Where should we run a mile?
- 2 Jul 06, 10:30 PM
HOHENSYBURG - Unfortunately at some point before Ricco and I leave Germany and head for home we have to run a mile for Sport Relief.
I say unfortunately because after close to a month of consuming meat in the same quantities as your average German - and let us be honest sneaking the odd beer along the way - I no longer feel able to guarantee that I could run the distance without doubling over, throwing up etc etc.
The actual , in which as many people as possible run the distance at same time all over Britain to raise money for charity, takes place on Saturday 15 July.
We want to run ours (well, actually have been told that we will) while we are in Germany.
And so with this in mind we are looking for ideas as to a venue where we should do this.
I’m thinking perhaps a downhill slope or some cool, shaded forest.
One idea that I do quite like came towards the bottom of this post, comment 18, and is one possibility - but if you can think of anything better…
Please bear in mind that we are in the Ruhr Valley at the moment and so we are very much looking at somewhere in this region.
By the way, if you are the person - by the name of Penny - who made the suggestion in comment 18 and happen to read this entry it would be great if you could supply a few more details.
I guess the best thing would be to run around a track - but we don't exactly know how many laps a mile is - so if someone could supply us with the details...
I guess the silver lining is that at least we are not swimming the English Channel - something comedian David Walliams is attempting. You can sponsor him .
There is a that you can enter as well with the top prize of a table football signed by Svan-Goran Eriksson.
I’m sure it is not in permanent marker and at least it has also been signed by Pele.
Other prizes include two Fletch and Ricco Sport Relief T-shirts signed by Andriy Shevchenko. Watch how it happened here.
Ricco and I are still trying to work out how Chelsea hardman John Terry managed to cry for so long after Saturday's defeat - and we are still hurting from the pain of ANOTHER exit on penalties.
I guess that nobody died in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday - but another dream did.
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maybe we're all still running from saturdays defeat..i know i am! i've read posts accusing us of being in denial, and they may be true for all i know..in that case a mile is really merciful if it does the trick..
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NOTIFICATION to Ö÷²¥´óÐã blog-site:
Currently no bloggers available for one or more of the following reasons:
1) Recovering from hangover, sunburn, and diarrhea due to Currywurst overeating
2) Recovering from emotional World Cup defeat
3) Blogged-out
4) Gaining strength for remaining four World Cup games
5) Having intercouse for the first time since June 9th
6) Actively searching for jogging venues in the Ruhr Valley
7) Trying to figure out how the heck they ended up in Vladivostok with a goat on a dog leach when just 16 hours earlier the were partying at the FanFest in Munich with two French babes in each arm but have to be in Ottawa on Monday morning 8:00 o’clock sharp for a seminar on nuclear non-proliferation.
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Go with your original suggestion a downhill slope. If you need an exact location I believe the FA still have some maps handy.
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Dear Paul,
the track around football pitches in sport stadiums is usually 400 meters, you should know! Have you never watched olympic games??? With a mile being 1.608 kilometers you should run 4 rounds to get a mile...forget about about those lously eight meters.
Cheers,
Marius
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I have an idea for your run..
You and Ricco should run around Svan lots of times really fast like Superman so we can go back in time. Its foolproof - we know which way Portugals keeper is going to go so we can win on penalties, you can avoid the gate that ripped Svan apart, I can retire on the gambling winnings and youve completed your mile run. 4 birds, 1 stone. Genius. Or not.
As you can tell, now I dont have the World Cup to focus on I have too much time on my hands.
And now Im supporting Germany - amazing but true.
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You should run your mile around Möhnetal Stausee, a lake surrounded by a shady forest. The lake is an artificial reservoir and its dam has a WW2 history with the British...
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hi guys,
as i loved your blog throughout the worlddcup i would love to thank you by inviting you to dinner in cologne.
i am quite a good cook and really would like to stuff you guys with original german food (not just schnitzels as you mentioned during the blog :)). maybe i get my girlfriend to where a "dirndl" for you :)
if you are planning to head to southern germany i can recommend an area called "das allgäu" which is really great . fantastic landscape , great lakes and the alps to your feet
see u in cologne
florian
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Hi Fletch
Yes it was me that made the suggestion regarding Munchengladbach which I've since discovered is actually spelt 'Monchhengladbach'.
The track where my father raced was actually at an Army Barracks in Monchhengladbach where many BAOR were/still are (?)stationed.
Apparently there were a number of tracks scattered around the Army bases, mainly cinder ones, so it could well have been rebuilt or at least relaid with a tartan surface (synthetic tracks had only just arrived back then I'm told!). But it would have been just a track with a stand at the finishing straight not a proper stadium though hopefully somewhere where you and Ricco can run your mile!
Perhaps you could get some of the locals and the Forces to cheer you on!
Good luck and enjoy the rest of your journey in Svan!
Penny
x
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You could run in a mine, 700m under the earth. The were marathons in the Brügmann Schacht in Sondershausen (which would be south of your route from Dortmund to Berlin). There may be something similar in the Ruhrgebiet.
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Florian,
Many, many thanks for your e-mail. We may well be in Cologne next Monday evening (we will have fellow blogger Mandeep with us by then) as we make our way home.
So it looks as though we could be available to take you up upon your offer....
Of course, you might still be nursing a huge hangover after next Sunday but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
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fletch,
sounds good to me.
as a german supporter i am not that sure about my hangover after next sunday. maybe i have an even bigger hangover next wednesday including tears in my eyes :)
anyway, as the author of this blog you should have my email-adress, just give me an email and i send you my phone number, so you can give me a call to confirm your visit. (i need to know early enough to order any delicatessen available :) )
it would be real fun if you could make it
flo
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It was a pity to see England and Brazil go out, though it seemed always around the corner. Looking at the way England and Brazil played, it appeared they were taking it for granted that other teams will roll over. Look at france and germany they have stars in there ranks but they were showing much more hunger, discipline. England and Brazil sacrifised the World cup dreams to the whims of big stars. Sven did not have the guts to drop beckham, lampard and co, or blood theo. similarly brazil went on with ronaldo. Look at germany or france they have taken on ribery. zidane is old but he is giving 150%. Even portugal played well as a team. And if they knew it was portugal in Quaterfinals, the preparation on Penaly shootout was appaling. There was no element of surprise. when lampard is struglling why start with him, why not Rio or Terry, they were ozzing confidence.
Positive that i can see is, Lennon and Owen hargreaves, they were best players, joe cole has to understand that one goal will not win trophies. the earlier we loose dependance on Roonie the better, or else injury, tantrum or overconfidence will kill us again in Euro 2008!!!!!
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Hi - yes, I'm sure the Möhnetalsperre would be lovely for your run; and so would the Baldeneysee in Essen - another artificial lake, and in the middle of the Ruhrgebiet. Absolutely beautiful, even if I say so myself, being an Essen girl. But I'm sure Jens (Lehmann - another Essenite) would back me up on that!!
The tracks around the lake are popular with cyclists and inline skaters. Hmm, that reminds me: North-Rhine Westphalia is on holiday now, so wherever you go in the Ruhr valley could be extremely busy!
Do enjoy yourselves, wherever you go!!!
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