Germany is always how I imagined it.... very organised people, very clean towns, and lots of Mercedes cars!

I flew over to Düsseldorf late Saturday afternoon and arrived about 19.00pm due to the extra hour time difference where they picked me up right on time to take me to the hotel, stopping at a bar for food with the other athletes who had already made it to the town.

The two other British athletes (Jon Wills and Matt O'Dowd) had already finished their pasta but waited for me and then we walked the short distance over to the hotel. I was rooming with Matt but soon after putting the bags down I realised I had left my phone in the mini bus!! Not a lot I could do but wait till morning to ring the organiser to let him know in case the driver finds it.

8am (actually 7am due to time difference) we went for a little run in the nearby forest for 20minutes, we quickly noticed this place was like the 'Truman show' as every garden was perfect. After breakfast and the European dish of chocolate spread on toast we went up to watch the Marathon on eurosport. We sort of flicked on and off but it looked a good day and Andi Jones ran really well from what we found of the results (haven't looked yet since I have got back).

The races in Europe seem to be catered for the spectator in the fact it is always laps of a town so that people can watch a lot of the race while they have a barbecue and a few beers which is fine as it always gets good crowds then for the race. After about 6 hours of different races we were up and it's was bloody hot!! Jon's girlfriend had done the 5k and said 'beware its warm out there' but I thought it cant be that bad but good god after half way me, like the others were turning a bright shade of red!

{read race report}

After the race the other Brits caught a quick flight home where I stayed another night so enjoyed dinner with Natalia (a Ukraine girl who didn't speak a word of English, It was an interesting conversation!) and then retired to my hotel and watched 'Clover field' on the itouch, which if your going to watch it then don't bother as its terrible.

So before I caught a flight home on the Monday I thought Id run in the forest but after a few lefts....the rights.....the loops I realised I didn't have a clue where I was! I came out of the trees and hit a road that didn't look anything like the one I went in off, so for the next 20minutes and a lot of asking for the 'centre' I made it back. A 45minute run was stretched to 1hour 5minutes but at least I got back because I one point I had resigned myself to living in exile in Germany in some forest living off the land like Crocodile Dundee!