Day 2

23rd September

Jude is OK now. She developed a stomach upset over the weekend (which is not unusual with her as she is very sensitive in that department). The potential added complication this time is the draconian anti-doping regulations when competing in Finland. So a visit to the vets in itself could be a mine field as any treatment would probably fall fail of the regulations. But changing her diet to white fish and rice has done the trick (as I write on Tuesday evening) and we are ready to go. We are all packed and will be leaving around 04.00 in the morning for the drive to LHR (London Heathrow).

As I write this, the journey for most of the team has already started. Nicola, David and Sharon left this morning as they are leaving out of Brussels airport around Wednesday lunch time. I think that they have taken the ferry to Dunkerque as their tunnel tickets were changed last week. Hope they have had a good journey; we will meet up with them in Helsinki airport.

Lesley, Rachel and Karen have a very early flight in the morning (07.30) so are staying near to LHR (along with Angela who will fly out with Natasha and myself at 10.20). Due to flying with dogs, we need to first go to cargo at least 3 hours before flying so the ‘red’ party will be at LHR at 04.00! We (blue party) report in at what in comparison appears a leisurely 07.00. The flight time is 3 hours (Finland is +2h) so we will arrive mid afternoon (if we are on time).

I haven’t told Natasha and Angela yet, but I have had so many delays in the last few months. I don’t know exactly why, but my supposition is that airlines are cutting aeroplanes out of the schedule trying to save money due to very high fuel prices and so loading 2 lots of passengers on to one later plane (not tomorrow though, fingers crossed).
Anyway I am off to bed now (though I probably won’t sleep until 30 mins before the alarm goes off in the morning, I can never sleep when I need to get up early). But before I go, I understand my comments about compression shorts have raised a few replies J. They look like cycling shorts but are tighter and heavier so keep the muscle compressed and heated. Jackie won’t allow me to wear them on their own so they will be camouflaged under my team shorts when I run!