Derby Velodrome And Arena

The legs aren't happy about it but I take the bike to work today.

As I’m struggling with the stairs as much as Doggo at the moment, I think now is the time to order the stair treds. L's only requirement is that they are in any sort of mud colour.

Today I have a tour around Derby’s impressive new Velodrome, the presence of which they prefer to hide behind the name Derby Arena. Initial impressions weren’t good as the electric front door swung outwards and I had to jump backwards to avoid being hit in the face. Hopefully they’ll sort that out or more likely just wedge it open.

Two lads showed us round and they were fine when they were working from their rehearsed script but floundered completely when anybody asked them a difficult question and in the end they had to fetch help.

The track looks great and it’s raised so it’s level with you if you stand at the side, rather than looking down on it. Which means you could pull someone off their bike if you wanted to... Could be a problem if they have races there.

I tried to find out about track sessions but they didn’t really know very much. This was shame as out of the ten people on my tour - two were interested in the gym, one in exercise classes and the other seven were interested in the track. Almost everyone was asking if there was a membership scheme for the track or that included the track or included a discount off the track. There wasn’t... Hopefully they'll address this.

The gym is very much like the Tennis Centre one I very occasionally visit but with a few different devices. The main bonus is the presence of a couple of Watt bikes and of a dedicated Watt bike studio. Which they told me was for a serious bike workout with definitely no music or flashing lights and it will be open all the time. In fact everything is planned to be open 6am to 10pm.

I will keep checking on their website for when they open up the track, which will be around mid-April they say.

(Tuesday 10^th March)

A Difficult Transition For Ageing Paws

My second day this week on the bike but it is much tougher than yesterday, a ferocious headwind batters me all the way into work. At least it stays dry and I am so far puncture-less this week.

The transition to upstairs living has mostly gone well, it is only really Doggo who has found it difficult to adjust and we had a bit of an incident this morning with him sliding down the stairs again. Ageing paws do not grip well on wooden steps. Fortunately if you follow him up, you can catch him but I think we best get some stair treds sorted.

Another adjustment has been juggling mugs of coffee to take upstairs. L has now bought a little tea tray and a little milk jug as well. We are so cultured.

Dog class tonight and a rendezvous with L in pub afterwards.

(Wednesday 4^th March)

Dog Trouble

We have dog trouble. He still hasn’t raided the fridge but Doggo is stressed. He is finding the wooden stairs to the bedroom a touch slippery.

Plan A  

We start looking at some stair treds e.g. bits of carpet to ease his path.

He also can’t get on the bed...

Plan B

 

Perhaps not...  not sure we would persuade him to use that.

Plan C

Not sure that he’ll get his head around that either.

 

We'll shove a plank against the bed later and see if he walks up it. Perhaps he’ll think he’s back doing agility and it's the dog walk.

We also put the duvet from the old bed on the floor for him. I suspected he’ll purposely avoid lying on it or he’d hump it but the optimist in us says that he will find it familiar and will sleep on it.

I’m out with old school friends in Derby tonight which gives Doggo the excuse to hang out by the front door waiting for me.  When I get home and escort him upstairs he lies down on his duvet. Result.

(Wednesday 18^th February)