End of Year - Part 1

It's been a while since I posted...and I'm fairly sure it's obligatory to do at least one end of year post - so I'm going to do three (advanced warning for anyone who wants to come back in January!).

The first one will be a general look at a few things that have happened this year. Part Two will feature my look at the new music I've heard this year, and Part Three will feature a review of my running year.

So, what happened in 2014. Well, probably most importantly (probably? Who am I kidding, of course it's most important) is the fact that Miss G and I got engaged on 28th October, two years to the day since our first meeting (I like symmetry!). We were on holiday for a few days in the Lake District, and it felt the right time, so I asked, and she said yes, then we went outdoor gear shopping in Keswick. To be fair, it would probably have been more apt to have gone for a run, but the rain was coming down so hard it was bouncing up off the ground and coming down again!

Other than that, the other major change was moving house...by about 140 miles! We decided to relocate from Hertford to the edge of the Peak District, to give us the chance to live the outdoor life we want. While it hasn't quite worked out like that (yet!) it has given us the chance to make the first steps, and we are certainly spending more time in the hills than we were.

I changed roles within my job, going from Head of Technical Design, to Head of Technical Sales. A small title change, but now it means that I spend half of my time on the road visiting clients, the other half preparing the quotes. It also means I now have a nice new company car - I won't describe it as shiny as 1500+ miles per month tend to make it anything but!

I've read a lot of great books this year, some new, some new to me, and some old favourites, these are my selected highlights :
"Feet In The Clouds" & "Running Free", both by Richard Askwith. A year in which I don't read "Feet In The Clouds" is a year with something missing, and to be able to follow it up with his new book "Running Free" was just double the pleasure. Definitely worth reading both if you haven't, although if you have all of your time/money invested in big city marathons and the need to buy all the latest gimmicks you may find "Running Free" makes you think a little more than you want to...

"Lifting Shadows : The Authorised Biography of Dream Theater" by Rich Wilson. A very in-depth look at America's premier prog metal band. A great read, insightful, and not afraid to show the behind the scenes unpleasantness that can happen in a band.

"Extreme Sleeps : Adventures of  a Wild Camper" by Phoebe Smith. Lighthearted and informative look at the fun to be had by camping wild up in the hills (or on the beach). It's a long while since I've done it, and this book makes me want to get back out there.

"Strands : A Year of Discoveries on the Beach" by Jean Sprackland. Beautifully written book looking at the flotsam and jetsam washed up on her local beach, and the nature around at the same time.

"It's All About The Bike" by Robert Penn. I loved this so much I bought a second copy to give to my father. Just a wonderful eulogy to the bike, as the author sets about researching and having built the absolute best bike for him. A real passion shines through the writing, and the people he meets.

"The Trespassers" by Tris McCall. Whilst I found some of the story meandered a little too much, and some of it was a tad unbelievable, what really grabbed me about this book were the descriptions of exploring derelict buildings, factories mostly, a topic and idea that fascinates me - the chance to view something forgotten, or left behind.

"Faster - The Obsession, Science and Luck Behind the World's Fastest Cyclists" by Michael Hutchinson. Just finished this, after reading "80:20 Running" by Matt Fitzgerald. Both are fascinating books looking at training methods (among other things) for endurance sports. Hutchinson writes of the differences at elite level, the fine margins between success and failure. Fitzgerald writes of how amateurs can learn from elites with regard to what's best practice. Both write well, and entertainingly, and have plenty of research at their fingertips to illustrate their points.

So, that was some of 2014 - Part Two to follow...soon!