Yet another London Marathon completed, making it 7 in a row.   Alas in spite of my plan to come in around 4 hours 20 minutes, I really struggled in the last few miles and my time of 4:24:50 puts me a frustrating 5 seconds slower than last year.   Which I suppose means that I shall have to give it another go next year?   Running, tottering even, along The Embankment and slowly realising that the minutes were flying by and that I was not.   Surely they must have made Birdcage Walk even longer since last year?   And then those last 385 yards down The Mall!   You don't know the trouble that you have caused, Queen Alexandra!  

Actually, the medal should go to Miranda at Age UK who gave everyone such a warm reception at the post-race party and who managed to keep a smile on her face in spite of having to hug 100 sweaty, smelly runners on the way into the pub and then another hug for the same sweaty and even smellier 100 on their way out afterwards.   As usual, it couldn't have been done without the Go Faster drinks from my support team along the way, many thanks Chris, Katie and Colin.

Above all, very many thanks to the folk who coughed up their hard and honestly earned cash, (that's you!), it is much appreciated.   And thank you also to Irene, Evelyn; Ernie; Kevin & Anita for your Offline donations, (as a result of volcanic ash settling on runways and computers).   Incidentally, I know that all your donations were hard and honestly earned because I don't have any friends who are bankers or politicians.

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Before the Day:

Good intentions pave the road to hell!   Even now I can here my mother's words as she tried in vain to galvanise me into action.   However!   For the 2010 London Marathon, (my 7th), I really am going to train harder during those dark and chilly winter months and something needs to be done if I am to hang on to my 10th in age group position, (out of 127).  So I am hopeful of improving on this year's rather disappointing 4 hours 24 minutes and maybe even approaching my 2006 PB of 4:11.   But of course in 2006 I was just a spring chicken of 69 or so summers.   Meanwhile, October 1st is Old Folks Day and I have had a call from the Department of Work and Pensions, (where I fit in on both fronts), telling me what a wonderful old knit I was and would I please keep on marathoning so that they can tell their friends.   It was quite a surprise to me to learn that any government department had friends.   Did I detect a subtext about not drawing my pension indefinitely in view of the National Debt?

Whatever!   But there are Old Folk coming up behind me and many are in need of support, so I am again raising funds for Help the Aged, (now merging with Age Concern, but not yet decided on just what their new name should be).   Your support would be very much appreciated for a very worthwhile cause.

Don't forget that The London has a wonderful atmosphere and is a fun day out.   As usual, Colin will be supporting me with "Go Faster" drinks at various points around the course and would much appreciate your company, so please come along and enjoy.