I've not won anything but wheels go around in London

Having provided much of the publicity for runners in the London Marathon in recent years I have rather been caught by my own publicity.

I have had contact from virtually all the local media in the past 24 hours and have another interview with the BBC tomorrow afternoon. Of course, I could have refused to cooperate but I feel a responsibility to do my bit to publicise the sport where I can.

The point is that I have not actually won anything but just happened to be the fastest local. Being the old git that I am I suppose it adds a dimension but frankly my run of 2.45.01 at Cardiff in windy conditions the day after my 50th birthday in October 2006 was a better performance and I was in much better condition last August before I got injured.

But the wheels go around in London like the London Eye pictured above. A year ago I had the least enjoyable run of my whole life. I went up the wheel when I got myself fit last Summer with a lot of early morning training only to come back down the other side. I've got up again since Christmas but I'm going to enjoy that view whilst I can as I can sense (with a sore knee) that I'll be coming down yet again.

So my advice is two fold:

1) Enjoy the praise when you get it but evaluate your own performance against your goals.

2) Dig in there when things are down. It takes more effort to climb the wheel and a lot less to come down but it goes round for all of us - not just me; not just you.

Version 3 of marathon analysis

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the latest version. Sorry that I have not acknowledged all the emails.

Please have some understanding if you were incorrectly listed in earlier versions, particularly if they were published by the other media - it is not easy to find the motivation to do these jobs after running a marathon (and having a few family complications that took me back outside) - particularly when it requires me to be working on my laptop in a bedroom whilst your mates are downstairs in the bar!

Lights almost out on London

For about the last 12 years I have acted as unofficial press officer for the Manx media in connection with the London Marathon.

This has resulted in me being roped into being interviewed live on the Mandate programme on Manx Radio tomorrow by John Moss.

I've always had a good relationship with John Watterson of Isle of Man Newspapers. Although it is me who does the analysis and compiles the initial list of names, it would not be possible to be as thorough without the excellent lines of communication that we enjoy. We've had another flurry of emails in the past few days.

The accuracy of the list does always depend on the co-operation of a lot of people, however, so if you do have any corrections or additional names, please let me know. If you have already emailed today, I will incorporate the changes in version three later tonight.

I would like to receive any action shots from the marathon but as always I am keen to move onto other events and therefore I would like to put the lights out on this subject by Thursday.

Lack of photos

We've had a somewhat larger breakfast today than yesterday and will be leaving for Gatwick shortly.

Although I brought a couple of cameras with me this weekend, I am afraid that I don't have as many photos as usual. In fact, we've bumped into fewer athletes than normal to share post race experiences.

I was pretty happy with my run - i got the pace spot on. Although I would have liked to have run faster it is evident that I couldn't. The walk back to the hotel was the most painful I can ever recall though and I was quite emotional afterwards. I had to switch my phone off as I couldn't talk to anyone.

Mike was really disappointed - he was sick in the later stages and wonders if he took too many drinks in the heat. He was passed by Christian Varley who judged the pace exceptionally well.

I haven't heard what when wrong for Richard Radcliffe who had prepared well and I expected to go under 3 hours. Paul was happy that he was not slower than 3.20 and has committed to at least two more years as he wants to go under 3.15 next year to qualify for the year after that. He said that Paul Cubbon passed him looking very relaxed.

Nigel will surely improve the most next year. He tried to meet up with Emma who had started at a different place but missed her and waited until nearly all the field had gone through. She ran 3.32 but he couldn't get passed the road full of runners and ended up with 4.26!

I wish I had a few more tales of other runners but that is about all I know at the moment. Maybe I shall be able to get hold of pictures from some of the Manx supporters in the next few days.

The moment of truth

I've just had a relaxing 6 am breakfast at the Strand Palace Hotel with Paul Curphey and Mike Garrett. Its less than three hours until the start of my 10th start in the London Marathon. Since running my first in 1995 as a "one off" my whole year has centred around this race.

Its the first of the times that I have started (I have pulled out a few times) that I have not run a long session before Christmas (I was injured between September and December and only averaged 5 miles a week at that time despite running in the cross country), I have been having problems with twinges behind my knees in the past few weeks and I had a cold either side of Easter which is only just clearing my chest.

But otherwise, I am better prepared than for any year since 2005. I ran my best times (both 2.43) in 2001 and 2005 and so I am hoping that my four year cycle will again be successful. I always say, however, that to get a good time you have to gt everything right. You only need to get one thing wrong......

It seems like a long time ago since Mike and I did our long sessions at 7 am on a Saturday and he gave me the funniest moment of the winter when he slid on the ice going down to Port Soderick and went down the hill on his backside.

Mike and I have similar aims but we both think the other one will be faster. I'm on the blue start for the first time since 1996 through my own stupid fault. I should have been on the new red "good for age" section but didn't submit my entry on time believing that I would run sub 2.45 in Amsterdam and qualify for the AAA Championships (I didn't run through injury). So thanks to Bridget and Manx Harriers for allowing me to have one of the club entries.

Last year Paul, Mike and I all crossed the line within seconds of each other although we each ran completely different types of races. Paul is running for the 16th time and although not in great shape after injury can certainly be relied upon.

Mike has arranged to meet that other 16th timer, Richard Radcliffe, outside the Charing Cross Hotel where he stays, to catch the train to Blackheath. Richard's niece Nicky Boyde will presumably be with him.

The truth will revealed later. Hopefully I shall have tales of some of the other Manxies.

No coverage of Isle of Man End to End Mountain Bike Challenge this year

I've now had more than 119,000 video views on my YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/murraylambden Nearly 20,000 of these have (the first and third most popular videos on the channel) are for films of the End to End Mountain Bike Challenge.



Unfortunately I won't be filming the event this year. I'm attending Chris Maddock's wedding in Devon that weekend and it is the renewal of one old friendship from my race walking days that prevents me from refreshing another one. Denis Jackson is coming over for the mountain bike event this year to watch his sons compete and it was only when his nephew, PJ, asked if I take Denis out to watch that I realised that my trip away would be on the weekend of the event.

London Pride

I arrived in London with Robbie at around 10.45 and we managed to check into our rooms early by around midday. Paul, Mike, Nigel and Emma arrived ex-Gatwick about an hour later.

Paul and I had originally been on the same booking but when I changed my plans I just accepted the loss of the cost of the outward flight but didn't expect to incur an extra £25 charge from FlyBe for NOT flying. So when I was told that the others guys had paid this for me I mumbled a swear word or two and got my hand in my pocket to reimburse them. I shouted a swear word or two when I realised that it was a wind up! Nice one guys.

One of the lesser sponsors of the London Marathon is Fuller's London Pride. As well as enjoying a small sample this afternoon (which Nigel kindly photographed me enjoying above) every competitor receives a can. Nigel and Emma passed theirs on to me so I am enjoying one of them now as I write this.

We were within 50 metres of the exit of from Excel this afternoon when I said to Paul: "This is the first time ever that we have not bumped into someone we know from the Isle of Man". No more than 2 seconds later Geoff Sugden said "Hi Murray, the girls are just outside" - hence the picture on the homepage.

Not building any bridges

These were the few days that I was going to catch with my email and other tasks but in fact the number of unreplied to (is that a word?) emails have doubled. I wasn't able to chill out as much as I expected today either as I took part in some meetings about Robbie.

I had a great walk last night though taking pictures of the sites along the Tyne and this morning I had my last run before the marathon - a five mile run up and down the Quayside. I think I walked another 10 miles or so around the city and to my meeting.

So despite being near so many bridges, I have not been building any with my friends today. There is a 50% chance that my friends who support Everton tonight will receive an email later tonight - or I might hide from my email a bit longer.

No fog on the Tyne today

I've made reference in the past week to continuing to update the website from the UK prior to the London Marathon.

I've brought Robbie with me to Newcastle where he is attending a special centre for a couple of nights and he is going to travel down with me to London on the train on Friday. After an early start today we flew to Manchester and onwards by train. I'm staying in a two bedroomed apartment overlooking the Tyne which only cost me about the same as an average hotel in Newcastle.

The photo was taken from the balcony this afternoon. The only problem is that, whilst I thought the next couple of days would provide a great opportunity to catch up with email and update the website, I'm keen to make the most of the opportunity to explore a part of the country that I have seen little of in the past - other than running over the Tyne Bridge in the photo.

For those that don't know, Fog on the Tyne was a song by Lindisfarne, one of the regions most successful ever bands.

PS Having just read the bit above, I should point out that the Tyne Bridge is the one in the distance. The one in the foreground in the Millennium Bridge.

Can't help looking back

I'm pictured with John and Kathryn Crowe with their daughter Janice at a family wedding in 1981.

Although I enjoy looking back and publishing old pictures, far more of my time on this site is spent promoting future events. Maintaining a positive profile, and believing that things can improve, is an important part of developing any sport.

But after attending my uncle's funeral today (John Crowe) I can't help and look back at the way some things have changed for the worse.

My uncle was a bank manager and many of the tributes that have been paid to him were by his former customers. He would spend time with them, and understand their businesses, before putting his faith into many. He had the discretion to make lending decisions that saw many businesses take root. In recent years the banks have surely lost sight of the two reasons we want to use them - either to deposit money or to borrow. John was a prolific letter writer to the newspapers and ridiculed the appointment by his former employers of "Head of Customer Experience".

Looking back over my Uncle John's life also made me realise how good the post war years have been for most people. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery in the Second World War but thankfully had good health at the end of it. We've had unprecedented good health since then but not everyone has made the most of it.

As athletes we generally do but maybe sometimes at the cost of selfishness. How many people can be successful but caring at business, spend a great deal of their time with the family, spend even more time and money helping other people and yet still have time to pursue a stack of personal interests? I know someone that did for nearly 92 years.

Enough of looking back. How many of us are going to get the best out of the rest of our lives?

Thank goodness that we don't have to wait another year

What a fantastic weekend of sport it was at Easter.

What I really like about the Easter Athletics Festival is that it is dominated by young people. That's the way sport should be. Its all very well for us all guys to be "good for age", to use that wonderful qualifying criteria for the London Marathon, but athletes should be good at a young age. There are very few events in Britain where nearly half of the top 20 finishers are under 20.

Easter is a week earlier next year and a week has already elapsed since the 2009 Easter Festival so there are only 50 weeks to go - for the Manx Mountain Marathon as well.

I'm nearly at the end of the 2009 coverage but still have a few more things to say another day.

Sports Personality Awards

As I write this they will be presenting the 2008 Sports Awards at the Villa Marina. I would be surprised if there was a surprise with the winners!

Its the 7th time that the awards night has been organised by the Sports Council - the picture above, where I pictured Steve Cram with Dot Tilbury and Milky Quayle, was the first and I have been to two others.

Unfortunately the high ideals they started with have not been possible to maintain. I remember that they were very keen to avoid the evening being a "corporate" event and wanted to make it a evening for the real sports fans - £5 including an excellent buffet meal.

The reality is that if you want to attract sponsors to the sports you have to include them in nights like tonight; and if you are very successful you will gradually squeeze out the sports fans. I was able to get a ticket last year (thanks to Stuart Gerrard) but it was very noticeable that the award winners were all coming from the back of the room (with the sponsors at the front).

This year there were even fewer seats available (other than in the balcony). I would have loved to have been there but I would rather be sitting at home marvelling at how well our sports people do (with the help of the sponsors) than being there and hearing about failure due to inadequate resources.

Tonight has given me a chance to do some more computer housekeeping. The ability to find loads of photos and videos from my collection requires a fair degree of organisation and Ben installed an additional hard disk (640GB) to my PC tonight. I also have an external drive (750GB for back up) but my main drive of 380GB was too full. I remember my first hard drive in 1988 - 30MB!

Friends and family provide the best forum

Family photo from 1958 in Kirk Michael: Back row: John Crowe (who passed away today), Kathryn Crowe, Kenyon Crowe, Ruby Crowe, Gwelda Lambden, Bill Lambden. Front row: Murray Lambden, Frank Crowe MHK, Michael Crowe, Graham Crowe, Ruth Crowe (Sutherland), Janice Crowe (Corlett), Martin Lambden, Linda Crowe (Harding), Michael Lambden, Amy Crowe.

Three weeks ago, on the Saturday before the 20 mile race, my mailbox was overflowing with people concerned about not being able to access the forum. I very much wish they could and I am flattered that the manxathletics.com forum is such an important part of their lives. I am still considering the possibility of moving to a new forum. But more about that another day.

I ran out of time to do anything about it that day. I wanted to attend a fund raising morning at Cannan Court in Kirk Michael, a fantastic sheltered housing complex in Kirk Michael, where my late mother had been one of the first residents when it opened in 1998. An old family friend, Elizabeth Kissack, was signing copies of her new book - she is close to 90 I think. Her late husband the Rev Rex Kissack married us in 1984 and they were 2 of only 15 people who attended the reception.

The Isle of Man was at its best that morning and I had a beautiful drive over the mountain and I had lots of thoughts that I should be doing this more often. Its very unlikely that I will be saying on my deathbed that I wish I had produced one more page for the website but I did think I would regret things in my life if I don't see more of older people before they pass away.

Perhaps it was because of the age of those that attended but it was as if I had never been away from Kirk Michael. I met loads of people that I remembered from my youth when I used to work on a milk round that delivered to virtually every house in Kirk Michael.

I've only had two uncles, John and Kenyon Crowe, my mother's brothers. They don't live in Kirk Michael but were both born there and they were also both at the coffee morning too - with an average age of close to 90 they were still much too independent to live somewhere like Cannan Court!

It was the last time that I was to see John Crowe, who died today a couple of months short of his 92nd birthday. He had lived at Belmont House for more than 60 years with his wife Kathryn who now lives in Elder Grange Nursing Home. Their kindness and hospitality was well known to hundreds of people in the Isle of Man and as children, our Christmas days would be spent at Belmont. Despite the size of the house, the close family used to meet in the kitchen for coffee every Saturday morning.

John was manager at Martins Bank in Douglas and became manager of the larger Barclays after it acquired Martins. A frequent letter writer to the newspapers, he also checked out the sports pages. After I won the Syd Quirk Half Marathon in 2004 he phoned me to congratulate me - I had first entered it 25 years. He then offered me some advice: "You looked in terrible pain in the photo. Now that you have finally won it after all these years, don't you think it is time to pack it in?". I often think of that advice but continue to ignore it. During a hard training session I wonder whether I should have taken his advice.

John Crowe pictured a few weeks ago aged 91. He was honoured for bravery in the second world war but only in later life did he talk about the war.

Chris Maddocks preaches joys of Manx meeting

February IOM walks – one race meeting that all walkers should consider - says Chris Maddocks in Race Walking Record:



Chris kindly mentioned the Lambden family in his article. Left to right: Murray, Robbie & Ben before the start of the Manx Harriers Half Marathon (photo by Chris).

Prior to any new season endurance athletes of all abilities need to consider the right blend of quality and quantity training; choose the best races and hope that this helps to achieve their respective time targets, writes Chris Maddocks. It might be it a personal best or for a select few the loftier goal of qualification for a major championship. I was one of the fortunate ones who, if he trained hard, fell into the latter category.

23 years after becoming a GB international walker, I took my final competitive steps when crossing the 50km finish line at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. In spite of supreme personal fitness, a pre-race injury determined that my race would be one of painful attrition rather than speed. No medal but a glorious emotionally charged end shared with a rapturous packed stadium of handclapping foot-stomping spectators. Last month and on a slightly less grand stage, Manx Harriers staged their Open race meeting of walks and half marathon run. Robbie Lambden arguably stole the show; more of him later.

This annual fixture formed an integral part of my racing season. Formerly known in the 1970’s as the Boundary Harriers Invitation meeting, top British walkers were enticed over from the mainland, not by the lure of money, but by free airline tickets courtesy of Manx Airlines sponsorship, a free supper at the evening prize presentation dinner and perhaps most important of all, by diligent organisation, warm hospitality and with top officials…and among those attending from the mainland this year were Peter Marlow, Peter Markham, Pauline Wilson, and Peter Cassidy. The likes of Allan Callow and Irishman Michael Lane have for many years even made time for post race coaching clinics.

From the early 1980’s fast times became commonplace. Cardiff man Steve Barry, the reigning Commonwealth Games walking Champion duly obliged with a new British 20km walks record of 1:22.51 in 1983.

The relatively short 800m traffic free road circuit around the perimeter of the Isle of Man National Sports Centre wouldn’t be to everyone’s liking, particularly from the running fraternity more accustomed to point to point routes or large road laps. That fact notwithstanding, top walkers from Britain and Ireland routinely travelled there during my Olympic years from 1984 – 2000. Distance wise it was an effort to get to the IOM, so I always aimed to be fit and make it count. Fixture clashes will always be an issue. And more recently it has been said that lap courses under 1kms are unlikely to count towards championship qualification. Well, I never qualified for a major on this course but it did play a significant part in setting me up for the rest of the season.

My first visit saw me out walked by Leicester man Phil Vesty and 19 year old revelation Martin Rush who recorded 1:24.58 and 1:26.32 respectively. 1:27.15 in third was then seen as good form for my 50km Olympic race in Los Angeles later that summer. Vesty went onto LA and performed admirably in the 20kms finishing 13th and ahead of team mates Ian McCombie and Steve Barry. Rush’s Olympic time would come later in 1992 when he competed in Barcelona. It was that same year that arguably saw the finest collective group of walkers toe the NSC line. Both Rush and Andy Penn ducked below the IAAF Olympic qualifying time of 1:24.00. Local hero Steve Partington who has gone on to compete at 6 consecutive Commonwealth Games just missed out with 1:24.53. My 1:25.10 in 4th position wasn’t good enough then, but I was still fit enough and motivated to achieve the required qualifying time on two occasions later in the season. This latter statement is my key point to all ambitious walkers.

Ideally you want to peak at least twice in the racing season. Coming off hard winter training shouldn’t mean strong and relatively slow. February to April is a classic qualifying period for summer/Autumn racing. This means that a good level of speed endurance work has to be done shortly after Christmas. Too often I have heard athletes say I don’t want to peak too soon… But unless you qualify for the principle target (usually in the summer), then there is no second peak to aim at!

My longest road sessions were 45kms at near race pace. Throughout the year I would do many sessions faster than race pace. I did a lot of cross training: regular three times per week gym work, swimming, and daily mobility sessions. Mentored by Ed Shillabeer and Richard Pannell I was nevertheless self coached and made plenty of mistakes. Critics would verify this. However, for all those below par major championship performances, I had an equal number of half decent efforts. And in some mitigation, a number of those disappointing races were as a result of either injury or inadequate acclimatisation due to lack of opportunity. In spite of 20 years at Olympic level I never got to train at altitude – a common factor with most Olympic endurance athletes in the modern era.

For more than a decade a declining number of British distance athletes are failing to reach global championship qualifying standards. Before we beat ourselves up it’s true to say that most athletic events are statistically proven to be lower now in depth than in years past. We unquestionably have talented British walkers. Jo Jackson is a convenient current example. Others like the King twins, Ben Wears and Luke Finch are knocking on the door. It is important that race plans are well mapped out together with fairly precise intermediate training regimes.

With years of accumulative experience good athletes learn how to use some races as stepping stones to other primary targeted events. Past results will show that the Manx meeting invariably led leading performers onto a major championship. Returning in February 2000 saw me defeated by Irishman Robbie Heffernan, thus exacting revenge for me beating him the previous season at Leamington Spa. He has since gone onto becoming a regular world top 10 performer over 20kms. However, in 2000 my principle goal was 50kms. Three weeks following the Manx race and with intense intervening training completed I achieved my sub 4 hour goal when winning the Dutch Open 50kms in 3:57.10. I had the speed under race conditions to go with the endurance. A fifth Olympic Games beckoned.

The 2009 HSBC Securities sponsored Manx Harriers Open meeting saw some intriguing battles in both the walks and the run. Sadly, enthusiastic meeting organiser Bridget kaneen and her band of helpers were not rewarded with more top athletes. The annual fixture has long included a running race. This year the half marathon run produced unexpected drama at the end of the day.

Robbie Lambden suffers from autism. Over exuberance at the beginning of the half marathon saw him chase after his brother Ben – a 19 year old medical student. Robbie was reduced to walking in the closing stages before he rallied on the last lap and sprinted the final metres. His goal of sub 2 hours was achieved with 5 seconds to spare and was met with the loudest cheers of the day. His father Murray, a former international walker, finished 3rd in the run and poignantly said later: ‘There is always a risk of overdoing things in sport. I had never gone so quickly from the fear that we had allowed him to overdo it to the joy of seeing an ambition achieved. I still don’t think there is any sport where people appreciate each other’s performances as they do in athletics’. And so say all of us.

Athletics is there for all to enjoy. Structured training with good competition selection can reap rewards for all involved. Be proud. Walk tall.

Chris Maddocks, March 12 2009

Track or filled

I was hoping to make it to the Manx Harriers Track meeting but the love of my family got the better of my love for the sport.

Its not often we are all together and we took a walk around some of my old haunts in Kirk Michael. The top picture is at Glen Wyllin where the old boating lake has been filled in. The lower photo was from the same spot in 1964 with my brother Martin demonstrating how to control a motor boat with an ice lolly in hand. The Davidson's ice creams in Peel this afternoon were much better.

You can, of course, find the results on the Manx Harriers meeting on the www.manxharriers.com website and David Griffiths reports on a fantastic performance by Reagan Dee on the front page. Does anyone have a picture?

No camera for Olympic champion

Marie and I were lucky enough to be invited to the dinner, in aid of the Isle of Man Childrens Centre, at which Ben Ainslie was guest last night. I changed my mind several times during the day as to whether I would take a camera or whether I should just enjoy myself and I settled for the latter.

We were guests of Richard and Juliet Holt who not only took a table to support the charity but also bought a number of expensive items in the auction. One of them was donated back to auction a second time; another was given back to the Childrens Centre for the benefit of some of the children. I spent my first eight working years employed by the Holt family at Ronaldsway Aircraft Company and with the passing of time its easy to forget the importance of the business to the economy.

At its peak it employed 670 people in well paid jobs and before the finance sector became the biggest part of the economy, was largely responsible for building the prosperity that the Isle of Man now enjoys. Ronaldsway Aircraft Company sponsored many events from the Isle of Man Marathon to the Track & Field Championships. In 1987 they became one of the biggest sponsors in Manx sporting history when they paid for all the team tracksuits and all costs above £150 per team member and underwrote the cost of the team hotel for the Island Games in Guernsey.

The other guests on our table last night were all involved with the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association and I had the pleasure of Margot Stott and Vicky Malone on either side of me. I did tell Martin Malone on the other side of the table and who recently won the Manx Harriers Half Marathon that I had dug up plenty of dirt about him to put on the website but Vicky was much too nice (and Martin too good a husband) to get anything!

I don't know much about sailing but Ben Ainslie really sold the sport as a very inclusive one where even Olympic champions mix with the ordinary people. I often criticise sports presenters but I must say that Tim Glover of Manx Radio did a very good job of interviewing Ben at the dinner last night. The main sponsors of the event were SMP Partners.

A night off from the website, a morning off from training (giving those aches a rest) but only five hours sleep.

I've just published a photo of Mooragh Park on the front page as a mini promotion for the Ramsey Park runs - they start in just two weeks time. I met some great people last night, we are having some good early spring weather and with the Ramsey Park Runs in 14 days away it feels like those dark cold and wet days are well behind us. Only three weeks to the London Marathon too - this is not just frightening because of my participation but because I h aven't yet started to compile the list of Manx competitors for the usual feature on the website and statistics for the rest of the Manx media.

Not enough time

A return to an old theme. I can't believe that it is almost a week since the Spring Handicap where I took the pictures in the dark.

They took the limelight for a fairly short time as I had so much planned for the website over the weekend. Even though I had taken last Friday off work as a holiday to achieve some of my aims, I had committed my hours several times over.

I went to a tourism seminar on Friday morning and had arranged to meet Dave Mackey to ask him a few questions and get a few pictures for the latest http://www.parishwalk.com/ feature.

I think that it was before I went that I had added two previews that I had been trying to get around to all week with Keith Gerrard departing for the World Cross Country Championships and three manx runners off to the Marathon des Sables. The photos of Ann Cain arrived in the post from Phil and at the time I wasn't sure when I was going to get these slotted into the schedule.

I had planned a long run in the afternoon but it was extremely windy and I messed it up and this put me in a bad mood made worse by a few other things going wrong.

So it was a late night on Friday to get the feature on Dave completed and Saturday morning started with me setting up the Ann Cain feature, although I did not publish it until later in the day.

I seemed to be continually changing the front page with the final winter walking league looming and Keith's big race starting in the afternoon.

It was great to watch the World Championships although understandably Keith did not feature as much as in the UK races. Realistically however, given the difference in their 10km times from world rankings, I thought the Brits did everything that could be expected of them.

I'm not sure how helpful anyone found the highlights video of the race that I published but it has always been a challenge to do such things.

Talking of challenges, Sunday was a real time management exercise. I did my aborted long run on Sunday morning between 7 am and 9.10 and had to dash home to change before getting back to the NSC for the 10 am start of the walk. Half of an hour of filming was all the time I had because we had friends coming around and I was cooking - plus I wanted to see some of the F1 race before I heard the result.

So although I got a video and photos online in the afternoon, they were a bit later than normal.

I've been juggling the front page all week since then. Although the main features this week have maintained a walking theme, there have been regular updates to the Marathon des Sables page too, in case you have not noticed.

I think that we are few years away from webcams at the NSC yesterday but there were too many people I knew at the NSC when I went down to film my spoof on Tuesday night. That is where I must head now.

Lots more in the week leading up to Easter although not quite at the pace of the past week.