Jo Herrings Adventures

Its taken much consideration on how to write my marathon blog. It feels like there was 42.2 different themes that appeared for me on the day. From flat out denial, early bird wakeups before a marathon, perhaps over resting prior to race day, extreme use of meditation, body to brain pacing (instead of watch interrogation). Toilet management with a case of the upset tum. How to manage heat and whirling wind over 42.2km Treating endometriosis at 22km of a marathon. Dealing with the crowds when you are seemingly the only runner left on the road and they would rather cross the street than wait for a slow coach runner while there were no cars on the street. When all the small cheering children make you desperately homesick for your own nieces and nephew. How to run in a foreign country whilst you don't understand the supporters cries. How to converse in English, Spanish and Italian during the course of a marathon. The love and support from around the world that motivates you in the fi...

I joked with my friends as I left for my Big Adventure that the countdown to London2012 Olympics was simply their countdown to my return. And what a return party I had! I was greeted at Heathrow by an army officer at immigration bought on to manage the influx of visitors who moaned about not being able to get gravy on his chips in London and asked me where I might be able to find some given I'd clearly lived here for years! Then to the open arms of my sister, Liz. My Olympics kicked off in style with a party with my family with Alwine & Ray coming all the way from Invercargill, New Zealand for the occasion. Delightfully I had my London-nephew Desmond on my knee to watch the Opening Ceremony which was the warmest welcome I could have hoped for. The following day was spent at Victoria Park enjoying the footage of the games on the Big Screen from outside amongst the people. Disappointed by all the advertisements and large gaps in screening the footage I decided not to head ba...

national pride in full swing And my first day home. I woke early with the sun at 4.45am with the curse of long distance travel - jetlag. So I put on my last clean dry clothes and my trainers and went for a walk around the neighbourhood.  My neighbourhood isn't like any other in the world this week. Nor is it the same as it was a year ago. I live in East London, the hosts of the 2012 Olympics. Olympic Stadium from the Canal And what a difference a year makes and an injection of overwhelming funds! My local park will play host to a huge video screen showing the games (I'm excited to be having my welcome home party there) and has a beautiful portrait exhibition along the arenas temporary walls of Londoners hailing from all around the world.  Olympic Athletes greet me of a morning On my walk around the borough I found new adventure parks, a lake side organic cafe (with its token Kiwi staff), a group of runners from around the world all gleefully saying "good...

Kolkata (Calcutta) is a city which has always intrigued me. Not so often seen in the global news now with the two other major cities of India taking the headlines Mumbai, capital of Bollywood and Delhi, the political capital, Kolkata was once the capital during the Raj years. And the home town of my good friend Partho Bhattacharya from London. I arrived in Kolkata on a delayed train from Hyderabad in central India – a mere 28 hours in the making, with a family of 5 adults doting over a 9month old who knew exactly how to play to her audience. I had taken refuge in the upper berth and taken to reading, sleeping and dreaming up some fantastical business ideas to kill time. Sudipto, my fellow 3AC mate, helped me find a government taxi to town to what seemed like the last room on a Saturday night in the LP. As we stood in the orderly queue for taxi’s a little girl asked my name. When I shook her hand “hello” she turned my hand over and kissed it…seriously what a sweeter way to be wel...