Good morning one and all and a very happy Monday to you if you are recovering from the London Marathon. You will doubtless have discovered that, as everyone told you, the stairs are the hardest thing to master for the next day or two. I also found standing up a struggle for 48 hours after the race, but because I was floating on air, I didn’t really care.

Another man who is doubtless surfing a wave of euphoria today is the mighty Steve Davis. Now I know that snooker has its knockers, but you can’t keep a good man down and our Steve is a total legend. 52 years young and still going strong and evener stronger after knocking out the defending champion John Higgins at the World Championship at the weekend. It was an extraordinary performance from a man who reigned at the Crucible in the 80’s. He was christened Steve 'boring' Davis because he was so good and as a result he struggled to enjoy the same level of popular support enjoyed by the people’s, but never world champion, Jimmy White.

But the 90’s and the noughties have been lean times for the 6-time champion who has slipped inexorably down the rankings as his fame and talent have dimmed. So to see him rolling back the years and racing into the quarter-finals in Sheffield was joyous. Nothing against John Higgins, whom I admire greatly, but it was just wonderful to see a sportsman of his age teaching the youngsters a thing or two. As the pressure mounted it did seem as if Higgins somehow lost his bearings at a crucial stage of the match and there is a fascinating piece in the Times today by Matthew Syed about choking, which examines the mysterious art of falling apart under pressure.

Strangely in my dazzling, yes I think we can use the word dazzling, football career, I never missed a penalty in a match. But fascinatingly I missed all 3 that I took in shoot-outs (and it still annoys me greatly to this day). However missing penalties is something English football fans have gotten used to isn't it? Gareth Southgate, Darius Vassell, David Batty, Stuart Pearce have all had their crosses to bear in that department, but looking back I totally agree that it was the change from something being instinctive to contrived that caused the problem, but I just couldn’t help it.

Mental strength is an essential part of running I believe, because without it, you simply won’t achieve your goal.That is why I have already put my gym gear on this morning, because if I hadn’t, I have no doubt, I would have come up with a brilliant excuse not to go. But that is my destination right now, where I will moan, whine and grumble about an hour of interval training, but I will make myself do it…….and it won’t kill me…..it will just feel like it has…….toodle pip funsters.