Best race and why? – Redcar Half Marathon 2016.
I’d only done one half before, the GNR before I really started running running, and that had put me off the distance. So I hadn’t planned on running Redcar but 2 days before it I was offered a number by someone who couldn’t run and as I was feeling in reasonable shape I thought I’d give it a go. The day before the race I injured my foot fighting at karate so almost didn’t run but as it was effectively 2 out and back 10k’s, the start/finish is pretty much in the middle, I figured I’d run the first half and see how I felt at the half way point. It didn’t start off that well and not long after the turn a quarter in to the race I wasn’t feeling that good but on the stretch back to Locke Park I perked up and then it just felt easy. I was passing people I would normally be nowhere near, running with energy and it almost felt easy. So I carried on when I got to half way and honestly felt I could run at that pace all day. I managed a 30:46 PB that day and finished in 99:05, I should have done another half before then!
Off the back of that though I entered a few more races and PB’ed in 10 mile, 10k and 5k before the year ended.
Favourite race and why? – London Marathon
If you do it you’ll know why. The atmosphere is unbelieveable, once you get to Tower Bridge it’s a wall of noise until the finish. It’s incredibly well organised too.
Why did you get into running? – A couple of people in the office mentioned they fancied doing the London Marathon, I said I did too. So we all entered the ballot, 2 of us got in and that started it off. That was in 2001, for the 2002 race, and I entered London every year after that, but didn’t train unless I got in which I did again in 2006. Then I just kept it up a bit until I moved back North and thought about joining a club.
Best thing about being in a club? – The people, it’s so much better running with others. Joining the club also gave me a confidence in my running to do things I wouldn’t have on my own. I’ll run anywhere now, don’t need to know where I’m going or how far, before it was just the same old loops at the same pace.
Fastest 5k? – 20:46, Temple Park 5k, 22/10/16
Fastest 10k? – 44:30, McCain Yorkshire Coast 10K, 30/10/16. Last race of the season and one too many before I think, I should really have dipped under 44 the way I’d been running.
Favourite Film? – 12 Angry Men
Favourite Band? – The Killers
Favourite Drink? – Not too fussy now.