I have a lot of time for the products of Japanese shoe company Asics; I wore out two pairs of their shoes when training for the London Marathon and they managed to keep my feet in fairly good shape throughout.

In April 2004 we ran the 2004 Flora London Marathon to rise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre (MSRC). This is what happened on the day.

2 days to go.

Wow. Thanks everyone, we went through £3000 today. Nothing else says it. Just, thanks. 3 days to go.

4 days to go.

This is the last week so we’re able to concentrate on resting , and fundraising. The football is proving popular on ebay, and more and more people are sponsoring us, which is great news for the MSRC!

A good news day!

I may have a blister, but I can still have physio.

In honour of my glorious evil blister I am laid low and not doing any running.

It’s a Saturday and I’m not running.

A nice circuit class followed by a 4.5 mile run. Is there a better start to Monday morning?

Rest days are enjoyable because they include enforced normality.

A busy day! I combined my hour of circuits with a 4.5 mile run in order to catch up a little after my slack day yesterday.

Way back in early Dec 2003, we joined Portsmouth Joggers, this was on the back of our application to the marathon and the received wizdom it’s sensible to start training when you apply (or earlier) because when you find out that you’ve got in, it’s already past the “last-chance to do it without massive pain” [...]

An enforced/precautionary rest day.

A rest day. I need it. Even my fingers are groggy today.

One bruise has now come up on my arm (probably a tree that I passed close by last week) but nothing to stop me running.

No major injuries to report and a week of intensive legwork in deep powder as Courchevel had the first big snow of the season.