Well I guess that proves that no matter how fat and unfit you may be, a few months training and self-discipline can get you into some kind of shape! At the end of June/early July last year I was touching 19 stone and hadn't laced a training shoe in anger since 1997 - 9 months or so later and my time of 4.31:50 in yesterday's marathon was only slightly slower than my average time all those years ago. 

Of course being so overweight and unfit has meant i've had to concentrate on endurance more than any kind of speed work so I can now take some time to reduce the weekly mileage and get in some of that speed training and try to get down to 4.15 by October or with a bit of luck 4.00 dead!

I have to say that the marathon itself was a great experience with the crowds making a huge contribution to that, I don't know if it was better organised this year but I was jogging at a fair pace as soon as I went over the start line and can say that apart from one bit of congestion - that was handy because I used it to ditch the iPod which had been getting on my nerves - I had a pretty straightforward run. But it definitely isn't the greatest marathon in the world, that honour still goes to the Comrades in South Africa, sorry London but there you go, second isn't always such a bad place to be.

During the run itself there was a stage at around the 25 km point where I looked ahead of me and saw a bloke running with a sandwich board and I thought to myself 'you're not coming in ahead of me mate', and as that thought went through my head Orinoco the Womble jogged past me, which I thought was quite ironic really!

Anyway, I hope you all achieved your personal targets and raised the funds you wanted to raise; My own target was almost reached but as I always planned to contribute something anyway it's no big deal that I have to do so, but as i've said previously, it's the ballot or bust next year.

Comrades marathon 2009 is looking like it's achievable so will be training hard once the qualifying period opens, which is after June 19th this year so can look around for a marathon to qualify in, the Dublin is looking favourite at the moment and is apparently a fairly easy one.

Cheers, Dave