31st Dec- Walk

Vicky Park offset lap with VB. Very misty and atmospheric. Good walk.

30th Dec - Turbo trainer (bike)

15 mins on Turbo-trainer, great to be back ont bike. As many tears on towel as beads of sweat. On big chain-ring but 4th gear.

Big endorphine rush after session. Heart-rate stayed high at around 130 for two hours afterwards!

19th Sept - Paragliding

Just got back from a great week of Paragliding in Turkey. I went to the massive paradox that is Oludeniz - fat sun-burnt, tatooed northerners alongside some of the world's best acro-paraglider pilots!

Oludeniz near Fethiye, is on the coast next to Babadağ, a 1,969m mountain - perfect for paragliding. I did an SIV (simulation d'incidentes en vol) course run by legendary XC pilot and Ozone test-pilot, Russ Ogden.

Did 7 days of great flights off Babadağ for the SIV course which included the full complement of symmetric and assymetric collapses, 360 reverses, B-line stalls, full stalls, wingovers and ended the week doing a SAT through my 20th hour of post-training flying. Absolutely f+cking amazing fun!

2nd Sept - Climbing

Went climbing at Mile End with Hinksy. 7 routes on lead. Nothing hard though.

21st August - Fell run

Bowness, Ennerdale water to Red Pike, Ling Comb edge, Mosedale, Loweswater and north along valley road to Whinfell Hall.

18.9km, 850m ascent

Nice run, v.windy.

14th August - Mountaineering

Went to Wales for the weekend with some of the TX boys and girlfriends. Did Tryfan on Saturday. Nice to get back to that good old scramble. VB, Zoe, Dannielle, Hinksy and I made the summit, a few others pussied out, but overall a great day.

7th August - Bike

Did the bike leg of a Triathlon relay at the London Tri, with two other Willis guys. I did 1:07 for the 40km split. We won the (errrr) prestigious Catlin Insurance Cup. I got the fastest bike split.

1st Aug - Run

(the new) Canal loop, Vicky Park & Bow

9.94km - 43:35 (4:23/km)

Feeling a bit tired.

30th July - Run

Regents Canal loop from Victoria Wharf round to Angel via Wapping, Embankment, Marble Arch, Regents Canal.

21.1km

Maurice had some knee issues so we cut the run short and he got a taxi back from Angel. I cycled VB's bike.

21st July - Bike

We moved on south to Tuscany - amazing cycling country and did a cracking ride Chianti country. Starting from Greve in Chianti we cycled north to Quatro Strade, then south to Panzano before heading back to Greve.

30km, 765m ascent

20th July - Swimming

Went to Lago di Trenno and did an amazing 2.5km swim with VB in a beautiful lake. Amazing.

18th July - Via ferrata

On hols in Italy. We went to the Garda-Trentino region of northern Italy and stayed in Arco. We did a cool Via Ferrata route from Riva de Garda, up Cima SAT. This is a 1,200m ascent, with over half being via ferrata ladders and cabling.

Great day. VB did fantastically especially on the exposed stages.

27th June - Triathlon

Dartford Bridge Triathlon with VB

Olympic distance 2:23

I did an extra 4km lap on the bike leg by accident....bugger! Took the run easy as couldn't be arsed to push it once I found out my mistake. VB did 2:28, great race for her.

19th June - Bike

Audley End to Hackney with VB

109km - 4:37

Nice ride, weather couldn't makes its mind up. VB did very well, new PB for her.



http://connect.garmin.com/activity/37513893

5th June - Bike

Lea Valley and Epping Forest with VB

60.51km - 2:43

Nice and easy. Good day.

31st May - Bike

Ashford to Sevenoaks with Pedder

80.41km (706m) - 2hrs 58

Going fine until someone put a fridge on my back in Hildenborough.

26th May - Bike

Freestyle City riding - 1hr hard

22nd May - Run

Vicky Park

6.56km - 27:59 (@ 4:13/km)

Cheeky little Saturday evening run.

21st May - Run

Canal loop, Vicky Park

11.3km - 51:35 (@ 4:29/km)

Nice and steady, Hinksy on the bike. Nice evening.

15th May - Rannerdale Race - Aquathlon

1km swim Crummock Water, 4.5km run Rannerdale Knotts

54 mins

Great race.

13th May - Run

Canal loop and Vicky Park

11.44km - 46:53 (@ 4:05/km)

Feeling fine, nice evening.

8th May - Run

Canal loop, Vicky Park

11.34km - 49:03 (@ 4:19/km)

Felt easier than Thursday. Fine.

6th May - Run

Canal loop, Vicky park

11.34km - 51:28 (@ 4:32/km)

Steady run at medium pace.

18th April - Run

Vicky Park, Hackney Marshes with VB

1h 5:15 - 12.2km

Nice morning.

15th April - Run

Isle of dogs, Wapping, City

21.3km - 1h 40:16

Easy/medium pace. Keeping it tidy. Fine - nice evening.

14th April - Run

Lunchtime run with Pedder

40 mins medium pace.

Fine.

4th April - Fell run

Rannerdale, Crummock Water

Did the run leg of the Rannerdale Race (aquathlon) with Maurice and VB, which is coming up in May. It's about 4.5km with 300m of ascent. Took about 32 mins.

3rd April - XC Run

Run around Buttermere with Willhelm and VB - 49 mins.

Nice weather, love that run.

27th March - Run

Canal loop + Vicky Park

1 hour. First half at 3/4 pace, second half at fast pace.

Feeling fine.

23rd March - Run

Vicky Park

45 mins @ 3/4 pace.

Felt great.

21st March - Run

Canal loop with VB

12.61km - 62:08

1st 5km in 20:58 (PB for the girlf). Nice run.

15th March - Run

Vicky Park

47 mins @ 3/4 pace.

Felt fine. Bizarre.

14th March - Run

Vicky Park

45 mins @ medium pace

Felt hard work

11th March - Gym circuits

Anaerobic gym circuits

4 reps, each set:

4 mins on rower @ 2 mins/500
4 mins swim weights set

Fine. Pumped.

4th March - Gym circuits

Anaerobic gym circuits

3 reps, each rep set:

Rower [3 mins @ 2:10/500m then 1 min @ 1:45/500m]
Weights [swim weights set]
Run [6 mins @ 15kph)

45 mins

27th Feb - Paragliding

Did two flights today. First off Grande Rochette again, and the second from the summit of Roche de Mio, down to Plagne Bellecote. The conditions for the first flight were spectacular and I was up for 18 mins. The weather clouded over for the second flight but I did a great 30 minute flight and nailed the landing in small car park close at the bottom of the piste.

My flight hours are now up to 14hrs 16.

Love alpine paragliding. Can't wait for the next adventure.

22nd Feb - Paragliding

I'm in La Plagne, France for some skiing, but with my wing. Today I flew off Grande Rochette - an amazing first alpine top-to-bottom flight. Only 20 mins long because there was no dynamic lift.

19th Feb - Swim

London Fields Lido

5 X 300m off 5:45 nice and steady

18th Feb - Run

Vicky Park

1hr XC Run with Champ.

Nice

2nd Feb - Paragliding

Porterville (Dasklip launch)

11 mins. Bombed-out!

1st Feb - Paragliding

Porterville (Pampoenfontein)

Thermalling - 46mins

Great fun

31st Jan - Paragliding

Porterville (Dasklip launch)

19min flight. Made two thermals but bombed-out quickly afterwards.

30th Jan - Paragliding

Porterville (Dasklip launch)

1hr 58mins thermalling. 10km out and back flight. Fantastic views, but tricky flying. No dynamic lift, just thermals.

27th Jan - Paragliding

Wilderness Beach Hotel launch

20mins in strong wind. Had to land because winds were too strong. Used speed-bar pretty much all the time.

25th Jan - Paragliding

Gericke's Point, Wilderness

2hrs 6mins. Great views, got 170m above launch, PB flight.

Map of Africa

1hr 19mins in reasonably strong winds. Did my first small wing-overs. Bring on the Acro! Brilliant day.

24th Jan - Run

Wilderness Beach

40 mins running (medium/fast)

Feeling fine. Did some swimming and body-surfing afterwards!

24th Jan - Paragliding

Wilderness Beach Hotel launch, 2hrs 2mins flight. PB. Only landed because I was dying for a slash. Tried Paradise Ridge in the afternoon but the lift was marginal and I fucked up the take-off, so ended up as v.short top to bottom flight.

23rd Jan - Paragliding

Map of Africa launch, Wilderness

Two soaring flights, 3hrs 12 total. Brilliant flying.

22nd Jan - Paragliding

2hrs ground-handling on dunes at Kleinkranz, then back to Wilderness Beach Hotel for v.short(!) flight.

21st Jan - Run

Wilderness, South Africa

20 mins running (medium/fast) on the beach.

21st Jan - Paragliding

Arrived in Wilderness, South Africa.

Two top-to-bottom flights at 'Map of Africa', landing on the beach. 10 mins total.

17th Jan - Run

Vicky Park and canals

43 mins easy/medium pace with Beaney.

Fine.

16th Jan - Run

Oil of Dags, Tower Hamlets

Cheeky half-marathon at medium 3/4 pace

21.1km, 1hr 29

Fine.

8th Jan - Mountaineering

Coire nan Beith, Summit Gully (500m, grade II**)

Outstanding climbing in perfect winter's day conditions. We climbed roped, but didn't place any protection and so made fast progress.

Good end to a great week of climbing.

7th Jan - Mountaineering

Tried for Coire nan Beith but took the wrong path (up the east-side of the valley), which meant that the difficult traverse round would scupper our chances on the intended route: Summit Gully on Stob Coire nan Beith. Instead we did some mucking around in a few of the Aonach Dubh west-face gullies (various II) and on The Screen (IV, which looks an epic route).

5th Jan - Mountaineering

Went up to Coire nan Lochan, site of my first proper full-on ice-climb in 2002. Less of a walk-in than the previous day, we got up to the Coire in about 1h 30. Climbed SC Gully (150m, III***) - spectacular route with 4 pitches, cited in the guidebook as one of the Scottish Classic climbs.

Crazy-horse led the first pitch, a 20m steep series of exposed ice walls. I then led the 2nd pitch up another ice wall onto a flatter snow gully. I led the third pitch which included an airy traverse round a rocky rib onto a steep ice wall and then a long run-out snowy gully with little protection which was pretty exciting. Crazy-horse then led the top 30m pitch to the summit cornice, in style. We topped out as it was getting dark and then descended in the dark to the valley.

Great day-out.

4th Jan - Mountaineering in Glencoe

Day of trip to Glencoe with Crazy-horse. Conditions were clear, ice great and snow in good condition.

We went up to the Lost Valley buttress (2hr walk-in) and did Right-hand Gully (150m, II). This was a long-walk in, then steep snowy scramble before one roped pitch at the top and over the cornice. Great views from the top on the south-side. Great to be back on the ice. The total ascent was just over 1,000m - great day.