Round Rotherham - 50 Miles

  The final race of the RunFurther series! If I got round this, it would be the first year I'd actually done enough races to be in the series and thus get a supercool hat! I was really excited about this race as it seemed a popular favourite and all the usual suspects would be out and about! The RR website was also very impressive; an array of well-drawn maps, descriptions, route photos and everything you'd ever need...there was no excuse for getting lost on my first lap of Rotherham!

Scenic lap of the woods :-)

Henry enjoying the urban part of the route

  The aim of the day was to get round without being too destroyed to survive OMM a week later! My leg had been a bit painful so I was out for a steady, fun adventure rather than racing! I got chatting to JZ and Nigel, enjoying race talk and not paying much attention to where we were going as everyone said the route was obvious....it was once we actually looked for the signs and tape! But before we did that, we had a nice scenic lap of the woods, probably a couple of circles before I lost the guys and went for another spontaneous adventure in another area of woodland. After realising I'd now run onto a different map to the one I'd been trying to navigate from, I started to pay more attention! The cartoon maps were brilliant, marking out every place of action and all the features to see. I got chatting to a guy who seemed to know the route amazingly well, pointing out the different route changes and local history from the last 30 years. He turned out to be Henry Marston, race director and creator of the well organised website and maps! I enjoyed tagging along with Henry, chatting about orienteering, OMM and how many times the older guys had done Round Rotherham...it seemed like an addictive race, with quite a few people having done over 20 laps! Henry sat down to get a stone out of his shoe, so I took a photo then wandered on, thinking he'd catch me any second...but then he broke his shoelace..still got round though! :-)

Where I misplaced Henry!

I love a good field

  The running around Rotherham was much nicer than expected from such an urban area. There were some great, long fields and forest parks mixed in with the more industrial fly-tipping sites! I took some poor quality photos and bumbled on, highly enjoying the checkpoints which had a range of delights. I'd done about 10 miles on my own by the time I reached a checkpoint with a lovely tea marshal. She offered me tea, coffee or soup but I'd zoned out so much she had to ask three times! By then, I realised I had 9 drink options and should think of a response but I got distracted by a guy on his third lap of Rotherham that weekend!! Eventually I grabbed a take-out tea and jogged on along the nice, quiet trails and country lanes.

  I caught up with JZ and Nigel at the 40 mile checkpoint, we got a bit competitive and cranked up the speed, scurrying through the mud like we had mere metres to go rather than miles! Just as the last rays of sun left the horizon, we neared the finish at a thundering pace! I told JZ and Nigel that if they weren't sick on the finish line, they hadn't tried hard enough...we weren't sick but I was still proud of our efforts in the last 10 miles! What a fantastic day out! And the organisers even gave us bright orange tshirts to match my new trainers! :-) I'll be back for another lap or five for sure!

Very keen for the delicious pasta after a great lap of Rotherham! :-)

And here's my OMM partner Caroline practising putting up the tent...yeah, we need more practise!!

The Nottingham Ultra - 50km

One fine day, about 2 years ago, I went out on a little jog and came across a yellow arrow painted on the floor. I looked up and saw another one, pointing in the direction I'd just come, which was a very nice trail, so I decided to follow the arrows to the source...I know, rubbish treasure hunting skills! But what I found was treasure, a new favourite trail. After an hour or so, it was time to turn back but I knew I'd find out what these arrows were and I would return. It turns out there was an ultra right through my back garden: The Nottingham Ultra!

I always envisaged doing well at this race, having the home advantage. However, October came and so did the Freshers Flu and my leg felt like it was snapping in half (probably too much running, not enough R.I.C.E!) but there was no way I wasn't starting! Father Bear and Anna came to watch too, so I knew I could be rescued if it was going terribly! :-) I'd never done an UltraRace race before and have always thought it was funny that there was a parallel, niche series of ultra runners to the RunFurther gang..I was keen to meet them! The race was very well organised, with a great set of maps and lots of spray-paint and stickers...there was literally no excuse if I got lost!

Team Italia and me on the start line...Riccardo came 6th at the Ring O Fire!

The race started and the first 100m felt terrible but I limped along, keen to get some exercise, even if it wasn't 50k. It was a fantastic October day, the mist was rising off the fields and the sun was heating up. We were soon in Sherwood Forest and it felt like a great adventure, following the yellow arrows again! We ran past some graffiti that said '£3.20p', the terrible grasp of units annoyed my inner physicist! The route then took us through loads of beautiful fields, onto a platform of more fields from which you could look down at the towns below. I really love running along ridges and getting the great views and was just thinking how Nottingham was really stunning, how it was misjudged as being all rappers and guns, when a gunshot went off! I half expected the runner near me to keel to the ground but we were all good...I decided to quicken the pace through that section though!




In pain, getting double-papped! :-)


Just after the 20k checkpoint, I came across a dancing man-sized rabbit waving at me...far too early for hallucinations! The route took us past a massive car boot sale, with lots of well-fed civilians tucking into burger van burgers and totally unaware of the excellent sporting event happening mere metres away! The track entered a wood and somehow...I got lost!! It dawned on me that I hadn't seen any of those exceptionally regular markers for a while, then some lovely dog-walkers told me all the others were over the other side of the golf course so I legged it back that way! Back on route, I payed more attention and was saddened that the adventure part of the race was nearly over, I regularly ran the sections from checkpoint 3 to the end, so I had a nice little walk, the sun shining on my face, running my fingers through the crops. It really was an excellent day to be out and the new parts of trail I was discovering were awesome! I found a new favourite set of fields, possibly cabbage, near the motorway and will definitely be going back! Rory, one of the race directors and an amazing runner, used to live nearby so he'd obviously figured out all the good bits! :-) It got lovely and muddy on the way to checkpoint 3 and I literally wanted to run around new routes forever!

Passing the Hemlockstone!

From checkpoint 3 to 4 is one of my favourite sections, it goes through loads of fields with great views then onto a really straight, flat track. I love this track because you can just switch off and enter a zen-like state of running. I find the repetitive nature of running along here really addictive, I always feel like I want to run continuously along this track, with the seasons changing around me, days and nights passing by. Sometimes I go and do a few lengths, but then you start to get recognised by walkers you've gone past several times and have to move on! :-) I'd made good progress on this section and although I wasn't competitively racing, it was still a nice little surprise when I started to pass several runners. The home spirit was definitely helping and as we neared checkpoint 4, we passed my back garden and I was tempted to pop in for a cup of tea!

The support team came to cheer at checkpoint 4 then raced me to town on the bus. The euphoric stage, normally reserved for about 50 miles into a race, hit me really hard and I had to put all my effort into not giggling out loud! I sprinted along (probably looked more like a limp), highly excited about seeing an ultra race go through Wollaton Park, my usual lunchtime run arena then past the university where I study! I bumped into Riccardo's brother, who was doing exceptionally well for his first ultra and merrily cheered him on. I spotted some other runners up ahead and hunted them down, coming across more and passing them before cranking up the speed to ensure no-one would pass me...so much for taking it steady! The final few km were along the canal, which I never thought would be such a pleasure to run along! I hoped I wouldn't bump into anyone I knew as I'm sure I looked slightly crazed, sweaty, muddy and had ripped my shorts on a branch! The route took us past endless tyre and furniture shops before eventually sweeping past Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem then steep uphill to the finish at the castle! There were spray-paint smiley faces on the final stretch and I definitely needed them to encourage me to continue running! Father Bear and Anna had just got there on time too :-)

Fab day out!

The Castle pub was conveniently on the finish line, so tea, a sit-down and cheering others commenced :-) I've always loved running in the mountains and run to be in the mountains, but I found a length of Nottinghamshire was highly enjoyable! I'll definitely be trying more of the UltraRace series....perhaps one day, a little JOGLE!

Riccardo came an amazing 7th! And saved my feets lives by lending me his flip flops :-) And that's Robin in the background!

Ring O' Fire - 131 miles!

I'm like a kid in a sweet shop when it comes to racing; I want to bag them all! I already had perfectly good plans for the weekend but when I saw a last-minute place going on the Ring O' Fire, I was right there! Anglesey had been the destination of 90% of our school trips but now I realised it was something more; the perfect race arena - one lap being 131 miles! The race was to start on the Friday afternoon with a 32 mile stage, then the big 64 on Sat and a little 35 miler on Sun, with plenty of pasta and naps in the village halls in between! The website said support teams were allowed, I'd never really had one before, but a quick call to Father Bear and Team Support were packing the van with kilos of pasta! :-) I even drew the route on my map days in advance and thus felt the most prepared I have for any race before! I stuffed my rucksacks with an excessive range of trainers and lots of warm layers and ran for the train!

Team Support team talk on the start line! :-)

New hobby... island bagging!

Friday - 35 Miles

It felt like my first day at school; lots of new faces, my shiny new Montane uniform and parents there taking photos! I wondered if everyone else was confident that they'd get round, I certainly didn't expect to and was just seeing how far I'd get! The plan was to take it steady Friday and Saturday, then if I still cared about my time on Sunday, I'd press on! After the obligatory play of Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash, we were on our way, all humming along, ensuring it was stuck in our head for the next few days despite nobody knowing the words! The way of out Holyhead was clearly marked with smiling marshalls and we were soon on the scenic coastal path we would be following all the way round! After leaving Holyhead Island, the first off-piste section of the route was encountered - an estuary! I removed my running socks and trainers but not my compression socks as it seemed like too much faff and from then on the survival epic of the feet began!

Estuary crossing fun!

Running along the coast was amazing and the navigation was simple, just following the blue signs, so I relaxed and chatted to other runners as we steadily bagged the miles. The views from the cliffs were outstanding and as the fog came in, it felt like we were the only ones out and about! Wlyfa power station, the final checkpoint, appeared out of the mist and then we were onto the last leg, thinking it we would be there soon! A local runner suggested it might take longer than we thought and we soon encountered the endless staircases up and down the cliffs, ensuring we'd had our workout for the day! Just as the sun went down, I made it to the village hall, where the wonderful support team had delicious pasta and sauce on the go! I curled up in my sleeping bag and hoped my legs wouldn't be sore tomorrow!




Up on the cliffs, heading for the day 1 finish :-)



Saturday - 64 Miles



Start of day 2 - still keen!



Normally, the following day after an ultra is spent shuffling around and eating lots, but today, I lept out of my sleeping bag, shoved some muesli in my mouth and set off with vigour! Perhaps too much enthusiasm, as for a few miles along the coast, I could still see the leading pack bolting along! I bumped into Dan and Pete and spent the rest of the morning running with them, feeling good and trying to save some energy for Sunday! In a boggy section after checkpoint 2, a sharp pain arose from my toenails. I sat down and had a look at my feet...worse than a zombie horror movie! I put my socks back on and shuffled forth! We arrived at the high/low tide option point and between four of us, couldn't quite decide what the tide was doing! After having a high tide route adventure, we joined onto the coastal route again, which was a vertigo inducing wall on a beach, testing my limits of running in a straight line whilst consuming a gel without falling off!

Enjoying the views and chatting races with Andy :-)

After leaving the coast, there was mass confusion by a blue sign being yellow and lots of runners clustered at a dead end! Eventually, everyone found the right track but in my hungry state, I soon got me and Pete lost again! I was becoming ravenous and gels were no longer doing the job, so we pre-ordered some cheesy pasta and tea from the amazing support team. They were parked up just before Beaumaris, which felt like centuries away as we stumbled downhill to Penmon, stuffed our mouths with sweets and shuffled up the hill, dreaming of endless bowls of pasta, still occasionally humming the Ring of Fire tune. Reaching Penmon Point was a great marker in our journey, the North coast of Anglesey had been bagged and we were now heading South...somehow running South always feels a bit downhill, and after an amazing refuel, the miles were going to be consumed! Our enthusiasm was slightly damped by the rocky beach, which was hard to progress on and wasn't kind to the toenails! But it was fantastic to see the mainland, the sun shining along the Llandudno coast and the thought of seeing the next big milestone, the Menai Bridge kept us jogging along!

Loving a bit of mud!

Shuffling through Beaumaris, we got some strange looks and lots of questions! This spurred us on to look a bit more athletic and with 4 checkpoints under our belts, I started to think perhaps we'd make it through Saturday! A lovely bit of mud and some nice downhill roads later, the Menai Bridge came into view and it was too exciting! I lost Pete but had a great wade through the mud with Rich (who somehow survived a night out sleeping in the forest with Andy!?) before jogging on alone. Another high/low-tide option arose and making a decision seemed far too much.. I chose high as I fancied some uphill so there was an excuse to walk and eat a gel! I was starting to get tired and the sun was going down but the route was through lovely fields and knowing the East coast was nearly in the bag spurred me on. My Garminator said his battery was low and, despite all my excessive threatening, he eventually died and left me to guess the distance to the finish. A nice surprise at the Sea Zoo checkpoint was the most delicious rice meal you could ever imagine, thanks Anna! I wrapped up warm and Father Bear told me Chris, a keen ML100 runner was only 5 minutes ahead. Fuelled up and reheated, I decided to chase Chris down before dark so we'd be less likely to get lost! In the twilight, I kept imaging I was seeing him just ahead of me, but it always turned out to be a horse/post/nothing! The coastal path left the coast and went through many fields, most of which I did a few lengths of, getting a bit nervous of my nav and missing signs in the darkness. Eventually, I came to a large river, which I was meant to cross via the stepping stones. In the darkness, it felt like I was in the middle of nowhere and highly likely to be lost. I hadn't seen another runner for hours and I started to worry...I decided to sit on a rock and eat a protein bar, fairly sure I seemed to be on the right track, but then worried by the lack of signs and the scale of my map! Then, along came a young man named Barry! I'd never been so happy to meet a Barry before! It turns out, I was snacking pretty much where the stepping stones were and I gladly hopped across them, chatting to Baz about all the races we have done/would be doing and it was great!



Engulfing a cheeky sandwich before the Menai Bridge

 I was highly enjoying Barry's company, but when we hit the road 5 minutes after meeting, the pain of my feet was unreal! This was the only moment I'd ever thought I couldn't continue..and the thought of calling the support team seemed far too easy, with their warm van and delicious food! I said goodbye to Barry and told him I'd shuffle a bit further. However, as I shuffled on, wincing in pain, I realised Barry was still there and going at the same speed! I was chuffed and decided there was no way I was losing sight of him. We continued chatting and the soft, sandy path was much more forgiving...the momentary lapse in stubbornness to finish was over! :-) I was also really looking forward to Newborough beach, a fantastic place I love to go to, but when we rounded the corner, it looked a little different even in the dark...the tide was really high! The map said to traverse the beach but it seems we were a bit late for that, as the waves crashed against the sand dunes. Our only option was to navigate through the woods, we bumped into Chris and another guy and all made it to the crossing point to the lighthouse...but it looked like we might have to swim to that checkpoint! We called base who told us to skip that and we plotted a new route through the woods. It was quite disorientating at night, with the sound of the sea seemingly coming from all directions but finally we encountered a glow stick and we followed a trail to the final checkpoint of the day!

Barry and I stuffed some food in our mouths and jogged on, knowing that the quicker we did the last leg, the more rest we'd get before the 6am start on Sunday...it was already Sunday! It was getting chilly now and I started to get a bit confused. I saw a baboons head on the floor and couldn't think of what else it was, I consulted Baz on the whereabouts of nearby zoos but he told me it was a runover hedgehog...I couldn't see it personally but knew he was definitely in a better state than me, so pushed really hard to keep up with him! I kept imagining finishing line flags, although I knew we still had a few kms to go and I kept having little dozes and waking up when my head nodded down, but somehow we were still jogging along! Barry's friend came to meet us and, after a little detour, took us to the cosy village hall. I couldn't believe we'd made it and Q gave us some delicious pasta before I curled up into my already laid out sleeping bag (thanks support team!) barely managing to take my waterproofs off before closing my eyes forever.

Sunday - 35 Miles

The pain in my feet was unbelievable! Each toenail had moved out of place and had a blister under it, some toes stuck together by the juice they were leaking and my whole foot was white and prune-like! I hobbled to the support van, where my blisters were popped and bandaged whilst I devoured cheesy pasta like it was going out of fashion! There's no way I would have made it without Father Bear and Anna! With all this help, I was still somehow unorganised (we got in about 1.30am and the start was at 6am!) and vaguely shoved some things in my rucksack...I heard the call for the start outside as I was still in the village hall, so sprinted out to chase down the pack, knowing if I was left behind then motivation would be harder! In my rush, I forgot my map! Thankfully, support grabbed it and ran along to deliver :-) Surprisingly, after 100 miles, the legs felt okay as they had been feet-limited. The team spirit of the surviving runners was great and we were treated to a wonderful beach route with views of Holyhead Island to spur us on! The coastal path then entered some fields and felt like it was going in every direction possible, then through a field with a sign 'Beware of the Bull'. I decided if a bull came charging at me, it could have me, I wouldn't even summon the energy to blink! Time for another energy gel!




Getting the yearly beach trips done in one weekend



Stuffing our faces and waaay past remembering to smile for photos!

At the second checkpoint, several of us runners clumped together, including Barry, Chris, Alan and Mark. We had a lovely shuffle along more coastline discussing woodwork, business and physics! It was along this stretch of coastline, I really developed my ultrarunning-shuffle. I was pretty much walking but in a funny light-footed dance and wafting my elbows high when a passer by asked how far we'd gone...about 122 miles I said, they looked as us like we were total nuts, then I realised we probably are :-) We shuffled down the hill to the last checkpoint! It was amazing to know we were on the final leg, but it was far from over! We could see Holyhead Mountain looming right in front of us, but the coastal path took us the scenic route there of course! It felt like a family day out running with Alan and Mark on this final stretch. Alan, the father figure, constantly checking we'd had enough gels and water, whilst Mark, the grumpy teenager quietly lagged behind. The views were stunning at this point; a magnificent lighthouse balanced on cliffs, super blue sea shining in the sun and some amazing climbing routes that are now on the to do list! Final miles excitement kicked in and I bounded up the final peak! I put my map away and just ran as fast as I could to the noise of the finish, totally unable to believe I was going to make it! Flying down the final descent, I realised I was approaching from the wrong direction -oops! But I'd made it, it was brilliant to be back in Holyhead and know that we'd done a whole lap of Anglesey on our own little legs! What a weekend!!!







Mark cracks out the smile! ;-) Bit of Welsh sunburn for me. Alan managed to smile the whole way!


Thanks to the Ring O' Fire team for such a great race! And to Father Bear and Anna, the best support team in the whole world... I'd still definitely be asleep under the table at some cafe in Beaumaris right now without them! :-)




Father Bear likes Photoshop! The blue signs became the stuff of nightmares...just look at that evil seagull about to attack!!


The Aftermath

For several days, I had a recurring nightmare of running along an endless coastal path...I'm sure my legs were still shuffling along! Many toenails decided they'd had enough and ejected, along with quite a bit of  foot skin! My level of optimism about running distances has reached an even higher high! The Ring of Fire song now induces extreme lethargy or excitement at random.

Next Races

30th Sept: Robin Hood Half Marathon
7th Oct: The Nottingham Ultra (50km)
20th Oct: Round Rotherham (50 miles)
27th-28th Oct: The OMM! :-)

Sierra de Chiva

Running 40 miles across the Peak District used to be a challenge that seemed near-impossible and would have me giddy with excitement. However, it was now becoming a normal Saturday, so I went looking for the extra dimension. Speed? More mountains? No, I decided I'd race in Spanish! :-)
One gloomy December morning, I stumbled upon the Sierra de Chiva website and booked my flights straight away! The route description didn't fare well on Google Translate, the map looked like a cartoon and my Spanish was limited to 'hola!'...it was going to be a great adventure! Free accommodation was provided at the translated 'retirement home'..I had visions of smiling geriatrics playing gentle songs on their guitars before tucking up to bed early, ready for the race. On arrival in Chiva, it transpired there was no retirement home (I spent a while asking around for one!) but after following the more athletic part of the Chiva population, I found the 'old peoples pub' - success numero uno! Impressive race goody bags were handed out already (local wine, chocolates, tshirt, a book on the local dialect(!) and the most ingenious race number ever!) and I attempted to mingle with some runners before retiring to my sleeping bag. I ended up staying up late, eating my goody bag chocolates whilst the local oldies tried to communicate to me that I was nuts!

Best race numbers ever: when you look down at your stomach, the landscape profile is the right way up, with all the checkpoint info :-) ...just don't try to read this on a rocky section! Thanks Rafa Carrion for the photos :-)

In the dark of the next morning, I lined up at the start and watched the race director make some very important points, in Spanish (I was the only non-Spaniard attempting to race!). He wafted some orange things around with importance (I soon realised these were the life-saving route markers!) and some tags (for the headtorch drop bag that I didn't realise existed) and then we were off!

The descents required some concentration!

At one point, a friendly guy ran alongside me and said 'dolmo'. I recognised this was the name of the local wine which was named after the local tree. He was pointing at a tree, so this was all good and made sense. I nodded. He repeated, 'dolmo'. I repeated my thanks for the local tour and we continued in this circle of nodding and dolmo-ing for several minutes...it struck me, there was about 35 miles to go and they could well all be spent like this. It was one of those moments when you wonder what everybody else in your life is up to (probably drinking tea and discussing the weather) and compare this to your situation (pretty random!). We reached the first check point, where obviously everyone was dressed as Minnie the Mouse(!) and then the real tracks began. It was very dusty with loose rocks, the heat was starting to rise rapidly and the mountains came into view. The ascents were tough, sweat dripping into my eyes, fixed ropes guiding the way up - at this point, the language barrier evaporated, everyone just grunted and made noises of effort. Everyone around understood. The downhills were fast and furious, very loose and with the occasional roped/jumping section. In the midday heat, we passed some really magnificent, huge caves then began the ascent of the largest mountain. At the top, we were rewarded with lovely breeze before it was time to dive down into an arid gorge which would sweep us back to Chiva. The checkpoints were stocked with luscious tomatoes and lots of cola, the marshalls (wearing jackets and hats in the heat!) were filled with endless support and many friendly faces popped out of the quiet desert-like landscape to give us a cheer. As I reached the final hill and saw the view down to Chiva, I didn't want it to end! I was having such fun attempting to learn Spanish and practise my French, soaking up the non-Peak-District views and enjoying being warm in December!

Loving the band!

The finish was fantastic! There was a live band, free massages with no queue, food (although black pudding and boiled chicken wasn't super veggie-friendly but thankfully there was a pizza shop open, nom nom nom) and I was handed some super comfy socks and a rose too! :-) The atmosphere was great and everyone had a little dance with the very enthusiastic band. An even better adventure than I had hoped for! I will definitely be back :-)

If anyone knows any other great races abroad, I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Posing at a checkpoint with some friendly guys :-)

Adventures So Far

A quick summary of the best (and most educational) adventures so far:

• Carrera X Montana Sierra de Chiva - 40 mile run in Spain, worthy of it's own post...coming soon!
• The CCC, 61 mile version of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. Best day of my little life so far!
• Runfurther races; Haworth Hobble, Calderdale Hike, High Peak 40 and the Long Tour of Bradwell. All very excellent days out with all the best ultra runners in attendence! Always great to see devout, Runfurther-tattoed Nick Ham and the other friendly faces.
• The inaugral Tour de Helvellyn - what a lot of snow! Grown men bum-sliding icy decents, moonlit mountains and the most-needed/best-tasting soup ever at the finish! :-)
• The OMM Perthshire and Dartmoor: great combo of misery, fun and trying to weigh super-fast Nath down with the tent, etc!





Nath hits the euphoric stage, Perthshire


• The High Peak Marathon; a 40 mile race at night in a team of 4. Team Andy+Jenn had never met Team Premier Quest (Phil+Tom) before but we had a great night out, fighting our way through the bog, up some peaks, through more bog - the best way to spend a Friday night!
• The LDWA Dorset Doddle, my first ultra. Crashed and burned at about mile 27 out of 33 then tried to hitch to the finish...but nobody wanted to pick up a sweaty runner. Total distance: 31 miles, should have just carried on with the race but had a train to catch and the extra 2 miles would have taken a looong time! Lesson learnt: eat and drink. Successful finish the following year. Fab event, they even had rice pudding for dessert :-)





Team High Peak Marathon


• Mont Blanc Cross/Marathon: my first race was the Cross and we have since returned for the marathon three times! It's such an amazing route, I love running around Chamonix. Lesson learnt: hydrate, don't eat a million oranges (even if they are deliciously refreshing) then mix with lots of cola...bleeeurgh!
• The Cheltenham Circular Challenge:  lovely and muddy!
• The Montane Lakeland 100; number of starts: 2, number of finishes: 0! Must...not...eat...out-of-date food at start of races - typical student!! But had a fantastic time on the bits I did do, 2013 is going to be a completion!!

First night, Lakeland 100

• Tour de Turkey; my friend Nath and I decided to cycle from Bodrum to Antalya...in the middle of summer! Very hot and probably not the best 'roads' to take your new road bike on, but absolutely amazing coastal route with plenty of mountains to challenge you, then fantastic food and sleeping on the beach - perfect!
• Also cycle-toured the Scottish Isles after the Isle of Jura fell race and cycled Conway to Cardiff this year. Currently addicted to a new cycle route planning website and can often be found attempting to cycle a silly distance rather than paying for trains.
• Lots of mountaineering adventures have been had so far with friends from Nottingham Uni Explorers. Particular favourites have been alpine trips to Chamonix and Saas Fee as well as the yearly trip to the Isle of Skye.
• Downhill mountain-biking in Morzine, Les Gets and Chamonix - totally addicted!!!




I wish the commute to uni was this fun!