Spirit of Eden, Fanta Pants and Mission Squirrel Cap

I ended my last post saying I hoped to talk less about vinyl and more about adventure this time. Sorry to disappoint — there hasn’t been much happening on the adventure front. That said, SJ and I went a little stir-crazy and ended up buying a ton of vinyl.

Our latest treasure is our first ever half-speed master — Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden — and it sounds incredible. (Half-speed master vinyl is cut with the music and cutting lathe running at half normal speed, which gives the cutting head more time to carve the grooves. This can reduce distortion and bring out extra clarity and detail, especially in the treble, which is why these pressings often sound more open and “audiophile” than standard ones). There’s something so nice about chilling out with records spinning away in our cosy lounge, log burner roaring, and just letting the music fill the space.

I think the awful weather might have spurred our vinyl spree. To date, we’ve had just one proper day of sunshine this year! I made the most of that day, heading out for a walk with the Phantom and Ernie. On another “dry-for-a-bit” day, I took Ernie on our usual route around Coughton — and to my delight, we found a fallen tree that made the perfect bridge across the river. Aces!

Ernest

The Phantom

Doo

Who knew they grew bamboo over the Studley fields?!

Bruv's by different muv's

In other news, I now have a lease car — my first ever “brand new” set of wheels (well, technically leased). It’s a Suzuki Swift like before, but this new version feels positively space-age: keyless entry, hybrid (petrol and electric), and no knobs whatsoever, just touch screens everywhere. We’ve named her Fanta Pants, thanks to her brilliant orange paintwork.

Still haven’t been camping — the weather’s been utterly pants. Rob Dog (and Linda) came to visit though, which was lovely. Moo was even more thrilled than I was, though she’s been acting a bit odd recently… I actually caught her helping my dad with the washing up. Or possibly drying.

Rod Dog and Moo

Moo and Pa

As for running, there’s been very little. Outdoors cycling, almost none. Indoor cycling, however, has been full-on! I’ve completed the Tour de Zwift 2026 challenge and was rewarded with a goofy cap for my avatar. I’m currently at level 70, which means just one more level until my avatar unlocks the coveted squirrel cap. How exciting!

Adventure awaits!

Reflections on January 2026: Wet Weather, Work Woes, and Hammock Tweaks

Spoon and her first vinyl

January has been and gone—and, as expected, February has rolled in. I’m not sure if it’s a sign of getting older, but that month flew by alarmingly fast. So far, 2026 has been chaotic in almost every way.

Work has been particularly challenging. Last year’s key phrase was “unprecedented.” This year, it seems to have been replaced by “business as usual.” Many friends and colleagues have said they’re unhappy—mostly in the context of work. I’ve already heard about three dismissals this year (two within my own patch), and that’s not counting redeployments and a whole host of HR issues. It feels like everyone, everywhere, is struggling with something.

My outdoor adventures have taken a bit of a knock too. I’d planned a few tandem rides with my blind cycling buddy, Roger, but the weather put a stop to that—two cancellations in a row. Staying safe is always better than being sorry, but it’s still frustrating.

The endless wet weather also scuppered a group campout, which means my new hammock remains untested. Poo and pants! I don’t think I’ve managed a wild camp yet this year.

I did, however, learn something useful that might help me—and maybe others—get a better hammock setup when I finally get out there. Historically, I’ve been attaching my Structural Ridge Line (SRL) to the carabiners on my Alpkit Mora hammock. But that’s a no‑go. Here’s why: an SRL works best when it’s connected directly to the hammock’s continuous loops. That keeps the geometry consistent every time you hang it. Clipping to the carabiners changes the effective length each time you adjust the suspension, altering the sag and messing with comfort. Attaching to the loops also keeps everything soft‑to‑soft—avoiding metal wear, shock loading, and twisting—and ensures the ridgeline manages only the hammock’s shape, not the suspension forces. The result: a safer, sturdier, and far more predictable setup, especially when you’re tired or pitching in the dark.

Similarly, my Alpkit Mora underquilt—attached via two straps at each end—will perform better if both straps are clipped to the same continuous loop. Doing so keeps the quilt centred, evenly tensioned, and aligned with the hammock’s shape. When straps are split between the loop and carabiner, the mismatched angles can cause twisting, uneven tension, and cold spots. Keeping everything on that single soft loop should give a warmer, tighter, and more reliable setup.

ParkRuns haven’t gone to plan either. I’ve only done one so far—two were cancelled because of bad weather, and I lost my mojo a couple of times, too.

Cycling’s been a bit better. I’ve managed a few outdoor rides—one ended in a fall, another in a soaking! Zwift has been my saviour though, and I’ve completed four stages of the Tour de Zwift 2026 so far.

Father John, Aye (eye)

Family-wise, things are mostly good. My nephew Jack turned 30 recently—I can’t actually remember the last time I saw him, but it must be at least 15 years ago. My dad has just had one cataract removed, with the second operation pending. Meanwhile, my eldest is about to turn 13. Oh man—more crazy times ahead for sure!

I’m hoping February brings a few more adventures. For now, I’ll finish by sharing my latest vinyl additions. The most recent—and my favourite—is Silent Alarm Remixed by Bloc Party. Spoon received her first record too: Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths, which also happened to be the first Smiths CD I ever bought. The other two records were The Eight Legged Groove Machine by The Wonder Stuff and Blue Moon Safari by Vegyn.

Hopefully my next post will shout out more about adventure and less about vinyl...

From Cake-Thief Canines to Tour de Zwift

Hello bloggers!

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.

The picture at the top of the post is Bart depicting Eddie in a Piece of Mind‑style pose. I prefer Iron Maiden to The Simpsons, but whatever – it’s a cool, almost random image. It sums up the chaotic nature of this blog, yes?

Next, we have Moo again: first demonstrating her head sword‑balancing skills and then celebrating her birthday. She’s still younger than me, and more menace!

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!

Happy New Year 2026!

Happy New Year to all those that read my blog! I hope 2025 treated you well. I hope that 2026 blows your socks off!

It's actually the 2 Jan 2026 as I write this post and I figured I'd review my goals of yesteryear. I had wanted to complete a 'Rat Race' and I'm pleased to say this was achieved. Mr Orange and I completed this 100-mile coast to coast adventure in the Scottish Highlands which incorporated running, trekking, cycling and kayaking. This was awesome and a great way to celebrate our 50ths!

Breakfast on Marcher Castles Way adventure

Didn't cycle the Cantii Way. However, Jamie and I cycled similar events including our rendition of the Marcher Castles Way. We had a lovely trip that incorporated a section in Rhayader with the mountains on fire, this was a spectacle that will sit in my headspace for a while.

Grwyne Fawr Bothy

Lluest Cum Bach Bothy

Managed to sleep in a bothy. Not once, but twice. Phantom and I have spent a night in the UK's smallest bothy, and we met the knowledgeable Goblin King on our second bothy visit. Would like to continue bothy visiting and would love it if my other mates could join too - especially Mr O as he inspired me in the first place and gave me a book about bothy.

Did not complete my A-Z of ParkRun, but came close and only have the letter Z remaining. I ran my most ParkRuns ever in a year in 2025, completing 32 in all. I ran these mostly solo, however SJ, Spoon, The Phantom, Cass, Dan, the Jannaway's and even Flairio joined me for some! I also beat my 2024 fastest time (25:21) with a 2025 fastest time of 23:06. My PB remains 21:39 which I doubt I will beat this year.

Ran a total of 544k in 2025 that beat 2024's effort of 286k. My best year was 2016 (Iron Man year) where I totted up 1,204k. I wonder what I will cover this year.

I didn't cycle an audax 200k or over, though did cycle shorter distances. Cycled a total of 4,804k in 2025 which beat 2024's distance of 4,398k. My average yearly distance (since I kept records) is 7,926 so didn't do great here. In 2013 (LEL year) I managed to cycle 12,498k!

Last thing on 2025's plan was to drink some of the Phantom's nettle tea. This didn't happen. I'll try improved motivation tactics this year! Hmm.

So, what are my plans and goals for this year? Well, they're quite simple really. I just want to love and support my family, work hard (yeah yeah) and cycle, run and wild camp. I have some cycling events that I've entered and asked AI to help me prepare.

My training plan actually started on the day of my last post - 29 December 2025 to be precise. It was easy creating a training plan, I just told some random AI machine that I plan to cycle the Snowdrop Audax in February, the Dirty Reiver not long after and the Solstice Sprint in June and hey presto, it created an action plan for me to follow with options for a shorter or longer week depending on hours I have to spare. Perhaps the plan is a bit optimistic, first suggestion was for me to complete a 90-minute Zwift session targeting my threshold sweet spot. I completed a shorter version, 50 minutes but had to stop twice to get my breath back, lower my heart rate and try to compose myself. Not a good start to a training plan. I weighed myself afterwards and it was clear that I put on a couple of kg during the festive period - sure this hasn’t helped either.

Following couple of cycles were much improved. I cycled a robo-pacer session on Zwift, following Maria who doesn't kick out huge watts - this was much easier. The second ride was on my fixie where I conducted a test. Basically, I was just checking if the current 48 x 18 teeth gearing suited me well. AI suggested I find a flat 30k stretch, cycle same, and feedback my time, distance, elevation, feel and it would work out my RPM's, likely watts etc. The results stated that 48 x 18 'is a great fast endurance' gear for me. It also suggested I swap to a 20t rear cog if I want to be kinder to my knees and cycle hilly routes. I'm going to follow this advice and replace my redundant 18t free wheel with a 20t cog and use same should I start commuting to work again.

Tonight, I have a planned Zwift session. Saturday will hopefully see my first ParkRun of 2026. After that, well, I guess we'll all have to wait and see. I'm sure adventure awaits.

The last days of 2025

It's nearly the end of 2025 and before I comment on the New Year, I wanted to shout out about a few other 'new' things. These new things include a log burner, an axe and a shed. These new things are as equally awesome as my new MSR fry pan. Oh, and now my friends Jamie and Phantom have the self-same MSR fry pans too!

From this...

... to this!

After just 3 days graft, Tim 'the log-burner-man', opened up our chimney, removed back-burner and fitted a really awesome log burner. SJ got to painting. And wham bam, we have a new log-burner sat in our lounge looking rather splendid and radiating and all this was complete before we had guests (family) over for Christmas! The New Year will see us replace the silver handle for a black one, but otherwise, pretty much complete.

With a new log-burner, came a new axe. New axe meant new learning as my wood chopping skills were naff and I chopped my pinky finger. Thankfully, I didn't chop the pinky off!

Pleased to inform the other 'new' thing was the construction of a new bike shed in my garden. This shed has been dubbed *Kim's shed* as my sister Kim kindly gifted this to us. This shed is ace and houses some of my toys. Thanks Kim. My dear folks have gotten me a water bucket 'thing' for my shed and are going to supply some draining pipes and guttering too. Thanks folks! (A bit of a clean-up will follow in the New Year).

My Zwift spinning and training has paused somewhat during this festive period. I completed an FTP test and scored '272' on the second go (as my dad interrupted the first attempt) - was a bit disappointed with this as had a higher score previously. Hopefully my FTP score will rise next year when I start my training plan and if I manage to increase my max V02 running and cycling scores, I'll be well chuffed. (Highest V02 max was recorded this year and was 47 running and 53 cycling respectively). I leave 2025 as a Zwiftie at level 65.

ParkRun 104

ParkRun 105 (Christmas Day)

ParkRun 106

Completed 3 Parkrun's since my last post which means I have now run a total of 106 ParkRuns at 41 different locations. My PB remains 21:39 which I doubt I will ever beat. Fastest time this year was 23:06. Spoon joined me on ParkRun 104, and we ran around Arrow Valley. Spoon agreed to run this as Arrow Valley were not running an event Christmas day this year. I wore a Christmas hat, but Spoon was not sporting one herself this year and this was the first ParkRun where she didn't grab my hand for support. I guess she's growing up. Spoon pinky promised to run with me on Christmas day, but she broke that promise too despite blackmailing me with a Maccies (stating if it was a Starbucks she's have come). So Christmas day ParkRun was run on my lonesome at Evesham and it was very bitterly cold. I'm pleased I ran but would have been happier if Spoon had joined. ParkRun 106 was back at Arrow Valley and completed in a time of 24:41 which I was happy with.

Managed another wild camp during this December month. Phantom and I decided we would camp in a little area we walked through recently with Spoon and Ernie. This was a lovely little spot we dubbed 'Peckers Pit' because it's a little wooded area at the top of a hill, in a kind of pit that has tree's that have been pecked by woodpeckers no less, revealing the wonderful holes.

This was a slighlty warmer camp than the previous week and I made a better job of constructing my tarp. Phantom used a tarp too and tried out a hammock under quilt for the first time. I changed my SLR towards more of a 90% sag compared to the previous 83% and it felt better but still not perfect. My feet were warmer in their Alpkit booties and lowering the tarp sides was a good move. *I've since done some more research and apparently, due to my height of 6' 2'', a larger 11' hammock is probably indicated, rather than my current 10' one. However, it's suggested that I invest in a 258cm SLR which will lock in 86% sag, which will 'provide the maximum diagonal space for a taller frame in a 10ft hammock'. Also, I already knew of the strange rule of putting feet higher than head and research says to set foot (strap) end at eye level and head end at shoulder level as 'the foot end should be roughly 8 -10 inches higher than the head end. This shifts the deepest part of the hammock under your torso, letting your feet stay in the wide, flat fabric'. Furthermore, when setting straps, advice says to use the 'finger gun' test where the thumb touches strap and index finger the suspension to ensure an ideal angle of 30 degrees. And that's not all, research says to place a 'sit mat inside the foot of your sleeping bag to prevent cold heels and provide insulation where the under-quilt ends'* So much information, already looking forward to next camp to try all this out. Hoping I won't need to invest in a 11' hammock.

Cooking this night went well. I prepared another Shakshuka which Phantom gave a '10/10'. He cooked sausage which was nice and both dishes went well together. I managed to cook bread in the morning which despite being a success, was messy hard work. I preferred the Phantoms sausage and egg. Our MSR fry pans are just the best, and I have plans of cooking fish and scramble dishes on another occasion.

As usual, heard the sounds of creatures in the night - definitely an owl and deer. Phantom says he heard a shotgun and we both heard unidentifiable noises for sure. Was a real windy night and we tucked in relatively early. So nice waking up in woodland on Christmas Eve.

Didn't camp loads this year, however, each time I did was lovely. Have dreams of camping more in the New Year. SJ and I have a fire pit that needs a test too!

A caught Nessie!

Christmas day followed Christmas Eve as it usually does, and this was a nice day spent with family. I took no photo's save that of a whacky present - a creature in my glass. Love it! Good job ParkRun takes place early in the day.

Ma, SJ, Pa, Moo and Spoon

Boxing day followed Christmas day as it usually does. My parents (and later Kim) came over, which was nice. Good to eat, feast and be merry.

No doubt New Years Eve will rock up next, and SJ and I are planning to celebrate this with her family. So, I'm guessing this is almost certainly going to be my last post this year. Hope you've had a good 12 months and here's hoping to a better, brighter 2026! Adventure awaits!