Music kept me from the website

I received a note from Graham Davies yesterday to say that he had a link to Harriet Pryke's record breaking 400 metres video. I decided to make it the main feature of the website last night as it would also highlight the Bushy's Great South Run 10km which Graham organises.

I have to say that, although I appreciate the efforts of all my fellow webeditors, the music of Graham's site drives me crazy if I leave it connected for more than 10 seconds. To my surprise, when I mentioned it my reply email to Graham, he agreed!

So when I checked my own website today I kept the sound muted as the music would otherwise have kept me away from it.

Music kept me away from it for most of this evening whilst I watched the BBC Radio 2 folk awards on the red button channel. I loved the story from Ian Campbell, who was introduced as a legend, but explained the sales of his 19 albums up to 1980. They sold well, as far as folk albums go, with 50,000 to 70,000 sales each. Then two of his four sons joined a band in Birmingham and their first album sold more than his 19 combined! He has not worked much since then which is quite appropriate for a band named after an unemployment benefit form - UB40.

The awards tonight were at the Lowry Centre in Salford a venue at which I have never seen a concert. But I have seen a medal presentation for the Commonwealth Games on its doorstep.

And I bought tickets to see Ian Campbell's son's band play at the Villa Marina last year. Unfortunately fewer people booked tickets to see the Ali Campbell band than turned up to watch the 50km walk passing the Lowry centre in 2002 and the event was cancelled. A total washout - just like the 50km walk.

Alongside the Commonwealth Games course in 2002

A real horror story

Security at the Olympic Games is costing a small fortune but the organisers cannot afford to leave anything to chance. Horror is a word that must not be used to describe the London Olympics whatever the cost.

I was only 13 when the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics were attacked by terrorists. I probably didn't realise how much sport was going to change as a consequence. Did anyone?

11 Israeli athletes and a coach, a police officer and five of the eight terrorists were killed.

One of the Israeli team who escaped the kidnapping was a race walker - Shaul Ladany.

It was some 10 years later that I became familiar with his name. I won the Bradford 50km in a time of 4:26:49 and the only faster time on the trophy at the time was Mr Ladany. One of my friends insisted that my time was the real record because  the other time (20 seconds faster) was on a short course (it had been altered due to road works).

I didn't loose any sleep over twenty seconds  at the time but it was only on reading an article about Shaul in the Independent recently that I realised just how secondary twenty seconds would have been to him.

The fact that his life has lasted 75 years is quite remarkable. Not only did he survive the terrorist attack on the Israeli team but he survived a concentration camp during World War II.

I have found a link to the article online and it must be read to be believed:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/shaul-ladany-still-king-of-the-road-6295322.html

For the record Melvin McCann beat both our times in Bradford.

And for the record too, horror is a word that will not be used to describe anything less than its real meaning on this site. And I just hope that I won't need to.

Its all in the planning

We have enjoyed perfect weather in the Isle of Man this morning. So different to large parts of the UK and certainly eastern Europe and even southern Europe.

I popped down to take photos of the Up & Running Winter League Walks at the National Sports Centre this morning. The one above is of Chris Cale who, together with Lisa Motley, runs the local franchise in the name of the event sponsor.

Earlier I had been out on my regular 12 mile Sunday morning around the Marine Drive and it was as good as it gets. I can't remember the wind at all.

In between I was watching the news reports from around Europe over breakfast. A few degrees of frost and some snow in London and there were more than 300 flights cancelled. Meanwhile Munich Airport had 29 degrees of frost and was operating as normal.

If you plan properly things normally go smoothly. Grabbing my cameras at 9.50 when the event started at 10.00 did not constitute good planning. The battery in my video camera was flat. But it left me with an extra couple of hours to plan better things to do on this lovely Sunday than editing video!

No flash points or brownie points

I had been thinking of going to the Ramsey Firemans runs last night to take some photos. After not visiting the event for more than 20 years I went to them all for a couple of years when Robbie ran but now that his has withdrawn from that event, for health and safety reasons, I have not ventured down there yet this winter.

Had I gone it would have given me a chance to put my new flash to good use. Although it is only modest, it is the first time I have had a flash other than the built in ones.

A friend persuaded me to spend the time at home but I didn't really sit at home earning brownie points. I spent another few hours tag photos.

I've got a few tweaks to the fixture list before I leave for work but my stomach won't wait any longer.

I love other people's lists

Thanks to David Griffiths for compiling the list of competitors in the Merseyside Schools Cross Country, which are to be held this weekend.

I know how painstaking it is to put these together so its nice to use some else's labour.

But I was also able to match it to my own labour - the face tagging of photos. I was able to find plenty of old photos of Keith Gerrard from 2002 and 2003 at the search of his name. Here is another one, marshalling at the Easter Festival in 2003.

I wound a few people up with my comments about it being the second of every division of time today. Of course its not the second millennium!

Almost forgot to share David's other comments.

"It’s the Merseyside Schools XC this coming Saturday 4 February at Sefton Park in Liverpool. I have been keeping stats on all IOM performances in the champs having researched back to 2002 (can’t find any results online before that). I can’t find any results for 2004 (not sure if IOM Schools went that year?) and in 2007 the plane didn’t go due to fog, but one athlete was already over there. I am told there are 18 IOM athletes competing on Saturday, the biggest party for a few years, so hopefully they will add to the 6 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze medals won since 2002."

Just a second

I was down at the NSC this at about 6.30 this morning and it seemed fairly cold.

Then I remembered that it is exactly a year ago since I got frost bite running in Germany.

My hands feel rather good this morning in comparison.

I didn't manage to get my fingers into the feature I planned for last night - deferred until lunchtime.

Just remembered that it is the Ramsey Fireman's tonight. Will add a link for that.

I'm told its the second day of the second month of the second year  of the second decade of the second millennium today.

Race entries catch the focus

Entries for the End to End Mountain Bike Challenge opened 13 and a half hours ago and there are already 836 signed up. I think that is almost half the total that will be accepted.

Its already passed the number entered for the Manx Telecom Parish Walk - even though there are more than twice the entries that there were at this stage last year. I spent a good part of last night analysing the entries as they arrived as it was the last day for Manx Telecom's customers to enter and get their £5 discount.

If you want to know more go to www.parishwalk.com and use the links to Facebook, Twitter, my blog or the entry list but don't tell me you can't find out what is going on!

Entries also opened last night for the Ramsey Bakery End to End Walk and the first 5 have arrived.

Back to the Parish Walk - I have published the 1982 results sheet on www.manxathletics.com as a further illustration of how much the event has grown. Count the number of women who took part  and compare it to now where for the first time ever more women than men have entered.

Is this just because men and slow to get around to enter? Man or women, enter those races online today - particularly the bike one or it will be too late.