The hotel is book along with the train tickets, the kit is laid out and I am starting to get itchy feet (though at this point I had better add from wanting to get started and not from athletes foot) The race is now less than 48 hours away and I cant wait to get out there.

At 5 pm on Saturday the starters gun will, well go bang I guess, and the race will be under way. Runners will start their quest to see how far they can push themselves and see if there training has been sufficient. A test of both mind and body. I however will continue to stand on the spot. A stand against a society that keeps on telling us that exercise is good for us and that we should do more. Two fingers up to those who say I should get up early to go for training run. Come on all together now “ We shall not we shall not be moved…we shall not we shall not be moved…”

At 5.05 another gunshot will be heard and those yellow bellies ahead of me will abandon the protest. Not me however, united we stand, although those around me will be starting to show some distain with regard to my “tuneful” singing. Not until 5.10 will I start my waddle. The reason, and please don’t feel that I am at all bitter about this, is that I have been placed in the last start group. The organisers say this is where I belong due to the info supplied on my race application. Nothing to do with the fact that they didn’t ask for best 10km time on the web form but did with postal application. Ho hum. Well if that is the reason they want to give so be it, but I know the real reason. The Kenyans at the front of the field were getting very worried you see and wanted to have a 10 min head start just to be on the safe side.

That’s just the way it is, I don’t have a chip on my shoulder, that’s on my shoe. As soon as I cross the start line, big brother will know all about it. The microchip attached to my shoe will go beep or something and will keep track of me each time I cross a mat hired from the producers of James Bond until I finish.

I will finish, I must finish. 21kms mainly along the waterfront of Stockholm. Winding around the old town and taking in the sights. From the map it looks a great course, as long as I remember to look were I am going, and make sure I don’t fall in. I will finish, I must finish there’s a free chocolate bar waiting