Done and dusted

So marathon number eight is now firmly under Mme Tepeka's belt, after a very hot and sweaty run around Chicago. It'd be fair to say that while conditions were glorious for spectators, it was a bit on the warm side for competitors. It looked very tough, even more than normal.

Still, it's over now. And once tired muscles have been relaxed in the bath we can head for a well-deserved lunch (I'm not quite sure what I've done to deserve it, but let's not quibble).

(Oh, a quick tip for any Irish people who might find themselves in Chicago and wanting to see, say, Ireland play in a crucial Rugby World Cup: don't bother going to Kitty O'Shea's bar on Michigan Avenue - the Irishness only extends to the name, not the sport on the telly. You've been warned.)