Best one I ever got:
When discussing any points on a slide, press the B key on your keyboard. This blanks the scree, and means people concentrate on YOU, not what’s hovering above your head on the screen.

I have one, because under a drysuit when winter kayaking they’re ace.

However, I still wonder why the frnk anyone would want to wear one around the house/in public/for any other reason than UNDER something else. They look horrific! Even my better half in her comedy snowman one…

In the loosest sense of the word, yes

Pints/beer session – grand
“night out”/dancing – absolutely poo.

IR_B – see you there! A comment from last year’s Deerstalker sums it up nicely. First hill, just after the first water obstacle, runner in front of me turns to his mate with the words “So much for the frigging waterproof shoes”. You’re much better off with fast draining than waterproof, and after the “Outward River Saunter” (waist depth in places )wet feet will be the last thing on your mind…

Oh, and Edinburgh Bike had the Deflects reduced last week as well…

I’ve just got a set of the Spesh Deflect gloves and they’re pretty darn good. I use the BG Ridge gloves over summer, and find that the BG padding suits me really well.

The feel of the cold water splashing on my face as I dropped off Low Force yesterday.

Happy. Awesome weekend of kayaking and house party, the sun is shining and I’m tired and achy for all the right reasons.

I thought this was going to be about Heston…

I ordered a double entendre in a pub once.

The barmaid gave me one.

(I’ll get me coat…)

Will keep an eye, Headingley/Hyde Park/Meanwood area, but check Recycle Engineering, off Victoria Rd in Hyde Park as well. They bought a mates bike after it was stolen, thief had got a dicky receipt run up to make it look genuine.

As an addendum, yup, what the others said. I went from 5k to (slow) 80k in 8 months…

Have a look at something like the Runners World soite, they often have suggested training plans. Basic idea is not to increase distance too rapidly – no more than a 10% increase in weekly mileage/longest run distance per week is an oft-used figure – and work on distance OR speed at any one time, not both.

Not a hard case, but I use a little Jansport holdall. Was about £20 on Amazon and is cracking.

Yup, I’d agree with that, spacemonkey. I dropped the riding since it was my first Ultra and needed testing with some respect. Going back there this year but aiming to mix the summer up a bit more since I’ve gor a better base to work off. Both will come back, gradually, I’m sure.

I trained hard all of last year for an Ultra in August. Finished that, had a layoff for a while…

Now in the same boat as you on two counts, lost the running fitness in a few months and lost the biking fitness since I started running… Ho hum… :)

Multisport – 2004 and 2006 Hebridean Challenges
MTB – Sleepless 2008
Running – Grand Raid des Pyrenees 2011

Or, actually, if it’s in columns, Hlookup…

Vlookup is what you need, I reckon.

My favourite in our old works canteen was sausage, mushroom and two hash browns, with ketchup. Set me up a treat, that did.

Agree with cp, map board on the bars is a very good idea, taking a map out of your pack for every decision is a massive faff. Boards are great, tough it seems to take some people some time to adapt to not being able to see the front wheel on techy downhills. Oh, and bear in mind that GPS are usually not allowed.

Aside from that, have fun. If it’s Trailquest/score format (pick your checkpoints) try and avoid climbing on singletrack. If it’s MTB-O/linear format, remember the shortest route isn’t always the fastest!

The Alpkit Gamma’s are good, for night running and riding I use a Black Diamond Icon. Bly the cheapest but cracking features, brightness and battery life.

At the Kielder 100 this year, there was a bit of a consensus that the Clarks pads were the ones lasting best. This was, presumably, un-bedded, straight replacements.

It’s snot.

(See what I did there? No? I’ll get me coat…)

I have a scar on my left eyebrow from being hit in the head with a WWII army helmet.

“Come here darling” is a fairly acceptable phrase to have to veto, though. I had to ask my mum to stop saying “now you be careful” when I went out on my bike. I only ever crashed when she’d told me to be careful… (No idea what my excuse is now, mind)

I’m sat quietly in the living room avoiding my loves-to-vent-her-righteous-indignation-at-full-volume sister. Her fella and I are hiding out with a couple of white russians. It’s very peaceful in here…

Merry whatsits, everyone. :)

Oh, and sorry gents, but Kylie all the way.

I occasionally admit I’m wrong. But sometimes I’m just lying to keep the missus quiet.

< Sees aracer’s been on RGB again… >

Carrick, and I’m absolutely fine with it.

I was a guitarist, then got a mandolin then the banjo – the latter are pretty similar so I kind of knew how to play already. Depends how she wants to learn, but I would reckon on banjo, a chord book or “for beginners” book and a few plectrums if she wants to play strummed rather than picked. Maybe a tuner. That’s about it.

(More seriously, Eagle Music Shop was where my missus bought both my banjo and mandolin. Both Ozark ones, not hugely expensive but decent enough to learn on)

Just watch out if she snaps the string…

No-one. It’s wendyball and I fail to see why I should cheer 11 overpaid tossers mincing around a field.

Nice sweet-but-sharp dessert wine also has it’s place.

Babybel should be allowed at Christmas, since we’re celebrating the birth of the little baby cheeses…

…I’ll get me coat.

I’ll be bimbling around in the Lakes for a few days over Chrimbo. If anyone fancies a gentle spin around Whinlatter on the 27/28th, gimme a reach around yell…

When they start screwing my knees/ankles up.

I’ve had one for years, for wearing under my drysuit when kayaking. I wouldn’t wear it in public, though…

Cup of tea?