Bill Dalkin turns 70

We had a great time at the weekend, a family get-together in beautiful sunshine for the Dalkins to celebrate Bill’s 70th. The three daughters – Fiona, Katie and Sally – plus all their family-hangers-on meant a total of 13 family members and four close friends. A bit of a house full by any standards.

Managed a quick run up Ingleborough on Sunday which was a real treat. Got up there pretty much before anyone else was there and had one of thiose tranquil mountain moments all to myself. Fantastic. But spoiled by a few red winey burps from Saturday. Hey ho – can’t have everything.

Brilliant to see the children all together – running about the garden, cheating at football, playing on swings, irritating the dog… in such fantastic sunshine. (more…)

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 .

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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.

Electioneering warning…

With a general election looming, I thought it was time to remind all the dedicated readers out there to remember some important things about democracy

1. Read decent papers

2. Don’t vote for people who would wipe their hands after shaking hands with you

3. Be prepared to ask the right questions and push for an answer

4. Have faith in Parliamentary Democracy

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.