Whoop Whoop!

Good news doesn’t usually come when you expect it. Sit back and wait for it and you may be waiting a long time. So I was a very happy Adventurous Girl to hear that I had been chosen as one of Pearl Izumi’s Team Champions for 2017.

Just to clear up any confusion, this does not mean I have joined a racing team! The chances of me being chosen for that are ridiculously low. And that’s how I like it; I am not a racing cyclist!

As a Pearl Izumi Team Champion I will be one of a group of people representing the brand throughout the year. We will do this by taking on challenges and adventures and sharing them with all you lovely people.

Feeling Inspired

A Facebook group has been set up,  just for all the Pearl Izumi Champions to get to know each other and exchange cycling stories. All I can say is ‘wow’ – there are so many great people on there. My cycling has been super slack of late. Ever since I rode London to Paris in 24 hours I have been dodging the bike a little. My commutes to work and the odd spin out at the weekend have been the extent of my riding.

I am certainly going to have to up my game now though! The great thing about my fellow champions is that they are a really varied bunch. Some ride mountain bikes, some road, some cyclo-cross. There are racers, ride leaders, people who run their own bike business; you name it they are all on there. We are all clearly over the moon with the good news though.

All week people have been posting pics of their rides around the country so I needed to get out and make a story of my own! As we get closer to Christmas time seems hard to find. Today we wanted to visit my parents and get some Christmas shopping. How could we fit all this in around a bike ride?

Well, we just did it all at once. A twelve mile ride to my parents house followed by a cycle back with a visit to the shops. Where there’s a will! It was a beautiful, sunny day and we were rewarded with gorgeous views of the River Trent. My legs felt pretty weak but we managed a fair speed throughout. Now I need to set some goals for 2017!

Good News Leads To Great Plans

So, as I mentioned, I’m not a racer but I do like a challenge ride. Having done the Coast to Coast in 1 Day and London to Paris in 24 hours, I feel that these are the sort of challenges which suit me.

I also have the excitement of three weeks of cycling in Cuba to look forward to and train for! Some serious climbing is needed in these weak legs before I shock them with the Cuban hills.

I would love to hear any ideas for challenge rides from all of you? The lesser known the challenge the better, I always love to find new things to do.

I can’t wait to make some plans for next year and share my cycling adventures with you!