Summer sun makes me feel fine..

The sun is shining and it appears that the heavy snow of winter is now a distant memory.. I'm riding my bike outdoors in the evening rather than an hour on the turbo in the kitchen and I'm running in shorts rather than multiple layers of leg protection. The season is almost here, it has crept up in stealth mode leaving me in a bit of a panic over the lack of training I've achieved in the last few months and also the running injury which has stopped me getting out on foot for nearly 6 weeks!! Fell walking has replaced fell running and I feel like a caged animal :(

Work has been busier than ever but I'm determined that it will not impede my training for this year's events which currently stands at:

1.Keswick triathlon
2.Chester olympic triathlon
3.A day in the lakes middle distance
4.National aquathlon Salford
5.Helvellyn triathlon

I am looking to add more, but this is as far as I've got.. the likelehood is.. as always, the others will also remain in the NW region.. that is, after all, where the best events are held. If nothing else it is comforting to be beaten by the same people yet again..

This week I worked on my bike handling skills, attempting to turn a tandem within a confined area with assistance from coach Paul. It's a bit like having a motorcycle passenger, if they don't lean you end up in the road side vegitation. I've discovered that riding a tandem is the cycling version of a pantomime horse and the person on the back receives the most stick. At a set of lights a car driver feels compelled to tell me: "he's not pedalling mate!!" At this point I feel compelled to correct him.. "I think you'll find that the pedals are linked by a section of chain making it impossible for one person to pedal and the other to freewheel".. "He's not trying mate!! would therefore be a more accurate representation of the situation"... The guy didn't take it well at all.. some people have no sense of humour.

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

Cakeman goes global..

Following my last blog (please see blog post below) there has been an incredible international response regarding the cakeman..

Follow the link to see the latest developments: http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1269338764140RA95

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

It's what legends are made of..

Even at the age of 37.. my dad still comes and watches me do triathlon events. He's been following me since my first event in Pendle, 1990.. I was 17 years of age but nothing much has changed.

Support generally consists of him standing in the spot with best viewpoint and screaming "Goworrrnnnn Cock" as loud as he can everytime he sees me.. whilst this is widely accepted as a term of endearment oop North, it has turned a few heads at races down South and almost resulted in his removal from such events on a few occasions..

He watched me as a youngster chasing the adults and as my years have advanced somewhat, the tables have been turned, the situations are different but the support is generally the same..

He is always at epic events and has now somewhat developed his only celebrity status, by turning up in the famous red micra, with a boot full of cake for weary competitors. He's always ready to greet the finishers with tea, refreshments and a smile..

He is my dad..
The Cakeman..

Like the Lilt man in many ways, but slightly less tropical..

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

It comes out of nowhere..

Well it does.. I am a self confessed follower of the rat race and you think that you are doing all the right things, your priorities are in the right place and your direction is of most benefit to everyone around you. Just when you least expect it something comes out of nowhere and makes you realise that you were wrong.. Occasionally you can travel so far down a tunnel that you can't actually see any other perspective but you just keep going until you reach the other side, step back and realise this wasn't actually the planned destination.. and I'm not really that happy to be here.. Sometimes it's just easier to carry on anyhow as it's what you know and in some ways a lot less hassle..

If you're lucky something left hooks you across the jaw and realigns your thought patterns, reminding you of the grand plan, if not, you may just carry on with normal service..

You only get limited chances, so take 5 minutes and make sure you're digging in the right direction. The funny thing about the rat race is that whether you win or lose, you're still a rat..

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

The last race of 2009

The Whinberry Naze Dash held on December 26th in Rossendale was the last race of 2009 and 140 people turned up to run in the snow.. the 4 mile fell race was pretty much 2 miles up and 2 miles down and a large amount of people did the event in fancy dress.. I hadn't realised that was the preferred code and felt like scrooge in normal attire..

Straight up a steep ice covered tarmac lane for the first half mile and the juniors all took off like hares, only to go backwards from that point onwards! I was climbing well and in third place at the summit, I didn't let the fact that a green elf was leading dampen my spirits..

Round the trig point and Santa (the real one) handed me a tube of smarties, as I started the descent I lost a place and dropped to 4th as I fumbled with my zip pocket, trying to get the smarties into a safe place. Running back down I was trying as hard as I could not to give up any more places and as I reached terminal velocity the 118 man came past clinging onto his wig..

This did not dint my confidence as the 118 man is very fast downhill so I continued to let loose through the snow with no thought for personal safety.. suddenly.. I slipped and 'BANG' i'm down.. the pressure of impact blew the lid off my smarties and they exploded into the snow..

Get up.. get up!!! (voice in my head).. I'm on my feet and just about to start running when the Green Cross Code Man roars past.. for some reason I feel as though I have to look both ways before starting off again.. this loses another place!!

Onto the road and the icy descent to the finish.. I come home in 9th.. having lost 6 places on the way down, but I'm happy with the run and a fantastic way to see out the year. As I watch the fancy dress runners complete, one young chap finishes wearing only a leather thong and fell shoes.. he turns his back to me and exhausted, bends over to put his hands on his knees.. that totally ruined my day and potentially scarred me for life..

Here endeth theenduranceblog

Sometimes it feels like I'm flying..

Some days it really does feel as though I'm flying.. hills are no challenge, I'm breathing comfortably and covering the ground at a gallop. When you have spring in your stride and things feel effortless it the greatest feeling ever.. those days when everything seems to come together, the planets are in alignment and your bio-rhythms collide to make things perfect. Unfortunately those days are few and far between and generally the next day feels totally different.. I can't understand it, I wish I could bottle it and I certainly can't guarantee or even predict it!!

Make sure when you get it.. you enjoy it.. don't dismiss it.. appreciate it, could you never know when you'll next get it and you may spend the next month or two trying to find it again. On Saturday.. I had it, by Tuesday it had gone.. but it'll be back, I'm just not sure when.. for now I'll just keep going out and doing my thing, enjoying the scenery, taking silly photos and waiting for the next day when I feel like i'm flying..

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

Wanna buy a letter 'S'?

Sesame Street is currently celebrating it's 40th birthday. We all remember the various characters that were part of our childhood but did you know that Sesame Street was developed by some of the greatest educational psychologists of that time? It was an experiment which studies how children learn and incredible time and resources were applied to making each series.

Children were studied and eye patterns were mapped.. were they watching the word which was appearing letter by letter or were they too busy watching 'oscar the grouch'?

It was this intricate detail which made the programme so popular and captivated children around the world. You may think that sesame street has nothing at all to do with triathlon training.. you'd be right, but I haven't been thinking about much recently..

Here endeth theenduranceblog..