Four Seasons in One Day

.......First leg Mountainbiking in the gorgeous Sudrampe. 25km of flowing Singletrack.

................................2nd Leg Skiing in Andermatt, one of Switzerlands hidden jewels.

It amazed us that it was possible to experience mediteranean conditions on hard packed singletrack in almost summer like conditions in february, and yet 24 hours later be skiing in soft fluffy snow, just 30 miles apart.

The swiss adventures continue........

Joie de Vivre

Thought I'd share a recent dream with you...
I dreamt that I had died, or more accurately, had been killed. It was some kind of shock - possibly electric - but I knew it was coming and it was unavoidable. It hit me when I entered a certain room or pressed a certain button, but I had no choice not to enter or not to press it - it was inevitable.
And somebody close to me was dead before me, and others close to me were following, set to die shortly after me.
But when I was killed, that was not the end - either of me or of the dream (as so often the case). I continued to live a normal, yet hard, life, constantly in fear that rigor mortis would petrify me. It stalked me, or more, it hunted me. If I rested, was still, if my heart rate dropped, it would start to take hold. I knew if I slept I would be finished.

I'm not a big one for reading too much into dreams (although I read an interesting point recently, something like this - every human faculty serves a purpose. Every human being dreams. There must be a reason for the brain to be active in this way while the body sleeps, or else evolution, Darwinism, would have put an end to it. But rather than us dreamers becoming extinct, survival of the fittest saw our non-dreaming ancestors perish. Interesting.), but perhaps this particular dream is an affirmation of my belief that to survive we need to keep running, keep moving, keep learning and keep loving. And from reading the previous LAD blogs, it seems that this belief is common.

For those who don't know, I'm currently fighting my way through life in Tanzania. I live in poverty, no doubt, but not in the kind of extreme poverty which is all around. While I live on around 2,000 shillings a day (c. 80p), occasionally treating myself to a glass of cultured milk for protein, others around me are living on less than 500 shillings.
But I love it. I teach two days a week and I'm currently organising school events with local police and doctors, to run during the UN's first Global Road Safety Week. I've been invited to write for a national English-language newspaper, am overseeing the development of a road safety campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Vodacom, and next weekend will be running the Kilimanjaro Half Marathon. Hopefully within the next couple of months I'll start doing some recce-ing for a UK tour company - it'd be nice to have a bit of cash coming in!
I love the freedom that I have to do what I want, plus it's great that my white face gets me into pretty much any office in the country.

The Swiss Triathlon

The next 3 days will see the inaugeration of the Swiss triathlon. This will involve one days epic single track mountainbike riding, One day out on the piste, shredding the gnar, and one day out on the Piece, Ham nyamming as many erdingers as physically possible, in celebration of another year of the A C E Smith.

The damage will be revealed in the not too distant future..............

Whats in the news in the US

1. Britney going Bald
2. Anna Nicole Smith
3. Its snowing
4. Someone got banned from the the Daytona 500
5. How couples in the Hollywood manage to be married for 18 years
6. Helicopter went down in Afghanistan
7. The House said no to troops to iraq, congress said yes. or something like that!
8. Something about Obama and Clinton
9. GM might buy Chrysler
10. Some beauty queen was rescued by Donald Trump

1. I dont care
2. Actually its really sad that everyone can not leave her alone, very very sad for her.
3. Wow, maybe there is not global warming
5. Who cares?
6. Finally news, shame its a bit like the Sun
7. Good to see someone challening
8. Great PR, watch the UK politicians copy the warchest
9. How, they are bleeding money, must be asset rich
10. She is fit.

Daves Place

From your Correspondent in the United States of America, photos by Moto KRZR

Right, another weekend spending time away from the British homeland to the country of doggy bags. Yet again a crazy schedule. Fly back from Canada after booking a £2000 flight last minute to Hamburg, Germany. Going through security in Calgary airport they take me aside and look through my bag, finding a 6” blade pair of scissors, ones which I think I have been travelling with since 27th December. This reassures me seeing as I have been through:

London Heathrow: twice
London Gatwick: once
Chicago O’Hare: once
Geneva: once
Zurich: once

I used to be really tolerant with the security teams, now I get annoyed seeing as they are too busy talking with each other about their arrangements for the night trying to impress each other. Now, I get annoyed because the people in charge of our security clearly do not care! The number of times you see the person doing the security trimming their nails. And in the US where they try to be all ‘ard and intimidating… well they can not find anything over their guts.

Anyway, I fly back to London, getting bussed to the plane to connect to Hamburg. Land in Hamburg, to find they have lost my bags. I hang around the airport, then drive at 180 km/h. My bags turn up at 2am in the hotel

Spend a few days at our facility just south of the Danish border. I love the area. Finally getting my bags back but going in to work in a variety of unironed shirts with some sweater to cover my unkempt appearance. Working each day from 9am until somewhere between 10pm and mid night. I got some 10€ gift voucher from the hotel for some free massage or makeover, who knows, its written in German.

Went home for Friday night, expecting a call from 10pm until midnight, wait for the call and then get told I am not needed, nice of them to keep me from drinking. Saturday (slept for 12 hours), and Sunday morning were nice, flying back to Germany for Sunday night, Monday and returning home Tuesday night for about 10 hours, leaving the next day at 9am for a mid day flight to Chicago. Land in the US, straight through CBP, the officer checking passports was a legend. Go in to the office, skidding on the ice and snow, it is about -15 deg C. Finally get out of the office at 7.00pm. Check in to the dive of a hotel I have booked. I check out 2 days later, sick of waffles giving me stomach upsets and a heater that blows cold air and beds so short my feet stick over the end. Am in a good hotel now, where I have eaten most of the nyams. The work I am here for is ok fortunately and holiday in Canada has changed my attitude to work: Past caring would sum it up

Boring road the Romans would have been proud of:

mess of a room:

The weekend was cool. Went to Dave and Busters
and played on the arcade games and pool surrounded by American Chavs. Go some Evisu jeans for £60 and met up with some good friends and their baby daughter. Watched flags of our fathers, swam for a half hour each day and went to the gym, watched Mexican TV cos they have good looking girls on it. I think Mexico should be the next lad holiday but probably no mountain biking there. na nah

You want to see gas guzzler


Been sorting the holidays out for the summer and riding up north next weekend. Fortunately I have lucked out and don’t need to go to Pakistan in 2 weeks time, I would have loved to go but too tired. May go to China though.

I am loving Razorlight, for some reason America is sticking in my head

Hangovers

Alright, is it me or are hangovers starting to last longer than they used to?! I was dragged up by some of the guys from one of the mahcine crews on Friday. When I say machine crew they look after all teh maintenance of some large on track rail machines. Anyway, it is a pretty hard job and they are all beasts and all from the outer reaches of Scotland and therefore can handle significantly more alcohol than me. I don't remember much, but I know I had a good time and stacked it off my bike on the way home at 4 in the morning 3 times. I then awoke to sound of my mobile phone ringing at 9.30 and my mate was outside my flat. DOH! HE just laughed as I stubbled out of my flat looking like death in my cycling gear struggling to even put the bike in teh car let alone go downhilling for the day in Ambergate woods... Put it this way, man and machine were not in perfect harmony for most of the day. I then went out on the beers again Saturday ('ARD!) but have been for a walk in the dales today - see photo. Weather good. I love this country, you just have to walk 15 mins into the dales and you do need to see anyone

again for the day.

Looking forward to next weekend, prob going to be in Sheffield for Sat night and up for a ride on Sat if anyone else is, then I'm going to the Keane Concert at Nottingham Arena on teh Sun nihgt, hopefully that'll be good. Has anyone else registered for Glanstonbury by the way. I am up for it this year. Get it done on line if you fancy it.

Working nights Mon and Tues so fannying about during the day and will get some biking in during the week, utilising the hire car teh best I can :). Anyway, I'll see some of you next weekend hopefully.

That is all for now. I'd love to post some of the emails that went around laast week regarding organisation of the lads trip to Spain, hilarious, keep it up.

Jimbo.

The Return to the Spiritual Home

So.............Back in Sheffield!!!

Many of the team have links to this unsung hero of the british isles. Everytime I return something has changed. This time is no exception.

My brain is fried from 3 days of information ingestion in my new project management role, so I stumble over the key board attempting to make a coherent addition to this ever expanding Blogga-log.

My office is situated directly opposite the goodwin sports centre. Now completed, and offers ALumni discounts.... VElly nice.

I also discovered that the university is crying out for PHD students, as many of the lecturers have grants to further their specialist fields of study..... Maybe this is a calling for you eternal student wannabees.

So hopefully this is the beginning of what will spawn another chapter of legendary activites to the historical portfolio of already legendary acts in this all encompassing town.

Have a romantic valentines night! xxx

the highs of 2007 - so far...

If interpol are after me they'll have a hard time finding me. In the first 6 weeks of 2007 i've been to 8 countries and have clocked up a wapping 7 days behind my desk in Paris. The year got off to an awesome start with a ski trip to Tignes and having never donned skis before in my life, I had a mere week to become a skiing legend... I as good as made it!
Just as it was time to change the worn out wheels on my suitcase, crampons and axes carried me high in to the Massif du Mont Blanc. 5 days of high altitude climbing dodging rockfalls and creaking seracs was the perfect start to February. 10 months to go and the forecast for the year of the lad looks outstanding. Bring it on!

New Year Polish Stylee (Delayed Post)

Poland ain't a bad choice for NY!

http://livingladgends.fotopic.net for a more comprehensive overview of this vodka fuelled occasion.

Mid West Family

Hi, i want to give everyone a link to some really good friends I know from Chicago. Derek, Melissa and Delaney. Derek is working in Singapore.
Mid West Family

On Creativity

We possess the ability to create; it is the gift of the soul.

The way we express ourselves is at the heart of our very spirit.

If we choose to, we can be creative in everything we write and think and draw,

the way we speak,

even the way we interact with others.

By doing so we set free the very essence of who we are,

for

creativity

is

the

expression

of

our

selves

Fernie

Awesome! Snow, good. Back country nice.
Hainey being a skiing legend.
Ali the Rocket Man Jamieson flies the old granielson
Banksy, too good, stacks it on his tails and snow ballet instructor
Mike, needs plastic surgery

Pics up Tuesday.

waiting for flight to Germany now

skiing rules