Monthly Archive for October, 2009

Tweets this week

Published on 25/10/2009 in Twitter updates. 0 Comments
  • Wang Chung singing Barry Wang on the George Lamb on 6Music. Probably the single funniest thing ever on radio #
  • Just in case anyone was worried RT @DAVID_LYNCH Here is a picture of my fish: http://twitpic.com/mdlqp #
  • Shockingly poor quality of debate on newsnight about the white working class #

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Birmingham Half Marathon 2009

Published on 19/10/2009 in Races and race reviews. 0 Comments

A couple of Sundays ago I ran the Birmingham Half Marathon. This was the second staging of the race, and it also coincided with the staging of the IAAF World Championships. I have deliberately left some time between the race and posting my review. I was not sure if my original annoyance at the poor quality of organisation was truly justified. Now having thought about it. It is. But let me start with some of the things the organisers did well.

The course was relatively flat, with a couple of sharp hills at around 6 miles and then a gradual incline during the final mile. Though not what you could call picturesque, the course did have some nice bits – Bournville village and Cannon Hill Park in particular. And given that the weather was pretty miserable the crowds were not too bad. The water and lucozade stations were frequent and very well organised, and the goody bag was packed full, but could have done with some food. Cranberry sauce as your post race snack anyone?

The trouble is that any of the positives are outweighted by the chaotic scenes at the baggage drop. On paper the decision to use the National Indoor Arena would have seemed a good one. What was not so good was to have one entrance in and one entrance out. I arrived early, and good job too, because when I left with 30 minutes to the start of the race the queue to enter the NIA was huge. Allied to this the staff at the doors and inside were absolutely moronic. More unhelpful they could not have been. Poor signage to tell runners the direction to the start line only compounded the problem.

That said, I did get to high five Kelly Holmes – who started the race – as I crossed the start and finish lines. Which was nice.

Read the thoughts of other runners.

Tweets this week

Published on 18/10/2009 in Twitter updates. 0 Comments
  • Heading north on a train. The last time I will have to do this particular journey. Celebrating with caffeine and muffin. I know how to live #
  • Just realised that quite by accident I have booked a 1st class train journey for my trip back south. This is truly marvellous thing #
  • Cracking sunset outside that nobody else in this train carriage seems remotely interested in #
  • Are Terry Leahy's views on school standards correct, or is he asking the wrong questions?: http://tinyurl.com/ykeepty #
  • End of a long day of 3 events and 2 meetings. Wishing the bus would drop me right outside my front door #
  • RT @EMPRA A new take on the TESCO/School-leavers-not-bright-enough-to-work-there story -Very funny! http://tinyurl.com/yfk9hy9 #

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Tweets this week

Published on 11/10/2009 in Twitter updates. 0 Comments
  • All lined up and we are ready for the off – http://moby.to/ylefr8 #
  • RT @serafinowicz The greatest opening line in the history of journalism – http://bit.ly/10ltEN (via @beakpie) #
  • Why do education policy proposals have to be so aggresive in tone? http://tinyurl.com/ycrzbcv #
  • Cameron suprisingly impersonal. Almost disconnected from his words #cpc09 #
  • Back from a short, sharp 4 miles, and now everything set for the Birmingham Half this coming Sunday: http://www.birminghamhalfmarathon.com/ #
  • RT @DcsfGovUk Vernon Coaker at Hull City Learning Centre to see their approach to info, advice and guidance and delivering the Diploma #
  • 95% of my US followers tell me they have the answer to life, the universe and everything, or they can make me a millionaire in half a second #
  • Who is STILL waiting to hear if they have a place for next year's London Marathon? #
  • For pity's sake, can we not save this man? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8298634.stm #

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Tweets this week

Published on 04/10/2009 in Twitter updates. 0 Comments
  • Felt better for taking that extra days rest. My 2 hour run tonight felt almost easy, in that quite hard kind of way #
  • Oh jeez, head to head debates between the leaders. Do we HAVE to go down that route? Takes politics even further away from where people live #
  • RT @roadcc Cycle show preview: Brompton don't have any new bikes but there's plenty of new kit to see. http://bit.ly/kiP8b #cycling #
  • Browns speech is getting characteristically saggy in the middle with too many announcements. Anyone would think there is an election soon #
  • Got some rye bread with my Riverford veg box this morning. Delicious. I will be back for more #
  • Coffee and brownie at St Pancras whilst I wait for my train. I love this place #
  • On my way to the Brompton World Championship at Blenheim Palace #

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