If you have inner peace
I received this through the post today from a friend. A nice surprise.
“If you have inner peace, nobody can force you to be a slave to the outer reality.”
Sri Chinmoy [1]
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A good doping story – Mustafa Mohamed
Two undercover journalists offered an Olympic hopeful athlete access to an elite training camp, where 15-20% of the camp profit would go to the company and that a doctor would be arranged to provide doping products. (1)
The athlete, Mustafa Mohamed immediately said he was not interested, that he had never doped, and would never get involved in anything of that nature. He declined their offer to sleep on it. He told them he ran “for passion, not for money or fame”.
Mustafa Mohamed is a Somali-Swedish long-distance runner who mainly competes in the 3000 meter steeplechase.
If journalists can help bring real dopers to justice they are doing a favour to the sport. Journalists like David Walsh from the Sunday Times, did a good job in constant questioning of people like Lance Armstrong and trying to uncover the truth.
However, one thing about doping in the media is that it is nearly always the dopers who make the headlines. The people most quoted on the subject of doping are usually the doctors / athletes involved; and they can have a vested interest in trying to allege doping is widespread and ‘everyone is at’ – A form of justification for their own doping. …
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Overcoming religious intolerance
My father works in a book charity shop. He came across this old book “The Justice of the Peace” – MDCCLVII (That is 1757 if my Latin is up to scratch). This was a very different period. A time in history pre-French and American Revolutions, a time before any meaningful industrial revolution.
It was interesting to see and feel a book 259 years old – still in quite good condition. There is always a thrill to books, but especially hard-backed books that are quite old.
It is a book about the laws and customs of the time – a guide for justices of the peace who dispensed local justice. I was a little surprised about the content. The first page I opened was a big chapter on “Popery”. In those days, there were strict anti-Catholic laws. To say or hear Catholic Mass could lead to one years imprisonment. …
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Tall Trees
I’ve cycled past this tree hundreds of times by Bolton Abbey, but never realised quite how tall it is. …
The benefits of being thin
I was re-reading A Corinthian Endeavour. It’s a curious mix of cycling champions – including some well known British cyclists like Chris Boardman, Malcolm Elliot and Darryl Webster, and then a tall thin chap who claims to eat a lot of cake.
When I was young, there was a time when I wanted to put on weight and become a rugby player. I was never successful in putting on weight, nor did I make it playing rugby. But, taking up cycling aged 27, made me realise being thin and low weight wasn’t so bad after all.
I’ve already reviewed the book at Cycling Uphill – A Corinthian Endeavour and there are some quotes from the book at: Sri Chinmoy Races …
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The church at Hubberholme
Easter Monday I was out on my bike. It was windy and quite cold. After 35 miles cycling up the Wharfe Valley, I was in Hubberholme, just north of Buckden. Usually I don’t like to stop whilst training, but my back was aching and it was starting to rain, so I stopped by this church in the small hamlet of Hubberholme. …
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The racing season
The racing season starts in February / March. On Friday, I did third race of the season – Buxton Mountain Time Trial.
I do most of my training on my own. It’s partly convenience of finding someone willing to go out at similar times and similar training efforts. But, also I quite like the solitary nature of cycling on my own. With all the solitary training, I like the racing season as it is good to meet others. The good thing about time trials is that everyone is doing their own race, so you don’t feel particularly competitive, but you can concentrate on doing your own race and own efforts of self-transcendence.
One of the challenges of racing is being organised – remembering every bit of clothing and bike equipment. Then you need to get ready and have everything organised at the right time. I’m often scrambling around the back of the car making last minute changes, finding a new pair of gloves, changing equipment. …
Magnolia Blossom
I waited until 5pm to get this photo. The sun sets low enough to just start to hit the Magnolia blossom.
“What a strange thing!
to be alive
beneath cherry blossoms.”
– Kobayashi Issa,
OK, these are photos of Magnolia blossom not Apple blossom. But, I don’t think the the spirit of Haiku is to be too pedantic. …
Coverage from 2013 hill climb
This is an article October 2013, from Cycling Weekly, after winning the National Hill Climb Championship.
Prior to 2013, my best placed finish was 4th. In 2011, I had been one of favourites, but only finished 5th. 2013 was the ninth time I had entered the national hill climb championship; I guess it made a good story -ninth time lucky. At 36, I was also probably one of oldest people to win the championship too.
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