Guardians of the flame

I had to use the head torch on my run again this morning because I was due to be at a Headteachers' seminar on the London 2012 Games, called "Preparing for a Moment in History".

It was a very inspiring event with over two hundred school headteachers, Dame Kelly Holmes, David Hemery and a host of amazing young performers, including Kieran Gaffney, the incredible 14-year-old drummer who featured on "Britain's Got Talent" last year.

It was also the second time I had come face to face with Kelly Holmes in a week, after she placed my medal round my neck after the Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon.

I found the seminar really uplifting.

It was the third time I had heard David Hemerey present, and I was as inspired as the rest of the audience, and also just as much as both the other times I'd heard him.

The phrase he used that really caught my imagination, which he attributed to Bruce Tulloh, the former athlete and coach, was that as coaches and teachers we are "guardians of the flame" of the enthusiasm of the children (and adults) that we work with.

What a beautiful image and an amazing responsibility!

Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon

Ran to my local Sainsbury's and back today, almost 2 miles.

That was after helping out with the TW Half Marathon earlier this morning. The weather was appalling for the runners but still nearly 1800 of them finished, so congratulations to all of them.

I got it wrong before, I was in the drop out car and not the sweep car. Commiserations to the three who we picked up in the drop out car, who unfortunately sustained injuries en route, so we had to ferry them back to race HQ. Not that I want to give the impression that running is dangerous at all.

Kelly Holmes was brilliant. She started the race and was still there to applaud every runner across the finish line.

8 weeks completed

It's Nicky's and my 15th anniversary today, so lunch out, and a glass or two of wine no doubt.

I have volunteered to be part of the support team for the Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon this Sunday. Apparently, I will be in the sweep car picking up any runners who are struggling and need a lift to the finish, although hopefully everyone will make it to the finish and feel justifiably proud.

It will be great to see the inspirational Kelly Holmes again. She will be starting the race, and cheering people on. She's one amazing, and incredibly nice, lady!

Nicky asked me yesterday whether I'd be able to run the half marathon now. I haven't run anything like that distance for at least a couple of years, so the answer is probably not, at least without injuring myself.

However, I am starting to feel an urge to stretch my mile a bit further, maybe just every once in a while. I'm not sure why. I suppose half the fun of my mile each day challenge is that it's a challenge.

At the moment I'm in my comfort zone, and it's usually good to stretch that comfort zone. The trick is to stretch it whilst keeping my running easy, light, smooth and FUN!

““Think Easy, Light, Smooth, and Fast. You start with easy, because if that’s all you get, that’s not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless, like you don’t give a shit how high the hill is or how far you’ve got to go. When you’ve practiced that so long that you forget you’re practicing, you work on making it smooooooth. You won’t have to worry about the last one – you get those three, and you’ll be fast.” - excerpt from Born To Run