Month: August 2004

She may sound like an Irish property company, but Kelly Holmes is actually our latest star of the Olympics. How good to see someone who’s struggled for so long, finally get the prize she’s been reaching for. Received the latest edition of Runners World this morning. I describe it as the latest edition, but quite honestly, I’m never sure. They should make the date more prominent on the cover, because I swear this is the main difference from one month to the next.… READ MORE.... …

A brief, and even more rapid, run this morning before breakfast. The big sporting news of the day, second only to QPR’s magnificent victory at Gillingham, was Paula Radcliffe’s decision to enter this evening’s Olympic 10K, creating the possibility of a glorious resurrection after last weekend’s high profile marathon failure. As we all know, she pulled up in the 10K as well, opening up yet more excellent schadenfreude opportunities for the British public.… READ MORE.... …

Katy. A nice sort of name, I’ve always thought. This was borne out by an email I received this morning from someone with that chummy designation, allowing me a late entry to the ingeniously named “Oracle To Oracle” 10K race (and just as craftily shortened to O2O10K in the blurb), a week on Sunday. I’d been thinking about what I’d said yesterday about the kick-start, and decided that a shortish race would be a good one.… READ MORE.... …

Not only did I resist breakfast this morning, but this evening I ran. Yes, I ran. Just over 3 miles along the canal on a cool evening. It wasn’t easy. My physiology was traumatised. The Leeds & Liverpool canal isn’t a particularly relaxing place to run, as I’ve mentioned before. It seems not to be a recreational route, like ye merrye olde tow-pathes of home.… READ MORE.... …

I went downstairs in my running gear at 6:45 this morning. Just before reaching the door, I picked up a copy of The Guardian and started to read Steve Cram’s piece about Paula Radcliffe. Eventually, the drifting smell of fried bacon hit my nostrils, and that was it. Instead of running, I had a bowl of fruit and a yoghurt. Sadly, it didn’t stop there.… READ MORE.... …

The shadow of Paula Radcliffe’s marathon failure has been everywhere today. There’s been a lot of sympathy, but I’ve been slightly shocked by some of the negative opinion that’s been doing the rounds of the radio phone-ins and the canteen. At lunch today, I heard two plump women on the adjoining table mumbling their disgust through mouthfuls of chips. "She was like a spoilt child", said one.… READ MORE.... …

Well, at least I had the foresight to post my prediction on the Runners World forum long before the event, that Paula Radcliffe wouldn’t finish today’s marathon in Athens. I wish the prediction hadn’t come true – it was a desperate sight. Her pulling up at the 36 kilometre mark, disorientated, weeping, will be one of those abiding Olympic memories. Somehow the failures stick in the mind more than the triumphs.… READ MORE.... …

Keeping an online running log is a double-edged sword. When things go well, and they occasionally do, it feels good to be able to describe them here. When things go badly, it gets kinda embarrassing, as I have to keep dragging myself back to my own torture chamber. This week is another write-off. The Dublin marathon at the end of October is not a realistic target now, but so be it.… READ MORE.... …

I thought about running today. I thought about it while I sat in the hotel restaurant, finishing a bottle of reasonable Coonawarra Cabernet-Shiraz, reflecting on my pork and mash, and cheese and biscuits.… READ MORE.... …

AII histopic entdy. as its cweated entipely on a haad-held jobbie. Its changed my lite. I caa now sit in the pub on a Sunday aften@@n aad watch the ftball have afew bevvies and write the stvpff for the site withut the iacareaieace of neediag a keyboapd aaa alt that caper. I caa jvst write oa the scpeea with oae of these stylus thiags aad thats it.… READ MORE.... …