For some reason I'd totally forgotten to report my mishap at the start line of the HPTT last Saturday morning.

I'm a bit of fidget when waiting to start - I tend to re-tie my laces, pull up my socks and sometimes re-tie the string holding up my shorts. On this occasion I was sorting the shorts, when I noticed there seemed to be an unusual amount of slack in the string. I gave it a gentle pull and the whole lot came out in my hands in two pieces.

Two minutes to go, and I'm worrying that my shorts will be round my ankles after a hundred metres.

To cut a long story short, it was fine. They're lycra-type shorts rather than the baggy sort, and although I have lost weight there was still more than enough for the shorts to cling on to. If nothing else, it's given me an excuse to buy a nice new pair that matches my funky lime top.

The end-of-He-man-episode-type moral of the story is clear - don't be a fidget on the start line.