I can’t thank everyone enough. All of you who supported my Virtual London Marathon run; as donations kept coming in, I kept running when I was sorely tempted to stop. Almost inevitably, running to protect my achilles caused my knees to start complaining and afterward my glutes joined in with the protest. Starting at midnight, running through streams of water in the dark, try to run rather than walk. For some reason I’m reminded of a poem by Spike Milligan called Silly Old Baboon.
There was a Baboon
Who, one afternoon,
Said, ‘I think I will fly to the sun.’
So, with two great palms
Strapped to his arms,
He started his take-off run.
Mile after mile
He galloped in style
But never once left the ground.
‘You’re running too slow,’
Said a passing crow,
‘Try reaching the speed of sound.’
So he put on a spurt –
By God how it hurt!
The soles of his feet caught fire.
There were great clouds of steam
As he raced through a stream
But he still didn’t get any higher.
Racing on through the night,
Both his knees caught alight
And smoke billowed out from his rear.
Quick to his aid
Came a fire brigade
Who chased him for over a year…
I managed the 26.2 miles today but if you want to know what happened to Baboon, you’ll have to read ‘A Book of Milliganimals’, and I hope Spike’s estate don’t mind me quoting this excerpt, it just seemed such a perfect fit.
Once again, thanks to so many for such vital support. Remember, it is okay not to be ok. Please speak to someone you trust if ever you need to. This world is a better place because you are here.
Ian Russell
