2 weeks have gone by since the London Marathon and I am happy to report that I finished and that I am still alive!

 More importantly, thanks to all of your contributions, we have managed to raise £4500 for the CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA something that makes me exceptionally proud!

 So, let me give you a quick update about the day and how it went:

Mile 0 – “The party”

• I find myself at the very end of a very long queue of people – my number is 37028 and I am at start 9 in the RED AREA (basically the last start in the area where the masses start from)
• On my left, there is a 65-year old Pakistani gentlemen with two parrots (on his shoulders) – I say hi to them and they both exchange the greeting
• On my right, there is a couple that has lost their son from cancer – I say hi to them and I get a bit emotional
• An endless sea of people is in front of me as we walk towards the start line – we start and I turn on my POLAR HRM

Miles 1-5 – “Going Steady”

• The weather is cloudy and I feel confident as I am trying to by-pass slower runners; I find 3 other runners running the same pace with me and I decide to run with them
• The music is kicking in very nicely and keeps me good company – highly recommend getting an iPOD with a remote control and carefully select your playlist for the day
•  The crowds are cheering and young boys and girls are giving “high-fives” to runners – I start “high-fiving” them as well and get more and more energy in  me

Miles 6-8 – “ Partying”

• I am running quite nicely and managing to keep my pace exactly where I want it (10 minutes per mile)
• I pass by the Cutty Sark – the crowds thicken, the supporters become more and more and people are dancing to the rhythm of the bands that are playing outside the pubs along the way
• I get a Lucozade Gel in order to get a boost of energy and it works! – am thinking this is what will save me in the later miles

Miles 9-13 – “Am I going the wrong way?”

• I think Tower Bridge is around the corner ( I always had mentally considered Tower Bridge as the “start” of the race despite the fact that the longer I had run in training was 13 miles)
• We continue running – passing through Rotherhithe, Bermondsey and the road to Tower Bridge seems endless
• Finally, we turn right on Jamaica Road and pass from Tower Bridge – the crowds are roaring; I see a Greek Flag and get some confidence that the motherland is supporting us
• We are almost half-way and I get a big shock as I turn right on Tower Bridge just to see a bunch of people running towards the other way
• I am thinking – “I am going totally the wrong f****ing way!”

Mile 14 – “Celebrity Mile”

• I pass next to Sophie Anderton (famous model) – she is walking, and hence I am getting more confident that there are slower people

Mile 15-19 – “The hell miles”

• I see runners next to me stopping to walk and to rest and I am start feeling the fatigue
• I decide to walk through the water-stops in order to get a bit more energy
• As we run through the ascend to Canary Wharf I stop to walk for a minute – the pain is kicking in
• I see a blind girl running with a guide – I get a bit emotional but also full of strength again and I decide to start running again
• I take another Lucozade Gel and also get some oranges that the crowd is handing out – I am back on the race

Miles 20 -22 – “Almost there”

• I think – “go on, Mile 20 is around the corner, it is a piece of cake” and as I pass through the Mile 20 mark, I know I have done it
• The next 2 miles are hard as the rain is getting more intense
• I pass again from Tower Bridge (in the correct side of the road now) and I am now confident that it is downhill for here on
• The crowd is cheering, supporting the runners – it is really incredible how supportive the Londoners are and I have to admit that I have never seen this level of support by fans in any event

Mile 23 – “No more music”

• The rain gets harder and harder
• My iPOD remote control dies – no more music for me; I decide to take my earphones off and enjoy (…well, as much one can understand what is happening around him/her at Mile 23) the rest of the race with the crowds
• My legs are hurting but the more I run the more I think I have made it
• I take my last Lucozade Gel pack and I get turbo-charged for the finish

Miles 24-26 – “Running for the crowds”

• I know I have made it as I start passing Blackfriars, Temple, Embankment
• The crowds are cheering “ come on –two more miles” and I lift my fists as I know I have made it
• I look at a younger guy next to me who has hit the wall – I tap him in the back to encourage him and we start running together

The End

• As I am approaching Buckingham Palace, I start to feel like Spiros Louis, the Greek winner of 1896 Athens Olympics marathon race
• I start to raise my fists and celebrate with the crowd (… or at least so I think)
• As I pass the finishing line, I actually start believing that I am Spiros Louis … only to be reminded by the official time – 4 hours 53 minutes and 42 seconds – two hours slower than Spiros’ time in the Athens Olympics

Thanks to all for your lovely support

Was in Greece during the weekend for my cousin's wedding!

It was a beautiful day on Saturday (sunny, 17 C) so I decided to run outside in Kifissia (Northern Suburbs of Athens) in the quiet area in the Northern part, full of trees and beautiful houses.

However, I soon discovered that I was not alone in my run, as I was quickly started to being followed by about 10 "homeless" dogs --- something that definitely made my run quite unpleasant (as the dogs started to interfere with my running .. in a rather agressive way).

Therefore, I quickly decided to change course and head to the local stadium where I continued my run in the track of the stadium ... a more monotonous run (no scenery!) but definitely one without distructions!

KEY LESSON: Beware of the dogs when you run in Greece!

I have been down with a flu over the past few days and I decided not to run ... but rather try and get better before I start running again.

Would more experienced runners have any thoughts about what one should do when ill -- e.g. train or not train?

Had a beautiful run this morning ... and my longest ever!!!!

Did the "Millenium Bridge Run" (http://www.serpentine.org.uk/routes/10/index.htm) -- a beautiful stroll across Thames and then around Green and Hyde park.

My stats were as follows:

• Distance: 18.51 km (11.6 miles)
• Time: 1 hr 49 minutes
• Average Heart Rate of 157
• Average Speed 5:55 min/km

I feel great as this was my longest run ever -- however, i still need to work in bringing down my average heart rate as well as run a little bit faster (although still with this pace I will be able to do the marathon in less than 5 hours!!!).