If the world had not changed with the COVID pandemic I would have been in the final preparations for my trip to the Yukon for the Yukon Arctic Ultra. I’m sad not to be going. But I have wonderful memories of the people, the wilderness trails, the biting cold and of some amazing experiences with…

Will the YAU take place in 2021? No one knows yet. But with 2 long distance triathlons cancelled over the summer and no ice miles this winter I need something to motivate me to get moving – so I’ve started training just in case the race is on. The very slight chill in the morning…

My race ended 100 miles in at Braeburn – and the tough trail conditions meant I’d pushed the bike most of that. The result of all the pushing was a large blister on my left heel – picture at the end so the sensitive can ignore it! I’d treated it earlier in the race as…

A picture tells a thousand words: The conditions this year made biking 300 miles impossible. There were only 3 entrants on bikes; two were attempting only (!) 100 miles, one made it, one didn’t. It wasn’t much easier on foot. By the end of YAU 2020 only 2 athletes out of all 21 entrants made…

Final gear check early this morning – which seemed ok till I realised how heavy the bike was! So I’ve spent many hours today, packing and repacking. With advice from Andy Gregory I have managed to repack using the lighter panniers – but it still feels so heavy! We’ve had the pre-race briefing, and the…

An early morning ride to where the trail drops from Whitehorse onto the Yukon river – and an abrupt halt in the soft snow. And it is so warm, about -7 this morning. So unless the weather changes drastically it looks like the start of the race will be a bike push. Oh well, I’ve…

This year I need to wear a helmet out on the trails as well as on the road. I brought my road helmet with me but it has too much ventilation – I couldn’t keep my head warm. So – a deep breath and a nice new helmet with insulation. Love the colour though! And…

There’s not many people around in the middle of the night! Flights were good, all luggage arrived on time and all was going well until I found out I had messed up the hotel booking! But one night in a sister hotel and all was sorted by the Coast High Country Inn staff – yet…

More time for training would have been good but life didn’t work out that way. So this weekend has been my last chance for some back to back rides. Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire yesterday, an old favourite today along the Norfolk coast to Wells and a pre-dawn beach ride tomorrow- I’m looking forward to that one!…

Every ride since August has been on the Specialised on the right. Together we’ve been through torrential downpours, sunshine, mud, wind and more mud. We’ve spent a lot of time on the beach and recently we have been accompanied by an 8kg kettlebell on the rack, and 2kg on the handlebars. The Specialized is actually…

Looking back my time in the Yukon I feel privileged, honoured, fortunate and quite emotional. It was privilege to be with so many athletes of all nationalities who poured their minds, bodies and souls into this race. And it was an immense privilege to be there as Race Chaplain. I felt honoured to be made…

More than 300 miles, 7 days and some of the worst and best trail I have been on with a bike. 2 flat tyres, 1 temper tantrum when I nearly pushed the bike over the cliff onto the Yukon river and moments when the words of God and the beauty around me made me cry…