A few of the 15 minutes of fame ticked off.

Three Peaks Cyclocross Part 1
Part 1 – the video diary

3 peaks cyclocross - video 2
Part 2 – the race

In a slightly odd and certainly unpredictable series of events, I had the enjoyable and very memorable experience working on a video diary with Sam Bailey of BBC’s Countryfile programme the other week. It was all strange in many ways – not least because I’ve worked for the Countryside Commission and then the Countryside Agency for almost twelve years now and have been keen to promote my work on the programme, but when my turn came, it was because of a bike race!Most of the readers here will know of my obsession with the Three Peaks Cyclocross race, a long, hard, mountainous cycling race every September. Every training ride I do is taken over by thoughts of riding the Three Peaks, and part of my obsession has manifested itself in the race blog I keep. Anyway…. to cut a long story short, it’s because of the blog that, when the BBC heard about the race and were doing a feature on the area, they contacted me to do a video diary.I had a great day filming with them (the five hours or so was useful training and mind-preparation!), and the video diary and race were shown on 8th October. Click on the images to the left to watch the coverage, split into two episodes!

In at the strike

BoltThere’s something amazing about this for someone interested in photography.  It’s quite simple in many ways – almost too simple.  I’ve no reason to think it’s a hoax – statistically it was bound to happen to someone.  It’s just a story about someone experiencing an electric storm nearby and trying to capture it on camera, then as the shutter opens (on admittedly the fourth attempt), a bolt hits just 20 metres away.  Split second timing – or just luck – it’s the ultimate in ‘caturing the moment’.

National Trophy cyclocross round 1 – Pittville Park, Cheltenham

This is quite a ‘precious’ event for me as it goes back in its early days to myself and Pat Alexander organising the first ever cyclocross in Pittville Park. I was slightly disappointed to not have a good race on what should have been a good course for me.

I finished 38th in the end but should have really been a bit better than that. I can’t blame anything and hate using excuses – I just wasn’t fast enough. Need to work on that.

The course itself was really enjoyable to ride and I had the bonus of some welcome support from ex-clubmates at Cheltenham as well as a good family contingent.

Having to work on the fitness now!

Dave Haygarth’s latest tune

This blows my mind a little bit. I was doing a six(ish) monthly search on Google for “Dave Haygarth” – it’s amazing what turns up, when I came across a band from Watford called the Desires, whose lead singer/guitarist is called Dave Haygarth.

You can listen to a not very bad at all song of theirs, too.

Click here….

A brief intermission for some ‘objects’ from Lily’s early life

Lily

Just rearranging a few things on the hard disk and came across these things that I’d put on an early version of this website but were’nt there any more. I think they’re worth having albeit in the archive.

Varying from some pencil drawings of Lily and her cousins Matthew and Angus, to some early artwork by Lily and her very first sporting certificate !!

Slurping noodles and lounging on a mattress, aged two and a bit.

A ‘found’ video – found this footage and it had never been watched so a very quick editing job.  It proves how valuable video is when you’ve got children.  She’s at such a great age in this footage – a real person but so much less grown up than she is now – virtually double the age in this film.  Simple things in it just make Katie and I laugh.

Lily’s fourth birthday – film.

Just finally got round to uploading the video of Lily’s fourth birthday party to youtube. It’s only four and a half minutes long but is a bit of fun with all her friends from Nursery etc.
     

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”

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.