Guess the Sport!

I want to provide a bit of variety with my blips, so this is a little bit different - although note that I still manage to avoid showing any faces. Some day soon I'll attempt that! So ... what sport is this? We have a competitor centre frame, with a commentator on the public address in the background, and a photographer trying to get an action shot in the foreground. I also competed in the event after taking this picture, and made the final, but sadly didn't manage to come away victorious. It remains an ambition of mine to win one day! Let's have your guesses. The first person with the right answer will have their name written in gold tomorrow!

I may not have won the title I covet, but I did win another prize today - somewhat to my surprise. I cycled out to run the Burnsall Classic Fell Race this afternoon, and won my vets category, coming away with a voucher for £20! I think I managed to successfully channel all the frustrations of this last week into my running. The 'Classic' possibly has the longest tradition of any race in the world, going right back to 1870. You start in the village and run to the top of the fell where a flag flies at the summit cairn to mark the turn. It is then a mad scramble down a steep and rocky track through the heather before you can open up across the fields and race full pelt back to the village. I love the fact that people have been doing this same thing for well over a hundred years, and by racing you enter yourself into the history books and become part of the tradition of the race. As the event seems to grow in popularity every year there seems no reason why people won't still be running in this race in another hundred years. I have this fancy notion that perhaps my grandchildren (should any ever arrive into this world) might one day try to beat my best time.

Now, even though I say so myself, that will actually take some doing! The race was won today by local legend Ted Mason in a time of 14 mins and 18 secs. I once run it in 15.14, which isn't too shabby. The rather sobering thing is that my time today was 19.52, and it felt like I was running strongly, well up the field, so it is impossible for me to conceive how I could once have been almost five minutes quicker. I never appreciated at the time how fit I was back then. You never do of course! Nevertheless, I am on a high this evening. It's just what I needed to get out of my funk! Thanks so much for all your kind thoughts yesterday and this morning. I feel a bit of a fraud to be honest. My frustrations are nothing compared to those experienced by so many people - and I can escape into the most wonderful countryside when it all gets too much. Perhaps the best news of all is that my legs seem to have taken today's beating in their stride. I cycled back with a mate feeling no niggles at all. To cap it all, both the lads had comprehensive victories in their cricket matches. Promotion is looking good for both teams. It's been a great day. I hope yours has been too.