Dive - Steven Curtis Chapman

Poor old Tom Daly, what was he thinking about making that crazy beach dance video... He'll live to regret that one I am sure and a 7th in the Olympic Test Event must be a reflection of his current state of mind and level of commitment to the sport, that has given him his fame and fortune.

There will be a lot of this at the Olympics this year and I feel sorry for him, and Jess Ennis etc. as they have been built up by the same media that will condemn them if or when it all goes Pete Tong, as it did for Tom this week...

Let's hope he can regain his focus and remember his father's training to get him back on the straight and narrow... oh and stop making adverts and stupid movies.

More tomorrow...

Move it - Cliff Richard

Useful Map...

Well I reckon we are half way there to being moved. And right now and it feels like we have one foot still left in England and one firmly planted in Wales, it's a 167 mile step forwards! A couple more trips and we'll be there are hopefully by the end of the month we will finally be in settled in ARAF.

It will also mean that we can get back to training and planning our 2012 season... running right now is limited to just marathons and not much in between... I am really looking forward to some peace and quiet, especially with Christmas coming up.

Another bash up the M5 awaits tomorrow... nice... is anyone else moving right now?

School - Supertramp

I had my annual email today from my old school friend Jeanette Davey today as it's time for our school reunion... made even more poignant as it's our 50th birthdays this year. It's a frightening thought as it's 38 years since I left Broad Street School and it's some time since I saw my old school friends. I'm really looking forward to seeing them once again...

It seems like yesterday and I have great memories of being there and really loved my old school days. I wonder what my daughter Pearl (6) would make of my primary school of the 60's. Hers is very different and they have some innovative methods of teaching pupils with differing educational needs - we were more of the one size fits all brigade.

Makes you wonder if her generation will be better prepared for adult-hood eh? We'll know in 40+ years...

More tomorrow...

Pretty Vacant - The Pistols

It's funny how new companies starting up and try and break the rules that the established companies have previously been following. Take Ben n Jerry's Ice Cream as an example... in 1977 it set up it was a simple approach to Ice Cream and even took on and won a famous court battle with Häagen-Dazs before seeing the $'s and selling out to Unilever in 2000. What a shame for such a dynamic brand...

Well now it seems that easyJet are now going to charge for seat allocations and are looking to get more upmarket people to pay more for their seats, hence moving out of the ecomony airline sector. I wonder if Stelios would have done that in the early days of his business... it's not so easyJet now, more like pricyJet!

We'll see Johnny Rotten advertising butter next on TV...

Money talks it seems...

Clocks - Coldplay

When will the people who are in charge of whatever goes on in our world get things sorted out. It was nearly dark just after three in Long Eaton today. I was on my way to get Pearl just as the gates opened from Long Eaton School letting out their mass of children, a great many whom were cycling home in...

• Dark Blue Uniform
• Without Helmets
• Without Lights.

It was pure chaos... the children were simply out of control and an accident waiting to happen. What the chuff is their school thinking about...

I did call them and point the fact out but the Deputy Head, Mr Hunt, has yet to contact me back. I'm not being a busy body but there has already been a fatality near their school crossing in recent years. Please don't tell me it's the school's fault. It is... if they insist on the above to cycle to school at least the little monkeys I saw free-styling down the street will live to see another day.

Oh... and sort out the daylight saving once and for all.

More from my soap-box tomorrow. Hopefully Mr Hunt will have his cyclists sorted out by then eh?

Stadium Archadium - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Poor old Seb's been at it again and Olympic chiefs have apologised after the historic military ship HMS Belfast was airbrushed out of an official poster for the London 2012 Festival. Andy Smith, chief executive of the UK National Defence Association, said it had been "extraordinarily insensitive" particularly in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday. Oh er! They are on a hiding to nothing... again.

The image of the warship, now based near Tower Bridge, was removed by designers from an aerial photograph of the River Thames because it clashed with some words on the advert.

It's a shame as HMS Belfast is one of my favourite London Sights and well worth a visit. How on earth they lived and fought aboard it, I will never be able to comprehend... fancy airbrushing it out...

Running all over the World - Status Quo

As I reach the 700 marathon target on Saturday (bit of a hurty knee, if I am being honest), it gets you looking back at some of the highlights of my 17 years of running. MdeS is obviously up there along with the gruelling 145 mile Grand Union Canal Race... as is my 3:24:21 Pb on my 15th marathon at the long lost Borders Marathon in Suffolk.

For me it's been the amazing people and now 'forever friends' that I have met along the way.

If you know me well and read this, you know who you are... 21,000 miles done so far and plenty more in the tank.

From here, well... I am trying to get to1000... that would be a brilliant life time target to achieve. Let's hope my hurty knee gets better eh?

News of the World - Queen

Here is the News...

It's official, a 90 minute run burns 800 - 1200 calories, it must be it's on MSN. Apparently it's good for fitness, weight-loss and toning. That's the level of the news today... As we await Michael Jackson's Doctors fate and wonder how the residents of Scarborough will get Gary Barlow back for criticising Scarborough, is this the best the press has to offer?

Yes, it's a dark Monday in November... and that means that there is bugger all going on... and we are all looking forward just over six weeks to the dreaded 'C' word.

My word it's a bit depressing...

Let's hope that there is something to cheer us up with later in the week, it's all bad news right now.

United - Judas Priest

Well, I went to 'The Theatre of Dreams' yesterday aka 'Old Trafford' with son Sam. It really is an experience and also one hell of a long day out for just 90 mins of Premier League football. There must be something in it though as we were one of over 75,000 people there to see United beat Sunderland 1-0.

The mass feeling in the crowd is just fascinating and the people at the ground are just a complete spectrum of all shapes, sizes and creeds. For instance we had Lovejoy just in front of us and as we left we saw fans who are simply barking insane, talk about bizarre.

People watchers, I think that this is the place for you... it's probably better then the game!

Ah, the game... It was brillaint to watch especially as Ferguson celebrated 25 years as a manager. As you would expect, Rooney was simply awesome, head and shoulders above the other 21 players... no wonder he is so well paid.

To think these boys are finished at 33, if your name is Rio Ferdinand (not very good, yesterday), makes your mind boggle. At 49, I am still marathon running and didn't start until I was 31... wouldn't have done too many too many marathons if I'd stopped then eh?

Thank heavens for ULTRAs.

Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd

I was in London yesterday on some ULTRArace sponsorship meetings in and near the city. My word it's getting even busier in the smoke... also it's getting a whole new landscape of architecture. It's amazing that when I was a lad the silly old yanks bought The Old London Bridge thinking it was Tower Bridge and we thought of that and possibly St Paul's Cathedral as the Icons of the city.

Canary Wharf, Guerkin, London Eye, Strata Tower and now The Walkie Talkie (Shard Tower) are the new landmarks that we are now thinking of as we enter the Capital...

Oh how times are changing!

Steam - Peter Gabriel

Got the steam up today back on a 'Power-Hour' on the treadmill in the gym and feel brilliant for the opportunity to get proper sweated up running at a good tempo. It must be as a result of a good few days rest and watching some great athletes over the weekend on our 'JOGLE Ultra' Tester weekend.

It's a good omen for me as right now I'm in the middle of my marathon number crunching period where training is not really too much of an option between 26.2+ milers. The Rutland Marathon and Druids Challenge Triple Ultra cannot happen soon enough so my training can come back on-line and I can get really fit for 2012.

A really want a good MdeS and possible GUCR145 as well so I need to get my skates on later this month... Do you?

Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison

What's the world coming to when they are letting women box at the Olympics, Seb Coe, what are you thinking. Now, I'm not adverse to a bit of Women's Mud Wrestling or Beach Volleyball but Boxing? Sorry, I prefer my women without boxing gloves and gum shields thanks. And yes, I know women are equal to men and they can do whatever men can do they want but per-lease, this is getting ridiculous...

More ridiculous is that they are being asked to Box in skirts! Whoever came up with that one? Apparently it's to make them look more feminine when they fight... Maybe the men should wear them too... I reckon Audley Harrison has for years. Maybe my mate, Andy Chapman, should follow suit with his boxing bout in February.

C'mon mate, Man-up, get your skirt on! Go with your handbag...

The Sound of Bread - Bread

Have you ever tried giving up your daily slice of yummy bread? I have now for about 10 days (it might be longer but I have lost count and lost the will to live) and I must admit to really missing my doorstep sized butties.

It's all part of yet another personality test, I am sure... it's me versus my resolve, just as it was with cigarettes, alcohol and even dare I say, Walkers Salt & Vinegar Crisps (the hardest of the lot to do, I add).

How long it will last, who knows... some of my abstentions are nearly 18 years old, so watch this space. All I do know is that I feel a lot less bloaty without all that supermarket loaf rising agent in me. The only 'good' bread is Sir Michael's Own. We'll see how good I am resisting that one very soon no doubt.

What do you like far too much, that you don't allow yourself to have?

More tomorrow...

Let's get ready to rumble - PJ and Duncan

The trouble with marathon number bashing is that it doesn't do your training any good. Even though I am really pleased with my recent times and am enthused about getting meaner and faster over 26.2 or 26.2+ miles - there is only SO much you can recover until your next big run.

In my case... Thursday this week and a 25 people only race in Staffordshire courtesy of David Bayley.

It will be later in the year when I get time to re-appraise my training and get myself back into shape for a good go at 2012.

I'm looking forward to it as well, and that's what really counts... bring it on!

Close to the Edge - Yes

It was yesterday as we ran right long the edge of Beachy Head in the marathon. I must say that I really enjoyed the day out and only 7 days after the RRR50 I still managed my best time on this course by 8 minutes clocking a 4:35:40. Nowhere near Slaterchops 3:54 but a very good for me at this stage of my season as that's 28 marathons this year.

Even better than the running was the stopover at JOGLE chef Ann White's house, with post race jacuzzi, I hasten to add. Never have the legs and stomach felt so good after a race.

More hill training for me and I can get a lot nearer that 4hr mark next year on this one I believe.

More tomorrow...

Sleepwalk - ULTRAvox

If you can't sleep, you can get loads done... well that's what I found out on a night of insomnia brought on trying to sleep next to Jenny doing her Sally Gunnell hurdling impersonations. Talk about legs going everywhere. And you know what it's like - once you are awake, there's nothing you can do about it.

Also at 3am there's not much to distract you, apart from old re-runs of The Professionals and Nightcops - it seems that insomniacs are obsessed by the Police? They can't be interested in much as nothing else is on...

By 11am, I had done my day... finished my accounts and had even started helping with the VAT, that I had promised to do. Tonight, I'm going hurdling... and Jen's getting up at 3am... well I can dream. The Queen of the Morning was meant to be up at 7am on a hill session... Even I knew that wouldn't happen!

More tomorrow from our Beachy Head Marathon prep!

Let there be love - Simple Minds

Pearl came out with a blinder last night playing an on-line spelling game. When asked to spell Bridge she put Brij. Not a simple mistake but a well considered attempt using her phonetically focused mind. It did get me thinking that we spend an awful amount of time wondering how to spell words and get caught out more than often with some of the nastier words we choose you say rather than use.

The i before e, except after c is in fact wrong as there are more words with them arranged e before I than there are following the rule.

So I reckon Pearl (6) has a good point... who cares how it's written as long as it makes sense. I got phonetically (nearly got it) and focused (put 2 s's) wrong but you still would have understood what I had written. Maybe it's time to edit our language... maybe time to get the Cissors out and make some cut-backs.

Wot do u think?

Kick - INXS

Just shows you how things during a 50 miler can go from bad, to worse, to great all in the space of 10 hours or so. Yes, I am referring to the Rollercoaster ride of Rowbotham's Round Rotherham 50 miler.

I woke at 4am feeling decidedly duff and to be honest would have gone back to bed but when you tell folk that you are going to do a race and you a bit under the spot-light, well you just have to get on and do it. I felt a lot worse at 35 miles and had a few minutes out to cool down in a park.

Talk about relief... and it did me wonders. I had to overtake lots of people I had already passed and ran all the way to the finish. So not a bad one really and I re-learned to not listen to my negative thoughts and thanks to my walkman for keeping me going. Tunes always help I've found.

Big Country - Big Country

My word a couple of years go by quick... and we are planning some JOGLE tester days again.

A couple of 46 milers should sort out the class of 2012. It was amazing how much this weekend helped our original JOGLE runners and how much it helped Jenny in her GWR preparations.

I will be giving some of it a go as I start to go back into some heavy training for my own 2012 events I have planned.

As for today, legs have been very hurty after yesterday's marathon and I lost a lot of skin off my bum in the gym doing sit-ups, so can't sit down too well atm!

More tomorrow...

Message in a bottle - The Police

It was at he Mablethorpe Marathon today. I did a 3:58 for my third 26.2 in five days... so I am really pleased with my time. Shows what you can do if you really try. 'Cos boy I tried... as it was f'kin hot.

I mean 29 degrees hot. I even got rid of my cap at 20 miles. Talk about thirsty, 3 milkshakes, 3 cups of tea, 2 pints of squash and a bottle of Diet Coke later I still haven't had a wee!  Not sure that I will keep you posted on that one though.

Hopefully it will lead onto a good time at Rotherham in two weeks... let's see eh?