For a cheap option I’d go for the big compromise and get either an 18-250 or 18-300 Sigma. Seen results at both ends I’d be happy enough with for my purposes.

Horrible experience. Had a near miss myself coming home from work last year, someone looking shifty on the pavement, looked at the van and then stepped out when he thought I was too close to do anything about it. Luckily a combination of braking and swerving did the trick, and the lorry behind me clocked what he was doing and deliberately blocked the road in both directions. Even that experience messed me up for a while.

Currently delving back into Inspiral Carpets stuff after the news today of Craig Gill’s death

Good work, stick with it!

I’ve recently got back into playing regularly after neglecting it for too long. I’m rubbish but I don’t play because I’m good, I play because I enjoy it.

Here’s one of mine, my Epiphone LP Standard Plus Top.
Les Paul by durhambiker[/url], on Flickr

Use miles for running and cycling, but get annoyed at the Garmin watch because it then insists on measuring swimming in yards and not metres…

Only a Disco, but it was at least an SVO Commercial. Still miss the stupid money pit.

My Discovery Commercial on our “driveway”. by durhambiker[/url], on Flickr

Pictured here in a rare moment of there being more water outside it than in.

Welshfarmer, is that photo the bomb hole at Strata Florida? If not it looks suspiciously like it.

Inov8 have a new road shoe out that’s been getting good reviews. Hoka seem to be well regarded by a few people I know, as do Sketchers for comfortable running shoes.

Personally I’m currently using Asics GT2000-4 shoes purely because I got a pair for a bargain price, and I’m very happy with them. Longest run in them so far is 16 miles and they’ve kept my feet comfy despite my 16St+ bulk

Just got back from seeing it. Absolutely loved it.

I’d recommend going for a run/walk strategy right from the start. I’m currently doing it to prepare for an ultra in January and it’s letting me run further, recover quicker, and frankly it’s not much slower than if I tried to do nothing but run. It can result in quicker finish times too depending on how well you take to it, as it enables you to do the run segments at a consistently higher pace over the distance.

The Lore of Running is a good book to read if you like big heavy books.

Duathlons are another story mind. Did the Whinlatter Duathlon earlier this year. That was a laugh…

Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence
Clutch – Psychic Warfare

Certainly not seen many advertised other than Xterra. You get the odd end of season one but they tend to be fairly tame affairs.

Was getting some photos of one of my guitars yesterday, and quite liked this one.

Les Paul by durhambiker[/url], on Flickr

Spent an hour last weekend at the National Cycling Centre watching a couple of mates do a track taster session. Didn’t get many decent shots due to a combination of poor skills, lack of practice with the camera recently, a horrendously cheap zoom lens and the fact that ISO 1600 on the 400D is pants. But mainly down to me. Anyway, here’s one I quite like.

Razor on the Track by durhambiker[/url], on Flickr

So now after all that tiring effort of lifting the kettle, filling it with water, and putting it back down, he doesn’t even have to touch it to switch it on…

The Barkley Marathons if you fancy a documentary about a slightly weird trail race

I’ve recently signed up with a new The Gym Group gym just down the road. Only been in for induction so far, but planning to get in there tomorrow

Plenty of reading here, courtesy of the Runner’s World tri forum

What size cylinder for the Thistlegorm?

I’ve done courses both with BSAC and PADI, and I wouldn’t rate one over the other. I’ve been a member of an utterly useless BSAC club where it was nigh on impossible to make any progress with your training, and I’ve also been part of a brilliant club who couldn’t do enough for you. I’ve heard horror stories of PADI instructors, but all the ones I’ve had experience of have been highly competent, patient, and keen to make sure their students were of a high enough standard before signing them off.

As for learning in the UK, all my training dives have been done over here, and my first taste of open water was Capernwray in the middle of winter. Yes, that would probably put a lot of people off, but I loved it. I finished my BSAC Ocean Diver course in Vivian quarry, Llanberis with a leaking drysuit in March. It certainly makes you appreciate warmer water diving that bit more! But at if what you want is to learn to dive, combined with a week somewhere warm, go for it. My choice in that case would be do a referral course to get the theory and pool work done before you head out, finish the Open Water course in warm water, and then if you wanted to give UK diving a go further down the line, do Advanced Open Water with a centre over here. Or find a local BSAC club, and do a cross-over course with them.

DaylightR & Digger by durhambiker[/url], on Flickr

Very much out of practice, but took the old 400D out to Mallorca whilst supporting at the Ironman. This is one of my favourites, one Pirate helping another through a bad patch on the marathon.

If Ali’s actions were shameful to try to deprive Mola of the title, then Murray has questions to answer for waiting to cross the line until he knew Mola was still in 5th place behind him. Mola needed 5th to secure the series, and Murray was going to do what he could to make sure he got it, even if that meant finishing in 6th behind him.

Great work by both Brownlees. JB gave everything in that race to try to win the series, AB went to his aid when he needed it and damn the consequences. Mola did just enough to maintain his position.

Just watching episode 8 of season 4 now. Loving it

Alpkit Muon head torch as a spare for Equinox24 weekend after next. Waiting on another delivery for a copy of The Lore of Running after stupidly entering Country to Capital after a few too many single malts t’other night.

My advice (ex GW store manager) would be to just let the auction run. Should get more than 15 quid for it, but not worth splitting that lot up. Painted stuff can fetch a premium if 1. It’s a quality paint job, and 2. In colours people want, otherwise it actually drops the value as it needs stripping and repainting.

Only worth splitting if you know what the stuff is and you can sort through it to make sure all the bits are with each model.

Elastic laces are your friends, then you just need to pull your running shoes on.

Mmmmmm Hollands pies… Good job I’m moving back to Oldham soon, they’re going right back on the menu… Hollands meat and potato pie, in a bap, with chips. Or as you say, meat pie, chips, peas but for me, curry sauce.

Always use Malaga Car. Pick up outside the terminal in a minibus to take you round to their depot. Cheap and never had any issues over 7 trips. They’ll drop you back off at the terminal when you take the car back, often in your hire car if the bus is busy so very little waiting around.

Oh, and if that’s the Facebook post I’m thinking of, it was completely tongue in cheek, with only one person taking it seriously and getting wound up. And he’s well known for being a knob, to the point that he was being mocked in rhe rave briefings at Outlaw the other week. Several people turned up in Parkrun 25 t-shirts for a laugh on response to that thread.

Don’t forget the piss stains.

We’re growing and there’s still loads of banter. Only annoying thing is there’s an increase in the number of people wearing the kit who don’t seem to be on RW or make any effort to be a part of the social side. You give em support on course and they blank you. Sort of thing the death penalty should be brought back for…

Not much to add, other than as a Pirate we do enjoy a good bit of piss taking. Dishing out or receiving, we’re not bothered. We’re at the less serious end of the tri spectrum. Though some of our lot are actually quite quick…

Newsthump[/url] hit the nail on the head for me. Enjoyed it overall but mainly for the soundtrack and the look of it. Plot was a bit pants and all over the place.

I might be tempted, as I’ll be flying out of Newcastle tomorrow to be away for work for 4 weeks, and realised I’ve packed my Oakleys away in storage in Manchester. Got a tri booked whilst I’m away so no way I can be without a pair…

Hire a bike (either road or mtb) from X-Bike. Head east along the coast road for some lovely views. Or go diving with the dive centre down by Ayo’s, brilliant people, been diving with them for the past 4 years.

Got a couple of mates who are Type2, follow LCHF diets and race Ironman tri with good success. It does take a while to adapt, they’ve both said 6 to 8 weeks initially with performance improving beyond that.

920xt here, would have gone for the new 735xt but I’m fat and slow so the lower battery life wouldn’t see me round an Ironman triathlon.

Wear it as my day to day watch and very happy with it. Taken a few knocks at work and there’s not a mark on it. Picks up GPS quickly. Only thing I’d fault it on is Bluetooth connection to my phone sometimes takes a while to connect, not sure if that’s the watch or phone at fault. For navigation I’d stick with an Edge unit of some sort.

No experience of Prizm Trail, but I love my Prizm Road lenses. Wear them every time I ride, regardless of time of day, weather etc.

Good info, cheers.

Unsavoury types don’t bother me much, the area I have been covering up here in the North East has more than it’s fair share…

I’ll be trying to avoid grabbing any grannies, I will however be trying to sell them lots of tea…

Coastal path for running sounds good, probably skip surfing as balance isn’t a strong point of mine, but will be sure to check out cider and music!