Striding manfully into the atlantic. I didn't get in. It was cold. Check out the size of my ankles though. Not sure how they're holding me up.
Onwards....who am I?
Come closer children and I'll tell you a tale...I was founded in Cumbria, the Lake District, Englandshire, a long, long time ago. I once made a bad choice and ended up spending five years in Glasgow studying electronic and electrical engineering. If you take one thing from this website let it be this: don't do that. I've seen things you can't un-see.
Following that less than ideal choice, I realised I've always enjoyed moving so I decided to try and make a living from it. So far this has been an interesting journey. I've lived in France, Spain and Belgium and am currently nomadic and living in a van for most of the year. If you want your children to get respectable jobs I may not be the right influence on them. If you want to stay in your job until you have a good pension, again, not the website for you.
I used to shun anything other than pedaling, and walking up one of my local fells had me whining like an under fed, sleep deprived toddler (so I've been told). Then I fell off my bike a few too many times, 3 collar bone breaks in a year (including one fun occasion where it splintered into 5 pieces) and a few bling metal pins later, I decided bike racing was perhaps not for me. Then I won a triathlon. Now I'm a triathlete. I'm not trying to scare you, but this could happen to you too. One day you're clipping in to your euro cyclist white shoes, tan lines perfectly symmetrical, the next you're clutching a permanent marker and wondering where it all went wrong.
Anyway, much as I'm enjoying writing this narcissistic diatribe, you probably have work you should be doing. However, I'd recommend you don't do it and read the rest of my website instead. You'll find all kinds of gems of information about me (see what I said about being a bad influence?)
Update (Spain, early 2015)
2014 started with such promise. I was a pro. I was all that was man...or at least, I had a piece of paper that said 'pro triathlete' on it. Unfortunately, my speed, strength and ability to look like a finely chiseled Adonis when strutting around in my speedos didn't help it not hurt when I crashed head on into a bus.
That's right children. I rode my bike into a bus.
This minor altercation resulted in 9 broken vertebrae and a fractured skull. Two of my vertebrae no longer look like vertebrae. I'd take a wild stab in the dark and say that happened around the same time I was denting a bus using nothing but my head.
The way they fix such injuries is to crudely bolt a metal cage to your skull and send you home for 3 months. I've also had 4 vertebrae in my thoracic spine immobilised using metal rods. High five!
Regardless, I'm a resilient chap. I'm back on the bike, I'm back in the pool and I've started going for the odd jog. The big question though...
Will I race again?
Er, yes, I already have. Cliffhangers are not my strong point. Fear not dear friends, you'll still be getting your bi-yearly blog updates about my life.
Stay tuned for more trials, tribulations and massive freak outs when I remember just how horrible it all was.
Racing triathlon with four pinned vertebrae: just living the dream!
Click here for links to things people have written about me in the media.
Onwards....who am I?
Come closer children and I'll tell you a tale...I was founded in Cumbria, the Lake District, Englandshire, a long, long time ago. I once made a bad choice and ended up spending five years in Glasgow studying electronic and electrical engineering. If you take one thing from this website let it be this: don't do that. I've seen things you can't un-see.
Following that less than ideal choice, I realised I've always enjoyed moving so I decided to try and make a living from it. So far this has been an interesting journey. I've lived in France, Spain and Belgium and am currently nomadic and living in a van for most of the year. If you want your children to get respectable jobs I may not be the right influence on them. If you want to stay in your job until you have a good pension, again, not the website for you.
I used to shun anything other than pedaling, and walking up one of my local fells had me whining like an under fed, sleep deprived toddler (so I've been told). Then I fell off my bike a few too many times, 3 collar bone breaks in a year (including one fun occasion where it splintered into 5 pieces) and a few bling metal pins later, I decided bike racing was perhaps not for me. Then I won a triathlon. Now I'm a triathlete. I'm not trying to scare you, but this could happen to you too. One day you're clipping in to your euro cyclist white shoes, tan lines perfectly symmetrical, the next you're clutching a permanent marker and wondering where it all went wrong.
Anyway, much as I'm enjoying writing this narcissistic diatribe, you probably have work you should be doing. However, I'd recommend you don't do it and read the rest of my website instead. You'll find all kinds of gems of information about me (see what I said about being a bad influence?)
Update (Spain, early 2015)
2014 started with such promise. I was a pro. I was all that was man...or at least, I had a piece of paper that said 'pro triathlete' on it. Unfortunately, my speed, strength and ability to look like a finely chiseled Adonis when strutting around in my speedos didn't help it not hurt when I crashed head on into a bus.
That's right children. I rode my bike into a bus.
This minor altercation resulted in 9 broken vertebrae and a fractured skull. Two of my vertebrae no longer look like vertebrae. I'd take a wild stab in the dark and say that happened around the same time I was denting a bus using nothing but my head.
The way they fix such injuries is to crudely bolt a metal cage to your skull and send you home for 3 months. I've also had 4 vertebrae in my thoracic spine immobilised using metal rods. High five!
Regardless, I'm a resilient chap. I'm back on the bike, I'm back in the pool and I've started going for the odd jog. The big question though...
Will I race again?
Er, yes, I already have. Cliffhangers are not my strong point. Fear not dear friends, you'll still be getting your bi-yearly blog updates about my life.
Stay tuned for more trials, tribulations and massive freak outs when I remember just how horrible it all was.
Racing triathlon with four pinned vertebrae: just living the dream!
Click here for links to things people have written about me in the media.
