I love the smell of barbecue when running… not

We’ve got Laura’s cousin Rob, her sister Annamarie and George, her Greek husband down from Leeds for the weekend. George has been a friend of mine for years and Laura and I introduced them.

Last night the girls and Rob were at their other sister Alice’s hen-do and George and I went up to Brick Lane for a swizz round the shops before finding a bar and sinking a few pints while watching the Champions League final.

Having a drink and being shattered from my trip last week, I actually managed a lie in today… until all of 9am. I know it’s not much a lie in for most people but for me, that’s a full four hours later than I normally get up.

Breakfast and lunch were both down to me and so there was no chance of getting a run in anywhere between it all… For lunch, I went down the easy route and fire up the barbecue – well it is nice weather and BBQing is as much a Sunday tradition in hot weather and a roast is in cold. When we went to Sainsbury’s for some extra provisions, we managed to snatch the last bag of burger buns in the whole place.

For some reason the word barbecue is a euphemism for ‘buy loads of food and stuff yourself’ and we did nothing to dispel that, finishing the afternoon with a half hour lounge on the grass.

When the guys went just after five, I went out for my run… still bloated from our feast. You can imagine, as I struggled round, how the smell of  meat sizzling on other people’s charcoals made me feel…

Click here for a link to Garmin Connect for a route map and details of the run

Miles today: 3
Target: 738
Miles to date: 974.77

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here

Two thirds of the way through the challenge

Today is day 244 – just over two thirds of the challenge gone.

It was a another hot and sticky one – I swear if I ran here all the time, I would be a stone lighter given the amount I seem to sweat on a run in the heat…

In other news, my application for becoming a guide runner for the Guide Dogs charity has been approved. They should pair me up with a blind person so we become running buddies and race together… The body of their email is below…

Thank you very much for your application to become a guide runner for Guide Dogs.

We have added you to our list of runners who are capable and willing to act as guide runners in future running events throughout the UK.

Using the information provided in your application we will be able to match you with a suitable running partner, if the situation arises. We’ll only pass on your contact details after you have agreed that we can do so. If any of your contact details change, or you no longer wish to remain on our database then please do let us know.

As a guide runner, the most important thing is that you need to train with the person you are guiding to build confidence, trust and also to make the run comfortable, as there will be an element of adjusting paces to suit each others running times and styles.

Runners use all sorts of different techniques for guiding, from batons and wrist bands, to simple things like just having the guide runner run slightly behind and touching the blind runners t-shirt or arm to alert them to possible hazards.  The feedback that we get from our runners suggests that running with linking wristbands is not good for large events as other runners try and run between you which can lead to injury.

Guide Dogs believes that every blind or partially-sighted person has the right to a full, free, independent life – and we should remove all obstacles in their way. Our work has been transforming the lives of many thousands of blind and partially-sighted people on a daily basis for almost 80 years. Read more about how we do this…

If you have any questions or comments, please reply to this email, or call us on xxxxxxxx

Many thanks again for choosing to support Guide Dogs.

Click here for a link to Garmin Connect for a route map and full details of the run

Miles today: 3
Target: 732
Miles to date: 968.77

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here

Hot in Orlando

After a few ash-induced delays, we finally got to our hotel in Orlando, the Loews Royal Pacific at about 7.30pm last night and after a quick shower, turned right around for Virgin Holidays 25th birthday party. I know I said I’d try and collar Sir Richard Branson for some running chat but, unfortunately, he was too busy dancing on tables with a bevvy of pretty ladies!

A hazy, jet lagged and slightly drunk sleep later, I was up at around 5.15am Eastern time – for some reason it seems wherever I am, my internal alarm clock is set to a default time of 5am – and went out for a run.

Reception had given me a jogging route map (more hotels should really do this) and there were too options, one a 1.5m that just goes around our hotel, the third was 3.8miles and goes around the circumference of the  Universal park here.

Hot and sweaty post run

With jetlag, a slight hangover and the heat here in Orlando, I really should have taken the first option, of course, I ignored all logic and did the second, heading out onto Hollywood Way before going around the outside of Islands of Adventure and the rest of the Universal attractions.

I’d definitely underestimated the heat and by a mile in, I was dripping with sweat, as were several others I passed on the way. Thankfully, whoever measured the route messed up, it only turned out to be 3.2miles – I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved to see a hotel.

Click here for a link to Garmin Connect for a route map and details of the run

Miles today: 3.20
Target: 726
Miles to date: 962.27

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here

Off to run in America

Ash cloud permitting, I’m jetting off to Orlando this morning on a press trip to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Virgin Holidays – Sir Richard Branson is also going to be on the plane and so I’m hoping to get his thoughts on running given they’ve started sponsoring the London Marathon and he ran it last month.

Given I’m going away, I gave my Brooks Adrenaline trainers a rest today as I didn’t want to pack them while still damp so I reverted to my old Asics GT2150s that had been giving me a bit of gyp. As it was just a three miler locally, I wasn’t too worried about them bringing the old shin splints back…

See you tomorrow, from the other side of the Atlantic…

Click here for a link to Garmin Connect for full details of the day’s run

Miles today: 3
Target: 723
Miles to date: 959.07

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here