Sally Gunnell's blog by Sally_Gunnell

Well I’m back from NYC…a little later than expected. We’d travelled on standby tickets; they’re really cheap, but the downside is that you have to wait for a plane with spare seats. No problems going over, but we got stuck for a day coming home. Mind you, there are worse places to hang around! The best part of the trip was being able to shop for as long as we wanted. All of my chums, like me, have kids. So, normally, shopping is something that happens much too quickly in between school runs, sports clubs, household chores…it’s a nightmare. All but one of us had been to the Big Apple before, so no need for sightseeing – shopping and browsing all the way!

I went for a run in Central Park on the Sunday morning. It was a bit like being in a race, with loads of other runners all going round in the same direction. Fortunately, nobody seemed to recognize me, so I didn’t have anybody coming up and challenging me to a burn-up. I would have been rubbish, mainly because the other main NYC activity after shopping was eating. We went to the Riverside Café, which was totally fabulous. We waited ages for a window table, but it was worth it. The views over Manhattan are stunning; I’ve been to New York a few times, but this was still a huge treat. The cocktails were delicious, the service was perfect and the food…well, let’s just say that for once, I couldn’t muster any resistance at all to the treats on the menu!

I was ready to see the family by the time we came home; I was pleased to see that they’d managed fine without me…well, sort of pleased, sort of a bit disappointed! I came home to a real disappointment. My mum and dad had been planning a temporary caravan site on their land in Chigwell, to provide some much-needed accommodation during the 2012 Olympics. Sadly, lots of local residents were up in arms about the proposals and in the end, they got their way; the site won’t now go ahead. My heart really goes out to the many volunteers who were coming to stay with us; they had hoped for a good value, fun and convenient place to rest their heads in between giving their time to the greatest show on earth. But now they’ll have to try and find somewhere else that is affordable…it won’t be easy for them and I’m so sorry it hasn’t worked out.

I managed to do a six-hour bike ride the other day, in preparation for the 14-hour effort I’ll put in to do the South Downs Way in a day. It’s all happening in early July, with around 50 riders raising money for The Point Foundation and a local nursery school. Some of them are doing it in two days, but I thought “I’ve already done that,” so opted for the one-day version. Silly me! Actually, it’ll be loads of fun and there are still places if you fancy joining me…visit the Charity Chase website for more details.