Angus Gallie, the president of the Linlithgow Athletic Club has been cycling on the circuit to help him recover from brain surgery

The West Lothian Cycle Circuit is a fantastic facility providing a safe, traffic free environment for cycling and other sports. For example, Linlithgow Athletic Club sponsors a weekly junior parkrun and a regular evening slot for coached adult running sessions.

I was a very keen club cyclist and runner for fifty years until brain surgery in 2021 significantly curtailed these activities for me. Although I still manage to do a fair amount of walking, due to restrictions in my gait, running is currently impossible for me.

In order to maintain my cardio-respiratory fitness, I have used the gym. I was so used to obtaining my cardio fitness through outdoor activity such as running and cycling, that this has been a big miss for me. Some months after surgery, I did manage to ride a two-wheel bike although mounting and dismounting was difficult. Practice was limited to car parks and very quiet sections of country roads!

I still do not have the confidence to go cycling on the open road and in this respect the Cycle Circuit has been of immense benefit to me as I build up my fitness, stamina, and confidence. I try to do an hour’s session every week accompanied by a friend. The competitive instinct is still there and I even recorded a time for the ‘twelve laps of Christmas’ organised by the West Lothian Clarion Cycle Club!

The feeling I have after my ride, in company, on the circuit is like ‘I’ve been on a bike ride.’ We then chain up our bikes and we spend nearly two hours in the Xcite café just chatting! The circuit has been an amazing facility for me as I can do an hour of outdoor cardio-respiratory work on the bike. A ‘life saver’ facility, maintaining my physical and mental well-being!

Angus Gallie
President
Linlithgow Athletic Club