Race day! Just a quick update as I don't consider my positioning to London part of the event proper. Since my last report I have moved from Bristol to Exeter, which means the only tolerable way to get to Heathrow on my occasional work visits is a GWR train to Paddington and then the HEX. This is a bit slower than the coaches I used to use, but devastatingly more expensive - the cheapest open return is £110!

Fortunately it's balanced by the discounts I get at various hotels along the Bath road. Arriving after dark and leaving before breakfast, I'm really not fussy about these and pick whichever is cheapest. For the sixth time this year, that was the Ibis, at £56. A quick check confirmed I couldn't get anything comparable in central London, so somewhat strangely I'll be starting this overland adventure from an airport.

Last night's train - a service all the way from Penzance - was having engine trouble, only 3 of 5 units producing power. A couple of stations were dropped from the itinerary, but still we limped into Paddington 19 minutes late. That's enough to get a partial refund on the hefty ticket price through 'delay repay', but also meant I missed my connection to the Heathrow Express.

The next HEX would cause a further misconnect - by a mere minute - to the buses necessary to escape the airport estate. But emerging into the central bus station I saw a guy set off at a sprint, and when I spied what he had - the 105 bus still boarding passengers - I dashed after him. We both made it - not sure what he would have been thinking of my pursuit! - and thus I arrived at the hotel at about the time I expected (22:30, having departed Exeter on the 19:17). All good practice for the race ahead!