The gym induction went well. The council run gym at Palmer Park in Reading is OK. It doesn’t have the all singing and dancing facilities that you would find in a privately-run place (free towels, sauna, piped music in changing areas etc…) but at the end of the day, if it gets me fit, then that’s fine. I was actually more interested in the “spinning” sessions that have just started up. Spinning is, apparently, another word for cycling but on the spot. You don’t go anywhere. The gym has a special room full of cycling machines and tonight they run a class where you, err… cycle, or spin under the watchful eye of a trainer. The trainer bit is the aspect that puts me off. I hate being told what to do! I think I will give it a go. I put my name down for tonight’s 7pm session. I shall simply frown at him or her if they tell me I am not working hard enough.
On another topic, I have just being doing some book research. I want a book that tells me what I have to do to prepare over the next 16 months. All the equipment, fitness, nutrition, preventing sadel sores etc… It came down to three tomes and they are displayed above. I have gone for the one in the middle “The Long Distance Cyclists’ Handbook” by Simon Doughty, Rocco Richardson. It is British (the others weren’t), it had good reviews on Amazon and it was, according to the distributor who I just called, updated in 2007. Problem: the details on Amazon indicate that they are still selling the one that was updated in 2004. Waterstones don’t have it in stock in their shops. Shall I risk my £11.19 and just go for it. I suppose I can send it back if I’m not happy….