Hi all,

Well it's been a good couple of weeks since my last post, and I'm happy with my training and racing. I leave for Doha on Monday morning after a quick burn-up around Wimbledon on Sunday as part of a 2 hour run. Apparently I will have fellow Runnerslife blogger Ryan Mcleod to contend with which will be a challenge but ultimately good for me as the harder I run the better! It will be 11 days before the marathon so a good sharpener.

I've been training in the heat chamber down at St. Mary's twice a week for the past 2 weeks. I've been keeping the runs easy and have been running around 30 degrees and 65% humidity. It's impossible to tell if it's making any difference of course but I've certainly been working up a sweat and that's the point of it - it;s to get the body used to sweating to regulate temperature. It sounds like Doha will be around 40 degrees so I should get a pretty hefty top-up on the acclimatisation there too! A big thanks to Mick Woods and Charlie Pedlar who have sorted out me going to St. Mary's. The journey has been made easier by the discovery of Peggy's Pantry next to Strawberry Hill station. She even knows I want HP with my bacon butty after just 3 visits! Work have been fine about me rocking up at 11.30am as well which is great. Some would argue they should probably care more if I was any good, but let's not go there!

It looks like the Commonwealth Games is coming together! Scotland are out there and saying it's all good so I think it was a storm in a teacup situation. However I'm not saying anything until I'm there and have seen my room! I have superstrong insect repellent, Immodium, rehydration sachets and will be avoiding mosquitoes and all water that isn't in a bottle like the plague. As it probably is the plague.

I REALLY hope that there are monkeys guarding me as the Telegraph have reported this week! That would make my year.

Right, I'll be updating in Doha - anything in particular you want to know, give us a shout! Please no more abuse as I have been receiving on my 6 stage report though please. It makes me look bad :P

Ben