A quick look at the calendar tells me it’s 20 January 2026 and I’ve neglected this blog since the year began. That’s mostly because there hasn’t been an awful lot to rattle on about, and I haven’t really been on any adventures yet either.
A quick scroll through my phone shows I’ve only taken a handful of pictures this year, so I’ll share them here to give me at least something to talk about. Pictures always make a blog post look brighter, don’t they?
The first picture I snapped was on 1 January and shows a silly‑looking me and Ernie the dog. He’s already been a bad boy this year: he ate Moo’s birthday cake, which resulted in an expensive trip to the vet. This might be the last picture you see of him…
Next up is our new log burner. This fire is awesome and keeps us toasty warm, and I’m expecting a new handle sometime soon – upgrading from silver to black.
The next photo is a postcard tucked inside a vinyl I ordered. I very much liked early Lemonheads in my youth, and I don’t mind indulging now and then.
Then there are a few shots of Moo in the Dragon Woods. I’ve walked there a few times this year with both Moo and Ernie. On some occasions we’ve seen deer, and lots of them. I’m hoping to wild camp there on Friday; the weather isn’t looking great, so I just hope my friends don’t bail. I’ll be using a new hammock - the Warbonnet XL Traveller that I’ve recently ordered. It’s an 11' hammock, better suited to a person of my height than my previous 10' Alpkit Mora. According to AI, I’ve graduated to the “pro” league of hammock camping. Hmm, we’ll see.
Training‑wise, I’m following an AI‑developed plan created by Co‑Pilot. I’ve sacked Claude for giving me naff advice. At the moment, my focus is to complete all stages of the Tour de Zwift, ticking off the short, medium and long distances for each stage. I’m in week 3 of 6 and so far, so good.
I’ve only been outdoors on the bike twice. The first trip was just to the bike shop and back. I cycled there on a 48 x 18 fixie and rolled out on a 48 x 20 freewheel. I’ve got a flip‑flop hub, so it’s the best of both worlds. The second trip – and I did just that – I fell off while cycling with the Phantom (this is becoming a theme) and then took medicine in the Lark (this had better not become a theme). Happy birthday, Phantom – we drank to that!
ParkRun at Arrow Valley was cancelled for the first two weeks of the year due to ice, so my first ParkRun of 2026 was at Warwick Racecourse last Saturday. I guessed it would take me 25 minutes, and my official time was 24:59. I also guessed there would be 600 participants; there were 606. Friends have asked me to pick their lottery numbers. I came in 166th place, for those that might be curious. Flairio was going to run with me but felt sick. Not too sick for a 'Spoons breakfast afterwards though – bonus!
I’ll end this post with the most recent photo on my phone: Ernie, the bad boy. I’m sure he’ll be better behaved from here on in…
Adventure awaits!
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