High Moor Causeway

Go large to see Pendle Hill in the far distance, centre frame.

I have to admit that I'm feeling rather pleased with myself tonight. It was the Ilkley Triathlon today, a short course triathlon consisting of a 500m swim, a 9 mile hilly bike ride and a 3 mile run. Now, I must state from the outset that I'm no triathlete. I am a creature of terra firma. The extent of my swimming amounts to avoiding drowning! But four years ago they started allowing team entries, and that first year my team - with me on the cycle leg - managed to win the team event and it was a terrific buzz. When I am part of team I always find I push myself that bit harder because of the responsibility to the other members. You don't want to let them down. When I'm running or cycling for myself and it starts to really hurt I usually end up easing off because it's hard to justify the pain for the sake of finishing a few seconds faster and a few places further up the field. But you finish with a slight feeling of anti-climax as a result.

There was no sense of anti-climax today. I know that I gave my all. I couldn't have gone any quicker, and that is actually rather exhilarating. You find yourself glowing with the effort and buzzing with adrenaline and endorphins for hours afterwards. I love this feeling! I'm pleased with myself because I did my leg, consisting of 3 laps of a 3 mile circuit including a long climb and a sharp descent, a whole 4 seconds faster then last year in 32.04 - and only 9 seconds slower than my time in 2007. And that's with having done very little cycling in the last few weeks. Perhaps that's the secret: not having loads of miles in the legs. It looks like we're going to be 4th team, the same as last year, not bad for two old vets and my mate's young daughter on the swim! It turned out to be a wonderfully social afternoon, meeting up with lots of people I don't get to see too often.

With my head in race mode I completely forgot to take the camera with me, so arriving back home at 5pm I had to make the decision to either go out again on the bike or head up on the moor for a run. Having rested up on Saturday I decided to go running. After heavy showers in the morning the sun came out while I was cycling, but by now the sky had clouded over again. I ended up on the high moor and this shot was taken from very near the trig point at the summit. This causeway of flagstones was only laid this summer. I have slightly mixed feelings about it, but it's nice to be able to keep one's feet dry now. It also makes for a decent blip!

Quite a few people have pointed out that the Equinox Duck is actually the Equinox Goose. You may well be right, but that doesn't help matters. We have another old saying up here in Yorkshire ...

When at equinox appeareth the goose
Down all winter the rain shall sluice

Sorry! Think we'll stick with the duck!!