It’s Sunday night, the bikes are washed down, Lily’s in bed, and it’s a lovely moment to sit here and contemplate what a great day I just had. I prepare for this race as if it’s the only race that matters, and can’t say that there’s been a bike ride or fell run during the last year that I haven’t thought about the Three Peaks.

I finished 15th today - my best position from eleven events - and took five minutes off my previous best time. This, despite being seriously delayed by a snapped chain on Penyghent - the final climb - which forced me to run for ten minutes whilst people I’d worked so hard to drop trickled past me. I was in eleventh place at the time and it was looking pretty safe - but that’s the type of race it was - and I’m not bitter because anything in the top 20 would have made me chuffed - I’m bloody elated. (Read on …)

Ahhh - what a lovely feeling - the nights start getting longer, the mornings are dewey, and two bikes are on top of the car - we’re heading for a small parkland on the edge of a housing estate in Northwich, Cheshire, for the first race in this year’s North West Cyclo Cross series.

I won the league last year (ten races count) but won’t be going for the NW league this year because I’ve got to ride a few more national series races for Wheelbase and Gore Cycle Wear - my sponsors.

So it was a reassuring start to the season when I rode well and won the race. I should have done - on paper - because of who else was (or wasn’t) racing - but still - it’s a really satisfying feeling. Nicer still was the weather - although it was too hot for cyclo-cross racing (you don’t travel much faster than 20mph at the most so you don’t cool down with the breeze as much) it was just right for Katie and Lily to come and watch me - and cheer me on. I’ve only won two ‘cross races before this one - but this was the most special because it was the first with family watching.

Had a great day out on the bike with my brother Phil, taking part in the 105 mile Cumberland Cycle Challenge. A challenging but rewarding route with just under 3,000 metres of ascent, based around Brampton near Carlisle. There was weather to put most Belgian cycle classics to shame - including about two hours of hard, driving rain and very strong westerly winds. The event was very well organised (by Border City Wheelers) and I enjoyed riding with Phil all day - a real luxury to spend time like that with your brother and true bonding.
In cycling terms, I was really pleased with how I felt, and it’s the start of my finishing touches to this year’s Three Peaks cyclocross training.

Injured Back
Originally uploaded by Dave Haygarth.

I did my back in on Monday and it bloody killed. You realise how prescious these little bones we carry about are - it affects everything I do and I would give everything to know it’s not going to happen again. I went to see an osteopath for the first time in my life because I was convinced I had done some major damage, but it was quite reassuring to know I’d get through it with a bit of time. Bang goes the training for a bit but there’s more to life. I also found out that my right leg’s a centimetre longer than my left leg, which is quite a difference - and the osteopath told me I’d probably suffer from back problems in later life compensating for that. He also told me that fell running would be better for me than road running in the circumstances because of the wider muscle groups used rather than rpeptition of the same ones. I liked him for that.

Had the great pleasure of doing the Whittle Pike race on Wednesday evening. Whilst it’s not a towering Lakeland peak, it’s a classic fell race, incorporating the most formiddable steep climbs and descents you could manage on a relatively small Rossendale hill. There was a good field and a had a really good race - finishing thirteenth out of 112. I lost a couple of places after a nasty ankle twisting incident before a crucial ‘brakes off’ descent near the finish, but I’d done a great run and was really pleased with how fast I went. My fitness is still there even though I’m about four pounds heavier than twelve months ago.