Two of the principal candidates for the leadership of the Labour Party - a post being vacated by Gordon Brown following Labour's election defeat - are brothers, David Miliband and his younger brother Ed. Both seem talented and probably well suited to the post so I wish them well.
Brotherly love is also likely to be as real in David and Ed's family as for brothers in any other family but equally real for most may be the competiveness rivalry and associated tensions that affect siblings. My own older brother Mike who in his school days broke every athletics record in the book, happened to suggest last week that he could better my best time in the London Marathon. I counter suggested that he could not and so subject to approval from St Georges NHS which keeps an eye on my AF, the sibling challenge is on for the 2011 London Marathon. St Georges NHS not only happily approved the entry in principle but also booked me in for a routine (I hope) pre-Marathon check in March 2011 - detractors of the NHS please note.
Mike is far better built than I for the endurance and stamina required for the Marathon, which is a much more difficult test of endurance than those who have not tried to run it may think. On the other hand I have the benefit of regular jogging over Wimbledon Common whereas his habitual exercising I think ended with the ending of his school days over 45 years ago.
Hello Jerry
ReplyDeleteJust as well I had no rivalry to contend with from my brother in my running days. As it is, my best marathon time remains unchallenged to this day!
Greetings Barnaby
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for you comment. Maybe I detect irony about yr personal best marathon but I do recall you mentioning on yr blog jogging on an occasion with your daughter in Paris.