1975 was an important year. Well, it was for me anyway given that was the year I was born in. August specifically. So as I turn 50 this year (2025, June as I start to write this) I decided on my 49th birthday I should aim to do something to mark the occasions and give me something physical to get me out and about. Now, when I dreamed up this idea I was still under the illusion I would still be running regularly. Due to an arthritis diagnosis at 48 I knew I would perhaps not be racing – but should definitely still be running. The reality is that when I run, even carefully (a 38 minute park run in Feb for example) I end up the next day in pain and take painkillers for several days after… so as the year has worn on it has taken some real planning to get the total number I have so far (37) factor in “life” and well, its going to go down to the wire I am sure.
If I were still running would I have gone for 50 races for 50, like I did 40 races for 40? Probably!
So bagging trigs it is. I started on August the 18th with Scafell Pike. A strong start! I knew that work would help me get a number over the year and of course it has, Yorkshire 3 Peaks, Scafell Pike, Pendle Hill etc but the reality is that with work comes repetition – I have been to Scafell Pike 5-6 times so far over the course of the year and the same with the Y3P, but of course I can only count the trigs ONCE! If I were counting total trigs rather than individual trigs I would have got 25 done on Y3P and Pendle alone!
Lancashire has 101 trig points in it with a dozen or so located in East Lancs/Yorkshire border so I knew I needed to get those, being canny many have been bagged whilst marshalling fell races (a win treble! bagging a trig and helping a mate & a sport I love). I have managed to get trigs in every month so far since august 2024 aside from November (tied to home for family stuff). This definitely set me back a little leading to the tense finish we have at present and although summer leads to long evenings and the chance to get some in after work, it also means less weekend time due to work so big trig days were going to be tough to schedule.
As it stands I have bagged 5 in Cumbria, 20 in Lancashire, 9 in Yorkshire, 1 in Berkshire and 2 in Scotland.
When? 4 in August 24, 6 in September, 2 in October, 0 in November, 1 in December, 2 in Feb, 3 in March, 7 in April, 6 in May and 5 so far in June 2025…
I plan on getting a big day in Bowland to bag 4-6 on foot. I am hopeful some work on a charity hike in Yorkshire will allow me to get 1 in on the walk – but as write I haven’t seen the route yet so who knows, I am back at a Dales OEC in July so will get 2-3 in after work there, same as after work at Lancs OE I can get another 1-3 in Bowland on quick hits on the way home. I am hopeful I can persuade the family to come out and get 1-2 with me on a Sunday and I have some Lakes work booked that will deliver 1 for certain. So I have rough site of around 10-12, which will just about see me right. We are booked to be away on my birthday in the Lakes so I aim to try and leave the last one as the 50th either the day before or actually on my birthday. I shall post here after completion with news of the next challenge for my 51st year – completing the Wainwrights.