Goodbye 2024

Lunar and Doo - Forest Warrior Mud Runners

Happy end of year to everyone reading this post. Am hoping 2024 treated you well. I hope 2025 blows your socks off! 

2024 was a 'meh' year for me. My wife (SJ) had 2 brain operations which was a little scary for us all, but super pleased to report that she's fine now and making a good recovery. This year was my most inactive since I started recording my adventures and my annual cycling and running distances. However, maintaining positivity here, I've done a bunch of stuff since I created this blog in 2009 and it's always nice to look at my list of achievements. (I really do like a 'good' list).

So, here is my wonderful list of recorded activity since 2009:

• 2009 - Cycled 5,086k (3,160 miles) Land's End to John O'Groats Cycle (LEJOG) 2009; Clumber Park Sprint Duathlon March 2009 (1:20:57); Birmingham and Black Country Half Marathon July 2009 (1:57:32)
• 2010 - Cycled 8,509k (5,287 miles) Paris to Geneva Cycle 2010; LEJOG 2010; Stratford 220 Triathlon May 2010 (1:16:33); Tri-Live Duathlon March 2010 (1:14:11)
• 2011 - Cycled 8,378k (5,207 miles) Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) Cycle 2011 (77:14)
• 2012 - Cycled 6,953k (4,309 miles)
• 2013 - Cycled 12,498k (7,766 miles) London-Edinburgh-London (LEL) Cycle 2013 (108:23)
• 2014 - Cycled 9,253k (5,750 miles)
• 2015 - Cycled 5,531k (3,436 miles) and Ran 1,170k (727 miles) First ParkRun  (28 Feb 2015); Avenger Triathlon June 2015 (3:15:09); First Marathon (over distance too) - Forest of England Marathon October 2015 (5:55); Autumn Shakespeare Marathon November 2015 (3:59:53)
• 2016 - Cycled 6,515k (4,048 miles) and Ran 1,204k (748 miles) Iron Man (Bolton) 2016 (13:31:13); Torino-Nice Rally 2016; Go-Tri Duathlon April 2016 (50:04); Milton Keynes Marathon May 2016 (3:55:02)
• 2017 - Cycled 8,940k (5,555 miles) and Ran 514k (319 miles)
• 2018 - Cycled 10,958k (6,809 miles) and Ran 417k (259 miles) TransAtlantic Way Cycle Race 2018
• 2019 - Cycled 8,034k (4,992 miles) and Ran 484k (301 miles) Bivvy-A-Month 2019
• 2020  - Cycled 10,082k  (6,265 miles) and Ran 466k (289 miles) Covid!
• 2021 - Cycled 9,021k (5,605 miles) and Ran 319k (198 miles) Covid!
• 2022 - Cycled 8,427k (5,236 miles) and Ran 286k (184 miles) TransAlba Cycle Race 2022 (DNF)
• 2023 - Cycled 7,368k (4,578 miles) and Ran 596k (370 miles)
• 2024 - Cycled 4,398k (2,733 miles) and Ran 286k (178 miles) GBDuro 2024 (DNS)

So, yeah, 2024 was a largely inactive year. That being said, I did take part in some wonderful stuff and keen memories float around my headspace. Some of the delights include running with the Kingfisher Harriers - as short lived as this was, it was nice to do some track running and on a few occasions, both my girls joined me, which was awesome! 

Melody and Lunar complete a ParkRun together with their dad

Both my girls ran ParkRun with me too - is hard to believe Melody ran at all, but, she completed 2 ParkRuns with me. Melody may well never run a ParkRun again, but at least she completed 2!

Melody's First ParkRun (Arrow Valley, 17 Feb 2024)

Lunar ran a Xmas day ParkRun with me and states 'it's tradition', having run 3 consecutive Xmas ParkRuns to date. I hope she'll run another with me, even if it means wating until Xmas 2025! 

Xmas ParkRun 2022

Xmas ParkRun 2023

Xmas ParkRun 2024

I cycled the usual Snowdrop Audax and also completed the Rollright Rumble Audax too, continued to cycle on the odd occasion with my blind buddy Roger, cycled to Jon Bonhams grave and cycled the Out of the Ditch gravel event. 

Doo, Phantom and Meekon - out of their minds and out of the ditch!

Even cycled to Bristol with Jamie and saw the Breeders play at a festival. Wild camped on a few occasions, and every occasion was fun. The Forest Warrior Mud Run that I completed with Lunar was probably my favourite event this year.

What will 2025 look like, well, I'm creating a bucket list of activity right now....

Nifty, fifty and drinking whiskey

Something strange happened, and I'll tell you when, 'twas the night before Christmas. I was 15 mins away from finishing work, when my buddy Ron phoned and suggested we had a wee drink in our local, the Lark. Sounded like a good plan. Melody felt it was a good plan too and joined me on our meet at the local pub. When we rocked up, Ron was sat their with cousin Ade who was drinking the pint that Ron would have gifted me. Anyways, it was a merry meet and I decided my drink of choice would be whiskey this night. After a short while, my dad rocked up too and the company was great. A few drinks later and time to head home.

Once home the Christmas festivities continued and SJ cooked me a lovely Christmas curry. Friends and family text Christmas greetings and all was good. Then I got a text from one of my besties - Chris Hodge. He sent a link to a coast to coast, Rat Race event with the message 'something to consider while your stuffing your face and getting drunk...'. How did he know what I was doing? '...and pondering new challenges'. '...fancy tackling this one with me... I've wanted to do it for over a decade. 50 next year, maybe it's the year'. Wow, I'm fifty next year and just figured in my current state, this would be a challenge worth doing. My headspace decided I would do this and just short of a pinky promise I informed Hodge of same. Just gotta get a pass from my wife SJ. Nifty, fifty and drinking whiskey!

Christmas day came and amongst the presents I had was a book from the Hodge called 'Bothy'. This reminded me of my plans to adventure to a bothy this year, however, I did not follow these plans through. Hmm, this book has kinda rekindled the interest once again. How weird Hodge spoke about adventure last night and then I open a present following day which shouted out adventure again. Not long after opening presents, Lunar and I went for an adventure in the form of a 5K Christmas ParkRun in our elf hats. This was a great run with 530 like minded folks (including the 'Mitchum 3'), most of which in Christmas attire. I text Hodge and said this run would be good practice for the Rat Race event...

The Rat Race event is a 100 mile coast to coast event across the Scottish Highlands that includes running, cycling and kayaking. I've been running the odd 5k ParkRun throughout the year and occasionally go out with the Crabbs Cross Chasers running club. I love cycling and want to cycle more miles moving forward. Not sure if I've ever been on a kayak? Hmm, this would make the challenge challenging! A quick Google search indicated that I could enjoy 'a 90 minute kayaking session along the canal towards Alvechurch'. It really feels like this challenge is calling my name.

All the thinking above inspired me to resurrect this failed blog. Have always found recording my thoughts and plans quite motivating. Right here, right now, am thinking I should commit to a challenge (Rat Race coast to coast) and write a short bucket list of plans for 2025.