Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau - That's the Welsh National Anthem to you and me...

We've been to ARAF today for Jenny to be photographed with one of  the Welsh Rugby players George North. He's 19, very nice and built like an outside shed btw. As were all of the other players we saw.

One was the best part of 6ft 10ins... I think Jonny and his boys will have their work cut out with these chaps... I dread to think what the Kiwis must be like.

Anyway, it was lovely to see Jenny get some recognition for her running and great that Welsh Athletics are so positive about ULTRA-running and their runners. My Welsh Granddad wiuld have been proud too...

More tomorrow...

Break the Rules - The Mighty Status Quo

Now you know I don't like loads of rules but I am predicting a bit of an Olympic nightmare for poor old Seb and his merry band of followers at the games next year... I know the sprinters use the 'one false start and you are still in' as part of their psychological approach to their races BUT if I'd trained for most of my life for less than 10 seconds on a July evening to make my mark in life, then I think I would want the best man to win.

Who won the men's 100 metres last night? Dunno, but I know who lost it Mr Bolt.

Hopefully Paula won't be in that situation and will retire before the games and will find her way onto the commentators panel and get rid of some of the useless ones we seem to be stuck with... (Early 90's pre-proper test athletes don't make good commentators... apart from Crammy who is 10/10 in my book). Don't get me wrong Paula is simply awesome and I stood next to her, the day of her world best and 9 years on it's going to be a very tall order to beat the up and coming stars of the marathon.

It will be interesting to see just how many of the OLD world records go... not many I bet! High Jump, Long Jump and Triple Jump for instance haven't been broken for 16 years... and the only ones that are going, they have stupid rules for...

Think on Seb...

Take it to the Limit - The Eagles

Gosh, what a weekend we have had. Rory entered the Smugglers Trod up in Yorkshire on the Saturday so we were up at 4am. After dropping Rory off I thought I'd fit in a parkrun in Middlesbrough which wasn't that far away. Then I drove around the moors meeting Rorz at various muddy places - it looked like a brutal event and one that I was very pleased not to have entered, not because it didn't look like fun, but because I knew I would have got lost within the first 10 yards! Rorz did really well and was disgustingly un-stiff for the rest of the day, to the point where he did half the driving on the way home because I was more tired than he was!

Next was a 3am start, made event worse because when Rory got up he read the race instructions which I had neglected and realised the start was actually 7:30 not 6am!!!

12 hours running around a one mile lap lasts forever! Still, the race went well and it was great having Rorz there for the last few hours helping with food, drink and general encouragement (he fitted in another marathon and a kip first!).... so it was the first time I have raced further than 100km, and I was pretty pleased how it went. After the first 3-4 hours I had a comfortable lead so it was more about testing myself. I had a target of between 70 and 80 miles before the race, so 75 and a bit was a real confidence boost for me. Thanks to all at Boston and District AC for putting on the event - it really was perfect preparation for the Commonwealth 24 Hours next month - now I'm wondering just how far I can go...

12 Songs - Neil Diamond

Well I didn't think that a 1 mile lapped course marathon was going to be a great idea and not surprisingly, I didn't buy into it that much... add to that cocktail , one Faffing Slaterchops (we were up at 3am) and it made a whole new horizon for a tough morning out at the Boston 12hr Race in Lincolnshire.

Don't get me wrong, the people organising it were real diamonds... but the course really didn't have a highlight, apart from when I finally got to the finish line of my marathon distance... some 27 laps of a one mile course...

ATM, there's 90 minutes to go and Jenny is just reaching the 70 mile mark and will win her second race in two days... so I'm most proud of her.

I am going to get her to blog about the race with her final mileage tomorrow... more then.

Tiger Feet - Mud

It's a good 10 years since I did the Smuggler's Trod up there in Fylingthorpe (near the Fylingdales monstrosity in the photo) and I must have marathon amnesia as this one was a real tester. Mud, Sweat and Tears, well at least for a couple of the runners as they got hurt out there on the moors.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great event and very tough but a 999 nightmare and I could quite safely say Jenny would have been calling for a taxi after a couple of miles as without local knowledge, you wouldn't have got round on top of the moors.

I went in over my knees into the peat bogs at one stage...

Let's hope 26 laps of a park in Boston goes a bit easier today eh? Better set off in a minute...

Rain - Status Quo

How does it manage to R A I N every single Bank Holiday Weekend? Why oh why oh why don't we change these to better non-changeable times when the weather is better... like April or July? It always bucket downs for the 145 and for this weekend it seems.

Who ever is in charge, please take note!

Tomorrow sees me oop north on The Smugglers Trod near Robin Hoods Bay and then with Slaterchops bashing out a marathon round a track in Boston Spa... now there's a treat! But it's needed to keep me on track (ha ha) for Druids.

Apparently Boston Spa is the fattest place in the UK... it will be even fatter when we've finished. Our shopping trolley today was a heart attack of pure sugar and high energy... let's hope 52 miles keeps our arteries nice and clean eh?

More tomorrow from Fylingdale!

The Olympics - John Willliams

Well we are looking forward to 2012 and maybe it's time you did too and maybe it's time to start planning next year's ULTRA-running diary, minus the two weeks where we'll be looking in on races of a shorter length. Let's face it Usain won't be at the London ULTRA next year, limbering up!

I will of course be doing all my usual races and will be yet again trying to make sure I get round RRR50 in under 10hrs and possibly having another bash Around the Rock on Jersey... as well as a few Park Runs! Yes those 5kms are now a big part of the Coleman training schedule.

Our series is now in place with a couple more to come perhaps so makes sure you leave a couple of gaps eh?

More tomorrow...