23) Get back on a bike - check!

They say that learning to ride a bike is as easy as learning to ride a bike.. or at least you’d hope so.

Thirteen years ago tragedy struck when a four-eyed freckly faced teenager hurtled down a concrete hill on a mountain bike, only to be told half way down said hill that the brakes no longer worked. The result? A pair of shredded birthday trainers and a broken wrist. The cyclist? Me.

Thousands of Londoners cycle to work on a daily basis in order to beat the sardine commute on the tubes and buses. I am not one of them. I would rather rest in the armpit of a sweaty commuter than be squashed by a bus. However, having been told by my new boss that I will have to cycle to work on one of our trips later this year, I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and get back on a bike!

Thankfully, the lovely people at Cycle Confident have been my knights in shining armour (or bike helmets!) with a subsidised scheme in the Westminster* area, for people who have never ridden/fallen off/forgotten how to ride a bike. The aim of the scheme is to make sure that cyclists are safe on the roads of London and to try and reduce the number of injuries on the roads.

There are three levels of classes:
Level 1A: Complete Beginner – Balance, confidence, simple off road cycling (2 hours)
Level 1B: Signalling, breaks, gears and advance off road training (2 hours)
Level 2: On Road Training  (Half Day Course)

I started with Level One and I’m proud to say that I only fell off once! The instructor, Nick, was extremely supportive and good at building confidence in both myself and the other beginners. One girl in my class had never been on a bike and by the end of the two hours she was whizzing past me. Needless to say, I was impressed! Not having a bike is no excuse, as they are happy to provide you with a bike and helmet during the class.

So if the thought of getting on a bike sends shivers down your spine, take the plunge and sign up for a class. If I can do it, you can!

Oh, hello there..

Hello It has been a crazy few months, but I'm back again..

Thankfully, I am now no longer unemployed, having started a new job in April at a Film PR company... so far, so good. You may be pleased (or not bothered) to know that I've also been continuing with my list

14) Go to a music festival
Tickets almost booked.. hoping to go to Latitude in a few weeks time.. we shall see.

17) Book Update
I've finished Hamlet, and currently halfway through The Canterbury Tales.. reviews to follow.


21) Go to the Olympics

Tickets booked! I will be going to the Olympics on the 11th August.. I did, however go to the London Prepares Series just in case..

Date: Saturday 5th May 2012
Venue: Riverbank Arena, Olympic Park
Fixture: Men’s Hockey, Germany VS India
Days til the Olympics: 82 days

I had the exciting experience of visiting the Olympic Park for the first time. What a day! I won’t lie and tell you I’m a huge sports fanatic, but as the Olympics will be taking place an hour from my house in a few months time it would be rude not to pay the park a visit.

Anyone who knows me will vouch for the fact that I have serious navigational issues.Thankfully the people of 2012 were warned in advance and had lined the roads from the tube station with a bountiful supply of volunteers wearing pink foam fingers pointing in the right direction.

A warning for anyone who doesn’t like exercise… the park is HUGE. I think it’s a good ploy to get us all fit on our way to see the various events. After our epic walk to the Riverbank Arena, I purchased a rather large hotdog and made myself comfortable in my slightly damp seat (alas, there was no roof!).

What a game! I found myself rooting for the Germans (mainly due to the fact that I had found a picture of the star player in my programme and he was rather beautiful) but it was well played by both teams. Great atmosphere, great views of the pitch (even sat up in the Gods) and GREAT bottoms (forgive me, I can’t resist a man in Hockey shorts!).

Alas I did not score.. but the Germans did and won 2-1, bravo! If you haven’t got tickets, then it looks like they’ll be opening the park to show events on big screens and whatnot. I would highly recommend the experience not only for the eye candy, but because it’s not every day the Olympics turns up on your doorstep, is it?

23) Get back on a Bike
Lessons booked! In two hours from now, I will be getting back on a bike for the first time.. so watch this space. Hopefully I won't be typing one handed when I get back.. eek!

So there you have it.. I'm back in the game (so to say) .. and will update again soon x