The long way round London

On 23rd April this year I ran the Flora London Marathon for the third (?!) time
I did it for two main reasons.
The first was because just over 2 years previously I had broken my ankle rather badly playing rugby. 3 surgeries and a lot of physiotherapy later I was searching for something to prove to myself that I was finally fit again. Having run the race twice before it seemed like the obvious measure of being back where I had started.
The second reason was because since I had left Yadua in 2004 I had felt I needed to find a way to repay the villagers of Denimanu for their hospitality, and help them out in the void left when Greenforce departed the island. The first time I ran the marathon a friend and I raised a significant amount for charity, so I knew it would be possible to raise funds again.
To be completely honest I didn't spend enough time training properly, partly because I was working as a ski guide, but also due to the fact I pick up foot and leg injuries much more frequently now (I think because my right ankle doesn't quite work like it used to). However in the race this was countered by a bit more wisdom as to how to run such a long distance, and as a result I avoided "hitting the wall" and actually registered my fastest time. In fact it was a really enjoyable run for me, though the next two weeks made me realise how much training I had skipped as injuries appeared.
The final score was just over 4hrs and £1,000 (more than 3,000 FJD (Fiji dollars)), a great result. For proof I made it check out:
http://2006race.london-marathon.co.uk/2006/detail.php?_id=494821
And here are some snaps:
Me running through Westminster:

Almost finished, at the Mall:

And finally crossing the finish line: