Adam Newey: Marathon Effort

Adam Newey ran the London Marathon on Sunday April 22, a blazing hot day.
Here is his account of the run:

"Well, I made it. The heat and humidity were intense, the crowd of runners enormous and the course, I'm sure, was considerably longer than the stated 26.2 miles.

The onset of severe cramp in both legs at around mile 12 didn¹t do much for my finishing time, and eventually forced me to walk the last six or seven miles, but I did manage to plod on and complete the thing in a spiffingly unathletic time of 6 hours 4 minutes.

More importantly, I managed to beat the old bloke dressed in a chef¹s outfit who had been keeping pace with me ever since we passed Canary Wharf. It was a true battle of the titans, but there was only ever going to be one winner.

Less happily, I was pipped at the post by a penguin."

No disgrace there - those penguins are pretty nifty.

Adam expects to raise about £2,500 for Diabetes UK -- fantastic effort.

And he was glad of some support during his run:

"I'd especially like to thank those of you who turned out in person on the day, and who often had to wait several hours for my expected appearance (yes, even those of you who were just too busy troughing lunch to get yourselves to the barrier and wave at the right time). Knowing that there would be another bunch of well-wishers just a few miles down the road was hugely motivating. I¹m not sure whether I would have made it all the way round without that.

So thank you again. It was very much a once-in-a-lifetime experience ­ and if you ever hear me talk about running a marathon in the future, you are hereby authorised to take all appropriate measures to prevent me doing so."

So, who's going to do it next year then? It's on Tim Pozzi's doorstep... I'm just saying, s'all.

Ray

McGregor's On His Way 'Home'

Al McGregor is about to set off on the next leg of his lengthy around-the-world trip by moving house from Perth, Australia, to a town called Gauldry, just across the River Tay from Dundee in Fife, Scotland.

That's quite a shift for anyone to make, especially after he and Mad, who is going to work at Dundee University, spent so long in the delightful California climate.

But hey, it takes the boy McGregor closer to his family roots, in Berwick Upon Tweed, just south of the Scottish border in the North-East of England.

So raise a glass tonight to Al and Mad, and wish them well in their new home in Scotland. And Al - get some practise in on the nearest golf course....

Ray