As you may know, I’m a glass half full type. But we all have our limits. Yesterday was a tough day. The Three Peaks Cyclocross is always tough. If it wasn’t, we’d just ride / run / walk faster until it becomes tough. It’s a flipping race. But then, yesterday had its own special place in my memory for extra toughness, but, significantly, extra satisfaction. Continue reading “Three Peaks Cyclocross 2018 – The “twenty” edition”
I love my cyclocross and above all I still love the 3 Peaks cyclocross – it has a very special status with me for whatever reason. But this year? It’s been a bit of a weird journey. So gone are the days of a special 30 day cleansing and weight loss diet, today I’m eating a Cissy Green’s meat pie.
Parenting can be quite a drag sometimes. Asking young people to put phones away. Tidying up after young people. It could get quite a drag. But then, of course, you can sometimes subvert things – make use of these little people’s sense of adventure and fun – and go and create some memories. You just need to remind yourself that it’s there to be harnessed. Continue reading “Mini adventures and the spice of life”
The Bob Graham Round initially beat me, then I beat it back.
I thought I’d put it to bed when I completed it back in June. It certainly felt that way. In one very big sense, I had indeed put it to bed.
One of my helpers on that fantastic day was Dave Ward. A fellow Rossendale Harrier, Dave was one of the people who immediately offered his services to come to my help even if, truth be told, we hardly knew each other. Those type of things are normal of course when it comes to the Bob Graham – helpers come out and help. Continue reading “A return to the summits, with a score settled.”
Probably in my top three Britpop era tunes is Connection by Elastica. (Riff? Oh yes sir. Here’s your riff…)
Although I’ve never really thought too long and hard about the lyrics, I just assumed it to be a bit of a song about taking a gamble in Love and grabbing at the chance when it comes, in case it’s the right one. Maybe it’s not about that at all, but it happened to come on the radio yesterday and hearing the lyrics “… but somehow a vital connection is made” went right through me and made my spine tingle. Here’s why… Continue reading “30 years – somehow a vital connection is made.”
It’s been a long path to here. When I first heard about the Bob Graham Round in my teens, it was the type of thing that was simply something that other people did. Special kinds of rare people. An immense, fantasy-level tour of the most beautiful hills in the country. I started to do a bit of fell racing in my late teens and occasionally I met someone who knew someone who’d done it. Wow. That’s all I could say. It was just incredible
Significant double figures for our youngest. The Haygarths are growing up and the last one on this generation is now a double-digit pre-teen. Lovely day had including … Continue reading “Elsie – Ten”
Last night, 34 years after the last, I went and did a trial at Arkholme. I did alright, too. Great to spend bike time with my nephew Angus and a thousand thanks the Philip Haygarth for loaning the lovely Beta machine whilst he was away working. Continue reading “My first trial since 1984 !”
I really enjoyed the 2018 3 Peaks fell race. I took a ten year gap following a ‘never again‘ moment in 2007 after my second finish. Both had been respectable finishes under 4 hours and I’d have been happy to put the pain of that race behind me and leave it to gently subside. Continue reading “More than 3 Peaks”
Another family holiday definitely of note. These things define and mark important times in childhood and I am happy to build up the year’s work around affording great memories for the children. Skiing is not cheap – especially skiing overseas in half term, but each time we do it seems incredibly good value for money in terms of unforgettably good memories Continue reading “Sauze D’Oulx family ski holiday 2018”
We don’t normally get to do stuff like this. It was a real treat. Dave & Elsie went to the Saturday and Sunday racing, Lily and Mum just to the Sunday racing and spent Saturday enjoying the beautiful and very chilled city of Maastricht. Continue reading “Family visit to the 2018 World Cyclocross Championships”
