Ronde van Oost Lancashire 2010
It’s been a fun day – I don’t do much social bike riding in a busy life but when I do, I want the rides to be like today’s in inaugural Ronde van Oost Lancashire. Billed (roughly) as a local answer to my favourite classic the Tour of Flanders (or “Ronde van Vlaanderen” in Flemish), the Tour of East Lancashire set out to mimic, amitate, and at times outdo the Flemish classic .
Liver Hill fell race… an evening of springtime ‘fun’
I don’t think my legs have been that filthy in years. A very badly timed afternoon of thunderous rain and hailstones rounded off a pretty bad few wet days here in Rossendale, and Lily and I were pretty much committed to going to one of our local fell races.
Lily took part (alone) last year in the ‘first race after the clocks change’ and aside from my predictable gushing pride in seeing my eldest gritting her teeth and warming [sic] up in the freezing rain, I had to get my own head around my first fell race in 18 months, and first running race in over a year. Last year’s broken collarbone meant that a return to competitive (and I use the term loosely) running in 2009 wasn’t on the cards. I managed to get back on the bike fairly quickly after the injury but running just wasn’t the same. I managed to start running again properly in Autumn but by then we were into the cyclocross season and although I’m not bit on fell running I do like to dabble a bit.
To do a fell race after so long a break was part good, part horrid. It wasn’t the most beautiful of courses (it’s Rossendale – but even Rossendale has a few good ones – such as Whittle Pike) – it was more that I’d gone into the race psychologically under-prepared. The first mile or so was hard, but somehow it kept on being hard – I’d forgotten that running basically is ( – hard!)
The race also took place concurrently with the children’s one, and although friends Cathy & Carl were on hand and I knew they’d be looking after Lily after her finish, part of me wanted to be with her – watching her take part.
Lily had once again done herself proud – finishing in a smaller field than last year on a much more rain sodden course in a respectable time. My result too was reasonable – 15th out of 142 competitors – but somehow, just the getting it finished and under the belt was enough. I want more… but maybe something a bit prettier and bit un-grittier next time. Liver Hill is like its meat namesake… a tolerant and partially satisfactory bit of meatiness when better stuff isn’t available.
Fit weeks and fat weekends – that was winter.
This spring seems to be one big mix of life’s ying and yang. I’ve always been good at ying and yang stuff. Being a Haygarth (or maybe more being a Catlow) I like ‘refuelling’ end of fitness as much as the exercise end of it. Over-dramatic to suggest a constant battle between fitness and fatness but this spring’s been a funny one, where I seem to be able to punish my body to quite an extent during my early morning runs on weekdays, then wear myself to bits with fine food and a bit too much wine of a weekend. I think I need to break the cycle… but like all angels and devil combinations, one’s not as much fun without the other.
The clocks have changed, and despite it being bitterly cold this morning, a chance has come to do a bit more exercise. This evening I failed abysmally, but it all generally kicks off from here with a few more opportunities to stretch the legs with the crits starting on a Thursday night in Preston. Routine is the friend of fitness.
Weekends are also fairly quiet and exercise-free by necessity at the moment – we’re still in that phase of having a very hands-on toddler, and weekends need to be a chance to relieve Katie and watch over Elsie unhatching her plans to destroy the world. We’re having some really ace times at the moment just being about, “relaxing” (yes – bad choice of word) and enjoying the onset of spring.
Lily’s getting to an age where we want her to find other groups of friends outside of school. She started Brownies earlier this year and I’m starting taking her to Rossendale Harriers’ training on a Tuesday night. This is a dual benefit obviously – it helps her to meet new people and – I hope – get bitten by the bug of running a little bit. A good bug to have.
Winter’s over then. Officially. (snow forecast here this evening)… time to spring into spring.
Catching up with Jenny
Jenny “First Cousin Once Removed” Holmes is visiting the UK and Europe at the moment and we had a great chance to catch up with her for a day last Sunday when she came to stay with Phil & family in Arkholme.
Jenny was plucked from this fine land at the tender age of six and whisked off to New Zealand by my cousin Mark and the rest of his family. Seeing someone who lives on the other side of the globe is always an odd thing, but seeing a 22 year old woman who was 12 last time I saw her is very strange… Life’s moved on in undescribable ways since the last time I saw her. I have two children and am… well… forty. Jenny is about to graduate and is no longer a little girl.
But what’s remarkably great is that there is such simple warm familiarity in “family” – something that never dies out however long that gaps are between visits.
Lovely to see you Jenny and let’s all maybe try not to make it such a long gap next time.
Photos here
February half term in Peebles – again
If ever there was a good sign that a holiday works, it is that you do it again. There’s a good mix of the things that seem to add up to a good little holiday for the Haygaths at the Peebles Hydro hotel. Too pricey for a full week, but just within the realms of decadence for three nights in Feb half term (especially with three nights for the price of two!).
It was a similar recipe to last year’s holiday there – but different in many ways as Elsie has doubled in age in that short year. (more…)