Jono's blog

and I would walk 500 more, but to be the man who runs 5000 metres and comes dead last.

Yesterday I left home at 6:30 am. I walked to the bus station where 8 other members of the Rzhyshchiv Athletics Club and our trainer hopped on the slow bus to Kyiv. Four hours, 2 buses and a train trip later, plus a short break to buy food, and we arrived at the Brovary Sports Stadium.

This is the Kyiv State Athletics Championships. The winners will go to the Ukrainian Championships, and the winners of that will represent their country at the European Championships.

From Rzhyshchiv we have 2 entries in the 500 metres, 4 in the 1000 metres, 2 running 2000, and I am entered in the last race of the day which is the men's 5000 metres.

I sneaked out of the hospital, ate a banana and bought two snickers bars to snack on later. Found an internet cafe and thought I'd drop you a line. They want me to stay a minimum of five days. They have me in the infectious disease hospital since they don't know what I got (I just call it Delhi Belly).

I'm going to try and get a translator later today to argue with them and let me go today or tomorrow at the latest. I could just run away but they have all my details.

After that I still have to get back to Rzh. I only have the clothes I am in. I haven't showered in 2 weeks, and have been in these clothes for 2 1/2 days. My pants are falling down so I guess I've lost weight.

But thanks for praying, also the community in Rzh has been amazing with phone calls, SMSs and care and concern.

Be back to normal soon.
Keep Looking Up (as my Gran would say)

I'm in Sevastopol and have 15 minutes in an internet cafe before getting on the next bus. We are staying on the beach near Balaclava on the southern most tip of Ukraine.

Last night I woke a few times and listened to the people staying up all night talking. I wondered how much longer before my alarm would wake me. Eventually at 4:15 the alarm started to beep and I begrudgingly dragged myself out of my sleeping bag, pulled on some clothes and met about 8 other keen but bleary eyed people from our group.

We headed along a little goat track that wound up and up and up. It was still dark as we left but the light gradually took over.

About 1 1/2 hours later, we stood atop a mountain watching the sun rise, the fog lift and gazed out over the majesty of the Black Sea.

On the way up I was wishing I was back in bed. I was wishing the girls in front of me were not so fit so I wouldn't feel so bad about being beaten by a girl.