Travel Blog, Marathon Blog, Opinions and Other Bits and Pieces
Clocked up another 10km today, 51mins run time, at steady pace, including leap-frogging over posts during half-way stage, finished with a bit of a sprint. Happy cos did this despite having a touch of the sniffles.
UPDATE: woke up and legs pretty much normal, recovery times must be speeding up, felt like could prob run another 10km today, but due to being so wanted by all and sundry, didn't, prob for best as will help get over this cold better. Ah well will wait til next week now 
There is a ginger cat that lives in my house called ‘Grahamina’ – she is a special cat because she likes to interrupt my breakfast and use Google to produce amazing results such as the one below! 🙂
Just back from another 'long' run of 2:02 hours – apparently about 12.3miles, which gives me hope that a half marathon is now within my grasp! 
For once it was light, since I left at about 1:30pm, ran up to the common and took a detour through Richmond Park. I thought this would be more pleasant than running up Kingston Hill like last time, which was tough going, but even on the grass it wasn't that much easier, bit more green and less cars though. I was a bit disappointed not to see any deer or squirrels or even birds though 
though I did overtake a woman on a bicycle going up the rather steep hill there, lol, she overtook me on the way down and straight though. The Park also was a good option since it saved getting lost round the private estates of Kingston Hill like last time and made a nice run back into Raynes Park along Coombe Lane.
Legs aren't quite as tired as the last long run, seemed a bit more steady today, whereas I pushed it quite a bit at the start last time, am sure I could've (just about) made another mile or so, then I'd have hit the milestone of the teens! 
Click here to see a 'rough' route map of today. I did cut down Chase Alley which Google doesn't know about.
Just started reading it!
Finally set up my JustGiving.com page so people can sponsor me and Save The Rhino direct! So pls sponsor me if you can 
I finally have a confirmed Virgin London Marathon 2011 place at last! I phoned Adam Brown from Save The Rhino and he kindly gave me a place. I have to raise £1250 for them and any more over that target will go to the Rainforest Trust. I have to say that is less than the £1800 the Rainforest guys wanted me to raise so I'm not complaining one bit! On with the training then…
Ran 10km at reasonable pace on usual common route up to Tibbets Corner and back, tried listening to music this time, haven't done that for a while, but I was tired and felt like it, had to stop numerous times to sort out the headphone lead and trainers (may need new pair). Finished in about 52mins, hence lot faster than usual. Interested to see what my legs will be like tomorrow after pusing it a bit today.
Well after an email on Monday from Matilda at the Rainforest Alliance, it turns out it could be a two way run-off between myself and a lady called Carol for a place in the marathon 
Anyways had a 'marathon meeting' with the Rainforest Alliance folks near Kentish Town tonight after a hectic day at work. Met a couple of guys doing the Brighton Marathon and the other 7 or so of us are doing the London. Matilda gave a nice presentation, didn't know Sting set this thing up, plus gave us some fund raising ideas.
UPDATE: Got a call from Matilda and was told that she had to draw straws between myself and Carol (she was a very nice lady and very enthusiastic + she'd done the Dublin marathon back in 1996) and she won the place. Must admit I'm wasn't entirely surprised, BUT Adam Brown at Save the Rhino does have a place for me an expects a call!
I'd seen the posters around and resisted so far, BUT it wa too much, my hero Michael Knight was starring in the pantomime at Wimbledon theatre! Yes, the star of my fave TV programme as a kid Knightrider AKA Mitch from Baywatch AKA David Hasselhoff was visiting my hometown and this might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see him! so I went along for the Wednesday 1:30pm show! It was Peter Pan with The Hoff as Hook and Louie Spence from Pineapple Studios as the Cabin Boy (named Roger lol). These two made an unexpectedly brilliant combination. The Hoff's very-English announcement of the start of the show, hinted to me that he may have actually grasped what the very British institute of panto really is, which is most impressive for an American! 🙂 After curtain up, came the songs, the dances, the jokes and even the story, which was wonderfully told and acted out by all the cast involved! Louie Spence was flippin hilarious and what a dancer too! The dude playing Peter Pan was excellent too, had a real quality for being a nice guy and luring the audience in with the traditional BEHIND YOU and OH NO HE HASN'T routines too! 🙂 Top marks to both him + the lady playing Wendy, you guys got the characters 100% right + the funny pirates ruled (esp the bit where Louie got them doing a caberet).
What I loved was that rightly there were references to everything – Baywatch, KITT (best car ever if you don't know), the talking watch, Pamela Anderson (who was at the theatre last year), they even had a bit introduced as singing 'live from the Berlin Wall' (oh yes, all you Germans out there, who remembers Hoff sitting on the Wall singing Freedom in 1989). The delighted shouts and laughs of what sounded like thousands of kids around me along with adults and a large number of pensioners alike, made a great atmosphere.
Got a txt from a friend earlier saying that the Daily Wail had slated the show, I really dunno what version the reviewers saw but this was EXCELLENT STUFF! the best panto production I've seen and certainly better than the last one I went to a while ago. Even had a fab DISCO INFERNO ending!
Was also very lucky having a great seat about 5 rows back from the front and happened to be sitting next to a very pretty blonde, who people around obviously thought I was with, Spicegirl Emma Bunton being one of them, as she + her man + kids were sat behind us! Turned out this girl was cool and knew the guy playing Peter Pan and loved the show too, her squeals everytime Louie said something, are gunna be a lasting memory 🙂 So, a most splendid Wednesday afternoon.
P.S. WISH I'D KNOWN WHEN KITT HAD BEEN OUTSIDE THE THEATRE, WHY DON'T THEY ADVERTISE THESE THINGS???!!
Unfortunately I got lost 
and ended up going the wrong way down a private road in the dark, hoping to end up on Coombe Lane but ended back on Kingston Hill and decided to stop after getting to New Malden for the sake of my own health and safety!! 
I wanted to run 10miles and so I headed up to the common, heinously Richmond Park was closed. Here is the route I roughly took. Although pls note, at Tibbets corner I cut into the common and skirted round the back of the cemetery and through the playing fields back onto the main road where it forks up Kingston Hill – man that is one crazy hill esp after tons of other hills on the common! this may make my route slightly longer and certainly more punishing! I waited 5mins for the 131 bus then noticed there was a 152 which stops outside my house, so I devoured a quarter-pounder in New Malden McDonalds 
and caught that back here.Ran slow 10km in 1:06:12 to see if my legs could take the distance and a bit more and essentially not be entirely knackered the next day.
Hardest part was actually running slower than I wanted to. Usually I can cover 10km sub-50mins fairly comfortably, but I like to push myself and this is not a good idea when there's 3 times that distance to cover. Despite being dark I ran on the common ground, not only because it is nicer on my knees, but also there had been a lot of rain and there were tons of puddles and mud and so it forced me to slow things down a lot. Also the cars coming towards me on the road were a bit scary sometimes.
I'm fairly confident I could run at least 8 miles now at this kind of pace. I've also heard of people who run and then walk parts of the 26 miles distance and this is sounding more and more sensible to me. hmmmm.