Andrew and Iain Todd write about endurance sport, football and the everyday absurdity of life. Twin brothers, occasional triathletes, and authors of six books between them.
One of the joys of running the hills in harris is that I rarely, if ever, meet anyone else. Harris folk invented social distancing way before it was a covid thing.
I climbed this hill and didn’t see a soul until i was 20m from the summit. Two women appeared from a different direction and we all reached the summit at the same time!
They said that their should have been four of them but their husbands had given in because it was too steep.
It was a steep climb but I was lucky enough to do it on a beutiful day. the views from the top were amazing. Check out the video to see what I mean.
I wouldn;t recommend the route I took. I only realised when I got to the top that there was actually a path. Next time, I’ll use the path instead.
Film Friday is a weekly recommendation of one video to watch this weekend.
If triathlon is two sports too many for you then check out pentathlon instead. The military version is a an interesting mix of swimming, running and dangerous obstacles.
I’ve seen a golden eagle a few times whilst walking/running in Harris. They are very impressive sight. Ironically the only place I’ve not seen them is the Eagle Observatory!
I’m not alone in not spotting them. The observation book was full of comments saying “no eagles, just midges!”
It doesn’t matter if you don’t spot any. The walk is still worth doing to see the spectacular views.
I decided to climb up the hill next to the observatory. It was very steep and very treacherous on the way back down. I would recommend it if you are comfortable with steep off path climbs.
A Ronseal video – it does exactly what it says on the tin/YouTube link. An Olympic swimmer, a former world record holder, attempts to pass the fitness test to become a Navy SEAL, the US equivalent of the SAS.
While the video is largely filmed at one track and doesn’t feature any rotating drone shots or epic landscapes it does feature one thing you may not have seen before – an entirely new swim stroke. It turns out that the Navy SEALs use a combination of breast stroke and free style to swim in a hybrid stroke that looks like you’re constantly changing your mind about what stoke to use while swimming. Check it out.
Every year a Dutchman predicts the route of the Tour de France. His predictions are so accurate that journalists bring a copy of his map to the official route announcement so that they know what the Tour will announce before they announce it.
How does he do it though? How does one man predict year after year the route of the most famous bike race in the world? The answer is easy. The route is not a secret. Well, not if you know who to ask…
A race as big as the Tour de France needs to sign contracts in advance with everyone involved in the route. From French local authorities granting permission to use their roads to hotels and BnB’s expected to house every rider, staff and journalist. All these people talk. Local councils boast to the local newspapers that the Tour is coming next year; the hotels are full and are turning away bookings; work has started on resurfacing roads and preparing the infrastructure to bring the Tour to any part of France.
And through hundreds if not thousands of phone calls, the canny forecaster works out exactly where the Tour will be before the Tour announces it officially.
You, on the other hand, don’t need to guess where this year’s second biggest race in the world will be held because I bring you a world exclusive – the official route of Toddman 2021.
And, just like last year, Toddman 2021 will see two of the finest athletes in the world (called Todd and from the Western Isles) resume their rivalry like Pokajar and Roglic as they fight for iconic black Peat & Diesel jersey.
For more on Toddman check out the race reports here and here.
So, here it is, a world wide exclusive – the new route!
Below you can see the bike route, which has changed from last year’s flat sprint stage to a hilly mountainous stage featuring two of Scotland’s finest climbs: the Todd Road nee the Crow Road and Todd Me Doon nee Tak Me Doon.
While the run will involve a trail run and climb of Meikle Bin before finishing at Todholes farm and the now iconic and controversial green gate (see race reports for why the green gate is controversial).
Who will win? Who knows? But we do know that it will be someone called Todd!
The callanish stones are a collection of standing stones on the west coast of the Isle Of Lewis.
There are a number of guesses as to there purpose
Some people believe it was men “converted into stone by an ancient enchanter”
Some people believe it was site to worship aliens.
And some people believe it was were Boris Jonson sacrificed his soul for eternal damnation or as its commonly known….leadership of the Tory party.
If you you are any of these people then I have some magic beans I’d like to sell you as you’ll obviously believe anything.
In truth, no-on really knows what the purpose of them is. All you need to know is that they look cool.
If you do visit then get there early. They are best enjoyed in solitude rather than with a crowd of folk taking selfies.
The Broch is an ancient type of croft house. Its very impressive but its currently being repaired. Its looks more like a building site than an ancient home. My dad claims there is a secret tunnel in it but I’ve never found it. He also claims small dwarfs switch on the street lights at night. I’d take anything he says with a pinch of salt.
Last week I recommended ‘Transamericana’, a film about ultra runner, Rickey Gates, running across America from coast to coast. A year later he set himself a new challenge, one which while still involving running thousands of miles would never actually see him running further than seven miles: he set out to run every street in San Fransisco, just seven square miles.
While I’ve been running every street near my home for the last year – see here and here among other articles – he takes it to the next level by sleeping on every street in a campervan and not stopping until he’d completed them all.
If you want to see how a simple idea can change someone then watch this video.
Whenever something bad happens in my town I joke with my wife “I bet whoever did it wasn’t a local!”
I say that because that’s all I ever see when I look at the Facebook page for my town. Load of posts about visitors up to no good. As if we haven’t got any bad ‘uns in our own town..!
Kinlochard is a beautiful wee hamlet but it had been overrun by visitors in the last year. I’ve heard the locals aren’t as welcoming as they once were. I don’t have that much sympathy. If I moved somewhere beautiful and easily accessible by others I’d expect people to turn up all the time. I don’t understand why people move somewhere beautiful and then complain that about other people who also want to come to their beautiful place.
But I do think everyone should respect each other which means Loch Ard is a difficult place to review. Its a beautiful spot for a swim but by going there I’m also contributing to ruining the place for the locals who live there.
My conclusion is to only go when its quieter. Either first thing in the morning or during the week. In the hope that won’t bother others too much.
REVIEW
Ease of Access:
⭐⭐
Rating: 2 out of 5.
It used to be easy to park in Kinlochard but a combination of too many visitors, covid restrictions and the closure of the village hall means there is much less tolerance and space for visitors. It can be very busy at the weekend so get there early or park further away and then walk/bike to the start.
Water quality:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
The water is pretty clear for a loch. The west end is pretty sheltered so there aren’t many waves even on a windy day
Swim Quality:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
A good place to swim but it can be very busy so don’t expect to have it to yourself.
Other People:
⭐
Rating: 1 out of 5.
It can be very busy.
Would I go back:
It is good for beginners and it is a great starting point for people who want to try outdoor swimming
