I thought I had loads of time. Then a phone call. Next, I had to look for the number to pin onto – where’s the t-shirt? The runners? Shorts? Ok, let’s skip breakfast to safe some time (not a good idea!) and check out the bicycle. Both tyres: pretty flat. I know where I had left the pump, but someone had moved it. Eventually, I had all my stuff ready and left the house to cycle up to the Phoenix Park, with just 30 minutes to go until the start of the half marathon.

When I got into the park and started to cycle like Eddy Merckx (remember him?) up the very long main road towards the starting line I thought – I’m late. The race had kicked off without me. There were literally hundreds of people running down that road, and it is a long long road. Only – they were running in the wrong direction, I noticed. Which is when I had this deep moment of relief.

All of these people, hundreds, were not yet in the race at all. They were running to get to the starting line on time! Instantly, I felt back at home. This was not Germany where people turn up 10 minutes before a scheduled appointment. This was Ireland, where people arrive ‘just in time’. We all did, the cyclists and the runners, all made it on time to the starting line.

My ‘wave’ started at about 10 past 10, so I had plenty of time to get ready.

If you ask me how it was: well, I arrived, I finished. It was an exercise of endurance, not giving up, keep going – even if I felt at times I had more than enough. I mustn’t have looked very good when I crossed the finishing line, because several different helpers asked me whether I was ok. Didn’t meet Donal. Hope he did ok. – Just a month to go until the big day, the Dublin City Marathon. (I’ll have my gear and the bike ready for that!)

In the afternoon, I talked to Pádraig on the phone. This is something new, not all 100% clear yet, but there is no doubt that he is really trying very hard to talk. Today, I could even hear him on the phone trying to say a few words. He needs to re-learn how to make sounds deliberately and how to form different sounds. But the fact that he very obviously is trying to do this, to make sounds, to speak, by itself is a major breakthrough.

It’s still warm in Hamburg and sunny, which is great because Pádraig can go out onto the rooftop and get some fresh air, hear some different sounds, feel the wind in his hair and on his skin, and get a bit of sunshine (in the shade).

It’ll be another 5am start tomorrow. Can’t wait to see Pádraig again, but it was also great to be back in Ireland, in Dublin, and with Pádraig’s sisters.