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You can but Tri

It was Lily’s fault. She decided to have a bit of a rebirth in autumn with her running, and entered the Manchester Marathon. She ticked that box with military precision at the end of April, with a brilliant and consistent run. The first Haygarth marathon completion, in this branch of the family. But before that had happened, she told me she wanted something to aim for after that was done. So, slightly tongue-in-cheek, I suggested we did a triathlon.

31 Dec ’246 Jan ’25

2024 – a race oddity

I don’t really like to look back too often. Whilst we all tend to love a good remenisce, I try to focus on the future. Last year at this time, I was coming to the conclusion that I just needed to get on with the things I like doing – to walk the talk – to enter races, and do races. Racing has been my mantra, really, when it comes to bikes. I mean, I do like a good bike ride, but I need to know what it’s ‘for’.

30 Sep ’241 Oct ’24

24 / heaven – the Three Peaks Cyclo-cross

My 24th completion of the most wonderful cycle race in history and again a contented, warm, relieved and melancholy Dave is here to get his thoughts down before they blend into the myriad of complex memories of the previous 23. The race that keeps on giving.

20 May ’2421 May ’24

The 2024 Gralloch – we go again

My first, in fact, THE first Gralloch last year was fun. Big fun. But it felt like a bit of a learning exercise, and this year my firness was much better. I was excited, and, dare I say relaxed? I was just going to throw myself into it with all that I learned in 2023. But that was about as good as it got in terms of results and outcomes. A day of misfortune and balls-ups.

8 Apr ’244 Jun ’24

Krakow with Katie – another country, and a great time

After so much goind on this spring, I feel spoilt. Spoilt to have so many things to do, and to have so many people to share them with, Flanders, France, Scotland… I’m a lucky man. The short but very sweet trip to Krakow was possibly the most surprising.

6 Mar ’246 Mar ’24

Lil and Dave Les Houches ski trip 2024

Feeling like I fell on top of the ‘lucky git’ pile. It’s a long story, but I mentioned to Katie about a year ago that I felt that Elsie got a lot more of my time that Lily did, because of our shared love of cycling, and the trips that Elsie and I have made to things like the cyclo-cross worlds in Hoogerheide, or the Tour de France in Paris. Katie suggested I should take Lily on a ‘school time’ ski break.

5 Feb ’246 Feb ’24

Tabor and Prague – Czechking it out in style

Winter weekend breaks don’t come in much better style than filling it with cyclo-cross fun…!

Fantastic mad 48 hours covering so much in Prague and Tabor – for the World Cyclo-cross championships.

29 Jan ’2429 Jan ’24

Another year in paradise

Another lovely day in Buile Hill on Saturday brings the cyclo-cross season for me and Elsie to a close.

The third year running that this event has been dry, fast, and the death-by-a-thousand-corners course finally gave me the ride I’d waited for here, with a sweet end to my cyclo-cross season riding the v50 and then the Elite race cats.

23 May ’236 Mar ’24

Gralloched

How apt. More on that later.

A biggie

This was the second year of the UCI Gravel series and the first time a round had been held in the UK. The Gralloch was going to be exciting, star-studded, and a proper decent race. That it took place 3 hrs drive from home was a luxury and a lure. Plus, loads of the ‘cross people were there, too. It’s always a small world in off road cycling.

6 Dec ’226 Dec ’22

Cross at cyclo-cross – I’m on my knees

Not sure what to make of my cyclo-cross at the moment. On the one hand, I have great times and love the company, scene, people and racing. It’s pure, it’s serious, but it’s fun and friendly. But I’m fighting some proper demons at the moment with injury. I’ve had injuries before and worked out a way through or round them. But the latest thing (knee, totally out of the blue) really feels like a proper blocker.

26 Sep ’2229 Sep ’22

3 Ups and 3 downs

I shouldn’t let the 3 Peaks Cyclo-cross get to me like this. I should know better. I’ve had my day in many ways and know that I’m never going to have another belter of a result in this beautiful race after 22 times around those hills. But this is what the race does to you. It gets inside you and niggles away.

10 Jul ’2216 Mar ’23

Wasdale.

A big day out. A big and hard day out. But its done with now. I knew the day would come when i was satisfied to just ”finish” something. I guess this comes with age.