Craig says: “A combination of many things attracted me to enter the Wooler Wheel when I first heard it was being resurrected back in early February.
I first thought I might enter as a personal challenge after missing cycling for most of 2023 after two serious ankle injuries. That was my initial motivator, but I needed that final push to actually enter, and it came after a chat with Paul Graham (our Managing Director), who mentioned he was getting a bike and wanted to get back into cycling again. We discussed the Wooler Wheel (starting at our Harrison & Hetherington mart) and agreed to enter.
Then the reality kicked in – I’m not in shape to do this and it is weeks away! My previous longest ride was 92km 3 years ago, so surely with a spot of training I could squeeze another 8km out these 52-year-old legs?!
To further incentivise us, we liked the idea of riding for charity – and the H&H Charities were the obvious and only choices – RSABI, the RABI and Growing Well – three amazing charities who support mental health, a subject close to my own heart.
Training wise, I am a member of Kelso Wheelers Cycling Club (and Treasurer too) so I have no shortage of cycling buddies to ride with. Plus, a very fit, cycling mad 20 year old son who is an absolute climbing machine on the hills, he is club hill climb champion 3 years on the trot as well, hence why I tend to not cycle with him any more lol.
My training group are nicknamed “The Premier Cru” or more recently a second nickname has emerged, ‘The Sconnoisseurs’! We meet up and head out every Sunday morning and cover distances anywhere between 45 to 100km, but always have a café stop for some sustenance in the form of a coffee and a warm cheese scone with butter and jam! You must try it if you haven’t – it is delicious...
Training thus far has been a plan where I have been steadily building up the kilometres, starting with a couple of 20/25 km ones, a 30/35km then a nice 45km one and a very enjoyable 75km on Easter Sunday. I can definitely feel the old legs getting stronger and I’m not gasping as I ride/crawl up the hills, sometimes not even using the ‘Granny gears’. I won’t win any races but I have the endurance to keep going all day (I hope).
I find it truly beneficial to my own mental health simply being out with friends in the fresh air, exercising, talking, putting the world to rights, encouraging each other up hills, repairing punctures, tweaking gears and saddles en route, mishaps and more laughs. It is fantastic camaraderie!
With less 4 weeks to go, I aim to do a 60-70km ride this weekend and I’d hope to do a 80-90km the following week, with small midweek 20-30 rides sandwiched in between to tick over. I want the Wooler Wheel to be my first ever 100km and have already another one earmarked for September, watch this space!
Losing weight is a nice extra benefit too, having lost about 15kg in past two years since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I aim to lose another 8-10kg overall, and hopefully a couple of these kgs will be off before the cycling sportive to lighten the load for the many hills we will encounter.
If you’d like to sponsor myself and our team ‘the H&H Wheelers’ to raise funds for our nominated charities, you can do here https://givestar.io/gs/hh-tackle-the-wooler-wheel-cycling-sportive - thank you so much!”
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Good luck Craig – we wish you every success in your first Gran Fondo – 100km!! We look forward to seeing the photo’s from the day!