Flockly Health and Fitness

June in snaps!!

Actually busier than I realised on reflection.

1. Seeing Thespians at the Wyvern - absolutely great show, highly recommend

2. First time going to Helen Brownings Pig Racing - need a better view next time.

3. Walkies with Timmy - finally did the canal from Swindon to Bassett.

4. McFly / Sophie Ellis Bexter / Scouting for Girls down in St Mary's.

5. Brunch with a lovely friend.

6. Charity 70s and 80s night with Laura and Pam - I won best dressed!

7. Breathework event with Lorna - weird!!!

8. Foo Fighters with the boys!

9. Many a bike ride was had! Now left with a cycling tan 🤦‍♂️

Freshly sharpened pencils, new sheets and clipboards - must mean a new set of exercises for my Strength in the Community class!

If you've been thinking of getting strong why not book on to my friendly and fun class on Mondays and Friday lunchtimes!

Another review dropped off the back of the Cycling Strength Programme! Another happy client.

Want to know more about the programme? Drop me a message to be added to a mailing list for when more information comes out.

May wrap-up (coming to you 9 days late)

May was full!! I squeezed a lot in. Can't beat having 2 Bank Holidays in 1 month, shortly after Easter too!

1, 2, 3 - my first solo cycling trip to Girona. Beautiful place, such a great location for bike rides, and I felt safe and confident going out on my own. Given I've been riding for 6 months this was a big deal!

4, 5 - The Air Ambulance Seaside Scramble with my lovely clients Esme and her family, raising much needed funds for a service that saved Esme's life.

6 - Riding with others! Lovely to ride with and meeting - these gals pushed me and I hit my quickest pace ever and didn't die!

7 - little National Trust trip on a sunny Sunday!

8 - theatre trip with to the Barn in Cirencester... fast becoming a favourite theatre of mine

9 - my new favourite cafe in Cirencester. You may start seeing me there more often, especially on bike rides.

10, 11, 12 - Big bike ride weekend in Shropshire with my biggest ever elevation gain in a ride by quite some way. There were tears and a fall, but I pushed myself and achieved a lot. Managed to sneak in a local open garden visit and a trip up to a castle while there.

13 - seeing the Faux Fighters at the Vic (maybe 5th time now), banging gig, possibly best one yet from them. The real thing in a few weeks!!

14 - finishing May with Pig Racing - like you do!

May was a big cycling month for me. It isn't going perfectly and I'm still finding myself on the floor more than I'd like to, and my poor legs have been consistently covered in bruises, but I've not given up which is something.

How was your month?

#ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏᴅᴜᴍᴘ

📸 April life in photos

Bit late to the party, and I considered not bothering as April felt like an utterly terrible month.

I spent much of it feeling terrible, physically and mentally. But then I looked through my camera roll and saw that it wasn't all bad.

1. Martin Kemps 80s night at the Mecca with some of the You Can Crew. Didn't stay out late as it was the first thing I had done that month since being ill and I wasn't 100%

2. Finally sorting a bike fit so I can be more efficient- check out .to.cycle for a local bike fit service.

3 / 4 / 5 / 6 - all the cute animals seen on my walks and rides. Spring had definitely sprung!

7. A cheap Sunday afternoons entertainment watching the Bristol Aztecs American Football team play. Introducing the boys to their first ever game.

8. A lovely trip to Birmingham to see the Titanic Exhibition with my lovely clients Pam.

A mixed month all in all, but we got through it.... although with a lot of bruises (cycling is bad for my health)

These last 3 days I've been off on a solo cycling adventure. Girona.

3 days, 3 rides.
➡️ 87.5 miles covered
➡️ 4845ft of climbing
➡️ my first proper mountain climb - my biggest ascent to date.

This may not be much to some people, and it may be loads to others, but what matters is that to me it was a big challenge.

I've traveled abroad alone before sure, lovely stuff.

But never have I gone cycling abroad on my own.

In fact I've only really been cycling for what, 6 months? Of which December and January wasn't a lot of miles due to damaging my coccyx and the weather.

So to go from nothing, to this in half a year is most definitely something that I am proud of.

Doing it alone forces you;
➡️ plan your route completely on your own.
➡️ face the unknown completely on your own.
➡️tackle challenges you've never faced before, on your own
➡️ if there is a mechanical issue, guess what, you're on you're own.

Only 3 or so weeks ago I was experiencing extreme anxiety about going out locally on my own on routes I'd never done before. Taking hours to talk myself into a 20 mile ride, of which maybe only 8 miles of it I didn't know. I felt so silly at the time. Really the last 6 weeks have been a physical and mental challenge for me with illness and not feeling at all myself.

But I managed to show up, not at my best at all, but I gave it what I could and that is enough for me.

For those who cycle and have never been to Girona, go. It's beautiful. There are so many cycling options within and within 10 minutes you can be out of the old town and into the green open spaces, plus cycle paths everywhere.

I will most definitely be back. 🇪🇸

It's finally time! The ladies cycle strength program launches in 2 weeks!

Starting 14th May on Thursdays at 7pm is a new 8 week programme for the ladies looking to get stronger on their bike!

With a mixture of mobility, Pilates, core work and strength training, this programme is designed to help get you stronger on 2 wheels.

2 spaces have already been taken, so get in touch to grab the last 4 quickly!

📌 8 x 1hr sessions
📌 online app access to a training programme to follow at home or in the gym alongside the classes
📌 small group, means big focus from me to coach you through.
📌 £100 for the full programme

Sessions are in Wroughton at Washbourne House Therapy Centre

I'm looking for your support! (Please take a few minutes to read on).

This beautiful young lady in the picture with me here is called Esme. She is one of the kindest, most caring and empathetic people I know. She would do anything for anyone, yet hates the idea of being a burden to others. She's also one of the most self aware people I know, I wish at 14 I had the same level of self awareness as Es!

Esme looks like a very normal teenager, and in many aspects she really is.

However 2 years ago she was a passenger in a car travelling back from a football match she had been playing in, when a tanker crossed over the middle of the road and struck the car she was in with her Dad, head on. She was directly in the tankers path.

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance were quickly on the scene, putting Esme into a medically induced coma. They were calm, professional and compassionate. They treated Esme with incredible skill and care, not just medically but emotionally too. They flew her straight to Bristol Children’s Hospital for the emergency surgery that saved her life.

Esme had suffered a traumatic brain injury, a fractured skull, compressed vertebrae and a shattered hip.

She spent seven weeks in hospital and had a seven-hour operation on her hip.

Even after all of this, and the ongoing medical appointments (and the fact she is stuck working with me once a week 🤪), she continues to show up and be the wonderful young lady she is.

Esme and I, and her whole family are taking part in the Seaside Scramble on the 9th May, and Esme will very much not find this event easy (not sure I will these days either tbh). But she wants to push herself out of her comfort zone and see what she can achieve. She has always tried new things even when they are hard or scary, and I admire her for that.

It's very rare of me to come out looking for sponsorship and I'm also very aware that with the cost of living many can't afford to sponsor people.

But I'm hoping a few of you may be able to support this fantastic charity with even just a couple of £'s where you can.

So if you are able to spare a little money we would all be 'Forever Grateful'.

Link will be in Bio.