The Tortoise and The Village of Hope

thank you for the sponsorship!!

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Now this finally seems like a real thing - THIS is what it was all for - THIS is where it counts! I’m so excited that lots of people have pledged to sponsor me or have done so already. It really is an amazing cause, and I can’t wait to report back from the village in May to show how all the money - how all your money - is making a real difference out there. Thank you very, very much.

And an absolutely massive, gigantic, bear hug of a thank you to all my friends and family and work colleagues that have supported me throughout this challenge - it’s made such a difference and I really couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you. And I’m sorry for all the moaning. I promise never to talk about marathons ever again.

THE LAST ONE!!

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Finally! Was meant to be last year but I ran out of days, was meant to be boxing day but I felt super poorly, was meant to be last weekend but it was proper snowy… but finally, here it is, the last one. Marathon Number 12.

It’s just a made-up ad-hoc one round Gloucester, because there isn’t time to register for an official one now and still try and squeeze the challenge into technically all taking place in a year, so here it is - we measured it out in the car like a FIVE times -

It was hard. They’re always hard. People ask if they get easier but they don’t - it’s not like they get shorter. They’re always 26 miles. And even if you get fitter, you’re still trying just as hard, so the level of discomfort will always be the same. Just hopefully you’ll get a bit faster.

Maybe that’s true of everything - you always try your hardest and it’s always uncomfortable - you don’t start trying less because you feel like you’ve been trying for a while now so maybe you can ease off… the level of trying and the level of discomfort is always constant. But hopefully, after a while, maybe you can look back and see that you’ve come a bit further.

I’m so pleased this is over. It’s like finishing exams. I’m elated, relieved, I feel free… no more guilt for not going out for a run, no more worrying about whether I’ve had enough protein, no more sorting out logistics to go and run these things… I am free!!

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

one more to go... DEFO in need of some runspiration...

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

I can’t get enough of these cheesy nike adverts -

shame on them for not sponsoring me

‘You may be more talented than me. You might be smarter than me. And you may be better looking then me. But if we get on a treadmill together, you are going to get off first or I’m going to die. Its really that simple. I’m not going to be overworked’ - Will Smith

second to last one... i think i can i know i can...

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

A beautiful day in Pisa…. to say, go for a walk, a coffee, a crepe…

Bit of a late start for me as I left my timing chip thing in the hotel and had to run back and get it. So at this point, I’m running with all the seniors, still trying to work out if this is the full marathon, the half marathon or some completely different event…

Stunning river view

at about 20miles… really struggling…

but…. then there’s flo rida!! Two miles to go and only one Flo, only one Ridaaaaa!! Nearly there, not long now, I think I can, I know I can, I think I can…

THE END!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!

next stop - pisa!!!

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

ok, so here's the plan...

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Thank you so much to all of you who have sponsored me personally, or contributed towards the project in some way - MASSIVELY appreciated! The plan is to organise all the logistics of how this will help the village early in the new year, and then go out to real life Tanzania in May (we pay for our own trips, so every penny that we raise will go on helping to improve the facilities and equipment at the Village of Hope).

We hope to help as many parts of the village as possible - the school, the family homes and the clinic.

We hope to take out loads of this stuff -

because learning is fun. Plus loads of these -

because reading is also fun. Also, if anyone wants to donate children’s books, that would also be amazing. I’m heading home this weekend to get all my old ones.

Plus loads of this stuff -

mmmm yummy. There is a clinic set up at the village where mums-to-be can get help when they give birth. This is so important, especially if mum has the HIV virus - the virus isn’t necessarily inherited by the baby unless there are complications at birth, or unless she breast-feeds. Powdered milk means she doesn’t have to and helps ensure the baby can grow strong and HIV-free. The clinic is now getting busier and busier, with more than 2,300 patients visiting every month. I know - LOADS!!

We’re also hoping to do some improvements to the area, like put a fence around the school, plus to the school itself - like painting the school class rooms and hallways, so it might look all spangly like this one -

I’m sorry it may sound a bit vague at the moment but there are just so many things we can do to help there, and we want to be careful not to over-promise at this stage, so that they don’t make arrangements around something that we might not be able to deliver on. Plus we don’t want some kid reading it on the internet and then when we go out in May they’re all like ‘hey bitch where’s my ipad’.

But any contribution - £1, £5, £10 - would be so worthwhile. It wouldn’t get lost along the way in any messy admin situation - it would all go on real life things in the village, to help these orphans.

AMAZING!!

Cutest kid ever?

To donate money, there is a little ‘help the village - please donate here’ thing on the left hand side of the page. If you’re tempted….

nearly there now...

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

just one more on Saturday and then one more on the 15th and then it’s OVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

marathon number 10: cheltenham and gloucester

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Back home to Gray HQ for number 10, where Mrs Gray was on hand for measuring routes in the car (thanks mum!) and here’s what we went with -

…as well as meeting me every 8 miles of so with sugary sports drinks that we don’t name because they wouldn’t sponsor us (IT’S FOR AFRICA!!)

Done. Cannot wait for this hellish experience to be over. And to be in Actual Real Life Africa doing something really cool and helpful.

the verdict: chester marathon

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Overall: 9/10

Best Bit: Based on the fact that 10/10 has to be reserved for the amazingness of the London Marathon, with its 26 miles of memories forever, ‘regular marathons’ will only ever be able to compete under the 9s. And Chester doesn’t even try to be like the London marathon. It is still just a ‘regular marathon’. But it is by far the best ‘regular marathon’ that I have ever been a part of.

The course was easy to get to and the process of gathering pre-race - sticking our numbers on, putting our bags into storage, generally hopping about getting exciting - was all really enjoyable. The atmosphere was fantastic. All the staff were immensely helpful at the start, end, and all the way round. It was pretty slick. Although it is by no means a ‘major’, there were enough runners to takeover the racecourse at the start and end, and justify a commentator on the loud speaker, who sounded uncannily Brendan Foster / Steve Cram-like, which was particularly cool when he describes you going over the finish line. Whenever there were people watching around the course, they were expelling as much energy cheering, as we were running - Chester, you guys did yourselves proud. Thank you for having us.

Worst Bit: I can’t actually think of any… even the goodie bag was fab!

Scenic route: 7/10. Lots of countryside bits, without having to actually run on, or get involved with, the countryside itself. Pus a nice ending around the city walls.

Further info: http://www.activeleisureevents.co.uk/full-marathon.aspx

Soundtrack of choice:

marathon number 9: chester marathon

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

I gathered with all the other runners at about 8.30, ready for a 9am start. Nearly everyone is hopping about, trying their best to keep warm. It’s like a sea of kangaroos in lycra.

With my training going steadily downhill, and my form subsequently sinking into eugh-land, I was nervous about this marathon. Less training = more pain, right?

I thought about how the word marathon is almost synonymous with pain and struggle. If you type it into google, everything that comes up will be about how not to get injured, how not to hit the wall, how not to let it tear your body to shreds and grind your soul into the ground. It’s all negative. I’ve never come across an article that says ‘do you know what, it’s totally do-able, just stick some good tunes on and go out and smash it’. It’s all - Oooooooh the big bad marathon. Oooooh the marathon will get you. Oooooh respect the marathon.

When the fuck is the marathon going to respect me?!

I’m tired of being scared, of being intimidated, of being a victim.

Fuck you marathon. This is my day.

I ran my absolute heart out and did it in just over 4 hours. Recovery was a bitch but I don’t even care. Helen - 1: Stupid marathon that can go fuck itself - 0.

Number nine - done - yay!!! Only three more to go!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

next up - chester marathon!

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0100

NUMBER 9 HERE WE GO!!!!

please let it be ok please let it be ok please let it be ok…

ask the experts - joy skipper - what to eat?!

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

As we all know, nutrition plays a fundamental role in helping us stay healthy, at all stages of life, and regardless of what level of exercise we are doing. But I wondered whether the additional training that comes with marathon running has bigger implications on our nutritional needs than just upping the pasta and forgiving the kit-kat. So I sought help from expert nutritionist Joy Skipper, who has worked with a number of elite athletes, particularly those involved in strength and endurance sports like rowing and distance running.

(Ok so truthfully, I interviewed Joy about a couple of months ago, and have only just got round to posting it. But even more interestingly, since the two months have passed, I can confirm that the slight alterations to my diet have made a MASSIVE difference - in how I feel, in how I run, in how much I get hungry now, or rather how much I don’t…) So here’s some of her top tips -

The Tortoise (TT): If I have started to train a lot, what might I need to pay special attention to in my diet? Should I increase certain foods?

Joy Skipper (JS): The first thing to think about is whether you are eating a balanced diet – lots of variety in the foods you are eating, and the least amount of processed food possible - cooking everything from scratch is always preferable.

Athletes need to eat good quality protein, to help rebuild and repair muscles that have been used during training or racing. Include the following foods in the diet daily - eggs, fish, lean meat, pulses or poultry.

Exercise also causes molecules called free radicals in the body and these molecules can be damaging, so a diet rich in antioxidants is important, as the antioxidants help to ‘mop up’ the free radicals. Antioxidants include vitamins A, C & E and the minerals selenium and zinc. Including colourful fruit and vegetables, nuts and seafood is important to ensure the diet is rich in these nutrients – peppers, berries, leafy green vegetables, oysters, brazil nuts.

Carbohydrates are obviously needed for energy, so foods like sweet potato, rice, root vegetables, oats etc are great for this.

TT: What are big no-nos? Is bread really evil?

JS: The only way to really know what is going into your body is to cook everything from scratch – that way you will not be eating too many preservatives or hidden sugars etc. Ready meals and processed foods are harder for the body to deal with, eat food as fresh and unprocessed as possible.

A lot of people are intolerant to wheat, and may be better off not having too much in their diet. The way to find out if you are affected by wheat (you may suffer from bloating or flatulence after eating, or just a feeling of ‘sluggishness’), is to avoid it completely for two weeks and see how different you feel. Be aware that wheat is in a lot of foods – pasta, bread, biscuits, cakes etc. but there now are lots of wheat-free alternatives to choose from.

TT: Can what you eat really have an impact on whether you get injured or not?

JS: Ensuring your diet is as healthy as possible may have an effect on injuries as your bones and muscles are all fed by the food you eat. Supporting your immune system is also important, as exercise is a stress on the body and the immune system, so it needs a little extra help.

Once you are injured your body should recover more quickly if your diet is a healthy one, including essential fats and antioxidants to help combat inflammation that may have been caused.

TT: Why is important to stay hydrated? How do you know if you’re hydrated? Do you also recommend taking those sport electrolyte fixes as well?

JS: Studies have shown that just 2% dehydration can affect both physical and mental performance, so ensuring you are well hydrated before starting any activity is important for performance. A normal sedentary person should drink around 2 litres of water a day (that is how much the body uses just to function), so athletes should increase this according to the amount of training they are doing and the conditions they are training in - hot weather for instance.

If you are well hydrated your urine should be a light straw colour.

It is important for endurance athletes to balance the minerals in the body when taking in large amounts of water, so using an electrolyte product can be useful. Never try something for the first time in a race, always practice in training first.

TT: Should I take supplements?

JS: Everybody is different, but in general it is very hard for us to get all the nutrients we need from the food we buy, even if you cook everything from scratch. This may be because the soil the food is grown in is slightly depleted in nutrients or that when you buy foods from the supermarket they have been out of the ground for a long time and may be more depleted of nutrients.

Athletes are using more nutrients than most so it is important to replace those nutrients regularly. Taking a multivitamin and mineral ensures a base level of nutrients.

TT: If I feel tired all the time – because of training, life etc – is there any healthy ‘natural booster’ that you could recommend?

JS: It may be that you are not replacing the nutrients you need after one training session, so are tired by the time you start the next. There is a 40 minute window after training when your body better absorbs the carbohydrates and proteins that have been used. It is important to focus on this to aid recovery and ensure you are ready for the next training session.

The other important thing for training is sleep – be sure to get enough of it, as this is when your body really recovers best.

There is no quick fix, sorry!

TT: What is best to eat before a long run and how long before should you eat?

JS: It is best to eat about 1 ½ hours before you run, choosing something that is higher in carbohydrate and lower in fat, fibre and protein, snacks such as a banana and flapjack, a bowl of cereal with a little milk, or oatcakes with peanut butter.

TT: What should you have after?

JS: As mentioned previously, it is important to replace carbohydrates and protein within 40 minutes after training, so something like a banana smoothie with protein powder, or oatcakes with cottage cheese would be good snacks, followed by a good meal 2 hours later.

TT: What if I finish my run really late at night, say 11pm, what should I have then as I will be going to bed shortly after and won’t want a big meal?

JS: See above for advice re eating after training. Training late at night is not really advisable, as your body is more programmed to sleep at this time. It may be better to train very early in the morning if possible, after a good nights’ sleep.

TT: What are good healthy snacks if I get peckish during the day?

JS: Always try to include protein in your snacks, so for instance, if you have a piece of fruit, do have a small handful of nuts or seeds to eat with it. Homemade flapjacks with nuts and seeds in them are a good, satisfying snack, as are oatcakes with houmous or peanut butter.

TT: What can you recommend for during the race? I generally have a banana and a Snickers?

JS: Depending on how long your race is, I would recommend Clif Bloks (http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_shot_bloks/). These are better than gels that most people have tried and not liked as they are messy and taste unpleasant! Whilst you are running you need something that the body can absorb easily.

TT: Long distance runners tend to be really skinny. It seems important to keep weight down so that they are lighter and therefore faster. I don’t think this is just a bi-product of how much they run / work-out as they have to stay fuelled? But it feels dangerous to try and lose weight when putting your body under stress as it is, with the training. What are your thoughts / recommendations on this?

JS: Some people are naturally light-weight and although it is possible to lose weight for a certain race or sport, whist still maintaining strength, it is important to think about long-term health and whether you can lose and maintain that weight safely.

This is another reason to maintain a healthy diet and to get a good nights’ sleep – the body loses weight best when you are sleeping!

TT: How much do you think an elite athlete (of an endurance sport) would eat a day? I used to think they could eat loads – whatever they wanted – but that probably isn’t the case is it?

JS: This is a pretty impossible question to answer, as everybody is different, with different body shapes, metabolism and training needs.

I think an athlete that takes their training seriously would also take their diet seriously, so would certainly not eat whatever they wanted, but would maintain a healthy eating regime to coincide with their training.

Start thinking of food as really ‘feeding’ your body – every food does something different in the body, so think about what it is your body needs before you eat.

TT: Brilliant - thank you Joy!!

I can highly recommend Joy’s consultation sessions, She can be reached at -

Joy Skipper, BSc (Hons) mBANT CHNC, is based at Sprint Physiotherapy in Kensington. Visit www.sprintphysio.co.uk or call 0207 9381350

time for some runspiration!!

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

training update

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

if it was possible to get off and push, I would most def be doing that now…

Ask the experts: andy lane, sports psychologist

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

As most of us know, sport is often as much about mental strength, as it is natural talent and physical prowess. This applies to the athlete’s attitude on the day of the event itself – whether they can cope under pressure and deal with any change in conditions – as well as the ability to apply themselves to hours and hours of training, day after day. This is absolutely true in marathon running (OMG IT IS SO TRUE!!) As regular readers will know, this challenge has pushed me to my absolute limits (and maybe even beyond? Is that possible?!) and as a result, I have become increasingly interested in sports psychology. I have been lucky enough to interview a leading sports psychologist and ask him all about how we can all train ourselves mentally stronger, so we stand a better chance of fulfilling our physical potential.

Andrew Lane is a Professor of Sport Psychology at the University of Wolverhampton. He is accredited from the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) for scientific support and research and Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society.

The Tortoise: Thanks very much for chatting with us Andy, I really appreciate it. I enjoyed reading your rough guide to running on the London Marathon page - (http://www.musicandmotivation.com/mental_fitness/training.html)

I particularly liked the ‘if / then’ section, which helps prepare yourself for all the little negative thoughts that might creep into your head while you’re trying to train. For example, ‘if’ you think you are too tired to go for a run, ‘then’ you say, well I’ll just run for ten minutes’. You KNOW you always feel better after ten minutes! But this helps get you out the door hey. So you must be a runner yourself?

Andy Lane: Yes that’s right, I used to be a boxer in my 20s, but now I run. I have done a couple of marathons this year, and will do Chester in October.

TT: Do you think that we are predisposed to think a certain way? Do you think it is possible that we can change our attitudes?

AL: I think we all fall into certain personality types, where some people will always have a harder time in a certain situation compared with another person, and perhaps vice versa in a different situation, but we are all capable of change. There is a danger when you say you can’t change that then it becomes self-fulfilling. If you don’t believe you can change, then you won’t. If you do, then you will.

TT: What do you think delivers a greater performance, the carrot or the stick? From watching her documentary and her performance at the Olympics, Victoria Pendleton seems very ‘stick’ driven, whereas others seem to lean much more towards the carrot, and will seem to enjoy the competition more, like Tom Daley. Is happiness important to success?

AL: I don’t think Victoria Pendleton completely hated competing, I think she may have found the pressure of being at the top and having to stay at the top, at times, overbearing. We can all create monsters in our mind that we are scared of, and these can sometimes help us – these can motivate us to train harder, and make us properly prepare, so that the monsters don’t win, but it can’t be all stick. Anxiety can help, but too much of it is destructive and exhausting.

TT: One of the toughest things I am experiencing is the length of the challenge and having to stay consistent. It seems almost easier to train for one big event, and then you have a big emotional crescendo and can relax after, but with doing a marathon a month, it is hard to stay focused as it just seems to drift on and on…

AL: Well, there is an end to the challenge and that will come after the 12 months and then you will feel happy and relieved. But before that, you should view each marathon as a stage. So when I advise people running multiple marathons across the deserts and across America, where they have to run a marathon maybe every day, I tell them to break it down into stages. So you have to temper your celebration and make sure you recover between events, but manage your emotional state so that you keep remembering it in its entirety. You have done nine marathons – which means you are three quarters there!

You also have to remember that your challenge isn’t to get great times, but to finish each one. It is a lot of additional pressure to go for good times as well, because there can be so many different variables on the day. Plus all of the courses will be different, and many of them just won’t be suitable for trying for PBs. Goals have to be flexible in this respect.

I think you have to remain patient. Many of those running the Des Sables will walk a bit, run a bit, walk a bit. Sometimes you just have to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. Running 26 miles is still running 26 miles. You may have your judgement head saying ‘this is no good’, but it is good; you are still going.

TT: Another tricky thing about long distance running is that it is a lot of alone time, both in training and in competition. How do you deal with that?

AL: Yes, many have said that they hate their own company after big challenges like this, when all they have had is their own thoughts. This is a big part of training though, practicing being patient with yourself. And you can use distractions – the TV at the gym, or music when you’re out on the road, and often if you are competing in new locations, then that will help you a lot as you’ll have lots of interesting things to look at. Spending a couple of hours in the gym, even if you are distracted by the telly, this is still helpful as it trains your mind to be patient for that length of time.

TT: I’ve read quite a bit about visualisation techniques. How can these help?

AL: These are a great way of dealing with specific situations that might arise, either from external factors or from negative thoughts that enter your mind. So it is a lot like the ‘if / then’ methodology you described before. If you start to have negative thoughts that you can’t do this, then you can pull out one of your positive images. The more you do this, the more confident you will become in coping with difficult situations that arise.

TT: Do you think over-visualisation can be dangerous? Given the amount of training that is required and how much time you already spend in your own head as a result, that you might end up floating into a dream world? Say, if one were to win Olympic gold a great many times…

AL: Well you have to stay realistic and potentially just use these techniques in specific situations. For example, if you are doing something intense that is also repetitious, it can be quite mentally tough – like 800m reps for example – you could occasionally win a gold medal here! Just as you rehearse physical techniques, you can rehearse the mental techniques too – making the image sharper and clearer and giving it meaning – it can be very powerful.

TT: You mentioned that it was important to have flexible goals. Do you also think this could potentially be quite dangerous too – say, if you never reach the goal because you’ve already changed it or extended it, so you never get ‘there’. You could be chasing rainbows and as a result, perpetually disappointed?

AL: I think it is important to have flexible goals, because things aren’t always in your control and so you have to adapt the goal to effectively encompass doing the best you can do that day. You might find, if you are always resetting the goal that you need to step back a bit, to get perspective, and realise that you are actually doing well and that you are moving forwards. Or this may come later, when you reflect on it, because again you have that perspective. A lot depends on the rate of change – if you are moving towards the goals quickly then it can be tempting to reset them, but you must remember that this is still progress, you are still moving forward.

TT: Thank you so much, I feel like I have loads to go away and think about. Fuel for my next long run! In the meantime, I’m going to have a go at this test, which I believe you compiled with the BBC and Michael Johnson, on how I cope under pressure – dum dum dummmmmm!!

https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/compete/

the big green chain fail...

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Ok so today I had planned to run the Green Chain marathon, somewhere in Eltham, with all the ‘New Eltham Joggers’. This was supposed to be the September marathon. Number 9 would be ticked off and we would still be on target for all 12 in 2012.

Unfortunately, this did not happen.

A number of factors conspired against me - a heavy work week that left me shattered, a train that I’m SURE left earlier than it was supposed to as I pegged it down the platform first thing this morning, oh and the fact that I spent most of yesterday being chucked over someone’s shoulder so that I now have massive back spasms and can’t actually sit up straight, much less run a marathon…

However, there is a plan. I can do two in December (because it is such a good time of year to do marathons…) so we are now looking at -

October - Chester marathon

November - another Gloucester marathon

December - Dorset Endurance marathon

December - Pisa marathon (yay!)

So it will be totally and utterly fiiiiiiiine….

The reason behind the bad back by the way, was that I was trying out judo for the first time yesterday. Fascinating stuff, although probs not for me in the long-run, what with all the aforementioned being chucked over peoples’ shoulder. It’s for a new blog that I’m writing for a women’s online magazine called SportSister (the ‘heartbeat of women’s sport’ no less!) where I try out various niche sports that we loved in the Olympics! The idea is that I trial these random sports, let you know what it’s like to try as a grown-up, and then provide info on how you can get involved in your area. Check it out!! That’s me doing archery!!

http://www.sportsister.com/blogs/olympics-for-beginners/

training update

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

not. looking. good.

paralympics - fave bits

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:40:00 +0100

I was almost looking forward to watching some regular telly, the kind that doesn’t make me scream and shout and cry all at the same time. It’s exhausting. Well, thanks a lot paralympians, I am now completely and utterly shattered. Absolutely incredible.

Dave Wier – almost like he still doesn’t believe what a legend he is. Sarah Stoney – that girl is absolutely unstoppable. Jonnie Peacock – GOOSEBUMPS!!

My fave athlete of the games turned out to be this long-haired guy from France – Rydah Salem.

After the shhhhhhhness of the goalball, where I happened to miss the only goal because I had my eyes closed, curious as to whether I could follow the play without vision – we made our way over to the wheelchair rugby. Wheelchair rugby basically takes all the most fun elements from various different sports, and puts it into one sport. So you can tackle off the ball, like American Football; there’s lots of marking (argey bargey) generally off the ball, like netball; you’re allowed to move with the ball, aka NOT like netball (yay!); and you’re allowed to ram into each other, kind of like dodgems. It’s pretty intense. These guys are hardcore.

This is the only photo I could find of Salem, but it is typical of his every-ball-is-mine-at-all-costs manner. He spent a lot of the game like this

He was standout. The opponents had possession? He’d be flying down the wing, diving in to block the pass. A loose ball? It was his. There’s a goal? Probably Salem. He was amazing. It was like he was on speed-up time and the rest of us were on slow-mo. The manner in which he threw himself fearlessly into every tackle, despite being thrown to the floor about two seconds ago, was just mental. An absolute thrill to watch. Wherever you are now Salem, thank you!

the verdict: london adhoc marathon

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Overall: 6/10

Best Bit: Running your own route obviously affords you a certain freedom - your start point and time, your pace (no sweeper car!), when you want to stop (there are ALWAYS places to stop for water / toilet every few miles in London) and where you want to go. The GPS watch helps with this - you don’t have to stick to a 26 mile course you’ve written out before - you can get lost and it still counts! I know there are phone apps for this too, really ought to look into them…

Plus running past all those sights - London Bridge at 20 miles, for example - never gets old. London’s amazing. Fact.

Worst Bit: Not having any proof that I finished it and knowing that I will get grumpy and upset if anyone questions me. I’m so tired.

Scenic Route: 10/10

Further Info: http://www.runningmap.com/

Soundtrack of Choice: