Beijing weather

In today’s papers, hot air and fuzzy thinking to match the Beijing climate.

In the Evening Standard, Matthew Pinsent was headlined as saying that for the GB coxless four to fail to win gold would be a ‘disaster’. Not quite what he said, but the sentiment was there. If they are at the top of their game, it will not be a disaster. It will be very disappointing, but another crew was faster on the day. If they are not at the top of their game, they have no place at the Olympics and nor do jingoism or hyperbole.

Likewise, Paula Radcliffe in Athens: it was not a cause for national despondency, it was the disappointment of an athlete who, in the final reckoning, had been found wanting. An athlete who just happened to be British. Radcliffe may have touted as ‘our golden girl’ on the back of some extraordinary performances, but the medal was still there to be won, it was not a right; she didn’t ‘deserve’ it more than anyone else in the race.

Race for your life, Charlie Brown

A while ago I took part in Race for Life, in aid of Cancer Research UK.

It was something of an adventure - a part of town I hadn't been to before, not being sure of how I was running owing to a lack of training runs.

In the event, I was very pleased to exceed my expectations, finishing roughly two minutes faster than I'd hoped. So all the training is paying off somewhere.

The best thing, though, was the atmosphere. Literally thousands of women of all ages and levels of fitness, in stetson and tutus and angel wings and pink, pink, pink, like some mildly athletic hen night. In addition to our race numbers pinned to our fronts, many had sheets on their backs, which told of who they were running for, family and friends who had suffered cancer.

I felt very glad that I had no one to put on my back.