Thoughts and observations - profound and trivial

What would Nostradamus say about this - an update

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 15:19:00 GMT

Just over a month ago I wrote about my teenage daughters very reasonable behaviour and the fact that it must mean that the universe is not in balance. Teenagers are supposed to be stroppy, uncommunicative, moody things I thought. Well mine is still being a little treasure.

She finished her GCSEs on Friday and some of her mates were going out to celebrate but she decided to have and early night because she was working in the tea-rooms on Saturday and then going out in the evening.

That reminded me of an event a year ago that might have lead to the reasonable behaviour. Towards the end of June the village holds the Patronal Festival to remember the Reverend Hawker who did so much for the village of Morwenstow. (Incidentally he also was responsible for starting the Harvest Festival.) The primary school children all assemble on the village green then march behind a brass band to the church (always reminds me of a scene from the film the Wicker Man) where there is a sevice before a sports day, village fete, fireworks and live music (mainly for the teenagers). Last year we chilled in the pub in the evening while our teenage daughter was in the music tent. As we were leaving we met our daughter in the car park and my wife told her it was time to go. An argument ensued and she ran off. I calmly walked into the music tent and asked her if she was coming home. She said no so I picked her up and carried her out to the car.

She was mortified and did not speak to me for days. When she did I explained that I would have been quite happy to have come back to pick her up later but as she had argued with her mother and disobeyed her I had no choice but to back her mother up. I explained that we had agreed as parents to always back the other's decision in front of our children. We would disagree in private and if we both reached an agreement that the decision was wrong we would together work out how to reverse it.

Since that time our teenage daughter has always accepted a decision once she has put her point of view. Sometimes she will come to me and say 'can you have a word with Mum because she is being unfair and will not listen to my point of view.' Sometimes I say ' Your Mum and I have already discussed it and nothing is changing' other times I say 'I will see what I can do.' I know that she also asks her Mum to have a word with me when I am being unreasonable.

Looking back that was a defining moment, not the carrying her out in front of all her friends but calmly explaining why.

A poignant letter from and amazing woman

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:21:00 GMT

Dear Team

Not a precious egg, but a hard boiled one!

Today Brid and I went to Peacocks to get the mould arranged for the chair. We got very good feedback, the chair is the best for the job in hand and yes a mould can be made.

While we were there Brid made reference that I am thought of as a precious egg that the team have got to get from A to B without breaking. That I am to be cocooned as much as possible in the mould so that I will not break at all the bumps we shall encounter along the route and from what I have seen on the web site that is most of the way.

But I am not an egg precious or other wise, I am a team member, who like you, is taking part in an extreme challenge in South Africa. The only difference between us is that I have wheels instead of legs and that I am the only one who can fall asleep while on the run! Fine chance! And I will not get out of breath on steep climbs, not that any of you will get out of breath on a steep climb!

As a team member, I am sure that I have proven to you all that I am. I shall do all that I can to make sure that I and my wheelchair are ready for what lays ahead. That I do all the preparation to make sure I do not get a sore bottom where you would get feet sore...That I have all the right food and clothing on board the wheelchair ... that both physical and mentally I am as ready as I can get.

While on the run, I shall like you, get a headache, sore spots that my care team will deal with. I shall also probably, at some point when things are getting tough, sweat dripping from my face, wonder why I said yes to Edward when he asked me if I would like to be pushed on a 150 miles marathon in a desert in South Africa with day time temperature of around 90o. You will probably also wonder why you said yes to Edward when he mentioned the idea of bring a wheelchair on a 150 mile South African Marathon. Seemed a good idea at the time, yes. When my wheelchair feels like a heavy weight around you neck, you will proberly say/think, why the did we bring a wheelchair with a human and all her kit attached there in, on this marathon, is it not hard enough without one?

You will also feel, and this I can assure you, that wonderful sense of achievement at the end of a long days push and pull that you did it, you jolly well did it, or words like that! You got me and the wheelchair over terrain that a wheelchair has never been before. I know I shall feel like that. Yes it was hard, but at times it was easy. You and I will look at ourselves and the rest of the team and be amazed at the fact that you have not only pushed and pulled my wheelchair, but you will have feed and watered me, you ladies would have also given me a wee.

You will I am sure see disabled people in a different light at the end of each day and the end of the whole marathon. Well if I have done my job right that is. Brid has seen this happen so many times, ask her. Finally you will have achieved something no other team has.

A long the ways, I, like you will need a stop, time to catch my breath, eat and drink. I will want to do all the things you want to do and need to do, except I shall do them sitting down...

So yes do treat me like a precious egg, but a hard boiled one!

Let me be part of the team, helping make any decisions that we as a team, have to make, please do not see me the person who is sitting in the chair whose sole object of the day, is for me to sit there and for you to get me from point A to point B... I am not that sort of person am I Brid, Joan?

Thanks for all the time and effort you are putting into this venture, because without you I would not be going, you can go without me, but not me without you.

I promise I will make the whole experience as enjoyable, as hard working, as educational, and as much fun as I can.

Finally can I welcome Kim from the USA to my care team. If you email her she will tell you why she has asked to join us. It will make a good read. Welcome Kim.

God Bless you all.

Mary

Why do I do it?

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:46:00 GMT

I am not running very much at the moment because I am tapering down for the 55 Mile Comrades Marathon on 17^th June. Not running makes me a bit moody and I start to question why I take on these big challenges. I even start to ask myself is it all worth it.

Today was supposed to be a rest day but the sun was shinning, the birds were singing and I needed to get out. I ran along the green lane near my house which is lined with foxgloves; two buzzards soared overhead gently calling to each other. A little further on, just as the lane dips, becomes shady and is lined with ferns a tiny wren flew up from the ground and settled on a branch nearby.

The contrast in size between the buzzards and the wren started me thinking about contrasts in my running life and I soon realised why I set myself challenges. I remembered the brain-addling heat of the Sahara and the mind-numbing cold of the January 2005 Tring to Town run both great experiences, but after they were over. The sheer agony of grinding out the last ten kilometres of a 100k race when I was unwell and the relaxed run I had in the Hastings 10k as I helped a slower friend run her first ever race. The majestic solitude of running through the African bush in the Addo 50 mile Trail Run and the excitement and joy of running with thousands of other runners in the 100^th Boston marathon.

I remembered being lost, tired, hungry and cold in the Cotswolds, cursing the local farmer for obliterating all trace of the footpath as I struggled through the long grass. Then a few seconds later being elated as several deer jumped up from the grass in front of me and bounded off. I recalled battling against the wind on the Cornwall Coastal Path and moaning about it always being a headwind. Then being grateful when I came across a badger rummaging about for food because being down wind meant that I got very close to it and watch its antics for a long time without being detected.

Animals have often lifted my spirits, stags, foxes, badgers, hares, rabbits, jays, kingfishers, herons, a goldcrest, wrens, buzzards, peregrine falcons, woodpeckers and many more. People too have made a great difference, three are named below, but there are many, many more. Some of them I know well, others are aquaintences and lots of them are strangers who have been encouraging, helpful, funny or assisted in some other way.

Brian who gave me advice before my first Comrades, encouraged me to do my second despite my ‘never, ever, ever again’ and who has helped me many times over the years.

Ian, a fellow Comrades runner, who has always supplied the right word. During my darkest hour before the 2006 Comrades his simple text message ‘Go well Big Man’ picked me up and was the mantra that got me through.

And Mich who made me feel like a king. Shortly after I had come last in the Devon Coastal marathon, a particularly tough event, she said I was an inspiration. When ask why she said ‘You ran the Coastal with a bad cold, struggled to get round, were out there the longest but crossed the finish line with a big smile saying that you had really enjoyed it. Most of the people who finished before you looked miserable, I want to be like you, I want to enjoy my running'.

Yes I enjoy my running, I set big challenges which mean I have to keep running, train a lot, do different things, meet different people, face triumph and disaster. My running experiences give me a rich vein of gold to mine. I am a wealthy man, even though I have little money, and a healthy one. Each time I run I never know whether it is just going to be a tough slog that has to be survived or whether something will come along to make it something to be treasured forever.

What have we got right.

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:22:00 GMT

I have just come back from a long weekend in France which was quite an eye-opener.

First the roads well maintained and empty of traffic and what traffic there was was well behaved. No hogging the middle or outside lanes on the motoways. There were pleasant picnic stops at regular intervals (ok the toilets were a bit strange) and the service stations had real food at reasonable prices and very pleasant staff serving.

The supermarkets had a wonderful range of fresh fruit and vegetables; loose not in sterile packaging and real with odd shapes not all uniform like you find in UK supermarkets. It tasted so much better than our over engineered stuff.

There was no litter and recycling was a easy and natural way of life.

When I got home there was a TV report about the 'reality have my kidney show' which pointed out that the UK had the worst organ transplant rate in Europe. This reminded me that I had recently heard that we have the worst recycling rate, worst teenage pregnancy rate, worst underage drinking rate, and amongst the 'older' EU countries the worst cancer survival rates. Perhaps it is time for this government, which loves league tables for others to publish, on a quarterly basis, league tables of how this country compares to the rest of Europe.

What would Nostradamus say about this

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Sun, 13 May 2007 20:24:00 GMT

I am sure that something earthshattering is about to happen. The signs started to appear on Thursday.

I got back from a three day business trip at about 8.30pm on Thursday and my teenage daughter cooked me some supper. On Friday she left for school on time with out having to be chased up at all. Friday evening she was in high spirits as she was going to a dance locally. She looked lovely and was dressed in something I aproved of. Things are definitely very strange.

Saturday was her 16th birthday and she was happy to go out that evening with the family for a meal. We had an absolutely wonderful time.

On Sunday she woke reasonably early (11.00am) was in a good mood and got on with her revision without being nagged. She even helped around the house and was very entertaining during supper.

I am absolutely convinced that something terrible of cataclysmic proportions is about to happen. The universe is obviously not in balance.

Different things; different people.

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:55:00 GMT

You may have read on the AMG website about Mary Laver's wheelchair adventure taking part in the Augrabies Extreme Marathon. I am part of the team helping Mary with this challenge and am already finding it a very rewarding experience. The great thing about doing something out of the ordinary is that you meet a whole new group of people. Mary herself is pretty amazing, she has not let being severely disabled stop her from living in her own home, her carers, who give so much, are great people to know as are her neighbours and friends. Yesterday I met another amazing person Mark Higgon. He used to be a steeplejack but eventually decided to give it up as it was a dangerous occupation and he had been doing it for a long time. Ironically shortly after giving up this work he had a motorbike accident and broke his back and is now wheelchair dependent. Despite this he is a very cheerful and friendly person and now runs his own company supplying power units for wheelchairs. Although the company is only just getting into a profitable situation Mark instantly offered to provide Mary with the necessary front extension for her wheelchair to turn it into a trike suitable to take on the Augrabies challenge. We are not using a powered unit as they only have a limited range. Mary's wheelchair will be pulled, pushed and carried through 150 miles of mainly desert terrain by a team of eight runners.

Mark has recently also started selling folding mountainbikes. These are not some sort of wacky, small wheeled weired machines, they are proper mountainbikes that just happen to fold so that you can pop them into the boot of your car with ease. They were originally designed for the American military. Take a look at the website www.teamhybrid.co.uk and check the bikes out.

Elephants and the Green Belt

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Fri, 04 May 2007 08:38:00 GMT

I have recently come back from South Africa where I ran in the 50 mile Addo Trail race. The race takes place in the Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape area of South Africa.

The Park is a great example of what can be done to conserve and protect the environment. Compared to South Africa the UK is shamefully inadequate in this area. South Africa has very impressive plans to increase the size of the park. When any farm in the area changes hands it has to be sold to the park authority, who then return it to a natural state. You may well think that it is easy for South Africa to do this because it has lots of land. That it true but it needs all the income it can get so losing valuable land is difficult but they have the vision to put long-term benefits before short-term economic gain. The development of the park is not driven by a desire to increase tourism but a genuine desrire to preserve what is good and to protect as may species as possible, whether it is the magnificent Elephant or the humble dung beetle. Apparently the park is home to the very rare flightless dung beetle.

We in the UK talk about conservation and green issues but continue to erode our countryside with new buildings and roads. Where are the plans to increase the size of the New Forest, develop Epping Forest etc? We need to do more.

It was great to be a child again.

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 12:20:00 GMT

I have recently joined a new running club, Lordshill Runners, and train with them on a Tuesday night when I am working in Southampton. Last night was the start of their summer training routine so it was all new to me and what a joy it was.

We jogged down to a local park and did some short sprints and some hill work before starting the fun part. In teams we sprinted the width of a football pitch then did 10 press-ups before sprinting back then repeated the process with star jumps, sit-ups and squat thrusts. This was followed by a chase up some steps around an old tree stump and down another flight of steps until we all got tired. That reminded me of my childhood uncomplicated and carefree. It was great to enjoy the simple pleasure of running about with a bunch of mates just for the fun of it.

It made a welcome change from more structured sessions and reminded me that life should be fun.

Work life balance

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:17:00 GMT

Just recently the work life balance thing has been tipped too much towards the work part. This weekend I managed to get some ‘me’ time, but that was not enough to restore things to equilibrium point; something was missing.

On Saturday, after working all day, in the evening I played croquet with friends then enjoyed lasagne alfresco. There are some that we should not be in Europe but Europe is certainly in us, even the great bastion of Englishness the Co-op is having an Italian food promotion. On Sunday I went for a lovely run along the Cotswolds Way with some running mates and revelled in the English countryside. Great views, green fields, cowslips, bluebells, pretty villages and lots, lots more that was quintessentially English. All that was missing were Englishmen and women, very few others were out enjoying the countryside.

I had a great weekend but something was missing. I arrived home at midnight on Sunday when the family were all asleep. On Monday morning I awoke to the normal routine; banned from the bathroom until the teenager had finished with it and on her way to school, then beaten to the bathroom by Charlotte who at ten and a half years is a little quicker of the mark than I am. That was what was missing – family life.

There has been a slight adjustment to the normal balance recently. Charlotte is a bit put out by the fact that her sister is now earning from a part-time job. Always resourceful she has decided to charge for doing jobs around the house and has published her rates. I was a little surprised when she asked my advice as to whether she should use an excel spreadsheet or a table in Word but I suppose that is what children do in primary school these days. I am looking forward to discussing economic theory with her and the price elasticity of demand. I am being charged 50p for her to make me a cup of tea but only £1 to get the car washed. She obviously knows what my priorities are.

I did something out of the ordinary yesterday.

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 10:18:00 GMT

Saturday was a great day. I had a lie-in and enjoyed a cup of coffee in bed chatting to my wife. The children were on good form, the sun shone, I had a lovely run, had a snooze in the hammock for the first time this year and in the evening met up with some friends, who were on holiday nearby, for a meal and great conversation in the local pub.

I also held my own personal memorial service for Lindsay Weight, a friend who died about six months ago at the age of 42. Easter Saturday is the date for the annual running of the Two Oceans ultra-marathon in Cape Town, South Africa, a race that Lindsay loved. Her club-mates and friends were holding a flower-laying ceremony during the race in her memory. I held my own private event in Cornwall, during my training run. After the event I thought about why I had done it, I had only met Lindsay less than a dozen times; I met her through a friend whom married her a few years ago. I have never held a private memorial for other people I have known, so why Lindsay? In the world of ultra-running she was a star, having won the ladies title at the prestigious Comrades Marathon, commentated on the event for both television and radio and written about it for many years. She lectured on physiology at Cape Town University and was a regular contributor to the Runner’s World magazine.

But for me none of that mattered, what mattered to me was that she was a very kind, giving person who treated everyone she met with respect. This can best be illustrated by the running advice she has given me. Despite her vast knowledge and experience when I asked her for advice she respected my experience and rather than just regurgitating her knowledge stopped and thought about what it was I did not know and what would help me the most.

When I asked about Comrades her advice was ‘smile’. She knew that if you smiled the crowd support you more enthusiastically and help you through the tough parts. She did not tell me to go slowly at the start, hydrate well and have a good nutrition strategy because she knew I knew that already. When I asked her advice about the Two Oceans ultra-marathon her advice was ‘run in the middle of the road’. She knew, and I didn’t, that the roads have a very step camber and this can cause severe hip and back pain which could sabotage your race.

And after she had given you the advice she used to reflect to make sure it was the best advice then say to herself in affirmation ‘yah’. Lindsay I remember you with great affection, you were a wonderful person.

Of mice and men - study shows exercises boosts brain power and may reduce risk of Alzheimer's

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 10:08:00 GMT

An article in the Daily Telegraph reported on recent research that showed aerobic exercise has a beneficial effect on a region of the brain the deals with learning and memory. This is one of the few areas of the brain where neurogenesis – the creation of nerve cells – takes place so helping to boost this area should slow down the memory decline that naturally occurs after the age of about 30. This is a great reason for people to rush to the internet to buy a copy of The Ed & Phil Runner’s Toolkit for Beginners (www.runthecountry.co.uk). After having thought how I could shamelessly exploit this piece of news for my own commercial gain I began to think more deeply and studied the reports a little more closely.

Two things caught my attention and have now given rise to some rather amusing images. Some of the research was conducted on people and some on mice and concluded that aerobic exercise such as running was beneficial whereas strength training such as push-ups had no effect. I now have this vision in my mind of a laboratory full of mice with one group running on treadmills, another doing bench presses and dead-lifts while another group (the control) are lounging about watching television and reading newspapers.

Every time I exercise in the gym now I have a stupid grin on my face as these images race across my mind. I might have a better brain because of all the exercise I do but fellow users of the gym now think I am completely senile. Thanks Daily Telegraph.

Life Coaches, chocolate teapots and poetry

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:33:00 GMT

When I exhibited at the One Life Live show in Olympia this March I met lots of interesting people, both members of the public and fellow exhibitors. One such person was a life coach who ran an organisation called Red Dandelion. I consider Life Coaches to be as useful as chocolate teapots, however I try and keep an open mind (after all I used to think that management consultants performed the same function as leeches. Now I pay the bills by being a management consultant for two days a week and I am sure that I ‘add value’). I signed up for Red Dandelion’s weekly e-newsletter (see I am open-minded). This week it was all about a silent retreat the proprietor had been on in Devon (vision of chocolate teapot firmly in mind). However Jennie mentioned a poem, The Invitation, that had touched a cord with her so I followed the link and read it (www.oriahmountaindreamer.com). I found the poem very thought provoking so thought I would share the final lines with you.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Parental responsibilities make me fly like a bird.

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 11:10:00 GMT

The Easter holidays and the children being home from school always disrupt our normal routine. Usually it is my wife who has to cope with the altered routines however; since I have been working for myself I can be more flexible and take on some of the child care responsibilities. Today my wife and older daughter are both working so Charlotte has been left in my care. Normally I go for a training run on a Thursday afternoon but today that is not possible, so I had to fit it in before breakfast while my wife was still at home.

Running first thing in the morning is hard as the body’s system have not yet fully woken up. Thursday means speed work and currently this involves running a mile fast resting for two minutes and running a mile fast again, repeating the process until I have run 6 miles. I was not looking forward to the session. As I ran along my warm-up route I enjoyed the clear blue sky, the sunshine, the birds twittering in the hedgerow, seeing two sweet little wrens and the splendid sight of all the primroses in the banks alongside our local lanes, but I was still not looking forward to the speed session.

When I reached the start of the first mile I stashed my water bottle in the hedge and a Buzzard flew over the hedge near by. It struggled to gain height but then caught a thermal and gracefully and effortlessly soared up into the sky. It circled a few times high above me then swooped away. It took this as an omen that my run would go well, I would fly through the session and run like the wind and guess what? I didn’t, every mile was a struggle. However the thought of finding the holy grail of running like the image I had in my mind helped me persevere and grind out those six mile efforts. I finished tired but satisfied with a job well done and thanked Mother Nature for once again supplying a great running coach. Thank you Buzzard.

I am now looking forward to an enjoyable day with Charlotte.

Hoisted by my own petard

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:01:00 GMT

We are all sources of great advice but very seldom take our own advice, I am no exception but recently have been rather forced to follow my own advice. I have co-authored the Ed & Phil Runner’s Toolkit for Beginners and feel duty bound to follow the advice given in the Toolkit.

I advised people that if they do not feel like running on a particular day that they should still go out for 10 minutes then see how they feel. About 90% of the time after ten minutes you feel fine and keep running, the others times it is right to stop. The other day I really did not feel like doing my planned gym session but dragged myself down there so I could follow the ‘ten minute rule’. I had a 10,000 metre row on the indoor rower planned and started off in a less than enthusiastic mood, unfortunately after 10 minutes although I did not want to go on there was no valid reason to give up so I had to persevere. I was rewarded by knocking 54 seconds off my best ever time.

Later that day I did not feel like doing my planned swim session but once again implemented the ‘ten minute rule’ and secretly thought I would do a great session in view of what happened in the morning. I swam like a barge and hated every second.

Moral: Take your own advice and reap the rewards when they come but, they have to come to you – you cannot expect them.

Runners are different

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 12:00:00 GMT

For years I have known that long distance runners are different from other people but have never found the words to express how. My wife who has a better command of the English language than I has no problem expressing her opinion of runners "You are insane". That may be true but it somehow lacked the eloquence I was looking for.

Last night I came across a quotation that has opened my eyes.

"We forget our pleasures, we remember our sufferings."
(Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC; Pro Murena)

You see long distance runners are the reverse of that. Every year I run the 55 mile Comrades marathon in South Africa and have fond memories of the excitement at the start, Chariots of Fire playing, the traditional cock crow at the start, the children collecting discarded t-shirts, the support of the crowds, the view as you run past the valley of a thousand hills, the smell of the braais, the chats with fellow runners, the comraderie and a lot, lot more. I always forget that in ultra-running you do not hit the wall; it collapses on you at about 40 miles. You hurt all over and the pain is so deep it speaks to you with an Australian accent and you still have 15 miles to run to get to the finish.

Yes ultra-runners are wired differently from other folk.

"We forget our sufferings, we remember our pleasures" ( Edward Chapman 1954 - still going strong)

Out of the mouths' of babes

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 09:30:00 GMT

For some reason I was thinking about the origin of my login name this morning and I though I would share the information with you. Edwardflik is the name I use for a lot of things and has a great significance. Edward is my name and Flik is the name of a character in the film A Bug’s Life. My youngest daughter told me that I was just like Flik. This filled me with pride because in the film Flik challenges tradition, is resourceful, stands up to the aggressors and saves the day. In short he is a hero. Wow my daughter thinks I am like Flik!

A few months after adopting the name Charlotte and I were watching the film again and I asked her which part made her think I was like Flik. She answered “You know the bit where he is trying to explain something to the young ant who doesn’t understand and he gets agitated and raises his voice. Well that is just like you when you explain things to me.” The noise was deafening as my balloon burst, it rained cats and dogs on my parade and there was a mighty roar of wind as my ego deflated. Some well know phrases came to mind – ‘Out of the mouths’ of babes…’ – ‘O to see ourselves as others see us…’ – ‘Pride comes before a fall’ – ‘Never fish for compliments’.

I have since recovered, as I soon realised that Charlotte still comes and ask me to explain things despite her opinion of my style. Now when I explain things patiently she sometimes smiles and says “Dad you are supposed to shout”

A silent night

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 18:24:00 GMT

Last night was very unusual. Both of my children were out of the house on sleepovers. My wife and I decided to take the opportunity to pop down the local pub for a quiet drink. It was nice to chat to each other in a relaxed atmosphere and to meet up with some people we had not seen for some time. We had both had a busy week so went home after two drinks. We could not face the thought of cooking so had cuppa soup and cheese sandwiches before going to bed early.

The house was strangely silent, it is silent when the children are asleep, but without them there the silence was different, somehow it seemed empty and cold. Then two owls started calling to each other and I found the sound comforting. My mood improved and I thought about my daughters and imagined what they were doing. I could see Charlotte in her sleeping bag on her best friend’s bedroom floor. They were chatting in excited whispers in case they were heard and told to go to sleep. It was great to think of Charlotte enjoying the company of a friend and building a relationship that may last for a lifetime.

I then thought about Holly who had gone into Bude to hear some of her school-friends play in a band then stay with a friend. I thought about her dancing, chatting and smiling just like I had done over 30 years ago when I was a few years older than she is now. It is good to know that in this age of the internet, MP3 players, instant messaging and Bebo some things haven’t changed. I drifted off into a contented sleep.

I awoke early to a silence that was peaceful and I thought of my children sleeping contentedly. I got up with a spring in my step looking forward to the rest of the day and to hearing those magical words ‘Hi Dad’.

I am glad I am free

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 09:05:00 GMT

On Wednesday I stayed in a hotel near London City Airport and went for a run around Canary Wharf. As I ran past the stainless steel columns and glass edifices that are temples to money I felt strangely free. I was not part of this world, not trapped by its conventions and demands; I ran free.

Because I was not part of their world no one noticed me even though I was wearing an orange day glow t-shirt with a fluorescent logo. I ran in my own world separated from their bright lights and shiny facades. No one saw the joy in my heart. Shining over the Millennium Dome was a green laser, the last time I had seen something similar was during the 50 mile stage of the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert when a laser was used to help guide runners through the night. Memories came flooding back of that epic run. Memories of running for hours on end and not seeing a living thing, just mile after mile after mile of burning sand. The cold, dark nights with the heavens crammed full of thousands and thousands of stars. The incredible pain of severely blistered feet; the determination to keep going and the elation of crossing the finish line.

The executives in the buildings towering above me might have expensive Mercedes, lavish expense accounts and big bonuses but I know who is richer. As I ran I thought about my wealth of memories and thought about the jewels in the crown. The day my first child was born and seeing her cradled in my wife’s arms. Watching my second daughter being born and seeing my wife’s face as she gazed lovingly at her. There can be nothing more beautiful than the tender but powerful love a woman has for her child. But my most powerful and precious memory is of being waken early in the morning by a fractious toddler and watching cartoons with her. Later being joined by her older sister and sitting with an arm around each of them the richest and happiest man in the world.

My memories shine like the biggest and brightest diamonds, no one will ever have enough money to buy these treasures.

On Thursday morning I took the Docklands Light Railway into town. As we passed the Bank of America building I saw trapped behind the glass people running on treadmills in the third floor gym.

I am glad I run free.

The Male EVA weight scale

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:57:00 GMT

The male EVA scale differs from the femaile scale for two reason. Men and women are genetically different and I have no desire to cuddle men so there is no NAC (nice and cuddly classification)

The scale

N = normal

ALP = a little podgy

F = fat

OMG = oh my god

T = thin

W = weedy

S = skeleton ( I do not think there are any male supermodels)

The blog does have a serious side to it. The increasing levels of obesity are a very real problem and there are signs that the political correct lot want to find all sorts of ways to prevent people being described as fat.

Eating healthy meals and taking exercise are the answer.

Disturbing observation

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:35:00 GMT

The trip in to work (hotel to client's office) was uneventful so I thought I would write about my visit to the shops yesterday. I may be a bit contoversial.

I popped down to Tesco home plus to buy some new earphones for my 10 year old daughter's MP3 player (there's a couple of subjects to go on about Tesco's attempt to dominate everything shopping related and children with high tech equioment we never had) Anyhow back to the main point.

In Tesco home plus, Southampton, most of the customers were, for the want of a better word fat, and it started me worrying about the health of the nation. Being only 13 years away from retirement age (although I do not think I will ever retire) I do worry about the ability of those coming up behind me to be in work and paying enough taxes to fund the NHS so that any demand I might make on the health service can be met. If they are all overweight that means, diabetes, heart attacks and all sorts of other problems that mean they will be a drain on the NHS rather than paying for it.

The Body Mass Index scale has been critised lately as being not fit for purpose (there is another subject to go on about; the overuse of the phrase not fit for purpose). I have therefore invented a new scale the EVA (Edward's Visual Assessment). There is a male and female version to take account of genetic differences.

Female

N = normal ( a very wide part of the scale encompassing a range of body shapes

NAC = nice and cuddly ( a little more weight than normal )

F = fat (self explanatory)

OMG = Oh My God

T = Thin

SI = Stick Insect

SM = Super model

A different start to the day.

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:14:00 GMT

Today’s journey was a little different than yesterday’s; I had to be up at 5.00 am to drive to Southampton. This obviously took a little longer than the normal 12 second commute from bedroom to office. It did have its compensations I watched a fantastic sunrise as an orangey-red disc rose slowly through the gentle mist that cloaked the Wiltshire countryside.

I am hoping for a better day than yesterday, which was a bit of a curate’s egg. It started well deteriorated, got better sank again and finally improved.

The first task of the day was to order some new advertising material, quite simple except my supplier’s phone number was unobtainable. I had hoped that it would be a case of ‘internet to the rescue’ but the BT fault report of the website was not working and frustratingly kept suggesting refreshing the page which did not work. Giving a telephone number to call might have helped. However, given my experience a few days earlier it might not have done. My broadband connection went down and the help screen said called our freephone helpline and quote reference so and so. I did and after selecting 1 for enquires about the number I was calling from, 3 for fault enquires, and 2 for broadband faults I was told to dial an entirely different number. This wasn’t a freephone number and seemed to be a call centre in India who had not got the foggiest idea what the reference number was for and could only suggest reloading all the software. Why do companies insist on talking about customer service and helplines or helpdesks when they help and service do not come into the equation.

I was now late for my swim session but decided I could still get 30 mins in before the end of the lane swim session. Problem number two, arrived at the pool and there was no money in my wallet. There had been lots on Saturday evening before my wife borrowed some for an evening out with our eldest daughter. She told me she had taken some money I had rather foolishly assumed she would have left me some. How do women manage to put up with such fools as husbands?

Things did then get better; I had a great gym session, came home and got a good amount of work done. The girls came back from school in a good mood. Started to prepare for my trip the following day, including making some rolls up to eat in the car for breakfast. Unfortunately I left the kitchen for a few seconds and one of the dogs ate the rolls.

The evening did pick-up when we all sat down to eat. Good food and good company can be a great tonic for a not so good day.

Great - delayed on the journey to work

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 07:56:00 GMT

For most of my working life I have had a long commute to work either by rail or car. I have suffered delays on many of those journeys as a result of flooding in the 'Wadhurst Tunnel', 'signal failure at Tonbridge' or 'operating difficulties. More recently it has been 'an accident near Clacket Lane Services', 'road works on the A217 slip road' or just unexplained queues of traffic.

Since starting my own business the commute has been much quicker. Left out of the bedroom door and along the landing, down the stairs, past the kitchen and into what was once a small dining-room. It is now the nerve-centre of Run the Country and Ed & Phil Publishing. Total journey time 12 seconds. This morning there was a rather lengthy delay at the bottom of the stairs; my youngest daughter wanted a cuddle.

Being self-employed can be difficult; not knowing if you will have enough income to pay the bills, having to do your own typing, being the accounts department, the marketing department, offices services, the IT bloke (I put an anorak on and drink coke to play that role). You are also in charge of stationery ordering, cleaning, complaints, billing, credit control, PR, pest control, taxation, planning, strategy (on no have not got one of those), business planning, continuity planning, out-sourcing, telecommunications, fire-fighting (planning obviously not that good) and putting the cat out (or is that part of fire-fighting). But it does have its upsides; cuddles with loved ones on the way to work, being there when they get home from school and being able to decide if you have the afternoon off to go into school to see your children's work. I love it, who needs money when you have great memories of time spent with your children.

The second day of my blogging life.

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 11:02:00 GMT

Somehow my blogging life sounds a little rude and appears to indicate I do not like life much. Actually my life is great and gets better the older I get. Let me give you an example.

First though a little explanation in case you get the wrong idea. I have been married for 22 years and have been faithful all that time and intend being faithful until I die.

I like women and take a healthy interest in them. When I was about 18 my interest was in women between the ages of about 17 and 24. Now that I am 52 the range goes from about 22 to 55 so as I get older the chance for rich and rewarding experiences increases greatly.

Another advantage of getting older is that having had plenty of life experiences and overcome many adversities you are better prepared to take on the challenges of ultra-marathon running (distances beyond the 26.2 mile standard marathon). Youngsters just have not got the mental fortitude. I am part of an eight person team that later on this year will push Mary Laver in her wheelchair across 150 miles of the Kalahari in the Augrabies Extreme Marathon. I know that there will be times when I will be exhausted, hot and close to the limit, but will be able to shrug off the annoying habits of my team mates and form a strong bond with them. Why is it then that my wife's inability to put the toilet roll on the holder the right way round winds me up intensely. The right way round is with the paper unrolling to the front away from the wall; the wrong way round leaves the paper close to the wall.

I know that I am not the only one with this pet hate, after all there are 60 million people in the country and I am not that unique, but nobody ever talks about it. Why is that.

Owning horses can have an upside

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:10:00 GMT

Wow I got out of doing the gardening! It's spring, it's sunny it's Saturday so it must be gardening (well Tizwas is no more), but today the girls wanted to ride so my wife and children have disappered off to the stables leaving me free to do whatever I like.

For years I have cursed the four-legged equine cash guzzlers but now they do not seem so bad. I am still going to arrange for all my money to go directly into the vet's bank account and ask him to give me a small allowance. However, now I can see the benefit everytime it looks like gardening time I will just say "How lovely it would be to ride on a day like this" and sit back and enjoy my freedom.

So what did I do with my unexpected free time? I went out on my bike, the London Triathlon looms large and my cycling is not that good. It was great except for the fact that I had to keep steering around great mounds of horse droppings.

I think I will start one of those petitions thins on the government website demanding Tony Blair brings in a new law about clearing up horse poo. I am sure he will agree he seems to love bringing in new laws unless of course he can tax it.

My Very first blog entry

edwardflik@hotmail.com — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 12:40:00 GMT

At the age of 52 I thought it was about time I conquered the world of blogging so with great excitement started out; only to receive the following error message.

A critical error has occurred.
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

I am now off to Nepal to find a wise man in a cave to tell me what "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" means.

Fortunately those nice people at AMG have sorted the problem by rebooting the server. I have a nasty feeling that that some politically correct youngster with metalwork through their nose will report AMG for server abuse.

If this works I will be back later with some further ramblings. Unfortunately it is sunny, a Saturday and spring so I know that my wife's mind will turn to gardening and I will be expected to participate.