Sports Then and Now

After another fiercely battled rush to the winning post, and mercifully with no horses being harmed in the making of the epic Aintree race, the 2015 Grand National once more bought a host of surprises from its field of talented runners and racers. The race itself was won by the Irish-bred, British-trained Many Clouds, owned by Trevor Hemmings and trained by National Hunt racing trainer Oliver Sherwood.

Many Clouds himself has been enjoying plenty of attention since his win at the 2015 Crabbie’s Grand National earlier this month. The winning racehorse who clinched the victory ahead of Saint Are, Monbeg Dude, Alvarado and race favorite Shutthefrontdoor was paraded through the streets of Lambourn the day after the big race to a huge turnout of supporters. The win marked Irish jockey Leighton Aspell’s second Grand National title who has now clinched back-to-back triumphs at both the 2014 and 2015 National’s.

Even though Many Clouds was feeling the heat after the race and needed some time out to cool down and relax again, the thoroughbred was fine and thankfully came through the race unharmed, as did all the horses that competed in the tough and often brutal race held at Aintree in Liverpool. Read the rest of this entry →

There are many levels of competitive cycling.

The cycling world might have been rocked by revelations about Lance Armstrong, but it’s still going strong. Cycling is one of the best sports to get involved with, whether it’s at an amateur or more professional level. Once you start cycling in different events, you won’t be able to stop it becoming your whole life. If you already feel yourself turning into one of those people who always talks about cycling, you probably want to get started and enter a few competitions and events. But if you don’t know where to start, it’s not too hard to begin.

Get the Gear

You won’t get very far without a bike. There’s no need to rush out and buy all the latest equipment right away, from a bike that costs thousands of dollars to a lycra bodysuit. But you need to start somewhere, even if it’s just with a secondhand bicycle. First, decide what sort of riding you want to do. A city bike like these beautiful Shinola bicycles will get you around an urban environment if you want to start cycling to work. A road bike or hybrid is good for longer distances while you’ll need a mountain bike for challenging terrain. You’ll also need some appropriate shoes and clothes and a water bottle as a minimum to get you started.

Join a Cycling Group

If you want to meet other cycling enthusiasts and train with them, find a local cycling group. You’ll find like-minded people who meet up to ride together, talk about cycling and maybe even go on trips. You might find that they enter events together too, in case you’re a bit nervous to attend your first one on your own. Read the rest of this entry →