Tuesday 28 January 2020

Brutal Bagshot 2020, How to make a memory and 2020 almost fully booked !

The Brutal year starts here !

So were're creeping into 2020, having just decided to read 1984, because I thought I knew what it had in it but had better find out for real, I'd like us to reverse out of 2020 and have another go, because - well George Orwell said it was supposed to be a warning, and nobody seems to have been paying attention of late. Do have a read, even the first three pages should make you wonder at someone in 1947 being able to imagine and write it (and when you do remember TV was a relatively new thing then, but I guess xenophobia and hate weren't).
and yet some thought 2020 was going swimmingly

We've had the first of the Brutal runs for 2020, which given the winter makes the water particularly fresh, and there's the cross country (XC) season that has now had the County Leagues and Championships, then recently the regional champs (northern, midlands and southerns), and then we will be at the English "Nationals" later in February which this year is back at Nottingham, which again will have free photos live on the day for all participants - so make sure your clubmates know if they're going so they can share their achivements - especially the really boggy bit which makes for great spectating !!

Here's the most recent event galleries to check out your rugged or better features and future events worth getting entered in:

Date Event Gallery results website
Sat-28/12/2019 Brutal Longmoor http://sspimg.com/Brutal-Longmoor-2019-Gallery https://www.athlinks.com/event/299852/results/Event/862305/Course/1613610/Results
Wed-01/01/2020 Serpentine 10k http://sspimg.com/Serpentine-10K-2020-Gallery http://results.eventchiptiming.com/results.aspx?CId=16202&RId=8195&EId=2
Sun-05/01/2020 Tadworth Ten http://sspimg.com/Tadworth-10-2020-Gallery http://www.sportsystems.co.uk/ss/results/Tadworth%2010/4280
Sat-25/01/2020 Brutal Bagshot http://sspimg.com/Brutal-Bagshot-2020-Gallery https://www.athlinks.com/event/326671/results/Event/892945/Results
 -  - -  -
Date Event Race EntryFree Photos ?
Sun-02/02/2020 Watford Half https://watfordhalf.co.uk/  -
Sun-09/02/2020 Worthing Half Marathon http://bit.ly/worthing-half-2016  -
Sat-22/02/2020 National XC Champs http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/ Free race photos sponsored by Saucony
Sun-23/02/2020 Hampton Court Half Marathon http://bit.ly/Hampton-Court-Half-Entry  -
Sat-29/02/2020 Brutal Bordon http://www/http://brutalrun.co.uk/race/bordon/  -
Sun-01/03/2020 Steyning Stinger http://www.steyningac.co.uk/ Free race photos as part of the race package
Sun-08/03/2020 Cambridge Half Marathon https://cambridgehalfmarathon.com/ Free race photos sponsored by Saucony
Sun-15/03/2020 Brentwood Half http://bit.ly/Brentwood-Half  -

Here's some of the joy that was Brutal Bagshot last saturday !

Follow the leader

photobombing from a distance

...and then he snapped my neck like a twig officer...

cold reaches the parts other beers cannot reach

run angry or get cold

scrum down

twinkle toes

tolkein has it

almost spring like

that was a cold bit

I've found what was blocking the plug....

Flapping keeps him higher above the water

Hold the sky !

So far so good at 1km in...

mind that hole under the waaaaaa...

everyones a winner !!

How to make a memory ?
As christmas fades away I'm reminded that we are in the business of celebrating achievement, making people happy through sport photography, and making memories.

However - how do you make a memory ? How do you truly make a moment in time become one that is known, recalled and cherished with an internal smile to yourself when you recall it ?

Here's just one way - which has two steps to it.
1. Print it (I use photobox.co.uk for my home stuff).
2. Put it somewhere in your home
3. Pick the somewhere carefully - and this is the memory making bit - somewhere you walk past every day, but don't always stop. The sort of place the picture will be in the side of your vision - but not taking up all your attention - but just enough for you to see it if you see it.

Examples are places like up the side of the stairs (assuming you have stairs), in a corridor, by a door you open and close mostly when you use it. You'll know where I mean.
Over time - that picture you sort of see every day, and sort of remember so it doesn't fade - will become part of the fabric of your home, and the fabric of your memories.
Try it - it works. It really does. Give it a bit of time (years...)

And for those of you saying - it's ok I have the digital copy - yes you do - do you have an app that changes your phones wallpaper every day to a different image ? or forces you to see it every time that you switch apps ?
If there's anyone out there that writes these sort of things - please can I have an app that shows me what I was doing 11 months, 23, 35, and 47 months etc etc ago. Because I want a month before the anniversary to have a chance to consider doing it again... I don't want to be reminded *on the day* because then it's too late to get myself organised isn't it !! (take note "time-hop" programmers - let me change this in the settings).

Right, that's it for now - keep wark, although it's not that cold at the moment, and until next time keep the training going,

Anthony








Thursday 2 January 2020

Brutal Longmoor 2019 and Serpentine NYD 10k 2020 - Galleries live

Well, happy new year to you all !! 2020 and all that is now on it's way - enjoy it whilst it lasts !

It's a winter wonderland. Their security wanted to know what I was doing stood around with a camera outside their main gate. Not being subtle about it if I was doing anything covert to be honest, which I wasn't. But apparently MI6 headquarters is inside here ever since their builders lost the plans like what happened to the Death Star, and you know what happened to that.


If you're looking to do the 10 year change comparison (2010 v's end of 2019), then we haven't yet got to reloading 2010's gallery but we do have 2007 gallery full online here: https://sspimg.com/2007Gallery to see what you looked like 13 years ago !!!

Here's the latest Galleries and future events to get yourself booked into and training through these very mild winter months (so far)...

Date Event Gallery / Future Event
Sat-16/11/2019 Brutal Spider Hill http://sspimg.com/Brutal-Spider-Hill-2019-Gallery
Sun-17/11/2019 Fulham 10k http://sspimg.com/City-Runs-Fulkham10k-2019-Gallery
Sun-17/11/2019 Brighton 10k http://sspimg.com/Brighton-10k-2019-Gallery
Sun-08/12/2019 Seaford Mince Pie http://sspimg.com/Seaford-Mince-Pie-10-2019-Gallery
Sat-28/12/2019 Brutal Longmoor http://sspimg.com/Brutal-Longmoor-2019-Gallery
Wed-01/01/2020 Serpentine 10k http://sspimg.com/Serpentine-10K-2020-Gallery
Future Events GET YOUR ENTRIES IN SOON !
Sun-05/01/2020 Tadworth Ten http://www.tadworth.org.uk/tadworth-ten/
Sat-25/01/2020 Brutal Bagshot http://www.brutalrun.co.uk/dates/bagshot/
Sun-02/02/2020 Watford Half https://watfordhalf.co.uk/
Sun-09/02/2020 Worthing Half TBC http://bit.ly/worthing-half-2016

here's some photos for you from the last two events...

Happy New Year !

all smiles at the serpentine  

Here's the 2020 headgear of the year

Here's our first winner of 2020

flying all the way from the Royal Opera House on the laps

This is how I want to get going into 2020

Or like this - this is how going to 2020 should be, at speed and shifting fast

It's a winter wonderland !

And this was the last race of 2019... Brutal Longmoor

Helping Elves were on duty to help you sleigh yourselves around the course

we all need a bit of a lift after christmas

now go wash your hands

some people were thinking about the consequences

Good Game, Good Game

Victory arms

Surprised arms

Victory for all arms

victory surrender arms

space left on one arm

NO !! I'm Stick man, I'm stick man... 

Inverted Strong arms

Blue Arm

Popeye arms

crazy eye (NB there's three heads in the middle there...)

organiser eye

3i

och aie

ooer aye

whats eye

och noo aye

And here's our last winner of 2019 !
 And with that the last year finished and the new year started. With perhaps a bit more vision and foresight than we had in 2019 ? I wonder what they'll call that then ? A miracle probably, or "online digital content legislation for social media companies"...

So, Happy New Year and we look forwards to seeing you very soon !
until next time
Anthony