5 of the best rides in Scotland.

Today we are talking about my favourite trails to ride in Scotland. These are in my opinion, the best trails, We have to offer, Up here in Scotland. There will be individual posts on each venue to come.  But this is a quickfire. Where is best to mountain bike in Scotland. All will be linked below. So check out the links for more info. 

1. Nevis Range, Fort William. 
This will be no shock here as it is my local trail centre and home to the UCI world cup. If you like mountain biking, you will know this venture. It is not only a trail centre with routes graded from blue to black but it has two downhill tracks. One being the world famous track used in the world cup downhill. There are a lot of local trails here too. 

Parking here is free during winter and a small charge in summer. It is fully equipped with cafes, toilets showers and bike shop. 

2. Glentress 7stanes, Peebles
This again is a trail centre venue with a huge range of routes from family-friendly greens, to hard blacks. I think this is a fun trail centre and has a skills park. I love the bermy routs and there are some great jumps to practice your skills on. If you are looking for a fun day with plenty of choices this is a great option. One word of warning the black cross country is very long and Not that great. 

This venture has lots of parking. Allday is £5. There is a cafe and bike shop. Toilets and fantastic shower facility. 

3. Laggan wolf trax, Laggan
Another of my more local trail centres. This one is a smaller venue if you are unfamiliar with it. 
But it is crammed with fantastic rides. This has a range of family-friendly greens to a tough black route. There is also Laggan brown side which is across the road. It is packed with loamy rooty trails and steep descents. Check out Strava for more info on this. 

This is again paid for parking £5 per day. There is a cafe open Tuesday to Sunday. peak season. Toilets bike shop and shower. This is a smaller mountain biking centre. 

4.  Innerleithen Golfie or caberston. Inverleithen
I have just found the love of these trails. They are tough, to say the least. Think step descents with lots of roots to make things pretty interesting. This is at the moment my favourite place to be. I am just back from three days at the golfie. They are named this as they start at Innerleithen golf club. The climb is brutal but by god, the trails are worth it. This is not for beginners car parking is free. There are no facilities nearby. rumour has it this is a proposed site of a new trail centre with chair life. Sign me up.  Since you are in Innerleithen you might as well check out no1 peebles road this is a local cafe with a huge biking crown and food to die for. 

5. Ardverikie trail. Kinloch Laggan
This is a fun route. With the bonus of seeing one of the most gorgeous castles in the area. If you ever watched monarch of the glen then you are in for a treat as you ride right past the castle. This is just under 40-mile circular route. Taking in long fire road and a hike a bike before a pretty long descent. This is defo better on a dry day to take in the best views. 

No facilities anywhere nearby so pack accordingly. Parking is in a layby, at least it's free. 

So that is my top 5 trails in Scotland. What are yours? 

How mountain biking saved me

How did I get into mountain biking?

As a child I always had bikes. I remember my first mountain bike. Well, the first one I can remember. A purple Peugeot. It was far to be for me and I remember struggling to reach the pedals. I grew up in the northern highlands. I can imagine Santa had to just take a gamble with sizing. I spent most summer cycling around my local area. Including trying to get my bike own deer paths. Mostly not successfully. 

As I entered my college years. Biking was the last thing on my mind. It wasn't until I met my now husband. That we both decided to get a mountain bike on the cycle to work scheme. I was friendly with a guy at work who was into mountain biking and I remember asking him what to get. He said more than anything else get disc brakes and suspension. We both when to a local bike shop and ended up with a Merida bike. I remember we spent about £600 on the bikes each and I couldn't believe the price. Little did I know what I was getting my self in to. 

Without little Merides. We would go around the local fire roads and bumble about. This soon leads to our first trail centre. Then we never looked back. My husband progressed a lot faster than me. He did more riding. 

I went through a really hard time at work and suffered severe depression and anxiety. I spent a month not being able to leave my flat. I remember my first time back on the bike at Nevis range when I felt strong enough to get outdoors. I felt free again. 

I know what you are thinking but I did feel free. There is something about the wind in your hair, freezing your butt of flying around a trail that is just the most relaxing and tension releasing thing you can do. I slowly used mountain biking to regain some confidence and hit the trails as often as I could. 

I really feel that mountain biking is a great help when it comes to depression. You have to concentrate on what you are doing on the trail and leave all the other thoughts behind you. 

Little did I know the day we collected our bikes it would lead to a lifetime passion. Long gone is my Media and I am now the proud owner of a Nukeprood Mega, Sommet hardtail and a Vitus DH bike. Alone with a new road bike. It is safe to say biking is now our life. If we are not on the local trails. We are away in our specify build van conversion to places from Andorra to Wales. 

If I ever get too much in my head. I jump on my bike and ride. From a trail centre to a quick Zwift blast. It really is perfect for clearing your thought and helping you recenter. 

Hello I am Mylo the trail dog.

Hi, I am Mylo, 

This is my first post. I am a nearly 5-year-old dalmatian. My favourite thing in the world is to follow bikes on trails. The muddier the better. You will mostly find me following my two humans. We live near to Nevis range, Fort Willam. I am lucky as My daddy built me a van conversion. I can now go on a lot more holidays. I have travelled all over the UK but I do love Peebles Golfie and Laggan Wolf trax. They are some of my favourite places to chase bikes. Most of the time I beat my humans down the trails though.

I have been a very lucky boy. My sister Millie and I have in the past worked with Ruffwear. I love my RuffWear gear. You will mostly see me in my biking bag. I love it. I can carry my own water and treats. As well as a bike pump and other tools. Where would those humans be without me? 

You will find all my adventures in the tab called MYLO that's me. So come and see what I am up to. I will be uploading my Strava... What good trail dog doesn't have strava You can follow me here. 

I am also on Instagram @mylo_traildog so there are lots of ways to see what I am up to. 

Right, I better go. Lots of sleep to be doing today. What I have done my miles this week. So cuddle and sleep is what I want to do. 

Fitness on holiday? What do you really need?

When travelling, many people look for hotels that offer something more, including top of the line fitness features. What's important to you when you travel?

No matter where you are travelling to from Hull in the UK to Huston in the USA your fitness requirements are always the same.  What do you look for when selecting hotels? If you've already picked the destination and are scanning the various amenities and features of each of the accommodations in the area, do you think about your fitness needs? For some people, the thought of going on a trip means forgetting all about their workouts and routines. For others, it's a habit. It might be a must for your health or you may love the way your body feels after a solid workout. For those who think it matters, there are some key features to look for in a hotel before you book your stay.

The Fitness Room
One of the most common features to look for in these hotels is a gym. You need to think about what you need? Do you normally do a 10k on a treadmill followed by free weights? You need to check your hotel or complex has these items. I would check to see if they have a running circuit. Some hotel has mapped out running or cycling routes. 

The Spa
You are on holiday and this is the time to get a bit of TLC especially if like me you work out hard. A good massage can do wonders for your body. If there a jacuzzi and a steam room on offer if so great these can help the muscles relax.  

The Onsite Options
What about trying something new like a game of tennis? Or a round of golf? Is there an opposite pool or even better beach with options to scuba dive or snorkel? 

There is no excuse to let your fitness take a back seat when you are travelling. Unless of course, this is what you want to do. But if not do your research. 

looking for a more travel-based blogger go check out my friend Rebecca she will have you covered on all on the best places to travel too and when to go. 

Zwift - The best group rides for beginner

Today, We are back talking Zwift. I am still in the early learning stages of Zwift. I thought it's a good Idea to take you along with me. I have upped my goal to 40Miles Per week on Zwift. At the moment I am passing that with ease I want a lower mileage as I mountain bike and attend fitness classes so don't want to burn my self out. 

As a complete beginner. I want to share with you the best group rides to join to get used to group rides. 

First, what is a group ride and how do you join. 

A group ride is an organised ride at a certain time of day or day of the week. These can be recurring ones like every Saturday morning or special events. 

How to join one. Set up Zwift As shown here, You are logged in to Zwift and companion app. Awesome. Let's log into a group ride.  On the companion app.

Click the events tab. Here are all the events today. 

Next click on the filter option. This is where you can choose your category. 

If like me you're a beginner you are category D. So select group ride and D. This will filter the group rides which you can do. 

Decide which race would suite you. 

Click on the race and To join you click the orange + sign. 

You have the option of setting a reminder. 

So you are warned when your group ride is about to begin. 

Now how to actually join the ride. 

You enter Zwift as normal. Make sure all your sensors are working. 

When you are taken to the normal ride screen. You can see at the bottom

left a small blue box with join event. Just click this and you are transported to the group ride. 

The best group rides for a novice like me. 

Pack 1.5 beginners ride-breakfast with tony

Revo Social SUB2

Seattle baby steps 1.0-1.3w

Pack 1.5 beginners ride - coffee with Ali

Pack Slackers SUB2

These are some of the group rides I have done. 

I will do a full post on Women-only rides coming soon. 

I hope this has helped you get started on your Zwift Journey. 

LM

Out of the box fitness? Scuba Diving anyone?

Image credit pixabay.com

I have been thinking about out of the box ways to keep fit and active lately. I don't think I have ever spoken about this before. A great and fun way to get some fitness in whilst exploring the unknown world is scuba diving. 

Where I live in the north-west of Scotland a lot of people are employed to be scallop divers and it's a great way to keep your fitness up as well as the other benefits. I think in the UK people are less likely to do this sport then elsewhere. But nothing should stop you from seeing the wonder under own sea. 

Firstly invest in a good wetsuit. There is no point starting with a basic wetsuit as it will affect your dive so invest in a quality suit. My own is a 7mm one so it keeps me cosy even in the north sea. Of course, you will need some lessons and you can get these through PADI. 

I was very lucky and when I lived in Nairn in the highlands I went swimming with the Moray Firth dolphins or rather the same and had a nosey at me when I was having a swim in the sea. I have to say I had a bit of a jaws moment when I felt something pushing past me. Believe me, they are a lot bigger than you could ever think. I was with my husband and they stayed with us for ages. In fact, we left them before they left us. It was an incredible experience. 

Image from Pixabay

There are many health benefits in scuba diving, My 5 favourites are 

1. No shock here your fitness level will increase. Your muscle needs to work harder under water which in turn gives you a fantastic workout. 

2. Helps improve flexibility.  Your muscles will work differently underwater and this will stretch them in ways you have never stretched them before. The great thing about water is it stretches you in such a natural and easy way that you don't even notice it. Free yoga!

3. Saltwater in itself has many health benefits, think about when you get a cut if you put it in salt water it heals faster. Plus it always helps to clear my skin acting as a more natural cleanser. Your body needs salt to run what a great way to get in in your system. whilst seeing fish and sea life you have never seen before. 

4. Stress relief, there is nothing better than floating in the sea. I find this raises endorphins making me feel happy and relax. As you know I am a natural worrier and I find if I spend some time in the water I can centre myself easier then on land. I find it reminds me how small I am and there is a whole world outside of my head that is there if I am worrying or if I don't. 

5.  There have been numerous studies that say diving will reduce blood pressure. In this day and age, there are a lot of people who suffer from high blood pressure. Anything we can do to combat this is great in my book. 

Have you ever tried scuba diving? 

Zwift for a beginner

I have joined the wonderful world of Zwift. I want to share with you my journey on Zwift. If you don't know what Zwift is its an online subscription training program for cyclists and runners. Zwift is an interactive cycling program. It has amazing graphics like a computer game but it is so much more than that it is also a very social and friendly way to improve your fitness and have some fun whilst doing it. Imagine an interactive cycling game perfect for the fitness freak and tech geeks. 

I have joined up as I want to improve my cycling fitness. It is a bit hard to get your head around. I thought I should share my experience with you and we can learn together.

First up, My set up.

I purchased a Tacx bushido smart trainer for my bike. I have just upgraded my road bike to a Genesis bikes zeal 20 from a basic Halfords bike.

image from Tacx

image from Genesis

I spent a long time looking at different smart trainers. I wanted one, which was quiet and could do a decent incline. I wasn't that bothered about having a wheel off trainer. I got this one for £299. I was delighted with the price.

I use Zwift on my laptop. So I can also use the iPad as the companion app.  I will explain that in a min. I will do a full post on my set up.

So you need to download the Zwift app to your laptop or tablet. Then I recommend downloading Zwift companion.

When you first enter Zwift you need to sign up. Very straight forward. I have mine set up to PayPal. £12 per month. If there is more than one of you in your house wanting to use Zwift you will need an account each. This was super simple to set up. This is a free trial of 20kms to see if you like Zwift.

Next up pairing your smart trainer. You need to be on your trainer spinning to get Zwift to recognise the sensors. If you have not woken up your trainer in time, you may need to redo this step to get it all up an running. Make sure you leave enough time to do this. if you are attending an event or group ride. 

Next, this is your home screen. When I first logged on I was very confused.
There are always two worlds available on Zwift.

Watopia (This is Zwifts permanent world) Zwift is amazing. You ride in different landscapes and the graphics are like an amazing video game. It really motivates you and keeps you interested throughout your rides. 

Watopia It's a good place to start.

Let's explain.
If you tap on routes this is all the available routes in Watopia. You can sort this by alphabetical, Distance and Elevations.
Let's pick Distance for an example. routes start at 2.5 miles to 45 miles. Thought out your Zwift journey you unlock new levels and kit but I will explain that later. Also in this section is surprise me where Zwift will pick you a route and group ride nearby where you can join the nearest group ride. 

Zwifts New Training section.
This is a great tool if you want to actually train on Zwift. There is a huge number of different workouts to do on your bike and this is where your fitness test is located. But I will explain that in another post.

This is the basics you need to know to do your first ride.

The other worlds on Zwift change every week. This week is Richmond. It has all different routes and the 

Zwift companion let's explain that.

This is the home page of your companion app. 

This shows you how many people are using Zwift at the moment. 

The next event that is about to start and your activities. 

Next is the events tab. Here is where you can find out what is happening on Zwift. ]

You have a huge range of options but don't get overwhelmed. 

First, the cycle symbol is where all the cycling things are. I like to apply filters here. I am currently a beginner in Zwift.  I filter for beginners which are category D. These categories are graded in your riding ability and stamina. This can be determined by your fitness test. D is for beginners and it goes up until A is the athletes.  

There are four options

Group rides - Join a group of like-minded people to ride together. I recommend the beginners and slacker ride groups. There are also female only if you are a girl. 

Group workout - This is categorised E, Just like the workouts in the app it's self here you can work out with others. 

Race- If you have a competitive side this is the section for you. Go for it race till your heart's content. 

Fondo- This is a special event style training program. This one needs a post on its own. Which I will link it when I have written it.  

Activities tab -This is where you can see what you have done. and also anyone you follow has done. 

The goal section is where you can get a goal. I have set 30.1 miles a week. This is my Zwift goal.

Here is a fun bit. Find your Zwift friends. I have my husband and hopefully when I get more of my friends to join I will have them here too. 

Zwift is so sociable. When you join a group ride on the companion app you can also chat to your fellow Zwifters. Chat about the ride or whatever you like. I have found the community really friendly. So when you are joining a race or group ride say hello. 

Shop - You can buy everything from trainer to Zwift branded kit. 

Help- here is the option if you are struggling and need help. 

Settings- This is where all your normal settings are located from change password to notifications and divine connections. 

This is everything you need to know for your first ride. Don't forget to check back for the next in this Zwift series. Let's learn to ride Zwift together. 

LM