caledonian1

This draw creates the odd situation of Scotland being able to put out England out of the World Cup and GB & NI out of the Olympics {my understanding that GB & NI can only go to the olympics if they are one of the top three European teams in the World Cup} Pity first game is so far away from Brussels but Japan in Rennes on 14th could tie in better with Scotland v Belgium three days earlier

shocking equaliser {saw on STV news} Defence poor at free kick but once again Gordon coming out without conviction {similar to v Slovenia away}

I will be in London when the Slovenia away game is on....is the Albion likely to show that game too.....is it a private function for Loony Alba or can anyone come along?

Great game going on at the moment - Alloa 4 Brechin 3 so into extra time (4-4) BBC Alba

Happy enough with that.....dont want to peak too soon....it will be a long enough day

Anyone else on the 7.52am from Aberdeen tomorrow morning? Got tickets for first class and believe they serve alcohol after 11am (free?)

Not a lot in it really. 8am flight probably leave the house at back of 6am. Land in London at 9:30 and possibly make central London by 11am assuming no delays. So quite likely 5 hours at least. Would find 7 hours in first class a far less stressful journey

I am also booked first class on the 0752 - tried to get the earlier one but no seats left. Only 7 hours to London which is pretty good and probably similar to a flight once you add travel to airport waiting taxiing, travel into London etc.

IM is really expensive....the IM branded events are typically 450 euro to enter. It is a huge event with extensive road closures (the bike is 112 miles but typically 2 loops) and hundreds of volunteers for feed stations / marshalling / safety /logistics etc.......however I think they do play on the brand name...there are many other Ironman distance events but people like me are enticed to do the branded events probably to say that we have done a "real" ironman....get all the kit / medal etc. Each event typically has 2600 entrants (thats an awful lot when you consider all are in the water swimming at the same time - loads of marshalls on kayaks / boats) It is expensive but I would have paid more for the experience I had last year in Barcelona.

Unfortunately I had to withdraw from Ironman Copenhagen on Friday. Have struggled to run all year with a dodgy ankle and now I have to get an MRI scan on my knee (currently a bit swollen and making creaking noises that it never did before) Pretty devastated as I was really keen to beat last years time in Barcelona but that required a better marathon time and that was becoming increasingly difficult on the back of minimal run training - never mind there is always next year. Not wishing to waste my current fitness and swim training I have today entered the Scottish 10k Open Water championship at Loch Venacher next month. I have swam 4k a few times (incl yesterday at Knockburn) but never further so this will be a fair old challenge...definitely out of my comfort zone. Looking to swim 6 times a week with 2-3 Masters swim classes, a couple of Open Water swims at Knockburn Loch and perhaps the odd sea swim at Aberdeen beach (really enjoyed that last summer) If I recall, G-Man does a lot of open water swimming...may get in touch Well done to the many who are continuing to succeed in various races...enjoy reading all the reports

what would the odds have been, last Thursday, of Cameron resigning, Hodgson resigning and about 70% of the shadow cabinet resigning too by Monday evening?

Might go Iceland and shake a few hands....anyone know what time it closes?

Yes, just downloaded and was surprised to hear a few tracks that were so familiar....True Love Waits was on an album called Towers from a number of years ago.

It is reclaimed waste ground....will be between Lawsondale pitches and the By-pass with the dual carriage way to Westhill on one side......not very intrusive. Would far prefer a redevelopment of Pittodrie though but understand that the site is worth close to £20m and Dons want to take advantage of that.

dont think so as I thought it was nearer Westhill....like I said in the fields next to Lawsondale. This backed up what I was told a couple of weeks earlier, by a Director that it was "half a mile or so from here"...when I was in Westhill

I heard a few weeks ago that it is the fields to the east of Lawsondale pitches...there has been some drilling activity there over the past couple of months ....presumably stadium related. I think some of that land may have been landfill?

Well done...what an amazing turnout for such a tough event. This is certainly something i would look at doing but at present experiencing so many issues around a dodgy ankle / foot.......barely doing any running at present as it gets worse the more I run. I have Half Arranman in June then IM Copenhagen to get through so concerned I am not able to do much training in advance of those. i have entered the Glencoe Marathon in Oct but really need to enjoy running again without pain for that

Also ran the 10K at Balmoral and reasonably happy with 47:21....it is a tough course so not comparable with other 10K's. I have hardly been able to run this year with a dodgy ankle but gave it a go on Saturday. The last three years I have cycled out from Aberdeen to the start and then cycled home straight after....was so tough on Saturday as it was so cold....the snow / hailstones hitting my face was not the "warm up" I had hoped for. Usually a few people do that wee duathlon but looked as if I was the only one this year....happy to have done my first century ride of the year though

Are Rangers playing like Barcelona again? Oh, I am aware that Hibs are 3-1 up and Barcelona won 8-0 away at Deportivo....but just wondering

Billy Brown comes out of that terribly. To suggest you can only have an opinion on football if you are " qualified" to do so...ie you have been a manager. I really like Michael Stewart he is one of the few pundits worth listening to...as someone said earlier BBC Scotland have quite a few decent pundits (Stewart, Nevin , Thompson) BT really need to sort out their pundits and co-commentators......Michael Own and Savage are unbelievably bad

I am sure it is by address. So if you find it so easy to change that for tax purposes, say to an English address - so that you can "enjoy" English tax rates, you will have achieved your aim of not voting for the SNP - your address is in England and you will no longer be entitled to vote in a Scottish constituency. Incredible the lengths people will go to for the sake of a few pounds a month....whilst at the same time contributing little to the schools, hospitals and services in their locality. The SNP are strong favourites to be voted in again and carry out this policy of increasing the 40% tax threshold to something in line with inflation rather than Osbornes tax cut for the well off. Have you already made moves to alter your registered address? Perhaps you are moving to England or Wales or are you looking to evade tax to a greater extent and utilise an address overseas?

Have to agree...watched a bit of it but gave up......very little entertainment interesting that the two North London teams from the worlds greatest league have been beaten home and away and go out on 1-5 aggregate scores (as it stands in the Spurs game)

Just checked mine that arrived today.....spelling error there This pretty much sums up the current administration in charge of Aberdeen City Council......far too busy planning (perhaps corrupt) eyesore office buildings that no one needs to bother with the checking of spelling. They have zero chance of being re-elected next year....unless they somehow mis-spell Labour on the voting slip.....

Not too bad..it is a much a mental test of endurance as physical. Obviously you need to do the training beforehand. I also have a 300km Audax this year (Lewis and Harris in July) I did the Snow Roads a couple of times which is 302km (about 5000m of climbing as you are over the Cairn O'Mount, Lecht, Gairnsheil and Glenshee - four of highest roads in Scotland) Nutrition is really important - I far prefer real food to energy gels. My Garmin calculated I used 14,000 calories on the snow roads but doubt it was quite that much but even then you can eat as much as you like. During the National 400 there were food stops in various village halls along the route....think I had 5 meals (mostly pasta based) That event started at 10am so you had to cycle through the night to finish.....that was really tough especially climbing up the Struie(?) after Bonar Bridge at 5am. This was all ideal physical and mental preparation for Ironman and I am planning to do heaps of long cycles in the build up to Ironman Copenhagen this year

Not all out doors though - i have included time on the turbo and watt bike at gym. However i have been out a few times on my road bike and more so cycled to work through the woods on my mountainbike. Vast majority of miles done over summer months - did a one day Audax which was 264 miles last year (National 400 (turned out to be 425km) where the most southernly point was Dingwall) just upped my swimming target to a rather ambitious 250,000m