Good curry provides food for thought

I think it was Steven Spielberg who, when asked what advice he had for aspiring film directors, said: "Wear comfortable shoes." I have some advice for all journalists who cover the Olympic Games: get enough to eat, get enough to sleep. You can't cover a 17-day story on adrenalin.

It's been a hard couple of weeks, and most of Team Times are ever-so-slightly on their knees. Not that any one is complaining: it's the nature of the event and neither I nor anyone else would wish to be anywhere else. Nevertheless, it is a smart move to keep exhaustion at bay, and you can only do that with food and sleep.

You are your own prime asset. My former colleague on The Times, John Goodbody, now covering the Games for our Sunday sister paper, used regularly to go in for an Olympic collapse: round about Thursday on the second week, after working himself into a mad frenzy, he'd keel over and take to his bed and work from there in a Japanese dressing-gown and peevishly demand cups of tea.

Me, I'm a great one for heading off such troubles at the pass. Last night, though knackered, I bravely went and ate a light meal before bed as a pre-emptive strike. Though not a breakfast person, I forced down a few mouthfuls before coming out to the modern pentathlon, an all-day job of great beauty and charm, but short on food. So I missed half an hour of the fencing to find a plate of spaghetti; marathon runners and long-distance journos both know the value of carbo-loading.

My best decision of the Games so far has been to swerve the BMX. Until midnight the night before, I was planning to go, but I found myself off my head with tiredness and walking out of step with my own trousers. So I thought I'd save my strength for the women's diving. I missed an early start and a cancelled event and an awful lot of rain.

So this, the second-last day of live reporting, is moving towards its close, barring a big story breaking or a sudden burst of overexcitement back in Wapping - neither exactly impossible, it must be said.

Then it's the final day and the closing ceremony on Sunday, and then all the wrap-ups before I get on the plane. I can see myself finishing this course. It's been great: the reason it's been great is because I've kept up with the sleep and found a nearby place that does a rather good curry.

Comments

[ian cheese]

The good thing about curry is that it is spicy & will suit any occasion, specially when you are tired, run down & can't think of anything else to eat: it will give you a good jolt to your system, from ingestion to expulsion. Keep enjoying!