The final countdown

I checked the Istanbul Marathon website for some information today and they have a new website that is mildly more this century. One of the new features is a counter that turns over as the days, hours, minutes and seconds pass to the marathon. Seconds! I ask you, who needs that kind of information?! Because I am sure I'm not alone in finding that days and seconds only seek to instil a kind of thrilling fear that there is not enough time.

I've downgraded from the Marathon to the 15km race so actually you'd think I have plenty of time. Well I got another cold the other day so I've spent three days full of snot and fever. Which has cost me a couple of runs and a swim.

I've got a good supply of decongestants and cold tables for tomorrow for a 10km run, a distance I used to do in my sleep. Having mapped it on mapmyrun, I realise that it isn't going to be easy to not blow my nose for an hour.

But at least 10km is only 5km short of what I have to run in Istanbul to take me from Asia to Europe ("let's meet where the Continents meet" says the website). And my training runs will actually cover a half marathon. So as long as I don't get sick again in the 35 hours 15 hours, 39 minutes and 20 seconds that remains I should be ok.