My thoughts go out to Matt Campbell, his immediate and his extended Brathay family. No doubt (and rightly so) the Windermere Marathon and the Ten in Ten this year will be painted with more poignant colours.
The secret desire I held several months ago has over the last week dissipated for various reasons. Getting to the start line on 11th and now finishing on May 20th takes on extra dimension of relevance. I’m no longer interested in doing a ‘good time’, I’m more interested in fulfilling a promise, raising money for Brathay; the trial by which I do this is to start and finish a marathon each day for ten days, something that a man cut down in the prime of his life will now be unable to do.Unfortunately, I didn’t know him, I never had the chance to meet him and yet our paths could have crossed so easily in the hospitality industry. I have no right to write about Matt, so I think it only proper that I finish with my sincere condolences and a hope that this year as one of the Ten in Ten participants I or rather we can do his memory justice. Feel free to read more about Matt Campbell and Brathay, or donate to Matt’s Just Giving page.Please forgive me if I move on to a different topic, the last thing I would want people to think is that I don’t care, but it is really not my place.
Ever since I got the call last year I feel like ‘someone’ has been trying to put obstacles in my way, little (serious) injuries, the deterioration of my asthma, work revelations and tribulations and now this little muscle pull. The good news is that thanks to the husband of a very, very, very old school friend (you know who you are), Mr White of Reservoir Dogs fame has hinted that it is nothing to worry about and I’ll be fine come the big day. His prognosis is that the muscle I appeared to have pulled by standing is one I could probably do without. So it is full steam ahead for 11th May. As I write, I’ll have completed Day 1 and be engrossed in Day 2.
The other night, I had my first nightmare about the event, a sure sign that not only my body but also my mind is troubled by what lies in store. All those promises to look after myself (come two weeks time, we’ll see if they ring true), promises to sleep better, eat better and train better. I think it is perhaps an indication of how serious I am about this event when I set an alarm to remind me to go to bed, or is that just downright bonkers?
A couple of inane thoughts for you on communication and misunderstandings. Seriously, Louis? King Louis (I know he’s fifth in line for the throne) but I sincerely hope that nothing happens to the four before him; or that when he grows up he never gets caught in a compromising position (remember Prince Harry’s fancy dress party pictures) , otherwise (and I know he’s a baby) but King Louis, the King of the Swingers, the Jungle VIP? Did they never watch the Jungle Book? Apologies for my asinine attempts at humour. That said, congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their healthy young boy. In the last week, I’ve managed to capture the glory of live radio ‘gaffes’, the first of which was whilst listening to a news commentary on Anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.  I snorted my coffee out (and probably inappropriately) whilst trying to limit a laugh when the ‘commentator’ explained that the Labour Party needed go through (as I heard it) Jew Process (think he meant due process) in a bid to prevent anti-semitism.Yesterday was the ‘Daddy’; the translator of Kim Jong Un’s speech following the North and South Korea actually said ‘we are neighbours, there is no need for us to fight, there is hope that we can all live in piss’, (you need to read this in a slightly oriental accent, I’m afraid). Actually think he meant ‘PEACE’ (even Ken Bruce referred to it). If he didn’t I feel very sorry for the losses of jobs at the waste water works in both North and South Korea. It is 11 days to go before checking in at Brathay, my excitement and anxiety has not dissipated but to finish off my earlier thoughts about starting and finishing, I’d like to thank Sarah Russell for a blog that I happened by that helped to change my thinking about the challenge before me.