The Washington Football Team

I make no excuses for calling them the Redskins in the early part of this post as that is what I have always known the ‘Burgundy and Gold’ as. I fully accept that things must evolve and sometimes change is necessary, but even though I have adapted to us being the Washington Football Team, the side I grew to love and have followed passionately since the early ‘80’s was the Washington Redskins.

I have a vague recollection of Super Bowl highlights being shown on a Saturday afternoon (World of Sport maybe), but it was only when Channel 4 started their weekly highlights show in 1982 that the fire was lit. Joe Gibbs, Superbowl XVII – Redskins vs Dolphins, The Hogs, Riggins, Theismann, and Monk captivated me, and it has remained that way to this day. Let’s be honest if there was ever a decade to pick to become a fan of a team then this was it. Super Bowls, superstars, and a legendary head coach. I loved it!

These were the times of First Down newspaper, and the crackling, static filled, long-wave Armed Forces Network Radio coverage, whereas these days I can watch every minute, of every game live. Many things have changed dramatically in the last 40 years and NFL coverage is something that is significantly better. For decades I wouldn’t have had much insight into team issues outside of the games, but these days I can name the current long-snapper and intelligently debate whether it is worth the team using a 6th round draft pick to select his replacement.

My fascination with the Washington Football Team led to me becoming a founder member of the Bury Pumas American Football Team and although I played very badly at wide receiver, I enjoyed everything about it. The training was hard and demanding as we gradually came to terms with the complexities of this fantastic sport. The physicality was undeniable, but the cognitive aspect was something that really surprised me. There was no doubt which number I wanted plastered onto the back of my black mesh shirt though, it had to be 84. Gary Clark was an inspiration and that Monday night game in 1985 against the New York Giants was something I felt I needed to celebrate.

I’m not going to deny that following the team since 1992 has become progressively more difficult as, despite the brief excitement of 2012, everything else has been a long slow spiral downwards. However, Coach Rivera’s appearance last year has brought with it a hint of sunshine and hope for the future.

The 2021 schedule has been announced and the countdown clock is ticking down towards the season opener against the Chargers in September. This will no doubt be the start of a complicated few months as I juggle watching the games live, a day later, or sometimes the only option available is a bleary eyed early Monday morning start to watch everything unfold before going into work. To add to the difficulties, if I have a delayed start to watching the game, the result will pop up in my twitter and instagram feed, podcasts will automatically download and notifications will reveal the score, and well-meaning sports news updates will tantalisingly prod at me. It’s not an easy task to achieve, but I seem to be getting quite adept at getting to the start of the game without knowing the score beforehand.

I finally got to DC in 2016 and watched the game against the Cowboys at FedEx field in early January before watching them again against the Bengals at Wembley later that year. It’s bizarre that UK fans got to witness one of the rare tied games that the Team has had since 1932, but I would much rather that Hopkins had simply converted the field goal chances that he had.

The Washington Football Team and it’s fan base have helped me to get through this COVID dominated year and hopefully, as we all emerge in 2021, they will harness all that positivity and a post-season run will have me getting up at 3am late in January 2022. #HTTWFT

Aye, Aye, Aye up The Shakers

Bury FC finally went into administration this week.

Most people probably don’t even know that The Shakers still exist after they were tossed unceremoniously out of the Football League to wither away and die in the football wilderness. A lot has been written about the calamitous owner that lead us to the brink of oblivion, and the cold-hearted asset stripper who saw an opportunity to make a few quid out of something that was special and much beloved. One thing for sure is that the way the pair of them have conducted themselves is scandalous, and the deceit and lies that have surrounded the club since that fateful day is both annoying and saddening in equal measure.

From my excited first visit to Gigg Lane in 1966 through to the joyous, tinged with impending doom, promotion party in May 2019, Bury FC have been a part of my identity. They still are, although now the narrative has changed from ‘who are we playing?’ to ‘will we ever play again?’’

The soap opera rumbles on as Forever Bury seem to have a plan that no-one has bought into yet and Bury AFC continue to be the focus of antagonism and derision. For such a small fan base we seem to be incredibly skilled at driving wedges between factions. Once upon a time it was about Warnock, Knill and Barry-Murphy, but now it’s about the future of the town’s football team.

Bury AFC will never be a replacement for me. It lacks the memories, history and passion that I spent a lifetime fostering with The Shakers. Did they reduce the chance of Bury FC surviving? Who knows? One thing for sure is that I wouldn’t trust anything that Bury FC’s present owner has to say. He has shown us exactly who he is already, and I don’t need any more evidence to confirm what my thoughts about him are. The fans at AFC just want football to watch and they have created and successfully launched their team and I applaud them for that. Radcliffe Borough has no Boy’s Stand, or dodgy tannoy system but it is the starting point of a journey for them. I would love to think that somehow the differences could be resolved and that Bury FC could once again stride out at Gigg Lane in front of a unified fan base.

As it is, at the moment, when people say to me ‘who are you going to support now’, I smile sadly and realise that they have no way of knowing that my football heart still beats for Bury FC and will forever belong to The Mighty Shakers.

Coffee? No thanks!

As this is a blog about sleep difficulties then let me say it now, you shouldn’t be drinking coffee. There are no doubts surrounding the negative effects that caffeine has on sleeping patterns. However, as this is also a blog about practical solutions then read on.

I have a mantra, which you will no doubt tire of hearing, and it is that ‘bedtime starts at 7am’. Many of the things that you do throughout the day will ultimately influence your sleep later that night. This is never more apparent than when you consume caffeine.

The vicious descending spiral of feeling exhausted due to a lack of sleep and the need to have copious amounts of coffee to help you get through the day, is one that we will have all experienced at some time. As an occasional solution it is understandable, but if you are having on-going sleeping difficulties then consuming coffee is just making things worse.

Caffeine is absorbed very quickly, and its stimulating effects can rapidly kick-in, but it can take between 5 and 6 hours for half of it to be eliminated from your system. In simple terms, this means that if you have a cup of coffee at 2pm then half of the caffeine consumed could still be influencing your systems at 8pm in the evening. Just think about that for a second. There won’t be many people who think that having half a cup of coffee before bedtime is beneficial to a good night’s sleep.

There is enough evidence available to conclude that caffeine has a disruptive influence on sleep so let’s simplify things and just do the maths. If you have a Grande latte (150mg of caffeine) at 8am, 10am, 12pm and 2pm then at 8pm you will still have over 90mgs of caffeine in your system – that’s not going to help you get to sleep. This is also the same for energy drink consumption – a small can of Red Bull has over 75mgs of caffeine in it.

The speed with which you metabolise caffeine is unique to you. Your age, gender, genetics and caffeine sensitivity are just a few of the factors that dictate how long the effects linger within the body, so I am aware that I am making a lot of generalisations, but you get the idea.

Be aware as well that caffeine hides in many other places in your diet. Chocolate, breakfast cereals, green tea and ice cream are just a few things that may add to your combined daily total, and some medicines and prescriptions may have caffeine lurking amongst their ingredients – an Anadin Extra tablet contains 45 mgs!

Practical Tip – Caffeine

The purpose of this blog is to deal with sleep issues in the bustling modern world. With that in mind then the obvious advice is that you should completely cut out coffee, however if that is not an option for you then restrict your overall consumption and make sure that you do not put any caffeine into your system after 2pm.

It would be far more beneficial for you to use the words cappuccino, americano, espresso and mocha as a relaxing meditation mantra than as part of a late afternoon coffee request.

Sleep well.

Sleep Focused

Welcome to Sleep Focused.

As this is the first blog post it is the ideal time for me to give you some idea of what my aims are.

I am not medically trained, but I have over a decade of experience as a Mental Health Nurse and it was during my training in the early 1990’s that my interest in sleep began.

Researchers seem to be constantly highlighting the negative impact that our busy lifestyles are having on the amount of time that we sleep. Not only that, but it seems that disturbed sleep patterns have become normal for many of us, as modern life continues its seemingly unstoppable intrusion into our relaxation and resting periods. Mobile phones and their addictive notifications, televisions, stress and coffee are just a few of the reasons why sleep patterns are being constantly disrupted. My practical tips, advice and information will help you increase the quantity and quality of your sleep.

I will be looking into all aspects of sleep improvement, keeping you up to date with the latest research and reviewing apps and equipment to provide you with practical solutions to some of the numerous issues that surround this fascinating subject.

Sleep well.

Simon

It’s bigger on the inside

Sometimes in life, you start a project. You plan it out, set your aims and objectives, bring it to a conclusion and move on. That’s not what has happened here.

I’ve always been a Dr Who fan. When people say they hid behind the sofa when the Daleks first appeared, they are not lying. I know because I was one of them. For me though, the scariest early Dr Who recollection was the grainy black and white sight of a deadly Cyberman jerkily crawling out of a manhole cover. This is an image that has seared itself on my memory and has remained there for the five decades that have passed since their first appearance in 1966.

The Doctor first graced our television screens in 1963 and although I just about existed then, I don’t have any recollection of the Hartnell era but vaguely remember watching Troughton stagger around in the snow. Jon Pertwee was the one who captured my attention before the arrival of the fabulously flamboyant Tom Baker, and it was his Genesis of the Daleks battle with Davros that made me a fan for life.

On a dark evening, in the cold, wintry depths of December 2019, I decided to do a sequential re-watch of all the episodes that have aired since the show was relaunched in 2005. I did have a serious debate about starting from 1963’s Unearthly Child but, for a change, common sense prevailed. My plan was then to create a ‘Best 10 episodes’ listing, but that’s not how it turned out. In fact, it was nothing like that.

By the time I had stopped sobbing after Face the Raven and held my breath through Blink I found that my ‘would I sit down and watch the episode again’ criteria had yielded a Top 47 which isn’t quite what I had in mind. I thought I was being strict but it just goes to show how much I love the show. However, now I will have to watch these episodes again and muster the resolve to ruthlessly cross 37 of them off the list. It isn’t going to be easy but “I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams.”

So, once again I need to step onboard the TARDIS and follow the Doctor through time and space. After all, ‘it’s so much bigger on the inside’.

Still here

You all think you’re safe, ‘the R number’s down’,

Except I’m not finished, still fooling around,

You’re making me laugh with your masks and your gel,

With exciting, survival stories to tell,

You’ve been on the bus, on the tube, in the pub,

Smiling and happy, feeling so smug,

Life is so great when no sickness you get,

Truth is, you just have not met me yet.

94 in a hundred I’ve still yet to greet

Think about that as you walk down the street

You cannot see me, but I can see you

I’m your judge, your jury, executioner too.

You think you know me, I know that you don’t

You’ll take care forever, I know that you won’t

You’ll slip,

You’ll lapse

You’ll forget who I am,

I’ll be back in your lives,

Time to rewrite the plan?

What’s Happening, Boris?

Out in the killing zone, mask on, beware,

Glasses are steamed up, too much hot air,

Frightened faces, awkward approaches,

Can you contract it from minimal doses?

Waiting in queues, Oi, don’t get too near,

Keep socially distant, avoid any fear,

Coughs and sneezes spread diseases you know,

It must be correct, ‘cos they told me so,

That Johnson and Gove, that Hancock and Raab,

Tried to convince me that things aint too bad,

Only 45 thousand, we’ve done a great job,

But these are all people, the stats make me sob,

Every one, a disaster, a loss,

Families destroyed; do they give a toss?

Forget the statistics, the dead ones won’t heal,

They’ve not even got a new app to reveal,

A day trip to Durham sealed lockdowns fate,

Deal with it Boris, don’t care he’s your mate,

Stop baffling me with the vaguest of rules

And treating me like the biggest of fools,

No track and trace, no daily report,

Look, it’s under control, defies any thought,

This shit is real, don’t make a mistake,

Or let them convince you your fears are all fake,

Football and cricket without any fans,

Iconic venues without any bands,

Cinemas, gyms where we all used to go,

Restaurants, bars, ‘no entry’ signs show,

There’s a way to move back to the world that we knew,

Look after each other while you do what you do,

It’s incredibly easy, not too much to ask,

Stop being an idiot and put on a mask.

Done it!

A quick thank you to everyone who helped during my training and supported me along the way to the finish line in Brighton. It took some doing but I eventually finished the event in just under 6 hours. I managed to raise over £1200 for the CF Trust and finished tired but uninjured, and happy that it had gone so well.

So, what’s next? Not sure yet, but I’m already thinking about next year’s project. The logistics of a London to Brighton Event were incredibly complicated so that is definitely a factor to consider. There are plenty of northern based events that I would like to do and the Manchester 100 miler is on my doorstep so, who knows what lies in store. Whatever I decide I have no doubt that I will blogging about it, so please keep checking in for updates.

On a final note I just wanted to thank everyone who donated. The fundraising page has now been closed and the money should be with the CF Trust shortly. They are doing amazing work and hopefully the donations will help to fund their research into the causes of and treatments for Cystic Fibrosis.

Simon

Papa vs Babas – Warm Weather Training – August 2019

I was fortunate enough to take a family break in Portugal this year. As it was in the middle of my current L2B (London to Brighton) training cycle, I decided that it was important that I kept my fitness levels high and with that in mind, I nominated myself as Chief Pram Pusher and volunteered to take the twins (F and H) out as many times as necessary to get them to sleep. How difficult could it be?

Day 1 – 15,279 steps

Salema is (was) a sleepy, fishing village in the Algarve and is rightly famous for its beautiful beach. However, the hills into and out of it were like a cobbled rollercoaster which the babies seemed to love. Although I never caught them at it, I could easily imagine them waving their hands above their heads as we negotiated the steep climbs and falls.

I got off to an early start today. The twins were tired from all the travelling yesterday, so I decided to take a gentle stroll down to the beach. When the clear blue sea recedes at low tide you can walk for miles along its white sandy shores unless of course you are trying to push a pram which quickly becomes a plough that digs itself deeper and deeper into the iconic white sand. Not a good look and not one I expect to see featured in any of their tourism brochures.

I could have claimed a ‘win’ as the babas were sleeping deeply but having to dig them out of the sand and not make any sandcastles, reduced it to a draw.

Babas 0 Papa 0

Day 2 – 14,011 steps

In the swing of it now and I’ve got used to the vibration caused by the cobbles. The pram we brought was a lightweight version that had very little suspension built into its design. It reminded me of trying to ride my bike with a flat tyre.

The heat was stifling. I quickly checked the twins to make sure they were ok and was met with two beautiful smiles, so all was good at this point. The twins are now 7 months old and although they were born minutes apart, they are extreme opposites in all aspects of everything.

Halfway through Lap 1, up the steepest part of the incline, the peace and quiet was suddenly interrupted by a loud piercing scream. F’s dummy had disappeared, and he was very eloquent in voicing his annoyance and disapproval. I felt around inside the pram whilst blocking the wheels with my feet. Where was it? The distressed cries grew louder, much louder, to the point where I had to lift him out before windows started to shatter. I still couldn’t find it and my anxiety levels started to spike. It was only when I checked that his sister was ok that I saw that she had a very tight grip of his dummy and was happily waving it around and grinning. After I had gently wrestled it from her grasp, I was able to gradually reduce the noise levels.

Babies 1 Papa 0

Day 3 – 14,265 steps

I’m feeling much more in control now. I’ve decided that the smart thing to do is to create a pre-walk check list. My 686 months of experience should easily prevail over their collective 14 months but yesterday taught me there is always the possibility of being completely outwitted by either twin, or both.

Checklist

2 dummies and 1 spare
One grey floppy rabbit
One grey donkey
2 hats
2 squeaky ducks
2 cups of water
2 milk bottles just in case
Some organic apple snacks
Sun cream
A light blanket to block out the sun/cover their legs
Nappies/cream/wipes/bags
Bananas
Mobile phone
Some euros
Oh, and two babies

It went like a dream. Both asleep within minutes. It works!

Babies 1 Papa 1

Day 4 – 15,935

A nice positive start today, the pre-walk checklist was complete, and I deployed my full experience and acquired skills regarding optimal pram pace for sleep and they nodded off in minutes. This is easy now.

I’d created different routes for differing times of the day. The sun was so hot that I tried to keep the twins in the shade wherever possible. This involved keeping close to walls and avoiding walking directly facing the sun, especially in the morning and evening, as the sun shone directly onto the beautiful twosome which was something to avoid.

What felt like a glorious and fully deserved win quickly changed to an epic fail. I felt the twins jump as a police car raced by with its sirens blaring. I guess it was mildly amusing that the noise after it had passed was even louder as the two pram passengers roared their disapproval at being woken in such a way. It took me a while to resettle them but, they were still tired and after a few Papa cuddles (any excuse!) they were back in the land of slumber.

Feeling smug, I turned left and took the right side of the path to keep in the shadow. We swept around the corner just as the groundsman started the engine of his hedge trimmer. The babas were disturbed again and I am rapidly concluding that some days you are just not destined to win.

Babas 2 Papa 1

Day 5 – 15,964 steps

Checklist completed, route designated and away we go.

A beautiful start to the day. The wind had dropped a little and it felt perfect. I love spending time with my family and to be doing so in such an amazing location was fantastic.

We were rattling along, took a sharp climbing left turn and passed a man stood among the trees. That was not unusual, but he was balancing on one leg and had his arms stretched above his head and his hands were flapping up and down. So, being English, I nodded at him and said ‘morning’. No response, so I trundled past on lap 1 of Route C (the a.m. version). 10 minutes later, sharp climbing left turn and he was still there. Hands flapping, stood on one leg but was making whooshing sounds now. I must admit that I hesitated about going past, but the babies were settled, and a quick direction change could ruin everything. I rattled past again. Last lap coming up and I won’t deny that I was a bit unsure what I would be facing as I turned the corner again. I had no need to worry, he was now sat cross legged on the floor playing a flute. Just another perfectly normal day in paradise.

Babas 2 Papa 2

Day 6 – 16,968 steps

The last few days have left me pondering a few questions.

Why do babies throw away their dummies and then cry because they haven’t got one?
How can they be fast asleep and snoring but wake up within 0.1 seconds of the pram stopping?
People who have had babies know the disaster potential of the pram not moving, why do they always want to stop and talk?
How do you get twins to synchronise their sleep patterns?

Options available:

a) Both awake

b) Both asleep

c) Baby A asleep and Baby B noisily awake. Baby A then wakes up tired. Baby A then goes to sleep earlier than Baby B. Baby A then wake up noisily and disturbs Baby B who then goes to sleep earlier than A…. repeat pattern throughout the day

Question 3 reinforced today. All it took was an ‘oh, how beautiful. Twins!’ and everything went to pieces. Within seconds of the kind comments and smiles I had two wailing wee ones on my hands. They were both asleep!! I had to quickly move on. Too late.

Babies 3 Papa 2

Day 7 – 16,522 steps

Last day. Had a stare off with a wasp. It didn’t stand a chance and decided it would be prudent to fly away rather than risk life and wing by going near the sleeping little ones.

Being with the twins and their amazing big sister had made me even more fiercely protective of my family. I am so blessed to have such special people in my life, and I know that I am one of the luckiest people on the planet.

Total steps – 108,944

Progress Update

Nothing new to report. The training is going extremely well and I am having to make sure that the difficulty progression remains gradual. It would be easy to try and complete increasingly longer and harder rides but, as an ‘experienced’ athlete, I have to accept that I have to be more careful about these things than I used to be.

With a little over three months to go, I am managing to complete two hour long rides as well as training in the gym and working on my overall fitness levels. However, still need to introduce a yoga session into my routine as my flexibility continues to deteriorate. It came as a bit of a wake up call when I saw how many climbs there were on the race route so, needless to say, I am now incorporating a lot of hill climbing in my training rides. You underestimate over 900 meters of climbing on the course at your peril. I want the day to be a difficult but fun ride and not an agonising, arduous slog to the coast.

I still haven’t worked out the logisitics of getting to London, parking before the race and then driving home on shattered legs as yet. I think the Brighton to London coach transfer after the race is a definite but I’m not sure about the rest. I’m sure it will all fall into place nearer the time.

Take care and if you see me on cycle trails in NW England then please give me a wave.

Simon