As you can probably imagine, not everything that happens during the race makes it on to the blog. Sometimes this is due to available time, sometimes to a lack of firm information and sometimes because I, William or the crew prefer to keep information private.

One thing that I didn’t mention yesterday, but (in the best traditions of hackneyed journalism everywhere) which I can “exclusively reveal” today is that Alan, William’s crewman, was’t just off track resting, he had actually been taken to hospital following an accident and William was insisting he took time to recover.

Alan is now back to his crewing, soldiering on, and I have been chatting to him over email this morning.

Alan said

“Well at least I have added to the variety of the event. I don’t know much info William has given you. But what happened was this.

When on his last lap before William broke the WORLD 1000 mile M55 record, I set up the video recorder at the chip line and all ready to just press the record button. Located my stopwatches, and had both ready.

I was also monitoring / encouraging Abichal [more on that in another post]. At the last moment I went back in the building to get a spare battery for my camera, and I as I was running back to the circuit ran straight into a glass door (at I think 10kph).
Result
1) I missed William crossing the chip match to set another World record (but I think I had started the video),
2) Broke my nose.
3) Cut my face above the nose.
4) The race lady doctor was fantastic, and stemmed the flow of blood on
site.
5) Taken to the local Glafada hospital [Alan isn’t sure of the spelling] who just looked at my face and said “(nose) broken, you will have tol go to another hospital.”
5) The Race Director somehow managed to get an appointment right away.
6) The journey, firstly by car, into what semed to be some sort of race with no rules, then on 4 different tube trains, to the hospital. Greeted by one of the nightine volenteers who had been manning the refreshment tent at ther race.
7) A wonderful doctor, who had just returned from a tour of Scotland, who kindly put 4 stiches into my head wound, and with a couple of tweaks straigthenout my nose a little.
8) Then the return by the same crazy journey back to the race.

Had a lovely large meal, endured a lot of good houmoured banter, and headed to the sleeping bag, and slept from 8pm to 6am.

Now fully recovered, and had a geat mornings work with William – but my injury receives more attention anyway as brusing and a patched up face is more visual !!!

I must thank the Race Director, Race Doctor, and all the other helpers, the runners and their “Crews”, for being so kind and helfpul.
However I am not to sure about the suggested headline

SICHEL BREAKS WORLD RECORD – CREW BREAKS NOSE”

[Personally I thought it was too good to waste]. Alan concludes –

“So back to business”

More coming up shortly

Shaun