I’ve said before that cycling with the big boys from a proper cycling club can be daunting. Especially if you’re not used to pelotons, chain gang maneouvres and the high-speed mentalness of an APR (a handicapped bike race where the slowest set off in a group first, followed at timed intervals by faster groups of cyclists.) APRs and time trials are great ways to improve your strength, stamina and speed on a bike and so I’ve been along to a few 24-mile APRs at Falkirk Bike Club. (I started going here because the G-Force knows guys in the club and it helped to introduce me to a world of speedy and somewhat intimidating male cyclists!)

The first time I did the APR I only had a vague idea what was going on. I knew  that I needed to keep tight on the back wheel of the cyclist in front and take my turn at the front. The benefits of drafting became extremely evident as I tried my best to keep up with the men (and one other woman). Less than half way round the 24-mile course I got dropped (I couldn’t keep up!) and ended up cycling for miles on my own and not really knowing the route. I was close to tears!

During the second APR a couple of weeks later I managed to keep up for a little longer but still ended up being dropped. Thankfully another girl was with me and we spent the rest of the race helping each other along by taking it in turns to offer a draft. I found my cycling legs a little more during this event and finally worked out the route of the eight-mile circuit, which we completed 3 times.

Then last Thursday I forced myself to head to the APR session again. (It hurts!) And this time I actually managed to pull off a fairly decent pace in the race. I was determined and while the pace, even in the slowest group, was very fast I kept pushing, holding on to the group the best I could. It was only when a faster group caught us up around two-thirds through the race and most of the testosterone-fuelled guys in our group sped off to keep up with these speedier riders that I began to lose hope. But then along came my Knight in Shining Armour by the name of Jim.

Seeing that I’d been tring my hardest and that I was still very determined to complete the course (even when he told me about a short cut I refused to take the “soft” option) Jim stayed with me allowing me to draft him on the flatter sections, while he drafted me on the hills. (Being lighter I tend to be a bit faster on the hills than some of the bigger guys. Not much though!). After a while we caught up with a couple of other guys who hadn’t been able to hold on to the faster group and so we formed another mini peloton.

I really, really didn’t want to be the last rider home this time. Despite being overtaken by the other two faster groups I still kept pushing on and then when we reached the final hill before the descent to the finish line I gave it my all. I thought my thighs might explode and I could feel a nasty nausea rising from my stomach but then I could see the end. And amazingly I wasn’t last! Perhaps the nice guys in my group let me finish ahead of them, and certainly Jim could have beaten me I’m sure, but it did feel good to have finally made it all the way round the APR in a sort of peloton – and without losing sight of the guys.

So, anyway, I wanted to thank Jim from Falkirk Bike Club for being my saviour. I wished I could have found the breath to chat to him but it really was all I could do to cycle and pull air into my lungs.

Surely all this hard work will pay off on that damned Bealach na Ba on September 4?