Take One

January 4th 2011, first day back at work and there's an email from Simeon explaining more about Target Ovarian Cancer and a guide on how to achieve match day fitness in the limited time we've given ourselves (no mention of giving up the booze but I figure it can only help). I've given myself the first week off and will start my training on the weekend with a short run around Hyde Park with Ed. We'll be getting our marathon pack via email next week at which point we have to start figuring out how we're going to raise the £25k target set by Target Ovarian. Slowly it’s starting to dawn on me that this isn't just a matter of preparing my body to run 26 miles and 385 yards, we also have people relying, in part, on us to help them continue their life saving work. 

Saturday's jaunt around Hyde Park (6-7 km depending on which route we take) starts off with me eagerly arriving 25 minutes early on my newly repaired, purple 7 gear ratio 5th hand bike. We set off from Marble Arch, iPod's in one ear and Blue Powerade bottles at the ready, and make it down to the Round Pond before needing our first break. We've barely done 3km and are already suffering from chronic chest pains and severe dizzy spells, in actual fact we feel completely drunk! 

Managing to make it to Prince Albert's Statue at a slow trot (I do realise this is starting to sound like a Rough Guide to central London) we pick up the pace for the downhill straight whilst admiring the view and continuing our seemingly endless nattering. We make it back in around 40 mins realising that all that had been accomplished is further knowledge of each other’s activities over the last two weeks and a shared opinion of some of our fellow midday Hyde Park-ians.