Wesham's red carpet night.

Last Saturday saw the annual Wesham 10k road race, which as usual was followed by the clubs Dinner Dance and presentation evening. This is a night of celebrations for all the achievements of the club and it's members over the last 12 months.

This year, I personally managed to have my best run at the clubs home race yet, taking some 64 seconds off my time from last winter. This meant that I was able to run home in second place, pipped to the victory by one of my training partners and Preston Harrier's Rob Affleck. Next year I will beat him!! My time for the race was also my second quickest 10k so far, so I am happy with the performance overall.

Further success for the club during the day, saw both the men's AND the women's teams carry away the Team prizes. Well done Team Wesham!

On to the evening, and without doubt the main event. This year the awards night was held at the Clifton Arms hotel, which is located on the front at Lytham. It is a classy place, set in picture-esque surroundings, so it provided the perfect excuse for everyone to get suited and booted. The entrance even had its own red carpet to give the whole event an even more special feel.

The night began with everyone grabbing drinks from the bar, before making our way to the tables, which were set out with special seating plans to ensure everybody was sat with people that they already know and get along with. Then followed a 3-course meal, which was honestly faultless - and along with the amount of drink consumed left me feeling more than full enough!

The presentation of the clubs awards for 2014 followed on from the meal, and yes I was lucky enough to claim quite a few of them myself...

...but one in particular held a special significance for me and I would like to take the time and opportunity to say a few thankyou's if I may.

I am immensely proud of the fact that my name is now on the Wesham Road Runners, Runner's Runner of the year shield for the second time. This is after my fellow team mates and club members voted for myself and Lee Barlow (you know it makes sense) to share the honour.

This genuinely means so much to me, as it is a recognition of my efforts over the last 12 months from everyone at the club who know me best and see the work I out in to my sport every week. For them to see this as being enough to vote for me really does mean a lot and makes all the efforts worthwhile. It also means that they mustn't be sick of me just yet!

So I would like to say thankyou to everyone who went out of their way to vote.

I would also like to thank Mr Affleck, who has helped me to progress as a runner and to produce the sort of times and results that I could only dream of this time last year.

Furthermore, whilst it is important to remember that running is only a hobby and a sport, it is also incredibly tough, both physically and mentally. To keep me going in times when I am struggling or finding runs and training hard, I often look for inspiration from elsewhere to drag me along and pull myself together. This year I had two inspirational people in particular to look up to and inspire me.

Firstly, the Club chairman Graham Vickers, whose own battle this year put absolutely everything in perspective and who proved that if you are strong enough mentally and determined enough too, then you can come through anything. So thankyou Graham, you really are a top bloke and an inspirational man. Not to mention a good friend too.

Secondly, I would like to thank my dad. Growing up as a kid, it is natural to have heroes and idols to look up to - my own was always Alan Shearer. But now that I am older, I only have one person that I really, honestly look up to in such a way - and I never tell him nearly enough - and that is my dad. Ever since I was little he has helped me through anything and everything, and along with my mum he shuttled me up and down the North West so that I could always play the sports I love and to provide me with opportunities to test myself and to progress as a sportsman.

Now that I am older he still does this, and more. If it wasn't for my dad's flexibility and understanding of the importance of my training, I wouldn't be able to finish work in time for training on a Monday, or track on a Tuesday. Quite often, if we are working together, he will allow me to sneak off 20 minutes early and stay behind himself to finish off, just so that I don't have to miss a session. He also watches every possible race and is a very vocal supporter!

My dad has always been there for me and supported me as best he can in everything I do, and his workmanlike attitude and family values are something that will inspire and influence me forever.

Finally, I would also like to thank my best friend and lucky mascot Molly Watson, for supporting me and standing in the cold, wet, rainy, or (occasionally) sunny conditions at races throughout the season. It means a lot whenever I have you there. I love you.

So, there we have it, the end of another successful year, as Team Wesham hit the dance floor and drank the bar dry. I for one will raise a glass and toast all the best for another superb year in 2015.

Up the Wesham!

Always Remember

Take a minute to remember,
Those men and women who refused to surrender.

All those lives they fought to save,
Only it is they that ended up in a mass grave.

This was not a game of Call of Duty you know,
These people that died did not get to see their children grow.

Before and since, soldiers have died aplenty,
Thousands of them gone before they hit twenty.

The First World War is known as Great,
But what is so about such conflict and hate?

For months and years they suffered in trenches,
Remember that when you are sat on their memorial park benches.

For all those souls that met their fate,
Did so to ensure that evil does not dictate.

Take a minute to reflect, remember and ponder,
All those lives lost in years gone yonder.

And support our soldiers, strong and brave,
Think of all those lives they fight to save.

Wear a poppy by your heart, on your chest,
They don't ask you to give a lot, just do your best.

One hundred years have come and gone,
We should always remember them, each and every one.

Why do we run?

Heart pounding so hard you can hear it in your ears. So cold outside that you can see your every breath in front of your face, in between wiping the tingling mess of sweat and rain from your eyes so that you can actually see that is. Your legs screaming in pain as your every step hits the floor with a thud.

It doesn't sound so attractive when you put it like that does it? So why do thousands of people up and down the country, not to mention far and wide across the world, pull on the trainers every day without fail?

The truth is that the benefits of this simple sport are numerous. But everybody participates for a different reason. Let's see if we can work out a few, and whether any of you fit in with each of the categories in turn.

• Health - possibly one of the most important reasons behind many people new to running taking up the sport is the rich health benefits which can be reaped through putting in the hard miles. For instance, my own dad took up running this year in order to 'get in shape'. More calories can be burned per hour through running than any other sport or physical activity. Which makes it the perfect way for people who are looking to lose weight, get rid of the beer gut, or maintain a balanced lifestyle to reinvent themselves. Ultimately, by taking up running and getting fitter, it can help people to potentially extend their life expectancy.
• Mental - whether or not you enjoy the actual process of running, or see it as fun during participation, the mental benefits of our sport are very much real. When a person completes exercise their body naturally releases a chemical called endorphins. This is defined as a 'morphine-like substance', which can cause feelings of euphoria. This also be described as the 'runner's high' or the buzz that keeps bringing runners back for more time and time again.
• Social - one of the greatest advantages of running that I personally have noticed since becoming a member of a running club is the feeling of belonging, acceptance and community amongst fellow runners. Both within the running club itself, but also throughout the local running community there is a huge network of clubs, teams and groups where people from all walks of life can come together and share a common passion. I can honestly say that this is the best benefit that I have found since I took up running seriously. But then again I am biased, without the sport I probably would never have met my girlfriend! Some people do like to run, or train on their own, but certainly running in groups or with friends makes the activity easier and time pass more quickly.
• Competition - whatever standard or level you are able to perform at,participation in races is a big part of this sport once you take the plunge into becoming a club runner. Whether you are fighting for the front positions, racing against the clock, trying to beat a known 'rival' of a similar standard, beat your previous PB, or simply looking to get around the course and finish the event. Running can provide a great feeling of personal challenge and give you a drive to succeed or improve yourself. I have been lucky to have a certain degree of success recently within my own local running community through winning races, but if anything this success only drives me to want more and to set myself even higher standards for the future.

Whatever your own personal running story, and reasons for participation are, there is certainly a lot out there to keep us all coming back for more day after day. 

If you have enjoyed this article, or it has got you thinking about what exactly makes you run, please feel free to comment and promote debate :)

How high can a dead cat bounce?

After a horrific start to the campaign and what looked like an early season-defining mauling away to Southampton, it appeared the writing was on the wall for Alan Pardew at Newcastle United.

Arranging to loan out two of the supporters favourite players, whilst the club continued to pick up their wages, did the manager of the North East's biggest club no favours either.

The teams form had plummeted alarmingly throughout a turgid 2014, which had began with another sale of the teams best player. The move which saw Yohan Cabayé depart for mega-rich PSG ripped the heart out of a side lacking in guile and creativity.

A summer recruitment drive appeared to address this problem, however with big money signings Seim De Jong (injured) and Rémy Cabella (form) failing to hit the ground running, fan unrest soon spread amongst the toon army.

When Hull City came to St James' Park on the afternoon of September 20th, it had the feel of a 'make or break' 90 minutes for the Alan Pardew era. With ousted former player Hatem Ben Arfa fanning the flames further, sitting amongst the home fans to watch his new team take on NUFC. Almost inevitably Hull City took the lead in a scrappy game early into the second half. When that advantage was doubled with just 25 minutes to play, Pardew had the look of a broken man on the touchline. The home support began to bay for blood once more.

Incredibly, at that moment, Pardew took what appeared to be his final throw of the dice. He chucked on Papiss Cissé, a player who had returned to full training just two days previously from a broken knee cap, and whose form over the last 2 seasons had tailed off so dramatically that last year he mustered just two league goals all campaign. Within 15 minutes he had equaled that tally already this season. A point was rescued, and the manager survived for another day.

A mid-week victory followed away to Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup, along with a similar 2-2 draw - and two more Papiss Cissé equalisers - the following weekend at the Liberty Stadium.

This brought us to the international break, with Newcastle stranded at the foot of the table, alongside Burnley. The manager was in a position in which his every decision was under scrutiny, and for every mistake he was vilified more.

A local newspaper poll in the Chronicle found that some 96% of 100,000 supporters believed that Pardew had to go (and let's face it the other 4% were probably Sunderland supporters!) and local journalist Mark Douglas published an opinion piece on September 25th, warning that any upturn in the clubs immediate form was nothing more than a 'dead cat bounce'. Read the article in full here: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/mark-douglas-witness-alan-pardews-7835452

The first game after the international break was at home to Leicester City. The game was decided by a single goal via Gabriel Obertan and NUFC had their first league win of the season.

That was two weeks ago.

What had happened since has been quite remarkable.

For a struggling side, lacking in form and belief, to come from behind to win against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, then follow that up with another away win four days later in the Carling Cup against the current holders and premier league champions, Manchester City, was incredible. But today, the story took an even bigger twist.

A young, largely inexperienced Newcastle side took apart a talented Liverpool side, and stood resolute and strong against any attacks from Mario Balotelli and co. A side which included academy lads like Paul Dummett, Mehdi Abeid, Sammy Ameobi and Rolando Aarons, alongside a young striker bought for the development pool - Ayoze Perez - largely outclassed another multi-million pound outfit.

The side is now back in the top half of the division, and astonishingly now just one point behind today's opponents.

I am not his biggest fan, and admit that I called for his head a few weeks ago. But credit and respect must go to Alan Pardew for this recent turnaround, and also to the much-maligned Mike Ashley, for showing fellow Premiership club owners that sometimes the answer is not always to just sack the manager in hard times.

Tonight is a night to pay the club on the back and smile at last, before turning attentions to the next fixture and keeping the momentum going.

It is also perhaps a good idea to reflect and ponder: just how high CAN a dead cat bounce then?

The world according to Rob. 5 years on!

Okay, so I know nobody reading this blog entry will never have seen any of my previous posts. But let's pretend, at least for a short while, that you've all been waiting five long years with baited breath for the next extract and pearls of wisdom from this marvelous blog...

...and what can I say? It is hard to believe that it is 5 long years already since I was forced to start this little experiment as part of one of my university modules as a second year journalism student. Just like homework, I avoided having to write on here when I could like the plague, or Ebola, which would seem a much more suitable and newsworthy metaphor right now!

But here we are. So, what's new I hear you ask?

Well 5 years on and really all has changed, but yet everything is exactly the same. The perfect contradiction.

The dream to be a reporter jetting across the world chasing the biggest, juiciest stories, breaking the news, providing the expert analysis of situations? It never happened. There is no luxury pad in Soho or Salford Quays. Instead I still live at home with the family, in sleepy little Kirkham. But I wouldn't change a thing.

If you had asked me where I imagined myself to be in 5 years time, back in 2009, plastering kitchens would have been the last place I would have seen myself. But then again, all that time ago I was very much a different person.

In the intervening period I have grown, I have matured. I have experienced the world that little bit more. I have found love. I have found a passion. And I have got rid of the spots at long, long last! (Win!)

Yes, five years on things are looking pretty damn good from where I am standing. It was actually my girlfriend who planted the seed for me to reopen this blog and try to rekindle my love of opinion pieces and writing in general, so you can all blame her for this waffle!

But please, do return, as this time I hope to keep up the writing. Which probably means you will never see another post on here from me again...we will see. That's the thing about life, you never really know what is going to happen next, I certainly didn't 5 years ago, and I am none the wiser now. But one things for sure, I wouldn't change a thing.

Rob.

Thanks to Moll, for getting my bum in gear to write again! :P

Birthday surprise Interview

This is a short Interview that I conducted with my Mum. Within the content she discusses her plans to shock my Dad with a weekend trip to the Catalan city of Barcelona, as a special 45th Birthday present.

Dipity Timeline of the Afghan elections.

The Afghanistan Election 2009. on Dipity.