Remember 2013

Its still sinking in what a cracking summer we have had. The weather has been wonderful but there has been enough rain to keep things green.

The last few days have been really pleasant and we had several weeks of heatwave conditions including our entire two week holiday.

Tonight I have just tidied up a load of photos I took over several weeks in June prior to the Parish Walk which I didn't have time to sort out at the time because there was so much happening. And it is easy to overlook that we had the best TT weather for years too. The two photos that I have chosen to include here are from a tram ride to the Dhoon on TT Friday and a walk at Glen Maye on the Saturday night.

We are certainly going to remember 2013.

I'm still trying to find a few contact details for people and it gave me cause tonight to reply to an old email which had remained in my "to do" folder since 2007. It wasn't the oldest either but it is another off the list.

Misty eyed

The visibility wasn't quite perfect when we took a trip up South Barrule yesterday afternoon. Certainly not so good for taking photos as it had been on my two country walks on Sunday.

But I heard that my photos had appeared on Facebook without the photographer's permission. Mind you, anyone who has put up with me for 29 years, as Marie has today, must have some image rights too - especially when I even managed to get her in one of the shots for a change yesterday.

Out of time

One of the most interesting parts of my time at the Ellan Vannin Fell Race was 30 minutes lying in the sun taking in just about every aspect of Manx country life. I was waiting at the top of the footpath from Druidale and my wait was longer than I expected. I had based my photography on times from previous years without realising that the course had been extended.

I stared at the beautiful views, I saw dozens of cyclists ride along the mountain lane as they practised for the Manx Telecom End to End Mountain Bike Challenge in two weeks time, I heard motor bikes travelling at speed on the mountain circuit and I saw their off road cousins racing along the mountain track contributing to further erosion as they showered parts of the track onto the countryside, frankly with little regard for their effects of the actions on others.

I had to leave after the first few runners emerged and as it was I only had half an hour in the house before my planned afternoon out with Marie. During those 30 minutes I managed to get my first featured photo in place and upload the full batch of images. I also despatched two to Isle of Man Newspapers, earmarking a couple of the best so that you don't see exactly the same ones in the paper as featured here.

There was perfect light for more photos in the afternoon as we walked the coastal path from Port St Mary to the Chasms and back. Perfect scones and tea in the Port St Mary Pavilion just before they closed and I was out of time again.

Ahead of time

We used to think that we were ahead of the opposition with our holiday properties by supplying things like Sky premium channels and internet connections.

We tried to get ahead again a couple of weeks ago now that Manx Telecom's fibre optic cable runs past Port Soderick with the "exchange" being just 30 yards from our cottage. The result is that we now have one of the fastest connections on the Isle of Man. For those visitors that don't bring their our tablets, phones and laptops to use the facility, however, the desktop was creaking. 

My time at the cottage today included not only cleaning and gardening but a desktop memory upgrade where I managed to get it back to front at the first attempt.

It might not be cutting edge technology but we had a first in the garden. I have never picked blackberries in August before. And when I had finished my chores and went for a walk along the coast with Robbie I found more.

Talking about being ahead takes me to Robbie's changed appearance. Possibly the best value haircut ever, £8 after 15 months! My car was loaded with cuttings from the undergrowth at the cottage and I left Robbie suggesting he tackles his next!

It never ceases to amaze me that we can have large chunks of the Island to ourselves but we hardly saw a soul when we walked past Arragon and onto the coast.

Maybe there will be a few people expecting Slieau Freoaghane to be like that in the morning. They need to be ahead of the time that the fell runners reach it. And the camera man.

500 and counting

I've just noticed that the video of the Great South Run took the total to 500 on my channel.

A few of mine have been removed, either because of copyright issues or someone being featured who did not like the content, and of course I have published quite a few on behalf of other people, David Griffiths in particular.

Video publishing is an area I am less certain of in the long term than much of the other content. Photos are not too challenging, apart from climbing mountains etc,  Databases can be hard work at the start but they are like building blocks and you extend them all the time.

To some extent I think that the novelty value of being seen on YouTube has worn off and I am not always sure that the time I invest in them is worthwhile. But sometimes someone will tell me they have enjoyed one and it encourages me to do the next.

The top video of the past 30 days, by some margin, is of a world champion. But the fact that more than 500 people have watched him being  violently sick makes me realise that the comic moments attract a wider audience than the things we take seriously. I'm counting on that.

Sad; happy, unlucky; lucky

I was relieved tonight when Robbie went to the back of the field just before the race started but he started incredibly slowly. I moved onto the 4km mark and he didn't appear. I drive back to Port Erin wondering if he had been told to go in the direction of the 5km course in error. My second relief came when I saw him on Port Erin promenade. He had only run 2km before dropping out and walking back. Even as I type this it makes me sad as I can't ever remember him dropping out no matter how far behind he has been.

But it makes me happy that so many people took an interest in his welfare. Maybe if he gets his hair cut on Thursday as he says he will he will find some energy!

I thought I was unlucky to pick up a cold this week - my first for almost two years. But it was lucky that I didn't run as planned as it would have been much harder to have got Robbie home promptly as I did.

Hope you like the video. Shame that the poor light spoilt many of the photos.

NRFW

It was kind of Western AC to credit my time after the race started early last night although it looks a bit weird for some people who I am listed ahead of who never saw me in the race. I made my own mistake as I thought Keith was running - I saw him running on the quay before the race.

I'm sure there was a heck of lot of work went into running the series and its very visible through the work of Kevin Deakes on the website.

Oh, nearly forgot to explain the photo. I was looking for a photo of Graham Davies (see front page) and I saw this one too from a Manx Harriers social event in 2003. Hair today, gone tomorrow!

Fun night

I took part in my first race for 7 weeks tonight. The Peel Heritage Trail race is one of my favourites and I have done every one since it started in 2008. Tonight's was my slowest on my watch - even slower in race time as I missed the start!

Because the "overflow" car park was closed off, I parked (what used to be) the Creg Malin. After registering I ran back to the car to leave some of my kit and got to the start line at 6.58, as did Michael Crook, but the rest of the big field was already out of sight!

I hope I didn't cut in front of anyone too tightly as I tried to recover some positions, The problem was that with each person I caught the next was harder because they were going faster. I ran out of steam when I almost caught Peter Callin as was started the coastal path but despite passing him twice on the final run in, he beat me to the line. Great fun and great view as we approached Peel.

It must have been good to watch too with twice National Cross Country Champion Keith Gerrard at the front of the field.

There were plenty of photographers about and if I get hold of one or two photos before 9 tomorrow morning I will publish them otherwise I out of unavailable until early evening.

Drenched

There were other reasons than the rain why I didn't make to Foxdale last night but I have to admit it was the final straw as I had just been soaked once. Can't help feeling a bit of a wimp when I read Kevin Deakes' report http://www.sportsdesk.im/NRFTW/

about the sterling efforts of those taking part and organising. Well done to all.

My brother Mike has been publishing our father's photo collection less sparingly than me and the photo I have used in connection with the Heritage Trail race has also been published here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/6536411106/

Judging by the  way some of these sites take a hold, I don't think I would have been to any of the eight races if I start spending time on such sites!

Rob Heffernan

Not very often you find a four minute TV clip about a race walker:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/23709703

Colden

I've just been looking for the results (which I haven't found) but came across this:

What's the postcode?

I've been stuck in front of the computer tonight searching out addresses and postcodes with little thought for the website until the last half hour. Great to see that the No Rest for Wicked website has been updated promptly by Kevin Deakes who has been in good form himself so far this week.

Sounds like a good event tonight - first time I have missed it.

I'll be back with camera on Thursday. And with running shoes on Friday.

No slave

"I'm not going to be a slave to the fixture list" I think I wrote recently.

I'm hardly about to change my mind that we have too many events here and that the quality suffers as a result - I've been banging on about that for 30 odd years. And I'm not going to let some friends down (who I had agreed to meet on Wednesday) because the one night off from athletics this week was plugged with yet another event. But I wasn't going to miss out on my favourite photographic site on Friday (North Barrule) or my second favourite (Peel Hill) tonight.

Last year I did miss the North Barrule Fell Race, however, as it was a once in a lifetime chance to see the Olympics and of course the local event survived without me. During the last few nights I have been burning the midnight oil on another once in a lifetime project which was one of the reasons why I deferred video editing of the marathon.

I was a part timer at the marathon compared to some. I left home at 8 and I was back before 2. But I have failed tonight as its nearly midnight but I have done very little other than travel to Peel and play around with the resulting photos and videos all night.

So tomorrow night I have to break one of the chains. Either I don't go to Ramsey or I never edit the marathon video.

But I really need to lock myself away on that other project and not forget that I am married. On that score, we had a lovely walk yesterday afternoon from Kewaigue until we got to the top of Richmond Hill where I took the photo of the Home of Rest for Old Horses. A more dangerous exit from a footpath I can't imagine. Crossing Richmond Hill on foot put us at risk at joining the statistics I love.

Hard Days Night

I had a busy and late night last night working on something outside of athletics but at which quite a few athletes might be involved in. A few people know what we are planning and the title of this blog is a clue.

But we had a relaxing afternoon at the Royal Manx Agricultural Show. Here are a few photos:

http://isleofman.in/royalmanx

although the camera I used had limited capacity because of some video which was hidden away on the sd card. A couple of unrelated photos too.

After a short run I shall be off to Ramsey to take photos of the marathon - the first time for four years that I have not competed.

Dogs are ok

I could live without a dog in the house. I could certainly live without some around our area that wake us up.

But after seeing Cats tonight, they don't seem that bad. Perhaps the second half was better but by then we were enjoying the beautiful Manx summer evening followed by a big coffee in a big comfortable seat.

I've decided that I am not going to be a slave to the fixture list and I'm not going to all seven events in eight days. And I thought a night out as a couple would be sensible before the week when there is athletics inside (TV) as well as outside. But it was only the fantastically calm evening that left me purring. I've got no story to tell.

http://thingskevinhates.wordpress.com/2009/09/14/cats/

Almost perfect

In 2012, Michael George received a standing ovation at the Manx Telecom Parish Walk prize presentation. He didn't get it all right but the skill, application and work rate that took him so close to victory produced its deserved recognition.

The skill, application and work rate of the the organisers of the Tower Insurance 100 Miles, with Steve Taylor setting the pace, was equally impressive. It was a shame the shine was taken off by the unavailability of times during the middle stages of the event.

But when the helpers started to polish the event up again they revealed an even bigger shine to the event. And it wasn't just surface deep. Every half mile record had been retained to make it the best recorded 100 miles there has been. The recording by statistics, thousands of photos and videos reveal the true story of the 24 hours, if not the months of planning..

Neither organisation or athlete will ever be perfect. But just like Michael George will be remembered for the length of the time in the lead without winning, the organisrs of the Tower Insurance 100 miles will also be remembered for long periods in the lead. .

100 mile photos

Well the above, may not look much like photos of the 100 mile walk but there is a connection.

I don't want to ignore Robbie all weekend so I took him for a walk up Peel Hill this evening so that I will have more time to take photos when the Tower Insurance Walk starts at midday tomorrow.

I am an cottage cleaning duties tomorrow but I plan to break off to take photos and video of the start before returning to work and making a long appearance at the walk towards the end of the afternoon. Thereafter, I shall be there on and off throughout the duration.

Getting my cameras, laptop, software, music for video and everything ready at the moment.

Nearly got blown away on Peel Hill. I'm sure that the walkers will blow us away with their lapping tomorrow.