Author: Dave Haygarth

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Three Peaks cyclo-cross 2006

dave_haygarth_ribblehead_06.jpgIt’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. Continue reading “Three Peaks cyclo-cross 2006”

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A bit of time before the Three Peaks race with Phil and family

Double Jersey
 The day before the Three Peaks and a chance to get togather with Phil, Anne and the children at Mum’s house. A lovely time and a very important chance to do very little other than just be together. Lily and Matthew went on the swings for AGES and it made me realise how much she’d grown up – being able to do something that Matthew does equally well ! Click on Ice Cream Angus to view the set of twelve phots on Flickr.
     
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Podcast: Heart Racing

Heart Racing is the new tune I’ve put together after – literally – about a year of dithering about. We’ve been so busy on the house in the last couple of years that music has really taken a back seat.

Heart Racing (mp3)

NOW UPDATED – 04 October 2006 – thanks for your feedback – I’ve upped the vocals a bit and knocked back the snare drum for an altogether better mix! Link now goes to the re-mastered version.

Click more below for lyrics.
Continue reading “Podcast: Heart Racing”

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Minnelli-what?

From 1997 to 2001, I worked on a national lottery funded initiative “Millennium Greens”, which helped people to create new community green spaces where they were previously lacking.  The word ‘Minnellium’ came about because of the number of times during that era that people either said it (inadvertantly) or actually mis-typed it.  It just made me chuckle every time I heard it.

I had started to make my own electronic music at the time and needed a name for my ‘band’.  It sounded right because the word sounded electronic and modern.  I soon bagged the URL minnellium.com and so the word / brand started to take on its own form and gradually it has become less about the audio and more about me, generally.

Minnellium isn’t an alter ego – it’s become a moden day metaphor for me and mine!

D.

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A weekend getting plastered

A nice mixMy brother in law Simon and I set to last weekend on an intensive couple of days’ skimming the lounge. The building work we had done in 2005 left us in a bit of a vaccuum for cash and motivation, but this marks the start of the next phase – i.e., “doing up the bit of the house we had to live in while we were doing the other bit”. In the event, the work itself went fantastically well – the ceiling and four walls we skimmed all look just silky-smooth – it’s such a satisfying process when it goes well. We made a mess of the floor (but that was taken care of by using awhat turned out to be a disposable tarpaulin), and were knackered from the instense experience, but it made pleasant a change from all the training! Thanks Simon – my plaster mentor.

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The cyclo-cross season’s back upon us

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.

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Langdale Pikes

A great day out with work – managing to somehow wangle another beautiful day out in the mountains under the name of working – getting to know future colleagues for the impending merger. Yep – life’s tough at times…..

Sep 7, 2006 – 27 Photos
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A good day’s work in the north pennines

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.

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Injured Back


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.

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Olly’s first birthday party

Click Here Lily’s youngest cousin, Olly, was one last week, and on Saturday there was a lovely party to celebrate – we also had Fiona (Katie’s elder sister), Jenny and Lucy (her daughters) to stay for the weekend. Lovely time.
See the party video here.
     
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Windy Whittle Pike

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 formidable 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.

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ULTIMATE OUTDOORS WHITTLE PIKE RACE 2006

   1    Darren      Kay               Horwich         M         0:38:36
   2    Nick        Barrable          Lothian         M         0:39:06
   3    Steve       Oldfield         Bradford      MV50 (1)     0:40:16
   4    Nick        Leigh             Pudsey          M         0:40:36
   5    Karl        Gray           Calder Valley      M         0:41:21
   6    Jon         Wright         Tod Harriers       M         0:41:40
   7    Alex        Whittam        Tod Harriers       M         0:42:15
   8    Chris       Heys              Horwich         M         0:42:35
   9    Andrew      Grenfell        Rossendale        M         0:42:43
   10   Michael     Corbishley      Rossendale        M         0:42:58
   11   Ian         Greenwood         Clayton      MV40 (1)     0:43:11
   12   Brendon     Taylor          Rossendale        M         0:43:31
   13   Dave        Haygarth            u/a           M         0:43:51
   14   Stuart      Edmondson         Chorley         M         0:44:08
   15   Paul        Burnett        Tod Harriers       M         0:44:44
   16   Phillip     Taylor          Rossendale     MV45 (1)     0:44:59
   17   Shane       Russell         Rossendale       U20        0:45:03
   18   Rick        Solman          Rossendale        M         0:45:17
   19   Richard     Stott           Rossendale     MV45 (2)     0:45:24
   20   Paul        Neild             Bowland         M         0:46:06
   21   Mark        Nutter            Clayton      MV40 (2)     0:46:17
   22   Zdenek      Mazal           Vskmzlubrno       M         0:46:20
   23   Ken         Taylor          Rossendale     MV55 (1)     0:46:28
   24   Tim         Court            Newburgh      MV40 (3)     0:46:44
   25   David       Ralphs           Newburgh      MV45 (3)     0:47:07
   26   Gareth      Jackson            u/a            M         0:47:09
   27   Aaron       Kelly           Rossendale       U18        0:47:28
   28   Darren      Horner            Stadium         M         0:48:13
   29   Pete        Booth             Clayton      MV50 (2)     0:48:30
   30   Phil        Bolton          Rossendale       U18        0:48:47
   31   Andrew      Lee             Rossendale        M         0:48:52
   32   Michael     Soloman         Rossendale        M         0:49:03
   33   John        Thompson         Newburgh         M         0:49:17
   34   Mike        Moran            Rochdale      MV50 (3)     0:49:18
   35   Derek       Schofield       Rossendale     MV50 (4)     0:49:19
   36   Wally       Coppelov         Newburgh      MV45 (4)     0:49:19
   37   Peter       Nuttall         Rossendale     MV45 (5)     0:49:20
   38   Shaun       Jackson         Altrincham        M         0:49:38
   39   Paul        Hulman             u/a         MV40 (4)     0:49:52
   40   Chris       Standish          Bowland         M         0:50:02
   41   Catherine   Wilson          Rossendale      F (1)       0:50:09
   42   Philip      Metcalf             u/a           M         0:50:21
   43   Steffan     Johnson             CFR           M         0:50:42
   44   Jack        Dugdale             u/a          U18        0:50:43
   45   Allan       Yeomans         Rossendale     MV40 (5)     0:50:44
   46   Mike        Cottrill            u/a           M         0:51:09
   47   Vanessa     Peacock           Clayton      FV50 (1)     0:51:52
   48   Andrew      Dugdale           Clayton      MV40 (6)     0:51:58
   49   Chris       Pender           Newburgh         M         0:52:11
   50   Duncan      Pickup              u/a        MV40 (7)     0:52:14
   51   Kieron      Ashworth          Clayton      MV40 (8)     0:52:26
   52   Alan        Heaton            Bowland      MV50 (5)     0:52:37
   53   Andy        Dalton           Newburgh      MV40 (9)     0:52:50
   54   Geoff       Hand             Spectrum      MV50 (6)     0:52:52
   55   Eddie       Lesniak        Achille Ratti   MV50 (7)     0:52:59
   56   Karon       Forster          Spectrum      FV40 (1)     0:53:08
   57   Carole      Fryer             Halifax       F (2)       0:53:16
   58   Stephen     Bury              Clayton     MV40 (10)     0:53:29
   59   Tom         Maden           Rossendale       U18        0:54:08
   60   Neville     Griffiths        Spectrum      MV60 (1)    00:54:09
   61   Mick        Bull             Middleton     MV55 (2)    00:54:19
   62   Wayne       Warburton           u/a           M        00:54:20
   63   Gayle       Benson           Stainland      F (3)      00:54:27
   64   Gerry       Dewhurst        Radcliffe       F (4)      00:54:39
   65   George      Large          Northern Vets   MV60 (2)    00:54:40
   66   Paul        Morton            Bowland         M        00:54:46
   67   Trevor      Metcalfe          Settle       MV55 (3)    00:54:51
   68   Sarah       Massey          Radcliffe       F (5)      00:55:00
   69   Rett        Metcalfe        Hellifield     MV50 (8)    00:55:07
   70   Peter       Bolton           Red Rose      MV45 (6)    00:55:16
   71   Malcolm     Lingard          Spectrum         M        00:55:17
   72   Stephen     Symons          Manc'r YMCA   MV40 (11)    00:55:21
   73   Brian       Kennedy          Newburgh      MV55 (4)    00:55:36
   74   Debbie      Campbell       Skelmersdale     F (6)      00:56:00
   75   Richard     Horrocks           LFRS           M        00:56:10
   76   Mark        Taylor              u/a           M        00:56:23
   77   Tracy       Dean             Stainland     FV40 (2)    00:56:34
   78   John        Leary           Manc'r YMCA    MV55 (5)    00:56:38
   79   Simon       Bond            Rossendale        M        00:56:40
   80   Heather     Parker          Rossendale       U18       00:56:48
   81   Tony        Peacock           Clayton      MV60 (3)    00:56:56
   82   Rebecca     Avanessian      Manc'r YMCA     F (7)      00:57:13
   83   Sharon      McGuire         Rossendale      F (8)      00:57:27
   84   Adam        Godwin          Rossendale        M        00:57:43
   85   George      Thompson          Clayton      MV55 (6)    00:58:18
   86   John        Anketell-Jou     Spectrum         M        00:59:17
   87   Rick        Moore             Clayton     MV40 (12)    00:59:24
   88   Davina      Raidy           Rossendale      F (9)      00:59:27
   89   Katy        Thompson          Clayton      FV50 (2)    00:59:46
   90   Stuart      Smith               u/a           M        01:00:47
   91   Angela      Leonard         Manc'r YMCA    FV40 (3)    01:02:02
   92   Julie       Keys            Rossendale      F (10)     01:02:10
   93   Natalie     Murphy          Rossendale      F (11)     01:02:26
   94   Andrew      Biddle         West Pennine    MV50 (9)    01:02:42
   95   Gerard      Navan           Rossendale     MV60 (3)    01:02:46
   96   Nick        Davy                u/a        MV45 (7)    01:02:55
   97   George      Corbishley      Rossendale     MV60 (4)    01:03:28
   98   Raymond     Johnson             CFR        MV60 (5)    01:03:59
   99   Harry       Johnson          Newburgh      MV70 (1)    01:05:56
  100   Alex        Miller           Newburgh      MV55 (7)    01:06:32
  101   Mark        Taylor              u/a           M        01:06:38
  102   George      Arnold            Preston      MV70 (2)    01:07:07
  103   Frank       Wood              Horwich      MV60 (6)    01:07:52
  104   Pip         Fitzpatrick     Manc'r YMCA     F (12)     01:09:22
  105   David       Dickson         Rossendale     MV65 (1)    01:10:43
  106   Diane       Waite            Stainland     FV40 (4)    01:12:03
  107   Mary        Cowling          Stainland      F (13)     01:12:04
  108   Fiona       Pudge               FRA         F (14)     01:12:04
  109   Peter       Duffy          Northern Vets   MV70 (3)    01:13:43
  110   Eric        Bridge              u/a       MV50 (10)    01:21:41
  111   Darren      Smith           Manc'r YMCA   MV40 (13)    01:22:13
  112   Sue         Todd            Manc'r YMCA    MV45 (8)    01:25:13
  DNF   Lee         Shorrock