PPP CX

Photo of Rob Jebb courtesy of Stolly

The Three Peaks bike race has been a big favourite day out for me for a good while now. I've never ridden it (I half-joked in the past that I trained up for the Bob Graham to get out of doing the bike race) but I have been up to watch and support various friends several times

Today Sam came up too and we picked up my friend Dave on the way. He has an old pal James who lives in Switzerland but who grew up in the Skipton area and who is a regular entrant. I'd not seen James for a couple years so it was good to have a catch-up before the start

After watching at watched at Cold Cotes, Ribblehead and returning back to the finish we missed just by a minute or so Rob Jebb win for his 11th time but did see Nicky Craig come in for 2nd place. James did his best time for the event and we had a cheeky pint with him at Helwith Bridge before coming home

I'd been saying all morning I'll never do the event now but a running pal (who coincidentally we saw last weekend said hey you'd be fine. You're a skinny bald bloke just like me. He's obviously not seen me in Lycra lately but it was good to hear. Maybe one day  I'll buy a crosser and train up for what has to be said is an epic challenge

Hill reps

I went over to Ilkley Moor to do a couple of my old BG hill-reps last night while Sam was at the rugby club getting physio for a shoulder injury he picked up last Saturday. Two weeks ago I had a go at the reps, but struggled like hell if I'm honest! Last night I felt a bit better thankfully

It was a mild, breezy but slightly damp night and I tried out my new Alpkit Manta head-torch. The light level is good but it appeared heavy and awkward to stabilise on the head. I think it'd be fine for walking, camping, general outdoor activity but it just felt "clumsy" even at my (very) moderate pace

Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66

Three Peaks walk

I have an odd love hate thing about the Yorkshire Three Peaks. I enjoyed the fell race the year it was the World Mountain Running Champs (2008) but had a shocker the following year. I'd also walked round three or four times before yesterday, when Stef and I had a very steady only just 12 hour circuit with some of her work-mates. It was a good day actually and (I think) very useful base-training for next years Lakeland 100. No blisters or foot problems at all and a plan to maybe do a repeat on a monthly basis plus start planning a winter run round in the dark

Update: later this week I got an invite via email for me and Stef to join the Three Peaks club. I think I'll get my certificate and badge. The certificate might liven up my corner of our fairly drab office at work!

Nanoadventure

Partly-inspired by Alistair Humphries' book Stef and I nipped out this evening for a walk up a local hill and a picnic tea while watching the sunset. It was great to fire up my Jetboil and warm up a tin of tomato soup plus make coffee to go with homemade banana cake

We've got plans for some other adventures during the upcoming winter including bivvying, a headtorch Addingham Skyline run and hopefully a mid-winter Three Peaks attempt. Hot food and drink might well be a common factor in these outings 

I'm gonna (cry myself blind)

There's a lovely tribute to Robert Young the Primal Scream guitarist who passed away at the weekend on Caught by the river. I love the fact that he "felt it his duty as a rock’n’roll guitarist to behave in a certain way and not to let his fans down. His commitment to the cause was absolute". A proper rock 'n' roller

Sorted

As anyone who has ever taken even a cursory look at my blog will know I'm a bit of a music fan. We had CD's stacked up everywhere until we got John Preston to knock up up some shelves in our downstairs bathroom. There was room on the top shelf for a few of our maps too

Pressure and slide

UTMB success

I'm dead chuffed for Martyn, who finished the UTMB with a flourish last weekend. The photo says everything you need to know about how her felt about completing the race 

Andy Holden photo

Following my post regarding Andy Holden fundraising for Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue I put a few quid in the pot for this image of me running at Malham Show in 2011. Andy is one talented photographer if he can manage to make me look even slightly athletic!

Lakeland 100 2015 entries confirmed

After a slight hiccup with our entries earlier in the week both Stef and I have our names on the entry list for next year's Lakeland 100. It'll be time to start thinking about socks, shoes, poles etc soon!

The Clash

Andy Holden fundraising

A photo taken by Andy at the 2011 Beamsley Beacon fell race

Andy Holden is doing some fundraising for the local fell rescue team Upper Wharfedale. There's a link here to his justgiving page. Andy, aka wharfeego, is a very well known figure on the local fell running (and increasingly nature photography scene) and as a supporter of UWFR I think this is a smashing idea

A Survivor's Guide to Hundreds and Other Long Walks

A Survivor's Guide to Hundreds and Other Long Walks a brilliant article from a Ken Falconer, Long Distance Walkers Association stalwart with 20+ hundred miler finishes