Get inspired, get fit!

I’m writing this after a lovely ride in on my Mountain Bike down the towpath from where I live in Tring.
I’ve seen countless Herons, a nesting Swan, a Guilimot (I think) Ponys grazing lazily in the feilds and Canal boats bobbing gently on the err.. Canal
I have arrived at work in a good mood, ready for the day and feeling that bit fitter!

This got me thinking, how hard would it be for YOU to do the same?
If you own a bike, all it takes is a little forward planning and a slightly earlier start.
We have a fully equipped class leading Cycle workshop to deal with any mechanical woes you may have and all the facilities you could need here to make your pedal journey to work a happy one (even if it’s tipping down!)

So there really is no excuse! Why not give it a try? I’m more than happy to take a few mins out of my day to help you get started, so why not make it a VERY late New Years resolution.

You’ll thank me for it!!!

Jules.

[Facebook] [LinkedIn] [MySpace] [Propeller] [Reddit] [Twitter] [Windows Live]

H.T.F.U!!

Time to H.T.F.U!! (a.k.a – Princes Risborough Sportive)
So a fortnight ago we did an Enduro on the Mountain Bikes (the Muc Off 8, remember?) this weekend we dusted off the road bikes for a 70 mile jaunt around the Chiltern Hills.
Only Given our competitive nature this was only ever going to go one way, especially as we found out that there was the chance of a ‘Gold’ position (finish the 70 miles in under 4h 05mins, this meant maintaining an average speed of just over 17miles an hour for the duration) we just had to make sure we were Gold finishers!
The Weathermen had predicted temperatures of 22-23 degrees and were warning those competing in the London Marathon to be careful of dehydration. There was no mention of the monsoon that struck as soon as I had shut my car door on the way to the event at 7.30am (well not that I had heard anyway)
So, ever so slightly under-dressed for the conditions, we signed in and muscled our way to the front of the start line. The course Commisar told us that given the conditions we should ride well within our ability, keep a good distance from the rider in front, and not follow someones wheel (ride right behind them) of course being serious professionals, none of this applied to us and we set of like a pack of scolded whippets jostling for the lead of a pack of around 350 riders.
The event went well, but was more like the Enduro we had done a couple of weeks previously, it was so dirty on the roads! I was pleased that I managed 50mph on a wet downhill section, slightly less pleased at the puncture I incurred that put me 10 mins over a Gold time. Simon finished really well putting in a time that placed him in the top 6.
Here’s some links for you to follow so you can see our pain / gurning.
Click on the Princes Risborough Sportive (24th April) and enter 045 and 046 into the search box…

http://www.philoconnor.com/sportive/index.htm

[Facebook] [LinkedIn] [MySpace] [Propeller] [Reddit] [Twitter] [Windows Live]

Why should I recruit an ATG Apprentice?

I want to ask you if you have ever considered hiring an apprentice for your company and explain to you why an ATG APPRENTICE is a WORK READY Apprentice.
One of the common oppositions that ATG receives from employers is that whilst they would be happy to employ an apprentice, they often feel that the initial few months involves a lot of development and support from the employer in order to get the apprentice up to speed in the job that they were hired to do. This leads to many employers seeking other ‘quick fix’ options, such as using recruitment agencies or other expensive recruitment methods to hire experienced (and more expensive) employees.
This is where a WORK READY ATG APPRENTICE has helped change employers opinions. At ATG, an ATG APPRENTICE is treated like an employee whilst they train with us. From day one, they ‘work’ between 3 – 6 months full time, on a Monday to Friday 8.30am-4.30pm week, and spend 3.5 half days physically working on the practical skills required to do the job in their chosen vocation. This practical experience is backed up by a further 1.5 days a week in the classroom, and in most cases, a varied and diverse two week work experience placement.

Ok, I can see that ATG APPRENTICES are trained differently, but why should my business hire an ATG APPRENTICE?

Many organisations shy away from discussing the key element that most benefits their company. The simple fact of the matter is that an ATG APPRENTICE is a cheap, skilled and effective labour supply.
An ATG APPRENTICE is WORK READY. They can already undertake a large number of job duties in their chosen field and will have already gained a good level of qualification (both a technical certificate and an NVQ level 2.) This means that they require little supervision to get them up to speed and then start generating your business an income.
The cost of hiring and then employing an apprentice is considerably more cost effective than hiring a more experienced employee. If you build in recruitment costs, and the enhanced wages that will pay experienced employees, whilst you will usually see a more immediate return on your investment, the medium to long term return on your investment is dwarfed by the return you would get from investing in the development of an apprentice. You will need to spend some of your time developing the apprentice to meet your company’s needs which does have a cost implication, but in the medium to long term, the financial return will be worth it.

So, if I do decide to hire, what are my commitments to the ATG APPRENTICES’ Further education?

 ATG will take care of their further and continued education. All we ask is that you offer them a varied and diverse work experience in a safe working environment and that you allow them a maximum of one day a week over a 14 month period to continue their education in order to further boost their portfolio of useful vocational skills.

What support can I get?

The education of your apprentice is covered by the government. Over a 3 year period, the government will contribute nearly £15,000 to the education of the apprentice.  There are periodic incentives from the government and local charity organisations that will offer financial support to employers who wish to hire an ATG APPRENTICE. Visit our website www.atg-training.co.uk for the latest news on these incentives.

[Facebook] [LinkedIn] [MySpace] [Propeller] [Reddit] [Twitter] [Windows Live]

Team ATG get dirty!

Team ATG get dirty at the Muc Off 8 Mountain Bike Enduro…

Sat in a warm workshop this January planning to ride an eight hour mountain bike event didn’t seem that daunting.
I have plenty of time to train (I thought) it will be warm and dry by then (maybe!) I’ll be part of a team of four so it won’t be that hard…
In the words of the Dr Pepper advert – “what’s the worst that could happen?”

Stood shivering covered in a mud in a windy field down in East Sussex after a brutal lap of the course hadn’t figured back then…

But here we were (Jason, Gerrard, Simon and myself) at the Muc Off 8 Mountain Bike Enduro!
The theory is to see how many laps of the (frankly punishing) course you could do in eight hours.
There were teams of four like ourselves, teams of two and nutters who had entered it on their own!

We rocked up in the ATG van and pitched our tents before heading out for a lap of the course, which had some cheeky downhill sections and horrendously muddy / rooty bits.
Simon and I took off at our own pace and Jason and Gerrard followed.

It was a hard course and we got back nicely out of puff and ready for a beer (the rehydration choice of all top quality athletes such as ourselves)

After a few more beers and some awesome camp stove bolognaise, we were ready for a cold night in the tents. We woke up n the morning freezing cold and praying for the sun to break through the morning cloud.
Breakfast was Bacon Butties with copious amounts of Tomato Sauce and sugary tea.

I was to start the race first (I was told this by the team captain) which meant I had to be on the start line for 8.45am ready to race for 9am. On a Sunday.
The race was run with a ‘Le-Mans’ style start which meant that I had to rack my bike in a transition area and run 200 metres to it before beginning the first lap. Joy.

The event was enjoyed by all (despite some timing chip and bike cleaning issues!) and we left tired but happy (and with a free t-shirt!) and vowed to come back faster / fitter / with new bikes for next years event.

Here is a link to our times and final positions:
http://www.dbmax.co.uk/store/results

Here’s one to some photo’s:
http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/search.tlx
(our race number was 301 – put this into the search bar at the top)

More Photo’s on this link,
http://mhonfy.com/galleries/02_SportEvents/2010.04.11%20Mucoff2010/index.html

A freind of mine also got his bike onto Dirt Magazines website! (this shows you how muddy it was!!)
http://dirt.mpora.com/news/the-muc-off-8-enduro-mountainbike-race.html/attachment/dsd_5120

[Facebook] [LinkedIn] [MySpace] [Propeller] [Reddit] [Twitter] [Windows Live]