Friday 30 January 2009

Like a wizards sleeve!

As promised, you’re about to be updated. So let me get to where I was last time, being a geek apparently, or so Rory McCann says. I’ve just read Fastlane for the 2nd time and it still amazes me that the hard copy is really in my hands. I have to give the boys at massive shout out, credit where credit is due, I really think that Fastlane BMX Racing Magazine is a great thing for UK BMX, ha UKBMX, that’s not me anymore, lets here it for BMX Isle of Man.So what’s happenin? Work really, its startin to be proper, my department launched a couple of weeks ago and it’s been non-stop since then, things are getting worse before their getting better, before I turned up the lads who are now mine where on the edge of another department so not under such a microscope, since I’ve been here things are getting noticed so it seems that their behaviour is getting worse, but in reality the majority of it is just the bad behaviour is being noticed more. It’s really a challenge and I’m loving it, earning myself the nickname of wonder boy is pretty ego boosting too which is a bonus.

It was my mum’s mum’s funeral last Friday, it went ok, I went up to help mum at work the night before and ended up just lying around falling asleep. We got to the church for me to find out that I was doing a reading, I read at my granddads funeral 4 years ago so it was fitting I guess. There was a line in this poem about halfway through that had no flow and would have been difficult to say on most days, let alone with my gran in a box about 10 feet away and 100 people watching, got through it though, I may have been slightly loud when next to the mic, so much so that people heard the sigh of relief at the end when I had got through it with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat, ha. It was nice though, she had suffered too much, she’s at peace now, and mum and the rest of the family can move on.AUAFC football is going good, the 2nd team had our first win in ages the other day, and on my 2nd game as captain, I’ve started taking a couple of training sessions too, had the boys doing circuits on Wednesday, seemed to go ok. I’m liking the variation of coaching at the moment, a bit at football, a bit at BMX, and my Jo at work has asked me to do a sports based birthday party for her 5 year old. I’ve taken it as a massive compliment, it’s one thing giving me a job to look after someone else’s kids at school but to let me loose with her little boy and his mates is cool. Though for the first time in ages I’m nervous about coaching, because she’s a trained PE teacher so knows what she’s talking about, ahhhhh be right.

More on BBC IOM, the guy who is in charge of BBC Isle of Man saw the Ramsey BMX blog and sent me a message asking to get in touch, we talked and he liked what we are doing. So instead of putting on the football results or all that other boring stuff that everyone covers he’s going for the unique angle, he’s been in contact with the MTB club, and us. So every race day, I take a couple of pictures and write a little report, and it goes on the BBC website, now that’s publicity. Who knows, if it goes alright other BMX regions could use it to show their local guys and spread the word, all publicity is good publicity.

On the subject of MTBs, as development coordinator I’m going to the next MTB meeting to discuss a talent programme, it existed a few years ago for roadies and went by the name of an academy. But I want to put my fingerprint on things and be a bit more inclusive (something that doesn’t seem to happen over here). So looking at bringing together 10 – 16 year olds from different disciplines, who have potential, get them training together one night a week and pooling our resources.Anyhow its Thursday night and I’m off to do a dodgy deal, been after a downhill bike for a while now and was maybe looking at slightly the wrong budget so kept hesitating about spending a grand when I’m not sure how much time I can commit to it. Anyhow, an antique has come up for sale over here, an intense M1, one of the best bikes of its generation for sure, it’s up at £550, let’s see what I can get him down too, I might have a new bike by the time I post this online.

Ordered a new Haro crowser yesterday but shhhh, don’t tell the bank manager, should be getting my haul of Fly stuff through in the next couple of weeks. Like I said to rich at custom riders, it doesn’t matter how fast you ride, it’s how you look that matters.
Yep, I am the new proud owner of a downhill bike, already stripped it back to the original decals and it looks sweet, cant wait for tomorrow morning so I can go ride the thing.

Thursday 29 January 2009

All being well...

There will be a blog to read tomorrow, so free up some space in your diary, buy a nice chocolate bar, or if you part of the Coach Wan training crew buy an apple because tomorrow, I'm going to bore you with lame stories of Ramsey BMX club, shopping, probably a bit of work and some plans of mine. So just to get you in the mood, new THE, is niiice, I liiiiiiike.
In the mean time if your looking for something to do, check out the Ramsey BMX Website. Or go buy something from Custom Riders.com ;)