Logistics nightmare

There's something to be said for doing a home marathon. You know how to get there, you speak the language, and your favourite fluffy toy or tshirt is around if that's what you need hours before the start line.

The realities of an overseas marathon are a bit more stressful. I've learned how to write asthma in Greek, have a laminated tag on my shoelace saying "salt, water, sugar, ambulance". I've worked out how to get round the train strike, and to get from the finish line to the hotel, but not from the airport to anywhere.

There's an airport muzak playlist needed, then a "I can't sleep the night before playlist", a meditation playlist, a running playlist...

I have to battle with the iron to get my name on my tshirt. In Greek and in English. It doesn't help that I broke the iron last week. It does help that Rowena in Greek is Pobena.

And then there's the suitcase. Not wanting to spend the day before dodging striking staff members and translating hayfever, my baggage contains:

• spare running kit.
  
• tshirts that you would only wear at a marathon (big oversize American style running slogans)
• massage oil, arnica gel, deep heat, massage sticks, strange foot toys, belt for reaching hamstrings, vaseline
  
• a handful of ibubrofen, immodium and various other tablets for any imaginable ailment
• comfort food
• an array of electrical gadgets, chargers, ipods, phones, heart rate monitors, running chips, adaptors and batteries.

You get the idea...