Training this week has been light. Yesterday was my last run before the half marathon on Sunday. The perfect run: a light, 6 mile jog in 45 minutes around Hyde Park, easy running, feeling relaxed and refreshed and back to the gym for a cool down and some stretching.

That’s the perfect run. My last run before Sunday went more like this: didn’t bring the right socks so use crappy anklets covered in vaseline to stop blisters. Start running up the road and nearly get hit by white van driver on his mobile phone. Manage to run for a little over 10 minutes before the battery runs out on my MP3 player and it’s another 10 minutes before I have to stop. Legs feel like lead and I’m sweating buckets in the 25 degree heat. Walk for a minute then carry on for another 10. Have to stop again as can’t possibly run any further and am absolutely knackered. Rest for five minutes to let heart drop to something that doesn’t make all the lights flash on my HRM. Run back to the office and collapse under a cool shower, sobbing in agony.

Okay, it’s a little melodramatic and didn’t quite happen like that. Well, I didn’t sob, let’s put it that way. Everything else was exactly like that! I know why I felt so bad - I was dehydrated. Just before I went out, I looked at my 2 litre bottle of water and realised I’d only had half a glass all morning. Kids - don’t try this at home! Especially in hot weather. I’ve never been very good in hot weather when it comes to distance racing. I just burn up too quickly and get far too hot.

Of course, luckily for me, it’s going to be nice and sunny in St. Albans on Sunday.

The worst part of this is today I had to buy a white singlet vest to run in and won’t be running in my usual black. It’s very upsetting.