I'm glad my life isn't all inclusive.

"Do you know that you've got the most amazing eyes? Your eyes are so beautiful, I love staring at them"

This is the nicest compliment I have ever been given, hands down. So sweet and generous, without a hint of sarcasm or meanness and yet, I don't believe her when she says it to me. Do you want to know why? Because I can't take compliments.

I hate them. I just feel stupid when people say nice things to me, stupid and suspicious. How could you think my eyes are amazing? They're brown! there's nothing amazing about the colour brown, it's the colour of pooh, it hides no beauty like a blue or a green, it's just pooh colour.

The main reason I can't take compliments is because I don't get that many come my way. A ex girlfriend would tell me that I had amazing eyebrows, so sculptured and neat, perfect in every way. She'd say this more out of jealousy though, because when she'd get her eyebrows done she'd come back looking like a permanently startled young child.

Occasionally somebody would say I'm nice, or I'm 'funny' but I don't really believe them. And I certainly don't believe anyone when they something about my appearance. I just can't deal with it. I know I'm not Joseph Merrick, but I know I'm not Ryan Reynolds either, I'm the middle point, the desert between good looking and ugly, the bland grey middle of opinion, so when you try to compliment me I can't believe it.

I was given the eye compliment whilst on holiday in Zakynthos. I have gone on this holiday with a girl, a girl I'd met in Peru but she's from Australia. It's a strange set up but the holiday is lovely and tense free.

Although I've never seen so many fat people moan about food before,

"Can't eat this (minced lamb skewers), Won't eat this (moussaka), Won't eat that (aubergine) Can't eat this (salad!), Where's the chef? Chef? Can you make us all burgers? Cheers pal. With chips"

The joy of the all inclusive holiday, poor people who like what they like, and don't want anything else, no matter where else in the world they are. It's a joy to behold. The simple demands that the British holiday maker puts upon their hosts is hilarious, the stubborn belief that they should have everything exactly like it is at home makes you wonder why they bother leaving the country in the first place. Of course I know the answer, the weather. The glorious sunshine that escapes us on this island of ours. But if you're going to go to a different country at least try a bit of the food.

So for two weeks I've been off the training, and I've not missed it. My love for the sport is gone, and I can't find it anywhere. My legs feel sluggish and my breathing heavy but I think I've found a solution. I am running barefoot. And I'm not calling it a sport anymore.

In the last 30 years of running trainer development and technological advancement, running injuries have never slowed down, in fact they have gone up. We have gone down a path where we have completely changed the way the body moves when it runs, mostly because we wear padded trainers, so we no longer need to run the way the body naturally moves. We've gone against thousands, hundreds of thousands, of years of evolution and decided that it's better we land with all our weight onto our unsupported heels, rather than the padded and resilient balls of our feet. And for a man who spends every day wearing trainers at work and when he's running, this is a massive shout.

But I can feel the difference already, I can feel muscles aching that I've never felt before, but I feel stronger after a run than I ever have before. And it add's a new dimension to my running now, I don't worry about how far I've gone, or how fast. I don't obsess over my minute to a mile count either, I just run purely for the feeling. And that's just lovely.

After a week in Zakynthos it's time for us to head back to London and count down the time before she has to go back to Oz. We land at Gatwick, get passed passport control and head towards the baggage claim, I'm on the escalator and a voice behind me says,

"Excuse me, do you mind if I tell you that I really like your beard? it looks really sexy"

Unbelievable.