It was a huge effort to sandpaper the silver coating off the polystyrene cake rounds but I wanted everything to be perfect for the running club birthday party. We started promptly at 07:30 with all the familiar faces around the kitchen table. These included RK, AC, LF, RA, FMcL, as well as QM graduate and champion night-runner AL. It was all going so well that I was really sorry to leave everyone for the gym just an hour later.

On my way out I passed university friend and international sportswoman SB in the hall. She was deep in conversation with someone that I did not trust. I picked up that they were on a mission to gather all evidence possible that would prove once and for all that I was a terrible teacher.