I am really not a fan of staying nights working away from home, but one of the few benefits is that you can explore new running routes. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve stayed at the Marriot Gateshead but there are some great running routes. The one I did today takes you along the south bank of the Tyne from the Metro Centre to the Millenium Bridge and then back along the north bank, finally crossing the river again over a road bridge near the Metro Centre. This route was opened up to me for winter evening running by the discovery of the head torch, a great invention and I think every runner should have one. Since the untimely demise of my deluxe Silva, I had to resort to the “Dalek” torch again (see yesterday’s blog) which, despite its cheapness, does a pretty good job.
The other benefit of staying so many nights in this hotel is that I’ve managed to save enough reward points to afford some luxury when we stay in London for the marathon – it was meant to be. 
Marathon Mann 