The Curse of the Flat tyre

Ok, so admittedly it has been ages since I sat down and typed out a blog, but my last 2 trips out on my bike have inspired me to get on here and have a life update. To anyone still committed enough to read what I have to say, thanks.

As some of you may know I got myself a nice budget racing bike in September and I must admit I should have done it years ago. It is a great feeling getting out into the countryside of Edinburgh and climbing hills. I have found myself some nice little routes that involve some nice little steep climbs and decent quiet roads.

My bike, hopefully get plenty miles done in the Summer

It is great for fitness but also good to just be outside and working hard. Unfortunately there is one problem that has hit me on both my last cycles, and just my luck it's happened about as far away from home as possible, the flat tyre. The first time around I was up beyond Balerno, and last week I was past Penicuik. Thankfully I haven't ventured any further than a 50km cycle or I could have been even further away. Now, I remember being young and watching your old man fix a flat tyre was no bother. Not so easy when it's cold and wet, in the middle of nowhere and you have never done it before. Even worse when you had your bike serviced and went out without the repair kit so had to walk home 10km in your bike gear after being sweating on a cold day.
So after the first one was fixed(with help from Dad, I know how to fix it now though, honest) I went back out, and on my way up a long hill out of Auchendinny I noticed my back was flat again. So I stopped and got to work with my new found skills. I'd been given a little patch that was apparently self stick. So after getting my tube off and finding the tiniest of holes I used the patch. I can confirm however that in the rain it doesn't stick and therefore I had to walk into Penicuik and try and get a bus home. Unfortunately Lothian buses didn't want to let me on with my bike, I even tried the pity card which failed miserably. So, luckily for me my old man (common theme here getting saved by my Dad) was in town for lunch with us, which I was late for by now, so he came and picked me up, took me home and that was that.
So, what have I learned? Well, next time I go out I will have a spare tube so I can just use that instead of making a repair. Maybe it is just bad luck and it won't happen again for a while, but if it does happen again, I'll be prepared and I hopefully won't be standing in the freezing cold waiting to be saved.

Football

To get on to football matters, the season is coming to an end. It seems to creep up on you every season unexpectedly. Suddenly there is less than 10 games to go and you have to start worrying about next season and also wonder what you will do in the Summer. I haven't planned anything as yet although a trip to Norway will definitely be on the cards. I have thought about taking my boots over and doing some training but we will see if that is possible later and we can decide if it would be a good idea to try and play football over there. Hopefully I can score a few more goals in the last 6 weeks and get some confidence up going in to the Summer. I feel I am training well and sharp enough, but not quite getting going on Saturdays, although I can feel it coming, maybe a bit late in the season!


For all you haters of footballers out there, I can make you all breathe easily, at 27, I went for my first ever job interview a couple weeks ago. I'm pretty sure it is the most nervous I've been. Well out of my comfort zone of walking out on to the training pitch. I'm pretty sure i didn't get the job based on the fact it was nothing to do with what I have done all my life, but still it was good experience for me. Hopefully next time I can relax and try to sell myself a bit better. I completely forgot most of the things I planned to say, but next time I should be better prepared. 

Sturridge and Suarez have been deadly together

In real football, the Premier League looks like it is going to be an exciting climax this season. Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool all within 3 points of each other with not long to go now. I personally would like to see Liverpool do it for a wee change and also because the football they have been playing is great to watch. More goals in a season than anyone has ever scored already and Suarez and Sturridge have both got themselves 20+ league goals.

There is no doubting that Suarez is one of the most hated players on earth. My mate Gerry has hated him since his 'save' against Ghana in the WC Quarter Finals 4 years ago. Everyone else since his constant diving, biting and horrible face, but the reality is he has become one of the best 5 players in the world. He isn't as good as Messi or Ronaldo but he definitely has a claim to be the 3rd best. He probably deserves a title, and at the moment they have a very good chance.



The excitement is building towards the World Cup in Brazil, it is so good to watch the best countries in the world playing, 3 games on a day, and hopefully England losing on penalties. I think I'll do a World Cup preview/countdown of my own like the BBC are doing with videos. It is good to see old clips from World cups of old, although I sense the England bias and think I might have an idea what number 1 will be...
I personally can't wait!

In other news, Karen Anna's Mum made me a new hat that is the Norway Winter Olympic hat, and I bloody love it and like to think I am the only one in Scotland with one!