We finally reached Harlow on Sunday night, after 3 hours around the M32, M4, M25 and M11. Monday morning and Stansted is reminding me that I believe it is just about the worst airport I know to fly from if you live in Bristol!

We flew to Trieste and had another drive to Ljubljana, it's not that long, but I don't like driving anywhere these days.

Ljubljana was very hot, and we were staying in a hostel which was fine, but not exactly luxurious, and Ljubljana is a nightmare for parking, but other than that it's a very nice place. There are some nice "pub food" type open air restaurants by the river.

We tried to register first thing on Tuesday, but in true vets style the office was closed until 14.00, so we had a nice light lunch, afternoon snooze, went back to the track, registered - and after two days travelling got back down to business on the track. It was very hot, and I wasn't going to do any more than 4 laps jogging, 2*1 lap at race pace and 4 laps warm down. Even 71s was hard work in the heat, but I felt so much better just to be running again.

The 45 5000m races were in the late afternoon on Wednesday, Sian's was first in the stadium, she ran well from the start, not getting caught up in the initial sprint and getting and staying on the back of the leading group for most of the race. In the last few laps she moved up to third, and was less than a second away from second place on the line.

I knew before the start of my race that there should be a few athletes around my time, but the real class was the Russian Oleg Strizhakov who had won the 10,000m a week earlier, and sure enough after a lap Oleg was 20m or more clear. I was third behind Herzog the German, who had a quick time on paper, but wasn't going to stay with my pace, let alone do anything about the leader. I was left confident, if not easy in second place, and although I could have tried to catch the lead I might have blown up or aggrevated my back or ankle, so I tried to hold the gap to Oleg, you never can in that situation, but having done so much preparatory work and with so many injury problems in the build-up, I was very happy to pick up a European silver medal! The German's pace was indeed proving far too optimisic, and Mike Boyle took a well deserved bronze medal. I remember the 2007 vets relays, Mike is one of the best competitors around!

Let's get this into proportion, Oleg won a silver medal in the Goodwill Games in the 90s, and I've got a dodgy back and ankle - but all athletes are competitive, I still reckon he rolled the dice a little bit in those first few laps, and had I been healthier this summer I could have put some pressure on him, but I think he was always going to be stronger than me in the middle section of the race.

After the race we went to Sian's medal ceremony, so I didn't see the M40 race, which Roger Alsop and Dave Kasterton were running, and by another bit of vet bureacrasy the M45 medals were held over to the morning, when we would be in Bled.

Then we drove to a place near Bled, but with a much longer name, by the time we arrived my back was beginning to hurt and it got worse overnight - which was annoying as I was planning on starting my training for Victoria, but it looks as if I'll have to take it easy for a few days.

Brett e-mailed me after he read the results on the www, I had to explain to Beth that Exeter University is a real college with Physics and Engineering departments and an athletics club - it's not like Hollyoaks!

By Friday, after a day off, my back was starting to feel a little looser and I managed 20 mins running, if I stick to the road and take it easy I can manage a little running, but I think it's best if I rest while we're in Slovenia.

My back is slowing improving as the week goes on, but I still haven't got back to longer runs. We hired a canoe boat yesterday and could paddle around Lake Boh something, I guess it's a bit of exercise but not running.