Riding the Roller-Coaster

Always expect the best and be prepared for the worst.

My pulse rate rose twice yesterday. The first time it was for 45 minutes and the second time for over 90 minutes.

The first occasion was due to my 5 mile training run. My next 10k race is on Sunday 31st May, so I have to clock up the miles this week if I am going to maintain the pace I set for myself in the Beverley 10k 2 weeks ago. The next race takes me over the Humber Bridge and back, so I am looking forward to the views, if nothing else. And this time I should get to see the race leaders, albeit they will be steaming down one side of the bridge on the homeward leg while I am still puffing my way down the outward leg on the opposite side.

I'm looking forward to the race, although I don't have the big match nerves like I did for my last race as this is my second 10k, so some of my doubts about my ability to go the distance have already been removed.

I'm not one of those who wears a heart monitor when out running, so I don't know what my heart rate rose to, but it will have been steady. It definately wasn't steady when I went to the KC stadium to see Hull City play Manchester United.

I love the drama of the last day of the Premier League, when each goal scored by three or four clubs changes the league table and ultimately determines who is relegated. In previous years I have been able to witness this drama as an independent observer. This year it was personal.

It's old news now, so I won't go over the drama. In the end both Hull City and Newcastle lost and this meant survival for the former and relegation for the latter. Cue huge celebrations and emotion at the KC. We are are staying up!

Apart from the end result of staying in the Premiership, what made the afternoon special was the atmosphere and the crowd. The Man United fans were exceptional and I got the impression that most of them were very happy for us to stay up. I hope their team wins the Champion's League on Wednesday.

Football songs have always fascinate me. For a start, who thinks them up? Then, having created the song how do you spread it among the crowd?

Of course, there are the regular songs sung at every game, but every now and again a new one crops up. One that is totally appropriate to the situation.

For weeks now crowds around the country have been taunting Alan Shearer with - 'You should have stayed on the telly....!

But at the start of yesterday's game there was a new song that really brought a smile to my face. It was to the tune of Daydream Believer by the Monkeys and I'll leave you to fill in the ruder words. It went:

Oh, Alan Shearer
What can it mean
To a sad Geordie B*****d
And a s**te football team.

By the end of the afternoon we were all joining in.

Strangely enough, I listened for the song on Match of the Day, but it didn't feature.

Hard luck Alan. Well done Hull.

Live long and prosper.