New Crew

The old ankle held up remarkably well this morning on a 29 mile acceleration run - which wasn't easy on a hilly course with a strong wind. Lots of ibuprofen and ice have obviously helped. Training is back on track after a worrying few days.

Wore the shoes I intend to start the Run To London with - Nike Shox Saya. A fantastically cushioned pair of black trainers that have seen me through two 24 hr races with no problems at all. probably won't wear them again before 23 May.

After a 'helper crisis' last week I'm pleased to announce that I have two new additional crew members eager to do their bit !!! They are Derek Martin and Liz Ashton - many thanks to both of you.

I now have four experienced ultra runners among my helpers - Mike Blamires, Derek Martin, Andy McMenemy and Phil Robertson - this can only be a good thing as they will have at least some idea of what to expect.

And Mike is fresh (!!!) from a stunning run at the Marathon des Sables recently. Reading his accounts of all the happenings and looking at the photos has truly been inspirational.