I wish...

I wish I could tell you that I ran a PB in the Luton Marathon yesterday (that was never going to be likely to be honest). But I can't.

I wish I could tell you that I ran in the Luton Marathon yesterday. But I can't.

I wish I could tell you that the Luton Marathon took place yesterday. But it didn't.

The pic above is taken from the Luton Marathon website (where you'll also find a full explanation of what happened) and graphicaly shows the problem faced by the organisers. It's 11am, already one hour before the scheduled start and a thousand or so runners are waiting to head off onto a course that will take them directly into the path of an icy country lane, overturned car and recovery lorry. They were obviously unable to begin racing until the obstacle was cleared, by which time it was too late to start for the safety of the slower runners who would have to run the same country roads in the pitch black and icy conditions of the late afternoon.

So, nothing for it but to head home and be grumpy.

I went for a 10k run but half of the roads I run on were icy too, so... in retrospect... maybe it's not such a bad thing that the race was cancelled.

And what, after all, was this marathon? Frankly, only a small stepping stone crossing the raging river that is the journey to Ironman Germany. It's purpose was not to take part in a race the details of which I could relay to my grandchildren ("I've raced all around the world, played rugby at Twickenham in front of a full house, but to me the highlight will always be... The Luton Marathon 2008" - see, kind of doesn't ring true does it) but to form a goal, a target to which I could work with the express intention of working on my distance running through the autumn and keeping my weight at 14stone 7lb or whatever kilo that is... 92 I think.

And you know what... I did just that. So, in a way, job done. All the "I wishes" in the world won't make the race happen and, looking at it dispassionately, I'm glad I'm never in a position where I run a race and end up saying "I wish I'd done the training". Now that truly would be a nightmare.

Training this week was 'double light with an egg on top' as I was tapering for the aforementioned Mary Celeste of Marathons (and before you correct me, check it out - you'll find it's 'Mary' and not 'Marie' Celeste). It went something like this:

Mon 5.6 miles easy run
Tues 60 mins swim drills
Wed 3.5 miles easy run, sports massage with Dave
Thurs 60 mins swim session with Team MK
Fri 3.5 miles easy run
Sat 2 miles easy run
Sun 5.6 miles steady run

Last week's quote...? It was spoken by WOODY ALLEN, as ALVY SINGER in the movie ANNIE HALL. A movie I would find funny apart from the irritating self-styled 'kooky' presence of Dianne Keaton. And, as she plays the title role, that really doesn't leave me anywhere to go...

Both Tom and Rob Q have been asking for midweek clues. Frankly, boys, I'm a little disappointed. I mean... I'm training you up here. Getting some culture into your sport-filled athlete's domes. So don't question your coach. Ponder, muse, think... and ye shall gain entrance to a world of joy...

In the Christmas spirit, munch on this (easier) one a while:

"So the biblical scholars mis-translated the Hebrew word for "young woman" into the Greek word for "virgin," which was a pretty easy mistake to make, since there is only a subtle difference in the spelling. But back then it was the "virgin" that caught people's attention. It's not every day a virgin conceives and bears a son. So you keep that for a couple of hundred years, and the next thing you know, you have the Roman Catholic church."

Who to congratulate this week?

Ah yes... of course... in the words of the immortal Christopher Lambert in Russell Mulcahy's excellent 'HIGHLANDER' - "there can be only one".

One institution, that is... two people who joined it.

My great mates Tom and Helen tied the knot yesterday and became man and wife. A thousand million congratulations to you both my friends and much love from all our family. Happiness, success and challenges lie ahead. You will rise to all as the sun rises each day... indominatable and unstoppable.

And, on that happy note I shall leave you to enjoy another week.

Don't slip on the ice of life...