London 2012 blog

When I was a sprinter I hated long runs in training (and by ‘long runs’ I mean anything over 20 minutes) but I’d always secretly quite fancied having a go at the marathon. It’s quite an achievement and something to tick off the list of ‘Things to do before I die,’ obviously hoping that it wasn’t the running of the marathon that caused my untimely passing! 

So this was the year...I almost followed a training regime. My old coach claims I trained harder for this than I ever did in my professional career.  I think/hope he was joking...

So with the words of my former training partner ringing in my ears, "Remember, if you find yourself at the front you've probably gone off too fast," I joined the tens of thousands of people on Blackheath at 9 o’clock on Sunday morning ready to try something incredibly brave or incredibly stupid (depending on your point of view). 

From watching previous year's events on television, it hadn’t crossed my mind what massive organisational feat it is. Transport for London provided extra trains and free transport for all competitors. There were three separate starting points for runners (which converged a mile or so into the course) and each starting point was equipped with bathroom facilities and drinks stations – the essential pre-race requirements. Kitbags were labelled with your vest number and loaded onto baggage lorries which would deliver them to the finish for collection many hours later.

Read more of “If you find yourself at the front, you've probably gone off too fast”

Here's the problem...Whenever you start to talk about technology you run the risk of putting people to sleep. Don't stop reading now!!!

LOCOG’s Technology Team was faced with this significant challenge:  How to explain what we do in a way that excites and engages and, most importantly, makes sense? Technology language is full of acronyms, abbreviations and jargon. Sometimes it's as if we speak a different language altogether. 

So to clarify and affirm how technology fits into the London 2012 vision, 'To use the power of the Games to inspire change', we locked ourselves away for two days with the help and facilitation of our partner in professional services, Deloitte, to discuss, debate and decide our technology strategy. And who better to attempt explain it in plain English than the only non-technology minded person in the team? Never has standing in the corner, raising my hand and saying 'I don’t get it' proved to be so valuable!

And here it is...Our Technology Goal is:

Read more of “A Games for the digital age”

Back in 2005, when London won the honour of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games, I was still an athlete, competing at international level. As such, I had signed up to be an ambassador for the bid. Undoubtedly some of London's most significant pledges made us stand out from the rest and probably won us the Games: the regeneration of the East End, the lasting legacy, involvement of the youth and an Olympic Games designed around the needs of the athletes.

Our work so far has reaffirmed these promises and it was with great pleasure, if a little self-imposed pressure, that I jetted off to Osaka for the World Athletics Championships.

Read more of “Technology and triumph in Osaka”