Training run: Thursday 24th January 2008: 6.00 miles

Comments: (11 Weeks… more may be useful) Struggled around 6 miles with minimal traction and energy. Think recent illness has taken more out of me than I had imagined. Able to get around but unable to average below 8 minute mile pace. Will continue to eat, replenish and recharge. Hopeful it should get easier from here on in…

Musical inspiration: LCD Soundsystem , Shed Seven (?) and Wilco

Cal 856: Mins 49:20: 6.00 miles: Pace Avg: 8:13 Max: 7:18 : Heart Rate Avg 153 Max 170

Close to You 3: The Brodsky Quartet and Sir Willard White: Cadogan Hall: Wednesday 23rd January 2008

The final “Close to You” concert incorporating Sir Willard White on vocals. Stunning, stirring and undeniably moving. Tribute is played to the Hollywood Quartet tonight. Songs from the most impassioned lament to trivial farm yard curiosities are dispactched with equal panache and involvement. The complimentary and synergistic forces of Willard’s baritone and the Brodsky Quartet fuse into a wondrous, heady concotion. Many standards are played which is beyond my musical scope of identification. George Gershwins Summertime is lusciously lugubrious. Kingston Town loses its calypso jauntyness and gains an added edge from the string barrage.

Throughout the performance there is a deftness of touch and interpretative edge. Even light numbers such as “Bought me a cat” and “Foggy, Foggy due” acquire both gravitas and a mirthful playfulness.

To finish with the double onslaught of “My Way” and “Old Man River” are irrespressibly and undeniably soul elevating. A perfect interlocking of material, musicians and singer.

Vision: (8/10) Revivalist in nature but an undeniably inspired revival with inscrutable material.

Ability to execute (10/10): Near perfect and upliftingly magnificent.

Crowd symbiosis (9/10): Rapturous applause and reaction

Would see again (10/10): Would undoubtedly see the Brodsky Quartet and Willard White again (Ideally together or otherwise separated)

Training run: Tuesday 22nd January 2008: 2.71 miles

Comments: (11 Weeks….) Companion run. Managed to finish a total of 6 miles. Not a great pace, not a great feeling but mission accomplished. Rather tired but thankful to finish.

Musical inspiration: LCD Soundsystem and Nine Inch Nails

Cal 383: Mins 24:18: 2.71 miles: Pace Avg: 8:59 Max: 6:16 : Heart Rate Avg 148 Max161

Training run:Tuesday 22nd January 2008: 3.30 Miles

Comments: (11 Weeks….) Still attempting to get back into running after being bed bound for the best part of a week. Not easy. Tonights training is segmented into 2 parts to make a total of 6 miles. The first part is slow but (just about) achievable.  Things can only get easier (he wishes and hopes)

Musical inspiration: LCD Soundsystem and Nine Inch Nails

Cal 477: Mins 35:41: 3.30 miles: Pace Avg: 10:48 Max: 6:46 : Heart Rate Avg 124 Max 146

Around the Horn: Comedy Store:21st January 2008

A mixed and varied evening of comedic entertainment. In the name of saving Rhinos (See Rhino/ marathon runners outfit dominating rear of stage) we are (mostly) entertained by 7 comedy acts. Proceedings commence with (apparently) Adam (from Adam and Joe fame) impersonating a Hollywood B Movie Actor and playing guitar. In reality about as funny as that previous sentence would imply. Vicky Frango tries to prove her comic worth solely on overenthusiastic and energetic impressions. Partly successful, partly outweighing quality with laboured effort. Dan Clark mines a wealth of material from social networking and modern communication mores. Then Paul Kerensa’s Richie Cunningham red head witticisms engage but fail to reach ignition point.

After the break (glass topping up opportunity) Jack Whitehall proves to be talented beyond his years. Although he is a little too derivative and undistinct he shows flare and great verve. Somehow his body language and words lack congruence. Once he masters these authenticity issues there is an undeniably captivating talent to be tapped. Finally as the pre-amble Tom Basden plays songs about Richard and Judy, Who wants to be a millionaire and lifes vicissitudes. Distracting momentarily but a wider breadth of material would be needed to sustain more than 15 minutes.

Ultimately the majority of the audience are here to see Noel Fielding perform. Having never seen him perform previously I can only surmise that either he has not prepared particularly well for tonight or he has a cultivated ramshackle/ ragtag performance methodology. Watching Noel perform stand up comedy is akin to having a drug addled conversation with the inner psyche of a loon. Animals feature heavily in the set, as of course do rhinos. (they just need to breed more!) Whilst never ringing the bell of “hilarity” Noel provides an entertaining cutely cumbersome performance far outstaying his allotted time. Even if we have not saved all the rhinos tonight they have at least been entertained and distracted by a surreal set of fluctuating quality yet resounding entertainment value.

Vision: (7/10) A mixed assortment of comedic talents. Varied degress of funnyness and appropriateness yet never dull.

Ability to execute (7/10):Variable. A useful “taster” of comedic talent.

Crowd symbiosis (8/10): Overall very supportive. (And borderline suicide cult obsessive for a certain star of the “Mighty Boosh”)

Would see again (9/10): Its always good to try to save rhinos. Especially without having to don the rhino suit and run the London marathon again.