After a great season I am starting to plan the winter adventure...So far I've got Snowboarding with the team in Austria just after New Year and then off to Kerala in India for a month of Mountain Biking and general mayhem. Lot's of Powerboat and a few Kayak expeditions in Feb/March and then a bit of everything from April onwards.

Spent the afternoon yesterday cascading...yep I reckon that's the word down the slopes around the site of the proposed Olympic Mountain Bike course at Hadleigh. After 5 days of rain it was pretty good, but damned slippery. Going sideways through thorny bushes was the highlight alongside some good air time at the top of the course. Only the ocassional splat...arrived home to be told that I can't come in the house..imagine the naked, mud covered nutter at the back door complete with naughty schoolboy look trying to hose himself and the bike down. Thank god for tolerant neighbours.

The knees are a bit knackered as I'm training for the annual mud and obstacle race in the new year. We run it on a local 4x4 track however the deep ruts completely fill with icy water to chest height which makes for unbeleivable fun. Last year we had about 20 of the crew join us but this year it's looking like 50 or 60. I think I might end up doing stretcher detail. It's always a challenge to decide on 'boots' or cross country trainers. Starting last year at the back of the carnage I almost had a heart attack laughing at the huge spouts of water shooting up into the air from a competitors wellington boots as he ran, the water being above the top of the boots somewhat slowed him down. Trust me you had to be there...

My better half has just got back from Argentina taking part in Total Wipe Out. She was really doing well and then made a major tactical error on dizzy dummies... still Gill had a brilliant time and we look forward to the new year so we can watch the fun at our'wipe out party'. Aptly named. The kids are all brilliant and looking forward to Chrimbo...I'm off to the North Pole with the youngest in December to see Father Christmas, I'm not sure who is most excited.

Oh Happy Days,
Mike