Bit Of An Understatement

L is annoyed. Well that’s a bit of an understatement.

Her weekend, during which she was taking part in two of the swims in Lake Windermere, one of the mile swims on Saturday and the one-off two mile on the Sunday, has been cancelled. Well, actually officially postponed, which is not much good when you wake up on the Friday of a four day break you’ve booked time off for, for the specific purpose of doing those events.

Apparently the organisers are looking at a potential new 2010 date but I can’t see that happening. The algae isn’t going to clear overnight and we’re heading towards winter now.

Where were their contingency plans? Could they have done the swim in another part of the lake or perhaps in another of the lakes?

So what to do… Personally I would like to hit the Lakes anyway, there’s decent beer to be drunk up there and great scenery to do it in but my girl needs to be placated with something more substantial... and that something may be an event t-shirt. Hmmm. I’m less fussy, I just need to be placated with something dark, strong and beer like.

I switch the computer on and draw up a short list of races in nice places off the Runners World website, ones that will take entries on the day. After a brief debate and several strong coffees, Caernarfon comes a close second, because there’s no t-shirt, to something called Alice’s Run, a 10k near Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, which does. I feel a weekend based in Malham would be just the ticket. It’s a place I’ve wanted to revisit since we went there a few years ago. Comparing our combined memory banks we actually work out that our visit there was as far back as 2002... How time flies.

Anyhow, car packed and we’re off.

We check into exactly the same campsite as in 2002, and I remember it surprisingly well.



In fact I’m sure none of the toilet doors locked back then either. There are other more pleasant assorted memories that come flooding back along memory lane as well. Of course on that trip we had two youngish children with us, aged 9 and 11 and a very young collie. Doggo would have only been a year old. That young collie disgraced himself on several occasions as I recall. MD would have been so proud of the old man.

We walk into one of the two pubs in Malham, The Buck Inn.



Again it brings back a few memories but I don’t remember this... Old Peculiar on the bar. Well that's me placated.

(Friday 3rd September)

Bunking Off

When the alarm goes off on a morning L often suggests we bunk off. She always comes up with some tempting and persuasive arguments but no, again today I’m not convinced. Tomorrow we can bunk off, I promise, or at least pretend to. We’re off anyway and heading up to the Lake District. L is doing the Great North Swim. I’m spectating and because all that Old Peculiar and Snecklifter needs company, I’ll also be propping the bar up.



Having not bunked off, I’m not sure what’s best to do today training wise, run or bike? On the grounds that I’ve only cycled to work twice during August I choose the bike. Only two trips on the bike in August is terrible. I suppose I did have a couple of week’s holiday in there but even so.

It’s a pleasant pedal.

After work I ride home, kick the dogs’ footballs around the garden for a bit and then get the bus back over to Derby. We have a works meal tonight. It’s Indian, so unturnable really and a good start to my four days off.

Just as I’m ordering my first Cobra of the evening a text arrives on my phone. ‘URGENT: Great North Swim Postponed. Check www.greatswim.org for info.’ Hmmm. Is L having a laugh?

Apparently not. Checking the Great North Swim website reveals that they have ‘postponed’ the event due to the ‘prevalence of blue-green algae and the impact that this may have on your safety in the water’.

Talk about last minute... particularly considering how long the organisers must have known about the problem, as it is not something that has just occurred. We heard a warning about the algae back in June and were told to keep our dogs well clear of the water when we last went up there. Yet despite those algae warnings the Windermere Tri went ahead as planned in July.

So now they have 9,000 disgruntled punters who will have spent months training, booked accommodation and taken time off work. Call me cynical but perhaps the tourist industry didn’t want people to have time to think about cancelling...

(Thursday 2nd September)

A Wild Night

A bit chilly again on the bike this morning. Summer? What summer. Again I regretted not putting long sleeves on.

L is at home today, which upsets the dogs who feel it is their job to keep her entertained in a game of football all day long. They’re so thoughtful.

Her day off also gives her time to trawl the internet for events... which is always dangerous. Sure enough an email arrives that starts with 'Darling', so I know straight away that it's a request for something.

Not content with forcing people to swim a mile around Windermere for the Great North Swim in September, the organisers have now added a longer one, two miles, for people who enjoyed it that much they’d like to go around again. Twice. The two mile route being two laps of the one mile route. You’d have to be badly affected by the polluted water to consider it of course or slightly mad... So we’re doing it, well L is. One mile route on the Saturday, two mile route on the Sunday. She points out there’s also now a shorter 500m swim, should I wish to partake. The only partaking I’ll be doing will be in the bar not the lake.

I'm off out on the pull in Bingham tonight. Well I was but L’s kindly cooked me some tea and ladled plenty of garlic and curry powder in to it to foil any such plans. So it’ll have to several pints with the lads from Uni instead.

The beers aren’t that good actually and I end up drinking Otter Mild, so almost AF. it's nice to catch up with friends and to, err, compare puppy photos but, shhhh, keep it to yourself. Don't tell L what a wild night out it was.