Sports widow spider.............




Winter is (almost) coming to Barcelona . The weather keeps threatening to turn cold but as you can see the sun still shines and I am still flinging myself in open water for a wee dook!

This serving up of Paella and Bovril is awe cheers to the guys and gals who help sports fans be who they are.

Enjoy.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE MATCHDAY PROGRAMME.

About to take a 2000m dip in the Olimpic Canal de Barcelona 
Training starts early for next seasons TRI-ing 4 the Rovers. 



Another Saturday interrupted by the oh-so-familiar cry “It's funny how our lives revolve around 3pm Scottish time!”
  I think saying “life revolves round”  is a bit strong. You’re only setting aside just a few hours on a Saturday afternoon and the occasional Tuesday night for some cold midweek cup action to see their beloved team battle it out to glory or defeat. In the grand scheme of things it is only a tiny amount of time a football fan dedicates to the sport, honest!
However that argument is wearing a bit thin since these days as fitbaw ain't the only sport that gets valuable time spent on it.

Barcelona is a city that is trying to jigsaw together a network of cycle paths making it a place that is almost totally commutable using the old pedal power. Spending a fair amount of time in the saddle here, commuting around, allows you to see a lot of the people who are in town and their bags. Ok, this does sound like an odd thing to notice but recently the must-see accessory on the street is the race pack bag. Amongst the questionable Gucci bags and ubiquitous FC Barcelona official store carrier bags you can see these cheap drawstring backpacks branded with the latest in extreme condition triathlons, 48-hour mountain races and the local marathons that people have proudly competed in. You think a football widow/er has it hard? take a moment to think about the friends and family of those who think flinging themselves in a fjord and running up a Munro  or two is a bonny way to spend a weekend.

Pretty sure most of us have had a flask and snacks made up to keep us warm on the terraces or had to call on a lift to or from the stadium. The friends and family of an Iron Man competitor will lose them for minimum of 15 hours a week as they try and fit in training. Those that live with an extreme runner have to clear space in the cupboards and fridge for lotions’n’potions to aid recovery, build up this, and improve that. Sport is not a solo activity.

So this is a thank you to all those that make dinner while their other half is finishing another 2 hour training run, to those who are left holding the coats whilst darting around to see their loved ones cross that line, and the partners who sit in car to pick fans up after the football. These  “widower/ers” are the unsung heroes of sport and are a essential part of any team.









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