We’ve just rolled out a redesign of the Leeds Autism Practice website. It has my face everywhere. I wasn’t sure about the idea but multiple people have tried to sell me on it being a good idea.
We also now have a parents’ consultation option for child assessments.
It’s IRONMAN Leeds day! And what a day to behold. This was the second staging of the race since it moved over from Bolton in 2025. If you’re unfamiliar with IRONMAN, its a long-format triathlon race which means you swim 3.8km, cycle 180km, and then run a marathon. In under 17 hours or you’re out.
Except there was no swim this year. The levels of blue green algae in Waterloo Lake were significantly above threshold. There was a great deal of anger about this in the community, much of it directed at IRONMAN as an organisation. I like to bash IRONMAN as much as the next person, but this isn’t their fault. Water pollution is a massive problem in the UK and is compounded by climate breakdown. Until we, as a society, choose to tackle these issues, more swims will be cancelled.
Personally, it meant I could have a lie in as there as no swim to watch. I turned up just after lunch and had an explore of the event village with plenty of time to get comfortable before Adam Baker and Anna Lawson break the tape. Lawson ran a 2:59:22 marathon to take the win. Because it was a rolling TT start, it wasn’t clear for a long time who had actually won the race. In the end, Toby Nisbet pipped Baker by two minutes.
I took a short break for tea and then rejoined the event as it was getting dark to watch the final 50 or so athletes come in. David Neal (M70-74) was the last athlete across the line, but significantly quicker than some of the other athletes due to the TT start. It rained quite heavily for the last hour or so but it didn’t stop the party.
Today is the 4th anniversary of when I completed IRONMAN Copenhagen and so I’ve decided it is finally time to take my wristband off. It’s been me good luck charm throughout my doctorate but as that is long over now as well, it’s time for a change.
As a bonus, I managed to get it off my wrist in one piece using the plastic bag method.
We went down to the Blue Lagoon for the solar eclipse. I had a lovely swim. The eclipse itself wasn’t very exciting, though. It did definitely get a bit darker, but without eclipse glasses it just looked like the regular sun from the quick snap I took with my camera.
A lovely parkrun. It’s a three-loop course and largely flat. Busy but a possible PB course if you started at the front. Lots of nice scenery, too, as well as toilets and a cafe. This ticks off my south on the compass club challenge so I just need an east to finish it now.
Another rager. It’s difficult to keep up now I’m getting older: the pre-drinking at the care home, the shots at the club, the greasy takeaway on the way home. You would think the birthday girl would have slowed down by 99, but apparently not.
I’ve mostly finished furnishing my new office and am very pleased with how it looks now. It is designed with neurodivergent clients in mind: natural light and smart bulbs that I can control the temperature and intensity of, a three-seater sofa to stretch out on, and a bowl of fidgets. The sideboard arrived last week which was one of the final pieces of the puzzle.
Oldham parkrun takes place in Alexandra Park, Oldham. It is well worth a visit from Leeds as you can take the A672 and get some beautiful views over the Pennines.
Alexandra Park itself is lovely with toilets, a large playground, a cafe, tennis courts, lakes and lots of other interesting features. The playground and the toilets could use some love, though. The parkrun uses the slogan “like hills? Love Oldham parkrun” so I was surprised at how flat it was: three laps of mostly running from one side of the park to the other, with a hill at each end. So there are hills but nothing compared to Temple Newsam, Chevin, Middleton Woods, etc.
It is a three-lap course and there were plenty of marshals on the route. Thank you to everyone at Oldham for having us.
Menopause and ADHD: How to navigate hormone flux and neurodivergence is a book by Helen Wall.
Wall is a GP and menopause specialist, and this book shares her professional expertise in an accessible wall. It is written with an ADHD/menopause brain in mind: under 200 pages divided into eight chapters, each one with a summary at the start and a bullet pointed summary at the end. It is written from a medical perspective and talks a lot about hormones and their impact, but in a way that is easy to follow and includes practical advice on identification, speaking to your GP, diagnosis and treatment options.
It doesn’t have the same depth as Autistic Menopause, which is based on lived-experience research and participant stories, and also provides a comprehensive introduction to menopause if you are new to the topic. But given how easy to read this book is, it is well worth getting both.
Early Riser is a fantasy novel by Jasper Fforde, set in an alternative history where the climate is much colder over winter and humans hibernate. The story follows the protagonist as he joins the Winter Consul Service who stay up through the winter to and keep everyone safe.
This is the second Jasper Fford novel I have read, after The Constant Rabbit, and I enjoyed this one even more. In fact, I think this is pretty high up my all time favourite fiction reads. Great storytelling and great world building in a place that feels very familiar but also intriguing. Well worth a read.
