The second event was at Martin Lel's house, and that of course ties in with the Martin Lel Academy that we are partnering to build. The great news is that the school is starting now. 159-children and counting. We will need help with all aspects of this school - wanna go to Kenya and construct, paint, teach?

Well over in Kenya the newspapers are still bubbling with the success of Sammy Wanjiru, and we would love to thank SAMMY (1st), Mara (2nd), and Lilja (3rd) in the LONDON marathon for being SHOE4AFRICA Ambassadors, thanks so much! Our amabsassdors are doing pretty well!

Got a phone call from Tony today in NYC telling me all the great meetings we have lined up for May to get the fund raising rolling even more. Looks really exciting. And back in Kenya news from Kibera was that the Women's team won today! They are now in the finals which is super exciting. We gave out a couple of awards also to the team. The Soccerade captain's award went to Ruth Mueni who got a new Nokia cellphone, and Josephine Adiambo received the training stipendium of 5000 K/sh for her outstanding essay on Life.

Jamjar called up, a shock to hear from her after so long, she is now in Iten.

Politics in Kenya are bad. The government had a meltdown today and it is a war of words... let's hope it stays there, but already certain tribes are beginning to arm themselves fearing what will happen. The next fwe days should tell quite a bit, whether Kibaki will yield to Raila who leads the country's popular vote -- Kibaki is trying to push Kalonzo to get more Senate power than Raila.

Salim and I ate Ethiopian today, at a fine place just round the corner from our houses. I am taking Starbucks n Simba there because the last time I sent the Simba she got lost and ended up in a bar.

We have soccer players from all different tribes playing together to send a clear message of unity. Right now we are ranked #5 in the country's league, and climbing! I was playing dribble skills with Computer who has now recovered from her arm accident thankfully.

Douglas Wakiihuri, World Marathon Champion 1987 Kikuyu, and Luke Kibet, World Champion 2007, Kalenjin, march through Iten weeks after the clashes ended promoting unity between the two tribes with 42-International athletes following, and 600-schoolchildren. Shoe4Africa's Run for Peace series 2008.

Also good luck to all the people going up to Boston for the big day on Monday. Not an easy course at all. Let's hope the weather is ok. Myself I am hoping that Helen Kirop and Mwafrica run well. I heard from Chrisy all is fine up there and all the Kenyan troop including Peter and Mary from AK are there.

A shoe can make a world of a difference.

John The King Ngugi of Kenya. Many consider him still to be the finest ever cross country runner of all time. The way he ran was way and beyond.

The great Sally Barsosio.

Heard from Sleepy Sylvia today in Kenya, she's waiting for the track season for her next race; I am hoping she'll get a medal in the World's this summer in Berlin, and after her 4th in the Olympics I think the chances are great.

Last night I went to Doubles, an underground club in the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, off Fifth Avenue at what must be 59th ST. A really groovy place that you enter, go through a huge polished brass door and downstairs into something that looks like James Bond might appear from a side door. The owner is called Wendy and she was telling me about the conversation she had one time with Carey Grant. The food is great there too, I had some great fish and healthy vegetables, and because I had eaten so much cheesecake I stayed away from the table of most delectable desserts, till next time!

I also met the wife of the CEO of Arsenal, and I was thinking how Mo Farah would have loved to be there as he is the biggest Arsenal fan you have ever met.

'All in what you say today' I sometimes wonder about the so called big picture. Who gets what, what does go around is coming around, and how bright is life? It has been a while, a week or so, since I was last thinking about the very fact of how people's life are shaped so much at birth. I was looking at the flipcams before handing them off to a man called John who has done some producing of films, and hopefully can help make a project. I was watching a little kid who was talking about her dream, she wanted nothing more than to grow up a soccer player and play football for Kibera, never wishing to leave. I often think how lucky to be born in the West with all the stuff we have, but in another way you have to remember the old jazz song that Billie Holiday sung, 'God Bless the Child.'

In the light of which, urm, lunch yesterday was at The Modern, which is the restaurant at the Moma. Tony and I arrived early and the manager, Grace, came over to chat, so I had the good suggestion to include the dessert menu on the last empty page for people like me who like to start with cheesey products. So then she asks, "Well what would we put on the first page?" Urm, art museum, why not get a new artist once a month to do like a Picasso sketch on the first page and print month menu's? Then you can sell it, the original too! You could do re-runs, or stick up[ on local artists, or even use kids.

Anyway then Steve & Sarah arrived, so...
The meal, I asked for Guinness, was told there was non, ordered the recommended smoking porter, waited and a beer called Engine Oil came to the table. Was it that kind of place? For a starter I had cheesecake that is not only sliced, but then cut into bits and thrown sideways into a sideways leaning bowl (I did say affiliated with the Modern Art Museum). Some fruity sorbet, and various things that looked like twigs. The table also got a chilled cucumber puree & caviar thingey. The main course was a fillet of flounder with wild mushrooms. Disappointing as they had pureed the mushrooms to make little sushi like rolls stripes) with the fish. However as it sat in a thick green sauce that tasted as if the flour was yet to be mixed but the salt and pepper had arrived with cousins I could hardly taste that the mushrooms were indeed mushrooms. Another Engine Oil and the only thing I could taste then was oil. For dessert I redid my starter. I was going to be adventurous until I heard that the other desserts were petit. The coffee was so so, better than average worse than stunning. Ambiance good, service fine, but the table company made it. 9 West 53rd

Great news, Rodarte, who have dressed Natalie Portman, Michelle Obama, Renee Zwele spell-her-name... etc are going to produce the Shoe4Africa T Shirt.

Funnily enough the GIF of Rodarte's spring 2009 collection works on this website, but my morefire.gif at the top of the page works like molasses, maybe I have to do a re-do of the gif for myself. Thanks to the Armory Track web site for putting one up for MORE FIRE!

Lunch yesterday was at Atlantic Grill. It has been there for a long time (the restaurant that is), Tony last went there twenty years ago. We started with crispy shrimp spicy rolls, then I had the Scottish Salmon, Spinach, and the herb sauce, and he had the red snapper and another sauce (mine looked more tasty). For desserts he went for the Key line lime cheesecake with tomato bits (!!) and I went for the banana tower in an encrusted roll. Followed by regular coffees, and we drank a couple of draft stellas for the meal.

Okay, first the house bread was ropey, and dry. The starters were excellent, great. The salmon was perfect, the spinach a little too wet and over cooked (re-warmed?), and the sauce was so so. The dessert was great (Tony wanted to know why I did not order Cheesecake, but I did not tell him I ate 1/2 a cheesecake for breakfast), and the coffee good. Thus overall the Atlantic Grill, on Third Avenue at 77th gets 7/11. The last time I went there was with Simba & Starbucks, then I was there with Centuryman one time, I think that involved a few Heinekens.

Kenyan men now command 70% of the top ten men at the marathon. However nobody can argue that no runner comes close to Gebrselassie on an individual level. I can not believe that he has been so good for so long! Since the early, early 1990eess.

On the local scene it is the Scottish 10k this weekend in the park... and of course a time to plug the HOPE & POSSIBILITY 5-miler in JUNE too. Urban Athletics will kindly offer a 25% discount with every bib race number in June for the H&P race.

Man of the moment, Duncan 'Jamaica' Kibet.

Talking Kenya a great photo show is coming - google Lyle Owerko downtown Manhattan.

With Pieroni's we had the main course of a special pasta made by Sicilians' that has wild mushrooms and tomatoes. Another pieroni and even though we did not order a dessert (gosh) they brought out a plate of biscuits, and then a second plate of biscuits! This place is too nice!

We then went to Capital Grill on 42nd ST. When we walked there Mr G said, "You are probably the worst dressed person they will ever let in." I was like Geez thanks, and could not believe my eyes when it was a bar room grill type place, I thought it would be like the Ritz. I told the coat check guy that Mr G bought his suit from food coupons and if he could exchange Mr G's coat check tab with any other, I mean any other, he would be getting an upgrade.

As the coat checker was not privy to our earlier conversation he must have thought me mad until G introduced me as his Palestine Icelandic friend who has not had a square meal in three days. And yes I did point out when you do ever see a square plate.

Mr G went for a salad. Boom, that was it. I was like Gosh, so many papers, come back in a week until the waiter told me that I was actually holding the wine list and the menu was a one page paper I had skipped by. A quick scan and it was an easy choice, A Heineken, a side of fries, and two cheesecakes. "All at once Sir?"

Of course all at once. The manager, not believing someone would come and eat like this, came out to look, and she spent the whole meal standing at our table talking. "The thing that surprises me is that you dip you fries in the strawberry cheesecake sauce, instead of in the tomato ketchup."

So anyway later that night I phoned G to ask him what TV station he was going to be on, -11- so I tuned in and low and behold who do I see? Lolita, the lolita I was chatting with, is the sports commentator person! She is there talking about the new Mets stadium, Lolita Lopez. Small world.

Anyway, the long and short of it is watch out for 'Mr. G & Master T' coming to a TV station in the future! he he. I kid you not.

More than that it was a stellar night as always with Peanut, Jason, Global, and the Knight's Son. The food was a cracker as always. Even sushi critic Global gave it a thumbs up.

Women unite. Women Run Africa.

Talking Soccer Maradonna is now the Head Coach of Argentina - immediate results were good, a 4-0 victory.

Wishing Martin Lel & Robert Cheruiyot both great marathons!

Once upon a time I ended up on the bonnet of a Rolls Royce. Making a grab for the silver statue.

So we went to Via Q off Madison. We went for minestrone soup and an open faced sandwich that was four cheeses & something mushroomy beginning with the letter T. It was not enough food, so we re-ordered and got the Primavera sandwich followed by coffee... and that place is slipping on the coffee, two cups and I could not feel a joint; bad beans as it is supposed to be a coffee place. Back home, then I whipped down town to the East Village and met the singer who is the voice behind the Ralph Lauren commercial, Morley. We had a great talk and thought about some stuff to do with Africa. Then pedaled back up town to answer about 200 -emails as they soon mount up, from the literal four corners of the globe. Some interesting stuff with a couple of big foundations, and also Mr. G telling me to come down to his studio - now that could be fun!

Then up to the park to coach the Flyers, and boy did the night get cold when the sun went down.

Then it was hours looking at flipcam stuff, that is addictive watching all those little Kibera clips - speaking of which heard from Shar today who continues to float round the globe,and is now working against the women traffic trade. Good news from Iceland, my Soccer uniforms away kits are ready for the team! Just incase the other team is playing in Yellow!

In times like this, no matter how tough the economy, there is a whole world of people out there who can not take even a mile of running for granted. Like a dear friend of mine, Vanessa. Vanessa has every single disease the God's could throw at her and she could not walk from one lamp post to another before she got on board with the achilles track club.

Now she has ran about 20-marathons, albeit each one taking her about ten hours, and low and behold she has now taken up fencing and was at the special Olympics in Beijing.

The achilles is the organization that looks after disabled athletes, especially in NYC and each and every one of them will tell you without the achilles there would be a huge void in their life. Imagine 150 free events in this city alone for them to attend, and the club's membership is free too.

I realize this race is not one of the nine races that will help you qualify to get a slot in the marathon, it is a tough sell, but we do have cash prizes, raffles, food, celebs coming, and also that fantastic feel good aspect that unites us all - Just running!

Click here to enter.

World Champion Florence Kiplagat. Over in Kenya they are moaning about the results, not good enough. Personally I thought it was a great performance. Team medals in all disciplines (Gold in three teams, silver in the other), and 1, 2 in the women's individual... apparently not good enough!

The senior women continued the stream of East African dominance, and interestingly enough the Kenyan women, who usually get badly beaten by the Ethiopians not only too the Gold, but also got the 1, 2 in the individual hardware! Florence Kiplagat is a very interesting athlete.

A cousin to William Kiplagat, lives very close to where Lornah was born. Not a standout in school, developed by Jos Hermens� team, and when I interviewed her in 2007 was training under a plan given to her by Valentjin T. who works for Jos. She had a couple of long breaks from her career to give birth, is a classmate of Busy-Bee who said that in school she was quiet and not the standout character at all, but that was until she burst onto the athletics senior scene!

For the men I was really hoping that Matthew K. would win for Kenya but one has to be happy when the �old� man gets it. Nobody would have guessed in 2008 that GebreG would win the world cross-country champs. A really nice man who is married to Werkenesh Kidane who is perhaps more famous than he as a runner but he stuck with it and just did it. Glad at least Kenya won the team.

03/27
Women's Empowerment - Shoe4Africa!

Talking about flying soon I am off to Kenya again, and speaking Kenya it is the big weekend for cross country! Can Big Engine Mosop get it right on the day? Can Linet or Florence win... or could Hilda Airlines Kibet (Go Hilda!!) make it?

I was watching a video of Lornah's run in Mombasa (thanks Urban) and I can honestly say that was the most amazing performance ever in XC. She absolutely destroyed the Ethiopians, the best Ethiopians of our era, to a walk as she won from the front to win in the perfect setting; Kenya for Cross Country. The only thing better would have been if it was held in Eldoret. But so many foreign countries would have complained about the altitude (instead they moaned about the heat)... Mind you what is the difference? East Africa Always wins the Cross Country races these days anyway regardless of snow - (BOSTON), mud - (IRELAND, EDINBURGH) or whatever.. but I am guessing that this weekend we see a clean sweep of Gold from East African athletes.

So originally I turned down the invite as I thought it was a car thing, but going to that charity thing and seeing this art/car made it worth it. It is hand painted, and by that I mean with HIS hand (not a paint brush), by the great Andy Warhol. A BMW M1 car and is thought to be the most valuable car in the entire wide world!

After the exhibit and getting my goodie bag with three odd things we went to eat at the restaurant near Campbell's Bar inside of Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central. I had the Risotto and it was ok, nothing to shout about, Heineken and I was gagging for one of those as at the Vanity Fair event they only had champagne and cocktail drinks, thus I had been drinking cranberry juice, and for dessert I had the apple pie (V plain) with Vanilla ice cream. Making the restaurant 4/11 in marks. It is not Michael Jordan's place, or the one beginning with M. (both of which are v good). Anyway the company was very nice - Jim and Marisa. Jim is friends with Lewis Hamilton, the F1 World Champ, and just has been doing a fun project with him, more of this to come for the 'joint' project we are working on.

Tony in Bali, getting bitten by mosquitoes.

*No, thank you Ozzie for such a nice review of the book!

Doris, who also won the African military 10,000 champs in a CR, and was the East African cross-country champion when she won our race. And that is as good as being the world champion! We are days away from the World Cross Country Champs in Amman and I am hoping for a double Kenyan victory, in fact I want a clean sweep of all individual medals... this was last achieved by any country in 1994, Kenya, when Sally B, William Sigei, Helen Ch' and was it Philip Mossima won? Not sure on the junior men... any roads, I am sure that it will be a fab series of races.

Anyway today's overlooked miracle story? Martin Lel & Kara Goucher, both born in 1978, won Lisbon Half this past weekend. In fifth place, runnign a great 1:11 was Leah malot who looks 19, no kidding, BUT won the African 10,000m Championships, in Nairobi, back in 1987 when those guys were 9-years old! And people still say that African runners coem and quickly go, yeah right. Tergat was inspired to run after the relay race at that very meet, and John Ngugi... learn more in MORE FIRE

Speaking of which, we hear there might soon be a Brazilian MORE FIRE coming soon; how cool is that!!

When I woke up I got a text from Kenya, Lel #1, and Cheruiyot #3 -- that made me feel great! Referring of course to the Lisbon Half Marathon. However I did not want to run the race, I was listening to the radio, and it was some gospel singing, so nice... but, y'know fund raising has been going slow, and we did have this bet. It would be my first race of the year, and since 2001 I have been slipping and sliding with enthusiasm....

A bad omen; I was dive bombed by a pigeon, then a mangy dog was trying to jump up at me, I felt like I must have had an I love animals sticker on my head or something! I got the bridle path after ten minutes of jogging and suddenly realized this was way way too much warm up! I was going to be dead before the start, and then I would still have four miles to run!

So for the first time ever I started walking on my warm up run. Freddie from the UN passed me, then circled back to talk about the Water Project. Then by the time I got to the top of Cat Hill, 800m from the start, I decided to run again as now I had the topography to help me gain some momentum.

Funnily enough I met my adversary at the bottom, Chubby Balboa who had just finished his strides.

Going to the start line, and it must have been the money, I felt a tingle of anticipation - could I even run? Yes, I can do 4-miles, but could I do it at a race pace. My running schedule is run every day, 40 to 60 minutes. Three days at 8:30 pace, and four days at around 7-minute mile. I was counting on a memory bank, but right now, because of the bets, I felt that someone was depending on me - exactly the same feeling I got when I ran the Swedish Nationals 4 x 1500m championships and I took over the baton in third place. I actually felt competitive.

On that day the national 1500m champion, who had run 3:37, came over and told me "I'm going to crush you today" -- why I am not sure as I was not a 1500m runner or did I really know him (always find that funny that certain people presume you know them), anyway I went to the line (waiting for the baton) saying Ok, now it is stepped up a notch, and I did manage to pass him and another to hand over first... BUT, back to the day...

Chubbs is there on the other side of the starting line in his arm warmers, he'd lost 7-lbs and was hoping the dietary edge would make the difference. "I know with your diet I was on to a winner in this department."

As luck would have it, and luck does play a big part in this sport, I found myself flying at ease - I checked the first mile marker, had not run that fast in ages, second boom, third - ouch, the wheels fell off, but I had managed to wedge enough space between myself and the chubster to cruise in safe. My pal Mr. G was waiting at the finishing line!

Thanks so so much to the people who backed us; CenturyMan $200, Masami $1000, Pat $50, and Sean $10, and Chubbs & I's bit making the grand sum to $2360! And a cheesecake from R2.

Thanks also to Kara, Wams, Leila, and Nola for helping out in handing out flyers, and for Kiet for spreading the word

We had a great post race party in the store, really fun to catch up with so many nice people there, and also get some great contacts, like how random that that lady who was third has a sister who is a doctor who works in Eldoret! Lavinda who brought in the beautiful Yura cookies (I was super happy she go the raisin version), Ulle, Bernd, Laura, R2, Chubbs and Cara who brought in the beers, bagels and stuff! Many of the Flyers who came in swooped up most of the raffle prizes, hey Joa-ann, you won but left too early, but thanks for coming by and shopping! Same for Chris, Century, Nancy Grapefruit, Mary & Michael Darling, Aiy, so many, thanks to you all--not sure what the Store percent was, but the support was most appreciated; danke!

And the quote of the day, from NYC's FAVORITE weatherman, "Great Book, you can write! There were times when I doubted you even knew how to read." MORE FIRE!!!

In the mailbag from Pat, "Toby, Your running updates scare me. Plus, I was out riding my bike in the Park a week ago and came upon Macari out for a training run. It was all I could do just to keep up with him on my bike! Sorry to say it, but I have $50 that says Macari crosses the line first! Am really bummed I will be out of town this weekend and will miss the big showdown. Let me know where and when to send it! Duffy." ha ha. Every time I have a bet Pat puts his money on the other guy, the last time it was on Todd, because Todd is a member of the NY Harriers (which he was not). But if there is a supportive person of the program it is Pat the Piper. Thanks Sir!

The training updates worse, have put on weight, am tapering from nothing, and I tried to run this morning but my legs were like Jelly...

But there is a saying, when you are up against the ropes, it'll be all right on the night. So today's picture is from July 4th 2000, albeit a long time ago, but in January of that year four separate Doctors told me I should have been dead, my surgeon who performed brain surgery on me told me to recoup for six months of doing no running. In January I had also snapped my collarbone in two, and the bone had not fused so each stride I felt the pain of impact. The nerves and ligaments on right hand had been cut through so if anyone as much brushed that hand I died in pain, but I went out and ran... fighting talk huh, I'll see what good that does me on the big day... BUT I am running for the Kids and that will give me zoom! Very nice of Masami to throw in One Thousand Dollars if I win!!

Training: with scant few days before the race I was not pleased that when I tried to run today I felt like a triangular bicycle wheel. Nothing worked, forget running fast, I just felt super slow. Not a lack of food, can't be a lack of protein (have been eating cheesecake for the protein), and I have been sleeping fine for the last couple of days! I no longer feel light like I did at the weekend. Talking light I was emailing with Tegla who wants to come to NYC soon... she was 84-lbs when she set a world record in the marathon! An amazing athelete.

But back to training; I have one of those yoga balls and it has been deflated for an age, but I decided to pump it back up. God it takes forever, I wish I had never deflated it - twenty minutes of pumping and there is like an eggcup bump in a pile of blue rubber!

The only bad part of the night? Well the night before that I had abstained from wine as I had that twinge in the hamstring and thought I might be dehydrated from too much wine. I had also gone one night without cheesecake� And at the talk was wine and cheese! So of course when I came home also, wine and cheese-cake. I still can't get the only a slice and only a glass or two art down to a T as yet.

This was particularly distressing as my diet is only a week long one to get ready for Sunday�s race with Chubbs! I was hoping to whittle down to a few pounds lighter than� Chubbs. Now it looks highly unlikely. However, I did get the extra incentive today when R2 upped the stakes, "Cheesecake from Juniors to the winner." Now there is an incentive. To try and psyche out Chubbs I thought I would post a picture from a St Patrick's Day run of me in front of him, his reply, �You are one day late, like you�ll be in the race.�

And yes, I was trying that hard. I was dying, as always.

Anyway, so I was looking around to try and find my racing shoes for Sunday and low and behold what do I find stuffed inside them? My Chicago Marathon race number form 2007! The last time I wore the shoes I was racing Todd in the Chicago Challenge running for S4A! Ah ha! MIZUNO Elixirs�super great shoes! They are a bit crumpled as it was that really hot day in Chicago, when I came to the finish I tried to drink as I had not been able to run on the run (never had that talent) and I had a huge knot in my stomach that had me bent over like a paper clip for the last, painful 13-miles. But I think got most of the water on my shoes instead of into my mouth. Hence the crumpled shoes�

I walked from the finishing line to the bar and drank seven guinnesses in about as many minutes, then felt great. The Russian Rocket, whose professional athletes had finished about two hours before me, was in the bar� it was a great post race party.

03/16
A week to go till the run off. In the Red Corner, Moi, and in the blue corner Chubbs~Balboa.
The prize purse is $1100 either to Shoe4Africa, or the NYRRF depending on the outcome of the race - a 4-mile event in CP on 03/22.

Update from Chubbs, "At 8:30 am Saturday morning J Macari attempted his tune-up time trial in preparation for S4A Match Race Championships. A thud was heard throughout Central Park, as Chubbs, true to his name, blistered a 17:40!!!!! Macari insists he's on schedule and just has to "fine tune some things".

Meanwhile I decided to do my tempo on Sunday morning. I had a meeting at 11 with Michael on marketing at Starbucks, and wanterd to zip round, shower shave etc etc. Well the night before I was woekn at 1:30, 5-am, 5:30, 6:30-am by a number of incidents that left me half asleep when trying to step on to the Reservoir, take into account a couple of bottles of wine, and it was a miracle I could run straight in one direction. The only good news was going into my meeting my trousers fell down; a good sign that the weight is down to racing weight. I did have soem hamstring tinges but I put that down to the fact I can not remember the last time I even drunk water, my days are two ventes and red wine.

A big big thank you to store owners Jerry & Cara Macari for volunteering their store for this. 497,000

When we left she was not asking for anything for herself, she was concerned with other people. The thing that really hit me was 1) she did not get medication unless you got visitors. 2) I was expecting her to be 20, 22 etc, but she was about 13 or 14. Well the sad news came through today that she died this past weekend. Just another day in Kibera.

Every time I race, and this is the first time this year, it seems to be just to raise money for charity. Last year I raced twice – quite a comedown from 75-races in 2001 when I used to be enthusiastic… and as I say I did actually stop in 1999 after ten years of running.

Speaking of there... a school is hopefully doing a Shoe4Africa Mural for an artsy thing, more news of that when it happens.

I had the salmon something, then we had an ice cream plate, and still the Heinekens. After we went back to his place and played Ping Pong & Pool. Mr. G's a little hustler at PingPong... after throwing the first game there came a sudden comeback. YingTong Tanser was missing more than the table!

Anyway we had a really fun night. His wife is from Tibet & one of 13-children! Anyway later that night I found myself with hunger pangs... so after commending myself on not being a pig at the dinner table I was eating four slices of cheesecake & quaffing beers at 01:30 AM. completely forgetting about the spring forward clocks! Luckily to which I got a tip off from Wams; a good job as I had a 9-Am

Meanwhile, over in Kenya, there was a girl called Ruth who grew up dreaming of playing football. She was born deep in the heart of the Kibera Slum, right next to the football field that was the centre of the slum area where she lived. Ruth's mother did not like her playing football and would beat her daughter if she practiced. So she turned to her sisters for support; she got a beating from them too. It was not a womanly thing to do. Ruth persevered believing that football was a way to a better life, and a way to empower other women. She believed that it was a clear message to create equate opportunities.

In December, Ruth the player-coach of the Shoe4Africa Kibera Team received a signed shirt from Cristiano Ronaldo!

Tis Spring and with hope let's hope that the economy starts to turn, at least upwards, and not sink any lower. At the gym when I went in they were talking about restaurants that have recent closed, when I walked in, "Well at least we're not in Iceland!" Poor country, I have my fingers crossed that that country will get back up.

Talking great news; the SHOE4AFRICA T shirt is a coming soon, and you will never guess who the designer is going to be! Wow, all I can say is wow.

I am also thinking of writing another book, well actually I have three writing projects going on and all in different corners. One idea came when I was talking to a prominent leader of a Not For Profit who said, "Who is going to write the book on this?" (What we were talking about), then a couple of days later someone in the NFP biz went and highlighted the issue--this is called talking around the bush, and not getting to the point.

Speaking, talking, about which I phoned my parents, "It is Toby. Toby, Toby your Son. Yes I know I have not phoned this year." i spoke with my father as my mother was away, and where was she? She has gone on a weekend course on How to be a Clown. Go figure.

A picture of Hilda 'Airlines' who is fast becoming a legend, at home, which for her is Kenya albeit now she is a Dutchie citizen of the globe.

The day breaks, your mind aches... and all the rest of it. sad news for Paula R. breaking her toe; the London field will not be the same without her. Interesting to see that the focus is now on Berlin World Champs. Robert Cheruiyot of course said he wants to set the WR in those Games as the course is supposed to be lightning quick.

Then we went, of course to Starbucks. This one has an upstairs so we climbed the stairs to try and find seating whilst Starbucks told me about last night's discussion when he had told Simbss that all the World's inventors of note were men and that women had not invented anything (which of course Simbss did not like...) Anyway, going upstairs people were asleep on chairs! I have never seen anything like it. Sound asleep, not a beverage on their tables. Others watching TV on their laptops, not a beverage in sight either...

Anyway they have left now for Kenya... And very nicely they agreed to carry 21-pairs of shoes back to Nairobi for me. Yup, that is how grassroots we are!

03/05
Last night Chubby Balboa, Marvin Pierre and I were at the UN listening to 45-minutes of the same chorus of music, whilst Diego Maradona's brother (in between a red wine sponsor guy who stepped up to tell us how red wine fitted in to the whole scene), in between 400 slides of sad faces, locked up with about 25-minutes of footage of Africans telling us the importance of this message in well structured edited sentences... long story short I got another taste of International fund raising events at a small dinner in the Gala room.

Comments withheld it was an eyeopener, and again I got a real taste of 'I can help you, but what can you do for my community?' which, large in part, means you are talking to the wrong people especially when they start asking someone like me for funds. A couple of things stayed true; the ratio of old men from a spread of countries with young atractive very tall ladies who would like daughters if for not a differing skin color, and the abundnce of the international relations jokes when referring to business ties with countries one may not guess.

Food rating? I think they wee trying to make us have some empathy with te starving people, if that was salmon, then I'm a herring. The other odd part about it was how many people were 'on the job' to be there... i.e. part of their job to go out and drink and make contacts, as I say, I must get a job like that because that is a line of work I can do.

Still snow in NYC though it is getting less. I keep thinking it is christmas again, quite disconcerting to be forgetting which month we are in. 03/04
In the mail, from Boris, "Hi toby, i think your new book (more fire) is a best book of running. I want to buy your other book (train hard win easy), but why i can not find this book??" Thanks, that one has sold out.

Before the financial crash, when I was thinking of buying land, here was the view I was looking at. Anyway when you realize what was there ain't no more you still have the pictures! What a view.

I love his quote, "The disability is just the obstacle you place between yourself and the goal."

"You know when you do something good, the momentum just follows!" Anthony Edwards, Chairman of Shoe4Africa.

I was sitting thinking the other day - September was really the start when we both came back from Africa. Since then $400,000 plus, Billie Jean King, Ronaldo named Footballer of the World, NYU Medical association.. and counting!! It really IS. It is happening. The next 'stage' I tried over this weekend, something new, and the response was overwheleming... wow, it is really happening. Thanks to all who have supported Shoe4Africa and your reward is coming!

So on Sunday morning I went to Coogan's 5km. Quite a shock, and I cannot remember the last time I went to a NYRR race. Firstly the weather was pretty ropey with flakes of snow in a damp sky, and secondly I had forgotten all about chips. I picked up a number and owning my own chip I said 'no thanks' the day before, then it came to where is the chip? I usually leave it on the shoe, did I send it to Africa? What shoes did I wear to race last, when did I race last? All this and more well, well I got there and warmed up with Michele (we did two blocks, or actually it was one because I remember thinking this is slightly different back to the day when I used to do 45-minutes of jogging etc etc). The course was just as hilly as I remember. Comfy Ed, Michele, and I all ran together the whole way, we had a ball, and we saw a whole host of people on the course, including Norb a former NYC Marathon winner as we came in to the finish line. Then we ran home! All the way, making a bumper mileage day. Good job as my race against Chubby has now been moved forward to March 22nd.

Congrats to Jacob Korir, 14:42 & Irene Kimaiyo 16:43 of SHOE4AFRICA who blasted to wins in their age groups, close behind Worku Beyi 14:38 & Aziza Aliyu 16:28 who took the overall wins!

BUT in the Post from Pat D.
"I just watched the video tape of the Coogans race today, and assume that was your S4A guy - Jacob Korir - that deserved to win the race, except for the fact that it wasn't clear that the truck was going to veer off course! Of course that brings back memories of that NYC marathon way back where a similar situation happend (although that runner had time and ability to regain his lead and win).

The simple solution is that at that point in the race, when there was just a long straight away to the finish, that truck could have pulled way ahead of the lead pack and then veered off to the side street. By staying just in front of the leaders like they do, this was bound to happen - as you know, runners are exhausted and are on 'auto pilot' at that stage in the race - they are not thinking. Really is a shame as I looked up some history on that guy, and he seems to be a real good guy. Finish fourth is a lot different that taking first place. NYRR is tops at running race events, but this was an oops on their part."

*UPON review I hope the race organizers gave EQUAL prize money to Worku & Jacob. Shoe4Africa, number One! Thanks to coach Isaya Okwiya!

This is the cover of TRAIN HARD, WIN EASY. In a language I can not read.

I still get emails, every single week a few, from all over the world trying to get copies of this book. This week some emails came from Kenya asking for info on how to buy copies. Jeez, I should have printed more myself. However the good news is that now you can get the MORE FIRE book. I am trying to think about what to write about next.

Running to me used to be something I would think I had to do, then (like sailing a boat and not dropping off the bottom of the globe) one day, week, I did not, and I lived... ah, to live in self-disallusionment. Oops that is two words spelt incorrectly, and I am still going. Ah, as I say, it is the changing weather of opportunities!

Heard from Kenya today, Sally Barsosio is training fine and hoping to make her marathon debut later this year. If she can train hard she can run superdooper, and she is inspired by Lydia Cheromei's recent return to running and running success.

CLICK TO ENTER. Thank you. Come Run with the Governor!

So we never got to our conference. Instead... it is certainly an X-FACTOR who is getting involved next with shoe4africa.

The plan is today that we are going to the UN for a conference on Global somethings to learn more about how we tap in to the profit world of not for profit. Other good news? He'll be on Martha Stewart in April! Other good news? Jesse Dylan is beginning to cut our little three minute clip entitled "And what is Shoe4Africa exactly?" Well not exactly, no title, but the guy is a superdooper filmster.

A big thank you to everyone who bought More Fire! The book that was written to support the Hospital drive. Thanks also to Runner's World, Metrosports, & Running Times magazines for promoting the book! Y'know, in the world of fund raising, not for profit, my eyes have been noted of late. What is charity, what is not-for-profit? Hm, it really is something else; and who stands up and supports you and who does not, and for what reason is amazing to see... on this note THANKS to LEPPIN (Always there) and thanks to Jerry & Cara Macari of Urban Athletics, it might be a small store chain in Manhattan, but they have BIG hearts. Well anyway, we are still going and going great in the fashion of watch Martha Stewart soon, look at one of the biggest medical groups in the State, and we remember who stood behind us on the way up!

Florence Kiplagat, back after her second child, to win the Kenyan seniors.

Speaking of which; advertisers really need to rethink who are they advertising to; in the world when the average person (and that is not me) has Tivo who do you think watches your stuff? I mean for the money spent and the fact that the average person does not want to watch what you put up, isn't it time to start thinking outside the box??

Talking television, who did I see on Telly the other night but Kelly! She's on desperate housewifes NYC or whatever it is called. Wams was watching as there was something about Kenya, but I only caught the credits, but I did see Kelly!

Den Haag was one of the first races I got invited to, in the good old days. I went with Benson Masya and Zablon Miano, as we all came from the station together we trained together for the last few days before the race - big mistake; running a tempo run the day before the race was probably not the smartest thing for me... but what the heck, it was fun hanging out anyway. Benson was a Kamba too... and in fact the person who discovered Benson emailed me to ask if I know of a good manager to take on a new protege, apparently just as talented, from the same region.

Kids are forced to move out of Kibera during the violence.

According to Reuters, "Jeff Immelt has waived his right to a bonus and performance-based pay that would have netted him more than $12 million in cash." The GE board approved that action. Immelt's salary will stay where it is at $3.3 million.

The move is a smart one, at least from the standpoint of public relations and shareholder sentiment. GE's shares have dropped from a 52-week high of $38.52 to under $11, near a period low. Investors are concerned that the company will lose its "Aaa" rating or have to cut its dividend. Immelt has said he will fight to keep both intact.

This really is an American phenomenon. The bonus. It seems if you do something getting paid is not enough. You get a tip or a bonus. I mean what is the job in the first place? If you do a bad job don't you get fired? What is the bench level? And then the amounts of people's bonuses are often exceeding their salaries. Amazing. The mind boggles.

What s a Go is the lottery for the ING-NYC marathon coming to you via the E-waves this Thursday.

Talking that I am in a continual building site; I came home today and this dust is all over the place, I check out the windows and it is from the outside where they have been blasting away - yuck. Below a Jewish School is being built, across the street a huge multi story apartment complex, then there is the Duane Reade to be fixed that the crane fell on... yup, the pneumatic drill is my working hum!

So much for my request for kids running shoes! There used to be a time when I would write something on here and people responded within a day! Goodness we once got a runner from Africa over to study; so the fact is I must be asking for things too much. I am a big believer in the looking inside of you. So I was proactive, on Saturday,. Between depositing cheques, getting cards working, talking to a film director, having a great meeting with someone who can help on the event side of the S4A side, talking to the Super about a pending flood from the apartment above, opening the week's mail etc I went putting my Orphans Sports day plan into action the old fashioned way, working in the time consuming slow way that gets things done; bugging people in person! This was made none the easier by the fact I was dismobilised by a puncture again, well in all honest again was not true as puncture #1 a few days ago was due to me blowing up the tyre which amounts to the same thing - a flat! Anyway, it also did not work.

I need 67-pairs of new kids running shoes as I don’t want to give out old ones for this occasion and as yet I have not got one pair donated! I have actually got 40-pairs now at a great discounted price... but am still missing about 30-pairs more. Any takers? Shoe4Africa/Mama Fatuma's Orphans Day, Saturday April 25th (pending). What? Mama Fatuma's is a small orphan home on the edge of the Mathare Slum & EastLeigh Estates. We will take the whole orphanage on a bus out to the country. Everyone gets a S4A T shirt, every one gets a picnic, and everyone gets a sports day. There will be a community fun run of 2km, and every finisher will get a brand new pair of shoes!

Today is a holiday here in America. It is called President's Day. I am not sure what people are supposed to be doing on this day, the only thing I know is the Post Offices are shut, and that comes from a happening a long time ago when I used to live in Albuquerque, NM. Anyway, I just wanted to say, because it is a holiday, think of the people who don't understand what the concept even is; just for birthright, it could be you or I. If you want to help, please visit www.shoe4africa.org Thanks, or Asante!

Talking MORE FIRE: "I've just started reading 'more fire' and I am loving it. I'm reading it slowly to savor it. Fascinating, great job!" Ivan C. Thanks for writing in.

Last night it was to PT 212 on 24th ST again, the best Fusion Thai and something else in town, really check it out, and they are expanding with their desserts too!

IN the afternoon I was at Tony's as we wrote the script for our 3-minute mega clip for Shoe4Africa, to come soon! A Martha Stewart link has appeared too!

Our trip to the capital. One goal, to spot Obama, but somehow we missed the inauguration, "I told you it was in January!"

More than 50-emails out today in the hospital drive of trying to make things h

On train ride later, after a trip to the Air & Space museum where I asked Tony why he was not in the F14 as a Top Gun museum piece...
A power group of 60-people working up the big U2'd umbrella of Bono, or ProBono as one may say. Tony & I, and I am waiting for Tone to send our snaps of us outside the White House waiting for Obama to invite us in (We went to the Cafe Parc and the Willard Hotel on Penn. Ave waiting) then spoke following the speech writer for George Bush.

In the Biz that is what you call Not great timing. This guy had five hand written pages of a cut speech to our own humble 'Get Up, Speak Up, Say up'. Anyways the good news was the group assembled did not like desserts, so when I came to the dinner table I found the cheesecake etc in tact and everything else demolished, which brings me back to the food of Pastis...

Hm, the food, for being French, and let me say IF you advertise yourself as such... Was mediocre at best. The French fries too crispy, the salmon rusty and the vegetables soaking, like a drunken anchor, in oil. So much so I could not taste them for A) the coating B) So slippy they would not be pronged with the fork. Anyways, if you like people watching then maybe it is the place for you; but take my advice and if you want French go to Cafe Gitane (better, better) and Cafe Balthazar (better food and people). But, one man, one vote. Then again could it be two... Lisa who was also at Pastis got horribly sick thereafter - what a karma day huh? What did I do?

The bad news is in that wallet I had my green card (Needed it for Newark airport), five credit cards from three different countries, two driver's licenses from two countries, $700 cash from one country, $600 travelers unsigned cheques (that were unsigned as I was about to send them to a friend abroad), personal cheques (that at least can be canceled), & two Starbucks cards with $200+, a Agata gift card, my gym card, $40 metrocard etc all gone.

So then I had to dash to the Police Station to file a theft of the green card (and let me tell you it costs a bomb for a replacement), then I had to rush to give a talk for a youth talk to a church on West 73rd. So rushed I forgot my presentation DVD and to think about a 'subject matter.'

I am sitting giving the talk trying to motivate kids to start thinking of the philanthropic world with my head in the other world thinking of all the things I have to do around the world (places to inform to stop identity theft in not only America, but in Sweden and England, my friend Ivar canceled the Icelandic credit card for me). Anyway, no divine intervention there but I did eat some Pizza, ice cream, and a cupcake.

So I come back home and there is a huge number of v/mails, so I think, 'great, maybe an honest person returning the wallet, how cool is that' but instead the call is a Kenyan friend of mine with repetitive calls who is here in the states and has fallen ill and needs $$. They are giving me digit by digit with each message.

This is the story of my life, I am never the person who loses $20 in change and a bus ticket. I recall when I was 17 and I owned a most beautiful handmade Guild guitar from the 1950's. I had also borrowed an electric guitar from a friend with a view to seeing if I wanted to buy it. I came back one morning to my apartment (when I lived in a student house) and found my door kicked in. Not only did I lose both guitars, but I then had to 'buy' the borrowed guitar from my friend!

Right now I can not really afford to make mistakes like losing my wallet. That is more money than I have made in the last few months, no kidding, since I began my 'no job' focus till the hospital is done campaign. Further ironies? I open my emails. A man from the local Prison asking me to come in and talk to the inmates, and I am off to Washington to give a talk on Non-Profits in a conference about ending world poverty!

It is all relative, what you have to think about is how lucky you are to be in a position to lose such things; a load of people don't have cash in their pockets in the first place, loads of people don't have green cards, blah blah... I spent the whole of December with people who did not even know where tomorrow's food was coming from... the way things are going that will be me soon! If I get hit by a car I hope they do a good job as I have never had health insurance in my life and now, well forget the ID... as I say, neither did those in December.