Standing... on the edge of forever... At the start of...

So this is it... this is what it's all been about.  One man battling against one man - himself...

If the work has been done they say that the day should be fun (well about as much fun as running 26.2 miles can be I suppose!).  I've read blogs, reports and chatted to fellow runners on twitter about the day and they all say that the atmosphere is like a carnival, that the rush from the crowd carries you on (literally please!!) and that there is no feeling quite like it.  However the actual London marathon news magazine actually says that if you "can't run 15 miles comfortably then you should not run".  Can I?... probably(ish)...

Bollocks to everything... I've done all I can, run and trained as much as I can whilst juggling my life of running a business, raising a family, supporting a very heavily pregnant wife and being in a band.  I would say "ah but it's been fun" but it hasn't.  What I am proud of though is my body and how it's coped with cramming such a lot of training into such a short period of time.  I've gone against all professional advice and rapidly increased my mileage week on week without giving my body time to adjust and aclimatise to the rigors of long distance road running and it's just coped and taken it.

Tomorrow I will be setting, without a shadow of a doubt, a PB (personal best) - more for the fact that this will be my first (and I can safely say last) marathon rather than the speed in which I shall complete it.  Saying that everyone I speak to says it is quite addictive - pah... cigarettes and alcohol are addictive, what do they know!  Anyway word on the street is that everyone is aiming for a 4.15 - 4.30 hour finish time which means we'll all be finishing at the same time so I may well hang back to avoid the crowds.

I just want to say thanks to my wife Gem for putting up with me and this blasted marathon (I can tell by the look in her eyes that she'll just be relieved when this is all over and we can return to some sort of normality).  Next up: childbirth... I think I pulled the long straw there!

Also a big thanks to my very good friend Philip Gamble who has phoned me most days and offered countless words of encouragement, support and advice - thank you thank you thank you!

My aim - no time so no pressure but if I can just run all the way then I'll be elated.  I've just to got make sure I don't start too quick.  Apparently if you can see a motorbike with a camera on it in front of you then you've started too fast...

Last gratuitous plug for sponsorship (I'm £30 away from my target) - click here and then you can watch guilt free!!