On Saturday, October 6th we all scrubbed up well for our 25th birthday party. The falling crane on the Croydon Park Hotel meant fortuitously that we were able to book the Booking Hall, Airport House on the site of the old Croydon Airport.

It was the second time Nicky had met a bunch of Striders. What is the collective noun for a group of Striders by the way? Having Don on our table meant it was pretty lively and the champagne flowed. Lots of Librans’ birthdays to celebrate.

Lots of good food and drink followed and most people got up and danced the night away to the live band – whatever they were called. Evidence on the Striders’ photo site on Picasa.

Today’s my birthday – hurrah! This day in 1973 I woke up to the realisation that England had not qualified for the World Cup in Germany.  It was one of the worst days of my life. England, and Norman Hunter especially, had failed. It was difficult for a 10-year-old to take.

This morning I wake to a similar story. England messed up in Moscow and we’re not likely to qualify for Euro 2008. There are two reasons to be cheerful though. Firstly Steve Mclaren might be gone soon and secondly travelling to Austria & Switzerland for the championships will be a pleasant experience.

Long time no post but training has been going OK. I’ve been suffering from what hypochondriac Mick thinks is the beginning of shin splints. After a speed session Chris commented that many people who think they have shin splints are in fact suffering from calf problems – so I took his advice, dug the rolling pin out from under the sink and started massaging my problem calf.  As well as rolling the base of foot along it to counter plantar fasciitis this helps weed out any knots in the calf muscle. So far so good – but i have booked in for a precautionary visit to the Osteopath on Monday after the Croydon 10K.  

Since the beginning of September I’ve really reduced the training, fearful of remaining injured. Sharp, shooting pains in my right achilles led me to think I’ve got to get some new shoes. An hour-long consultation at Run & Become at Victoria left me with some Nike Air Span 4+ or something like that. A couple of half-hour runs with them and I decided to go for the Nottingham half on the 16th.

You could say my prep wasn’t the best. A mate’s leaving do on Friday 14th coincided with the announcement of a number of cutbacks at work affecting close friends and colleagues. As I’m pathetically weak-willed this meant lots of beer at the George and a battle to get the 8.30 coach up to Nottingham on the Saturday morning. Much energy drink and water and i was just about feeling normal.