In the beginning...

[Nigel]

Many congratulations on making the commitment. Hobart sounds like the perfect race to run, high on personal significance and low on numbers. Congestion along the route won’t be an issue, so you can just concentrate on running.

Don’t worry about the inner doubts, or even ponder too much on the pain of marathon training – some people can get tired doing the training, whilst many others (most of us around here, actually) seem to be able to get tired just thinking about the training.

Here are some random thoughts to mark the onset of your momentous journey:

1. "The first few weeks are the worst, and after that you go into a gradual decline" – isn’t that another marathon misquote from The Hitch-Hiker's Guide ? Doesn’t the number 42(.2) feature somewhere there, too ?

2. The cold calculating revenge of the ruthless chocolate bar and beer glass are ever familiar hazards. Let me see now.....

Latest score (after extra time):
Weight loss over five months whilst marathon training = 8 kg
Weight gain over five weeks whilst no longer marathon training = 3.5 kg.

3. Ahhh – the glass and a half (of full milk goodness) which the adverts poured into each bar of Cadbury’s chocolate. If I can remember that, I must be almost as old as you.

4. I spent several years living not far from the Toblerone factory near Bern in Switzerland. This may, or may not, not be totally disconnected with my need to run now.

5. Matathon – now that really is a thought. Good one, RB.