A special festive email reminder today as we find ourselves entering into the Christmas week and reaching the end of another successful year in the city.

Now, some of course may consider this not such a great year, especially in the world of banking in which it has been rumoured Citi is involved, but we are still here and we are still kicking, and lets face it, do we really, really need anything else.

I personally am ready for Christmas, I am set. I have already hung up my stocking, found my spot round the fire and settled in. You see 2009 was a great year for me, and I am happy to let it go. I have all that I need from 2009 and am ready to close it shut and put it on the bookcase with the rest of them.

And, to be fair, there are one or two more of them, some good, some bad, some great and some sad. However, as I sign them off and let them go I can officially say, in recent memory (which to be fair is only a couple of years), 2009 has rocked more than most.

The secret to my happiness (no not run club - that's later) - Simple Pleasures.

I love London, and infact I love the city. I love all that it stands for and I love all that it creates.

Now, of course, very much like Buddhism, my city is different to your city, but it is a truly beautiful place, a place, that no matter what is going on throughout a troubled year, people have been willing to throw their difficulties aside and accept and embrace the gift that they have been given in terms of free health, spirit and opportunity.

'City Run Club' is the epitome of this, a club like I have always said, that is run by the people, and as we reach the last of the year, a 'Christmas Special 1 mile' challenge around Millwall Park, I would like to thank all those who have made the club special this year, and in turn, made special all those who have been apart of it.

I'm not one to preach (maybe occasionally), but this is our life, and it is a blessing, and more importantly this is our city, and it is what we make it. If you haven't bought into it yet, don't worry, because we're going to keep coming. I'm going running tomorrow, and as cold as it's going to be, and as much as I don't want to now, it's going to be great, because it's always great.

Thank-you city, good job, I'm proud of you all, thank-you for 2009, and if I don't see you tomorrow, well, you'd better be doing something good.

Duncan

I must admit that sometimes, with my role here in city, like all good men, believe it or not, the love is not always as present as one would hope, and it is in these times, when required to motivate and inspire, that I look to the great leaders and philosophers of our time, such as Lao Tzu, for inspiration. Now, I am far from being an educated man, and certainly, within these walls of undoubtedly great minds and fine scholars, I am content with my role of generally jumping up and down, sometimes running serpentine, and occasionally counting to 8 (to be fair though, more than often, backwards).

However, I am aware, like most of you no doubt, of Mr. Tzu, the so called 'Father of Taoism', who, probably on a par with our Sphinx, a truly great leader of men himself (especially during the Wham Bham / Steptastic era), have hearts and minds so great their words of wisdom inspire and advise greater than any run club email.

It is true that 'Many great acts are made up of small deeds', as we are well aware, the bleep test is made up of many small shuttles, not just the one big push (I think that's what he meant).

And, of course, you cannot doubt the fact that, 'He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still', especially when you look at the leaders of the run club, who despite their big words and loud voices, have been known to be found lagging at the back of the pack (the other one obviously - not me).

Though as I rapid scroll my way down the instant accessible 'Top 90 Lao Tzu Quotes' page, it appears the phrase 'To lead people walk behind them', most apt as proof of our dedication to a karmantic ideal within this great institution we are creating.

And this is beautiful, of course this is truly beautiful. However!

Lao Tzu, the great man that he was, never came to run club, infact there are very few historical reports of him running at all, and as much as we love his words, and we take them to advise, running is what we do. Running is our meditation, and this is why we will find ourselves once again down at the Riverside Park, maybe with a little Zen like winter weather, searching for our higher state of consciousness through various forms of interval training at 12.30.

'Exercise, nature, companionship', is our mantra, and as the slightly failed yet still surprisingly chirpy philosopher Duncan Edwards once said, 'You can't start a revolution if no-one turns-up'.

Penultimate show of the year people. I can't promise enlightenment, I can't even promise you'll get fitter, but I can promise you'll feel glad you did it when you get back, and let's face it, that beats levitating any day.

Viva la revolucion and see you all at 12.30.

Duncan