Johnny Catbiscuit gets ready for the marathon

Michael Cox will don the cape, mask and outfit of his new creation Johnny Catbiscuit to run the London Marathon in aid of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. He tells us about his preparations.

One day 14 hours and 11 minutes to go to myattempt on the world marathon record (give or take the odd hour / month / year / decade).

I’m about to eat several tons of pasta slathered with bolognese sauce as that apparently fills your legs with energy and whatnot which makes you go loads faster (or fatter).

And on the subject of legs, I’ve just had a long talk with mine, explaining in no uncertain terms what’s expected of them on the day: best behaviour, how I won’t tolerate whinges (or twinges) ... that sort of thing.

Big question! What is to be my motivation as I run? Answer: raising money for the Guide Dogs Association. I must finish at all costs.

As I’m running dressed as Johnny Catbiscuit, the hero of my new superhero series, perhaps I’ll pretend that his number one enemy, the evil Dr Septic and his horde of Abominable Snotmen, are chasing me around the streets of Londonland.

Which reminds me! I have an extra challenge to meet. I’m going to be giving away signed copies of my Johnny Catbiscuit books as I run.

Mrs Catbiscuit and the rest of the Cox family are going to be at home looking out for me on the telly. I gave them my race number so they’d be able to spot me, then remembered I’m in my Johnny Catbiscuit superhero outfit so they shouldn’t have too much trouble anyway.

Re that outfit: have just learned the first rule of being a superhero! On passing through a door and closing it behind you, first make sure your super- cape isn’t trapped in said door, thereby avoiding risk of missing London Marathon due to self-strangulation!