Home 24 hours

I've been back on the island for just over 24 hours but barely had time to sort out any of my photos and videos.

Because I spent longer there than anywhere else, and I had a better view than at anything else, I have more photos of the 50km walk than anything else. More like the one selected above can now be found at:

http://isleofman.in/olympic50km

I thought the idea of having big screens to watch events in parks was that you walked into the park and there was the screen. How naive of me.  To get into the Hyde Park venue you to to walk round past where the screen was, queue for nearly 30 minutes and then try and get somewhere close enough to see the 5000 metres which by this time was into the fifth or sixth lap. Oh well, the atmosphere was good when you got there and I posted a little clip this morning.





One of the things that amused me was listening to how everyone in the stadium was an expert on running 5000 metres when in recent years we would have to pay people to watch a 5,000 metres race.

Didn't miss the boat

Its a week over 10 years since I enjoyed an evening with Peter and Bridget in Kaneen Manchester. We'd been watching the walks at the Commonwealth Games on Salford Quays and we moved to Piccadilly Gardens in the Centre of Manchester to watch Paula Radclffe's 5000 metre win on the big screen - watching events on the big screen was simple in those days. You turned up, you say down and you watched. But more of that another day.

Our enjoyable evening 10 years ago was somewhat spoiled when Peter and Bridget missed the train, and perhaps the boat too (or did they have to switch from Liverpool to Heysham?).

Neither party reckoned on a reunion today. We were as surprised as each other to meet on the Mall when watching the Olympic 50km walk.

I spent four hours of a wonderful 24 hours in their company. Its worth double clicking this photo to see a double take.

Can't walk on water

I can't swim either so I had to run through the Greenwich foot tunnel today to enjoy a run around Greenwich at 6 am. After a big breakfast (why do we always eat so much more when in a hotel?) just heading off from hotel in Canary Wharf for the Mall to watch the 50km walk.

These people are not my friends

Had a wander around stratford at tea time today - so jealous as I applied for tickets to the stadium tonight but didn't get them. More tales of the Streets of London tomorrow.

Weight on my back

I'm on the read eye flight tomorrow morning and as usual I have my laptop packed - I'm sure it gets heavier every time. Do you think its the extra software I keep loading?

First extra day off work since the Parish Walk time so really looking forward to a weekend away. No spare time to blog this week with so much on TV to use up any spare time but hope to communicate over the weekend.

Swings and roundabouts

Like most other people, I think that the Olympics have been breathtaking. Great British organisation, great British performances and Great British women.

And like most other people, I have struggled to understand the rules of some events that I only see every four years.

Although swings and roundabouts is not yet an Olympic sport, unsurprisingly given the British success, the reporting does start to lose objectivity. Its great that we  finally a 10,000 metre winner, and a long jump winner after 48 years and even the chance of winning the high jump.

But wait a minute. In the men's track events (excluding the hurdles):

100 metres - no British finalist

200 metres - I doubt it.

400 metres - no British finalist

800 metres - let's see

1500 metres - no British finalist

5000 metres - Mo and who?

10,000 metres - Mo and a lap behind

Its not as if the British have a divine right to do well in everything. But remember how the women's marathon was deemed to be one of our strongest and no one in a British vest finished in the top 40.

Keep it hush

That was what Jess said to me just over 10 months ago when she confided that she was aiming for selection for the Danish team in the Olympic marathon.

"Pretty cool idea" she said. 10 months later and she runs 2:31:43. And that after a lengthy lay off after injury in the London Marathon. That is some talent. In fact there is only one description that is better to describe Jess in one word that talented - determined. But of course this is the Olympics so we must say that she is amazingly determined. I would say staggeringly determined but she in finishing 40th out of 118 starters she was one of the few that didn't stagger.