A Golden Day

I've been in the grip of the Olympics today, from 9am this morning until 10pm this evening, with just a break during the afternoon for a run on the moor and to see youngest son get a couple of wickets in an exciting win at home for the 2nd XI. I've been quite emotional today, watching so many gold medals being won by the Brits. Like a lot of people, I've become highly involved in these Games. I don't necessarily think it's about nationalism so much as the fact that we often have a connection with the individuals involved. Sports fans like myself have followed some of these athletes for many years, through both good times and bad times. We feel part of their heroic journey.

Certainly in the case of Jessica Ennis, I think everyone feels like they know her as a friend. She comes across as very much the girl next door. She seems to have a smile for each one of us. Her achievement today was astonishing, the ultimate athlete, performing at the very top of her game. To be that good at so many disparate disciplines just blows me away. She was carrying the expectations of a whole nation on her slim shoulders, but the roar in the stadium enabled her to make light weight of that burden. She delivered. The buzz was such that it seemed never in doubt that Greg Rutherford would follow up by getting the gold in the long jump and that Mo Farah would claim the title in the 10000m. What an evening! What a day!!

I enjoyed a good run on the moor, with the legs coming back to life a little. The cloudscapes were wonderful, as they've so often been this summer. We just about managed to avoid all the showers here today. This is taken from another very favourite spot of mine on the moor. I've not posted a blip from here for a while. Had quite a choice to make, but chose this as the most dramatic on what has been a very dramatic golden day.