Keeping Motivated and Entertained

Sorry for the delay on blogging, but I thought I would wait on a few major sporting events finishing before I wrote about them in this edition.

The hardest part of being out of a club is keeping motivated and having the self discipline to keep yourself fit and live your life the right way. For me one of the most important factor in this is getting out of bed in the morning at a proper time. I have been going to the gym most mornings around 8.45am and doing my running and weights early so I am awake and ready for the day. Also this keeps my body used to getting up at a normal time and stops me from becoming lazy. Since KA gets up before 7 for work it is easier for me to stay awake from then and eat breakfast so I am prepared for the gym. The work at the gym is never easy on your own when you feel like you are getting nowhere with your career. But I know myself that it will pay off eventually, when I am signed and ready to play football again.
Eating correctly and drinking the right fluids is so important as well when you have no game on a Saturday. One good thing about having no income is at least i don't have the money to buy sweets and crisps as much, so I have definitely been eating healthier the last 2 months.

The offers of part time football have been keeping my mind busy for the last few weeks. As time goes by it seems more and more likely I will have to decide which part time club best suits me and would hopefully help me get back to playing the way I know I can. Another option which I have been seriously considering is going to Denmark, Norway or Sweden. I could go over and trial with teams from the 2nd leagues, but it is a difficult decision financially, and also personally. Leaving everything behind potentially could be a hard decision, but it could also be great for my career, personal development and could positively influence my football with a different culture being trained into me. It is something over the next week I will have to weigh up, and decide if it is worth pursuing.

Froome wins yellow on the 100th edition of the Tour de France

Chris Froome (left) won the 100th edition of the tour de France yesterday, rolling over the line at the Champs Elysees with his teammates and the rest of the peleton after a gruelling 3 weeks. His winning margin of 4minutes 20seconds was a huge margin from his nearest rivals, and underlined what was a dominant performance from him throughout the tour. Comparisons with Lance Armstrong have been made such was the sheer dominance in the mountains, but in my mind their is no doubt that Froome is completely clean. Cycling has suffered a lot because of the Lance Armstrong saga, but it has moved on, and the riders are standing up against doping and helping the sport get its image back. When Lance was dominant, he was the best rider in a peleton full of people doping. Landis, Ullrich, Heras, Hamilton, and many others have all since been caught or admitted to doping and they were all his main rivals. Nowadays, Froome is the best rider in a clean peleton, in my opinion, and he deserves all the credit he will receive. The fitness of all the riders is incredible, they are an example of supreme sportsmen with their recovery and energy they have every day. Only extreme dedication to the sport is possible as a cyclist to even finish a 21 stage race, and that is something I admire and have admired since I started watching it as a boy.

Mickelson lifts the Claret Jug at Muirfield

Phil Mickelson won The Open yesterday with an unbelievable 66 in the final round to win by 3 shots from Henrik Stenson. I was at Muirfield on Friday and Sunday watching my cousin(Martin Laird) playing and unfortunately for him he had a bad day on Saturday that ruined his chances. But on Sunday with the weather slightly cooler and the breeze up I sat and watched the field come through the par 3 16th. The drama was unfolding out on the course as several players took the lead. But I had money on Henrik Stenson so I was hoping he would come good for me. Unfortunately Neil and I sat at the wrong hole as we didn't see a birdie for 4 hours, but we did see a lot of good golf shots and some great scrambling. I know everyone loves big Phil, but I really don't, and I am sure he just puts on a nice face for the cameras. Fair play to him though, he played some great golf and deserved to win.



And in other news... Kate Middleton is about to have a baby! But who really cares about that...