Half marathon #3

On Sunday I completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon for the third time. I've started doing this really as as annual challenge, i'm not built for running at all. 

This year i improved over last year but i still made mistakes. Although i had trained for the distance and was using a proper water vest for the first time i didn't have energy bars; and i paid for it. I also got too far to the front at the race start (next to the 1h55m runner) which is way quicker than i can sustain. At 8 miles i was flagging and by 10 i was walking. Luckily though i was motivated by a stranger to get going again and another gave me an energy gel. All learning points for next year.

I was lucky enough to be sponsored by several people which beat last years target too, all for a worthy cause of the Alzheimers Society.

I'd like to use this experience to motivate my kids to do some 'kids runs' at similar events. There is always such a great spirit at these events, you see the better side of humanity. People are challenging themselves for a good cause, but as well you see lots of volunteers helping out and supporters cheering people on.

Motorists do indeed pay for the roads

Motorists do in fact 'pay for the roads'

This was a response i sent to the excellent journalist Lewis Goodhall who features on LBC radio.

I love your show and the News Agents and agree with a lot of what you say but on a number of occasions you have stated that motorists are 'under a mistaken belief they pay for the roads because road fund isn't that much' effectively.

I think what you are missing here is Duty and VAT on the fuel itself which is far greater.
In 2022-2023 government spent £11B on roads
https://www.statista.com/statistics/298667/united-kingdom-uk-public-sector-expenditure-national-roads/
In 2022-2023 the Fuel Duty part alone was £25.1B
https://www.statista.com/statistics/284323/united-kingdom-hmrc-tax-receipts-fuel-duty/

So yes motorists do pay for the roads through tax and get a poor return.

I speak as a Pedestrian, Cyclist and Motorist. I just found that line of defence to be misleading.

-ENDS-

Beyond the post itself lets look at how much of Fuel is actually tax. Currently my local station is charging about 162p per litre for diesel. Of that 53p is Fuel Duty (tax), about 81.5p is the cost of the fuel from the retailer and so abott 26.5p is VAT (tax). About 50% of your fuel cost is just tax.

If you think about it we already have a 'Pay per mile' road system, its just the only ones paying for the roads are the ones who use liquid or gas fuels.

If you think about it then the government will need to find new ways to pay for the roads as people move over to electric. I doubt that they can charge more for electricity at the station because that would be a regressive tax versus the move affluent people who can charge at home (think drive ways and garages).

Open letter to Rory Stewart on Russians war on Ukraine

I’ve always been a fan of @rorystewartuk finding him intelligent and principled. It’s a great loss that he didn’t become the Tory party leader as our politics would be much better for it.
I was very disappointed though about two comments he made in the latest episode on (164) of his podcast. He said
1) Ukraines counter offensive had failed, and
2) The USA is making a Cold War against Russia.

I would politely suggest you review better sources. Ukraine is facing a well entrenched enemy but they have by no means failed and are making daily progress. They are fighting for their very survival, some support would be nice. Please check Jake Broe, Denys Davidoff, Vlad Vexler, Ryan Macbeth, Gen Ben Hodges and William Spaniel to better inform yourself on what is going on.

We’d all like the genocide to be ended sooner, maybe you could focus on the tens of thousands of children Russia has kidnapped, but they are limited by the tools they have and the advantage the Russians started with.