Tuesday 30 December 2014

A weekend with Shanaze!

 Just got around to writing something about the Coaching weekend we had at Cornwall BMX Racing club last weekend. The club proudly welcomed 3 x World BMX Champion and Track Cycling World Champion, Shanaze Reade to the track at Blackwater for two days of intense and inspiring coaching. Shanaze has spent the past year in the USA riding alongside the best, male and female and we were lucky enough to have a fraction of that knowledge passed onto us. Riders of all ages came to the track for the two days and rode their hearts out. The young rippers went first in the mornings and it was great to see the talent in the club, some of these little guys like Colby Hoare already riding in the National Championships at the age of 6 years Old and Sienna and Isla Harvey riding at the Worlds this year in Rotterdamn, with Sienna coming home with the number 7 plate. A great fun session for these youngsters and she worked them hard, Jago loved it, he worked really hard and managed to get pretty much everything autographed!!

Us older ones, over 12!! were beasted fitness wise for  both days! This turned into a Full on fitness test for me and at 45 years old and newly returning to the sport I think I came away from this weekend with my head high and knowing that I'm not over the hill just yet. In fact the opposite, I came away as did many others inspired to be better, fitter and stronger for 2015. I had a couple of spills in the exercises but learnt another few lessons. To watch the younger elite riders hit the jumps was great to see and something that many don't really appreciate the speed, height and length they are jumping, with the consequences result in potential serious injury.

As for Shanaze Reade she was truly a great coach and brought everyones confidence levels to a real high. As an old boy I was encouraged to Jump further, go faster and loosen up, we were all complimented on things we did well and coached on areas to improve. This was the first coaching session for any sport I'd done in a long time and would do it again tomorrow. Come back soon Shanaze.


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