New sprog on the block

Huge congrats to Im and Simon on the arrival of George Oliver Martin on Tuesday. Im's one of my oldest friends, since we first met via a shared mailbox in university halls, and it's got me all emotional that the first of my closest uni friends is now in the family way.

Lookin forward to meeting the young fella, and impressing on him just how lucky he's been to end up in the family he has.

Colin, Euan and Anne reflect on a good morning's work

I'm a little teapot

I REALLY need to work on my post race poses

(First) mission accomplished

Well, after 3 months of trudging round the streets of South London in the freezing cold darkness, it all proved worth it as I completed the Reading Half Marathon on Sunday.

It was a success - I finished in under 2 hours (1hr 56) which was my goal before I started. I maintained an almost completely even pace throughout as well, despite the fact my right leg was in a fair amount of pain from the ...

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Is that the time?

Really is getting close to bedtime. Up with the larks / clubbers tomorrow morning - a 6am start to get to Reading for the Half Marathon. Nerves are jangling and carbs have been loaded to the point that pasta is oozing out my pores.

Hard to believe it's finally here - I've been training since Christmas and signed up for the race way back last autumn. And yet here we are. It's almost the end ...

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Just in case you doubted my rediscovered commitment to the cause

Trainspotting arrives in the cinema
Pulp are top of the hit parade
England is gearing up for Euro 96

and a plucky young lanky, slow, winger made the local paper (in Derry) after falling over "when it seemed easier to fall over the line and score" in our Schools Cup second round victory over Foyle & Londonderry College.

I hasten to add, our eventual quarter final exit at the hands of local rivals Coleraine AI was nothing directly to do with me. Which, in my rugby career, represents something of a result.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Well, the witching hour is upon us in the build up to the Reading Half Marathon, resulting in a far more subdued Pat's day than in previous years. Needed to do my 'final' run tonight - a cheeky wee 8km - so avoided being the token Irishman down the pub at lunchtime and hot-footed it home.

Afterwards, I settled down to watch the Ulster Rugby Schools Cup final, shown live on BBC2 NI and accessible ...

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Thank you and Good luck to Simogen

Just wanted to shout a massive "THANK YOOOOOOO" to my friends Imogen and Simon for the most generous donation to the charity so far... Im stumped up £20 the other day, which over-whelmed us as she is due to give birth any day now and surely needs all the nappy-cash she can get...

Then , due to what I thought was no more than an embarrassing clerical error on behalf the Elkin-Martin accounts ...

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Routemaster

Have been out frolicking in the sunshine today for the first time since last autumn, but am now back home watching the last of the sun dipping behind the local estate and steeling myself to work out what route we're going to take.

We know where we're starting (obviously) and where we're going (the name of the rally being a bit of a give away) but the bit in the middle is still giving us a ...

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May be over-doing the training

I've worn a perfect hole in my foot. Considering emailing it to everyone to try and encourage sponsorship: "Give Go Help money or I'll send you a different raw body part each week". Could work.

We got one!

I tried to find a suitable Ghostbusters clip, but to no avail...

So imagine, if you will, a lady in '80s glasses whacking a bell and screaming.... "we got onnnnneeeeee!!!!"

Yup, my mass email of everyone in my Hotmail address book (updated c.2005) has resulted in our first sponsorship!

The beautiful, talented, exotic and wonderful Julie-Anne has sponsored us a whopping £25 for the rally! Well, ...

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Like a puppy knowing it's being taken to the vet, my car's battery has miraculously held its charge for the first time all winter, just before going for its MOT.

I'm in the slightly uncomfortable situation of experiencing paternal feelings towards a Renault Clio, and am concerned at it being locked in a strange garage overnight before being probed and prodded by strange blokes in overalls. I had to resist the urge to give it a little pat for reassurance as I left Kwik Fit earlier this evening. Odd.

Just done a sample exam for tomorrow

88%

Eat my Risk Management Strategy!

May sleep a wee bit easier now

Back to Skool

I'm cross eyed with confusion after spending the past few hours cramming for my Prince2 project management exam tomorrow. I haven't really sat an exam for 10 years, so I'm a little concerned, particularly as "no one fails the foundation course". The thought of being sent back to work tomorrow afternoon as our first failure is at the forefront of my mind.

Failing (or, err, I mean, "passing") that ...

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