brotherly love

I come from a big catholic family(6 kids)and this last week my brother said he was going to try a half marathon.I just smiled and explained to him what to do if he wants to bail.I was pacing the 1h45 group and the bugger managed to keep up with me.It reminded me of how competitive we were as younsters and the hundreds of fights mum had to break up when our game of footie or cricket went wrong. I told him that he had cheated but sectertly I was proud of him. When we got home he grabbed a few issues of Runners World and started reading. I was quick to remind him that he was still 25 minutes off my best time. He now wants to run the amsterdam marathon with me.So watch out for your brothers and sisters if they ask you if they can join u on a run.

I beat my (younger) brother to the finish in last year's Berlin marathon and now we have a bet on the outcome for this year's race!

I tried to get my brother to come running with me but he just said "Oh I tried that 10 years ago and got shin splints" Waster, although i suspect that he would be faster than me as he is significantly taller

I'm running the GNR with my (much younger) sister next month. She's been running on and off for a lot longer than I have, but I've done a marathon and she hasn't.

Our (Scottish) family, parents excepted, are stingy gits when it comes to sponsoring us. Sheila Anne's bet has just given me an idea. Perhaps they'll contribute a farthing or two if we run a sweepstake on which of us will be fastest and by how much.

My sister started running as therapy when recovering from cancer (she's fine now, thanks). She did a dedicated training programme up to a half marathon and did a respectable 1.50 - then declared she was bored with it. She now goes ice skating and fancies herself as the next Torville and Dean (If she can find a partner)

It's weird y'know... I tried to get my sister back into it as we both ran xc at school. She bluntly refuses to exercise stating that she retired at 16!

For years and years I had a problem with an ultra-competitive brother in law who was not only exceptionally fit but also exceptionally mentally gifted - Oxford graduate etc. No matter what the race, what the distance he would always beat me by three minutes - uncanny.

Then in my early 30's I hit a purple patch in my training and ended up beating him in the Watford half marathon by FIVE minutes. After that he didn't speak to me for about six months.

Unfortunately as I descended into slobdom he continued being fit and this year ran 2:57 for the FLM - bugger! But now I'm on the comeback trail - he can hear my virtual breath in his ear!!!!!!!!