave only knows as Chunky, but who he assures me is one of his bessies!

As the beer flowed, a number of options were discussed.  It was finally agreed to do the coast to coast bike ride in just 3 days, during the month of September. 

A few days later, I ran into Dave for a cheeky brew and a biscuit (the health kick still isn't really going well) and as we supped the aforementioned brew, Dave told me of his plans and showed me his belly. TRUE STORY! I offered to take him to my spin class, an offer which he didn’t seemed too enthralled with. To quote him, "I'd rather shove my head down the toilet!"

I took that as a no.

Knowing Dave likes a challenge, I asked a question which I knew would put him under the pressure.  "Are you doing it for a charity?"

It was a question that he hadn't really considered, and one which he felt deserved another debate with the XLs over a beer. The conclusion of this debate resulted in them deciding to raise money for NORSACA for use at Sutherland House. This is a local charitable organisation, who provide specialist education and support for children with autism under the title of Sutherland Children and Young People's Services. The reasoning behind this choice was that Dave had worked with them and my good friend worked there. Also, because it was a local organisation, any monies raised would have a great impact. 

In order to raise the profile of this endeavour (and to put the XLs under pressure) I have offered to keep an online blog of their progress. Over the next few months I will be publishing unedited profiles of the XLs which will detail their ages, weights and physical states. If they cheat, fail to keep up with the training, or get found in a local curry house, they WILL be exposed.

Keep your eyes open over the next few days for the profiles of the rest of the XLs!!!

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