Non-runners can never understand how hard it is to get rid of your favourite pair of old running shoes. We’ve been through so much together.
Elina’s birthday at kitty cafe.
The triathlon season kicks off in Skipton.
Map of my first 100-mile bike ride.
Mark Knopfler at Leeds Arena.
Finishing my first full distance triathlon.
Another Yorkshireman photo because a) it was an ironman-distance race, and b) Venla looks cute.
Masters graduation ceremony.
Group holiday in Weymouth.
Venla playing on the beach.
IRONMAN 70.3 Weymouth finish line.
My dad completes his first sprint triathlon.
Venla’s 3rd birthday.
New 10k PB at the Abbey Dash.
I’ve never really had a Christmas jumper. I have a Finnish jumper, with raindeer on, that I trot out each Christmas to join in the festivities. But ideally, Christmas jumpers should be horribly loud garish.
When I saw this one, I couldn’t resist:
It reads:
All I want for Christmas is the means of production
For those who do not recognise the quote, that is a reference to Karl Marx.
Of course, there is a huge amount of irony in someone taking the work of Marx, commoditising it into a jumper that they have then sold me using a global marketplace like Facebook. But surely Marx himself saw this coming?
The final race of the World Championships was the men’s elite road race. Road races are not always the most exciting because the peloton rides together, so you get one big bunch and it is all over in under a minute. However, as it started from Leeds city centre, walking up to The Headrow at 9am did not seem too big an ask.
Last week, Venla and I headed up to the Brownlee circuit to cheer everyone on who was competing in the second Hyde Park Harriers Brownlee duathlon: a 2km run, 10km bike and final 2km run. It was a tough event, but we kept pushing to the end and managed to eat six pieces of cake between the two of us.
Venla is at the stage where she can go all day without a nap but is very cranky towards the end if she does. Sometimes she has one, sometimes she doesn’t. This means she often gets home from daycare very tried and sometimes has a nap out of sheer exhaustion.
For example, here is a nap she had while standing up.
Another time, I allowed her to have a 30-minute nap on the sofa. But then I needed here awake so she didn’t wake up too early the next morning. So, I picked her up and sat her next to the kitchen where I was making dinner. She went to sleep anyway.
Feeding giraffes during Elina’s 30th birthday celebration.
Running my first sub-two hour half marathon at the Canal Canter.
On the bike at Skipton triathlon, my first sprint distance race.
Powering up the hill at the Tour de Yorkshire.
Riding the Up North Yorkshire sportive with Bogdan.
The finish line of Wetherby triathlon, by first standard distance race.
Chris & Cara’s wedding.
Venla meets her cousins for the first time.
Sundowner middle distance triathlon.
Dissertation bound and ready to be handed in.
Yorkshire marathon.
Running the Abbey Dash with my family.
Venla growing up fast.
Family party for Katie’s 30th birthday.
As it was my first marathon event, I decided to splash the cash on the official photos.
This one is near the start. You go from the university, into town via the Minster, and then out into the countryside. So, at this point, I’m feeling okay.
As far as I know, this horse can’t talk. But it’s a nice picture, so I thought I would post it anyway.
You can go all the way to Laitila, but Tesco are still following you around.