26 things learnt in the past 5 months.

1. arcade fire & doves make the best running music

2. flaming lips make the worst

3. crossing 2 drains doesn't mean good luck. (see nr 24)

4. it IS possible to run slower than a walker up shooters hill

5. cafes in docklands dont let you use their toilets for free

6. shopkeepers in docklands dont let you use their toilets for free

7. pubs in docklands dont let you use their toilets for free

8. running with a full bladder is hard

9. pat hort is a master salesman (see nr 16)

10. duck if you dont want to hit your head in greenwich foot tunnel

11. sitting in the emirates is much more fun than running 12 laps of it

12. woolwich high street is no place for runners

13. if she doesn't make it in banking, bailey can make twice as much in baking

14. don't let your scaletrix cars go for cheap, they are worth big money

15. 2 doctors, a nurse & a physio can do no better for kneeknack than resting can

16. people at bootfairs will buy 6 year old sunderland away kits

17. give james an inch on an uphill & he'll take a mile

18. never do laps of avery hill park, passing the new eltham grill once is hard enough

19. schoolkids are all height-ist

20. don't trust jimbos sense of direction in tooting

21. jaegerbombs do nothing for your fitness

22. never go running when the last song you heard on the radio was flo-rider

23. the new eltham joggers are machines

24. you can't outrun the smell of dog poo on shoes

25. cold baths are equally as unforgiving as the hill in greewich park 

26. mac in full length lycra is a glorious sight 

The Comeback Kids

After a long, painful, frustrating four weeks on the sofa, New Eltham saw the return of Marathon Jim to their pavements last night. As if this wasn't exciting enough for the residents of suburbia, they were also treated to the sight of a ghost in shorts for the first time in almost two months. Tiny Tom was presumed dead after contracting a particularly nasty case of the deadly knee-knack virus which has blighted the boys preparations for this years race.

Despite their long absence the residents of the magic triangle were quick to fall into the comfortable old support routine of heckling, shouting, attempting to trip and throwing debris at their London Marathon representatives. In one particularly touching case, a young and clearly overwhelmed lad raced alongside his hero but could only manage ten metres before returning to the safety of his bus stop.

This sort of thing doesn't happen in Richmond, the worst you lot have to deal with is a hill!

Despite the delights of half-term, Tom clocked up a steady base of ten miles and James put in a dream comeback eighteen. With tapering delayed by a week, the scallies and hoodlums of SE9 will get another chance to attack the Wrights before they begin to rest up for the big one in just three weeks time.

That DAMN hill!!!

So it's sunday the sun is shining, everyone is smiling, the picnic baskets are out, oh what a glorious day...UNLESS you're about to run 22 miles!! oh yes folks it's the day of the 'big run', and the final big run.

Sarah and I both decide to attempt richmond park alone so we can run at our own paces - sarah's being fast and my pace is more one where i know i will still be alive at the end.

I think all the marathon runners in london were in richmond, everyone had their chairty tops on, red laces and scared faces - a truly great atmosphere

Sarah comfortably maaged her 3 laps bouncing along like tigger in her new trainers in an amazing time!! I am happy to still be alive but proud as punch that i managed 'that hill' three times!! it was as much fun as having my wisdom teeth pulled out!!

But WE DID IT!!! and sarah and i are now sat watching kids movies with sore feet and hot water bottles!! only 3 weeks until the marathon!!! bring it on!!

kilimanjaro? pah, you havent seen wimbledon hill on a wet wednesday...

and in other news...seven thousand pounds, celebrities, and you lovely people do it again!

sorry sir, if your name isnt down...

psst, have you heard? we've got some pretty damn exciting news! We've done a spot of research and it turns out that people that give to teamellis are more generous, intelligent, witty and beautiful when compared to EVERYONE else. Furthermore, it gets better - initial findings reveal that, post donation, their jokes got funnier, their trains were less likely to be delayed, their toast always landed butter side up and they had much better sex. Gran must be having a blinding time. 

However, unfortunately it looks like some slebs have caught wind of the new teamellis wonderdrug, and are desperate to get access to this special VIP group. You may have spotted lurking at the velvet rope of despair, (but definitely NOT on a school night 'arry) trying desperately to catch the eye of our burly doorman and fending off the interest of screechy nicki from big brother. Fortunately, for your safety, we've managed to catch the worst offenders and post their mugshots on our flikr site. If you do see them, do not approach them, slowly walk away and when in a safe place, contact the appropriate authorities. They are not thought to be dangerous (except if you are female and you encounter callum best) but they will not stop at anything to steal your membership. Sadly they don't understand that you've either got it or you havent... Regularly check our site to keep updated with new faces to look out for

Finally, a huge thank you to all the new members of team ellis club. We are in seventh heaven (see what I am doing there?) that we've hit seven thousand pounds in this, our seventh week. It truly is a staggering amount of money and will make a huge contribution to the ongoing work of CLIC Sargent. We are all genuinely humbled by the generosity of each and every one of you towards this fantastic cause and cant wait to do you all proud on the day. Have a great weekend!

listen here barlow, what did i say? you may have well walked up kilimanjaro but are you on the team ellis list? quit your bleating and get back to the end of the line...and take van outen with you. sheesh, they'll try anything....

no celebrities were harmed in the making of this blog

THATS HALFWAY!

hark? what can I hear over yonder hillock? its not...no really...are you serious?! Folks, drum roll please because that big pat on the back you just felt and warm feeling inside you are experiencing means we've only gone and hit halfway!

3-0 to Milan in the attaturk stadium in 2005, godfather part 2, a glass half full (or half empty, depending on how you look at it), 6ft from the ground on Tom...all famous halfway points. and from this moment on we can proudly add 6th march 2009 as another heroic landmark because BOOOOOOM.... the lovely, generous, funny and may I say extraordinarily perceptive people (see their comment) at World Travel Awards helped us burst through our halfway target of £6125. 

Wow. That really is a huge amount of money and we are all humbly grateful for and overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone thats has donated so far. CLIC truly is an amazing charity who help countless children and their families every year, and its a real privilege to be doing something that helps them carry on their fantastic work. 

We are now doubly determined to hit our overall target of £12,250 by the time we get to the startline. We have set ourselves a target of £1,000 a week and if you havent donated yet, please please please log on to www.justgiving.com/teamellis and give whatever you can, its all massively appreciated.

Thank you so much, you are all absolute heroes and we really, really couldn't be doing this without you.

A Special Thank You

Team Ellis

We wouldn't normally do this but we felt that a special thank you was due after a spectacularly generous donation hit our page on Sunday morning. A sweepstake was held during the speeches at Nic and Stu's wedding this weekend with the winners pocketing a cool £120 in loot.

The delighted recepients of this windfall, Helen and Steve received the money and barely had a chance to count it before pledging the whole lot (plus a little more!) to our marathon cause. A phenomenal donation from a couple we had been introduced to a matter of minutes earlier.

Go Team Helsandsteve, it is hugely appreciated, you absolute legends!

Week Eight: Friday Club

With Nic and Stu's wedding this weekend, Bails, Jimbo and Mac agreed that Hangover-Sunday was a no-go for a 17 mile run. Instead they decided that as the rest of the team were suffering with various injuries and excuses (Chris was tumbling down snow covered green-runs, Tom is still recovering from Knee-knack, Gemma picked up a Gingerbarnet-knack and was off for an emergency operation back at the hairdressers and Pat had been called up to the Wales Squad at the last minute to face the French, good luck with that mate) that they should complete the arduous run on Friday night.

With the mornings hangover firmly consigned to the memory thanks to a busy day's fundraising, Matt and James set off from Philosophy Towers with the wind on their backs and the sun in their faces. This quickly turned into sweat covered backs and red faces but for two minutes it all seemed perfect.

Sarah's ingenius idea was for the boys to circle the London Bridge to Vauxhall lap anti-clockwise and for her to do the same route clockwise, this would ensure they passed each other for a motivational high-five at least once before each member of the team left the route for a run home. Amazingly this ploy worked and the boys were lucky enough to avoid bumping into Miss B as she flew towards them twice. They were of course caught in her jetstream as she blazed on but the stinging palm they were left with reminded us of the famous Team Ellis spirit.

James turned off for home after one lap and made his way down the Old Kent Road, through New Cross, Lewisham, Lee, Hither Green and all stations to New Eltham. Matt on the other hand completed a second lap before scaling the mighty Tulse Hill. A gradient so daunting that Sir Edmund Hillary once remarked 'Blimey that's steep'.

Overal a good 17 mile run was had by all, with three guests hobbling into the church the next morning desperate for a sit down.