30 years on......

      After two operations on my Rt eye, the first in December which went horribly wrong and a second delicate one in February under general anaesthetic to glue a new lens into my eye, I can now see reasonably well again. After countless follow up appointments and administering different drops 4 times a day ever since, I'm able to see clearly through that eye though the cataract in my Lt eye is considerably worse. It too will need an operation later this year, again under general anaesthetic, which I'm not looking forward to.

I can see clearly now - through one eye!
(Click pictures to enlarge)

      It never stopped me running but it certainly slowed me down and drastically reduced my mileage. And less activity resulted in an increase in weight, but I'm working on that.  Last week I was starting to feel pretty good again and managed to run all the way up Castle Hill without having to walk short bits to catch my breath.

Setting an MV55 course record in the 1988 Pennine Marathon - 3:05:47

      Come weekend it suddenly dawned on me I'd been running exactly 30 years. It was April 9th 1986 when I took my first steps to becoming an athlete - though the word 'athlete' never entered my head at the time. Dissatisfied with the overweight, flabby hunk staring from the mirror I decided to do a bit of jogging to get back in shape. Fifteen months later I discovered I could 'jog' rather fast when, on a steamy July day, I won the MV55 category of the 1987 Pennine Marathon in 3hrs 30mins. Life was never the same again.  The following year I broke the MV55 course record.

Receiving MV75 winner award from the legendary Kenny Stuart,
2010 Derwentwater 10 mile road race - 1:21:21

      Many Championship wins on roads, track, fells and cross country, a few course records and 38,407 miles later I think I can dispense with the term 'jogger'!  Self training for races wasn't easy but the rewards and podium finishes gave me a wonderful sense of fulfilment that enriched my life in ways I'd never previously dreamt possible.

First win as an MV80 in the 2012 Ilkley Trail Race - 1:27:27

      I love the way the sun rises in different places as the days roll by so make no excuses for yet another another photograph of a dawn run over Castle Hill, taken last Friday. I decided it might be fit for publication so emailed it to our local newspaper, the Huddersfield 'Examiner'.

Another dawn run over Castle Hill - and still enjoying running,
after 30 years and 38,400 miles

      The editor was soon on the phone wanting more information for it wasn't the sort of thing your average 83 year old gets up to and might make a good story. "Is it alright to send a photographer to take more photographs and do a short video?" he asked.  Affirmative.  How could I refuse?  Fame at last, I joked!
Watch out for the article later this week.
It might be a good laugh!