London Marathon 2012 Wk 19: Ken's Fare Deal

The training for this year's London Marathon is still going relatively well except for ongoing sensitivity in my left knee. I'm trying to do more stretches and sessions on the "wobble board". So far so good. It

hasn't stopped me running but must keep an eye on it.

This week's "best run" was on Saturday when I did a 2 hour session delivering Labour "Ken's Fare Deal" tabloid leaflets (see right) starting off from Forest Gate, picking up leaflets on route then delivering around my ward in West Ham.

I am ashamed to say that in a moment of weakness I took the lift up the 21 storey tower block, David Lee Point and then ran down. However, I did run up its sister block, Brasset Point then back home via West Ham Park. The views of East London from the top of both tower blocks is spectacular. Delivering leaflets is stop start and probably nearer a jogging pace than a "run" but there is some useful "uphill" workout from going up stairs in blocks of flats.

I am running the London marathon on 22 April 2012 while sort of using the official advanced training programme and will be raising funds for a valuable homeless charity for Young People called "Alone in London". Click here to sponsor me on the Justgiving website.

London Marathon 2012 Wk 13: In Dublin's fair city

Recovered quite well last week from the 14 mile run the previous Saturday. Run of this week was a early morning 40 minute jog around Dublin City centre. I was in Dublin to help make a pensions presentation to the NEC of the IBOA (the Irish Finance workers union)  The previous evening their lay officials had taken us out for a few Guinesses (I can vouch that it does taste better across the water).

To my surprise the next morning I did have just a little bit of a hangover. I had been assured by my hosts that the delicious herbal chasers that accompanied the Guiness were purely medicinal and designed to smooth the stomach and clear the head.  They were called Bushmills or something
like that? Very nice.

I firstly jogged around St Stephens Green which is a perfect City centre park full of history. Then under Fusilier's Arch and down Grafton Street.  At bottom is entrance to Trinity College where I did a quick circuit around the lawns.  Along O'Connell Street and across the bridge to the famous General Post Office which was the head quarters of the rebels during the Easter Uprising 1916.  There you can indeed still see what appears to be bullet marks on the outside columns.

Back across the river by a different bridge then to the hotel via side streets only getting lost once or twice.

I am running the London marathon in April 2012 using the official advanced training programme and will be raising funds for Homeless Youth charity "Alone in London". Click here to sponsor me.