Travelling Around

Thursday night saw the Armagh 5k, for me personally it wasn't great having to step off after 1 lap but it wasn't serious but I felt it was just pulling slightly and was worried about it being a little too early and it would be stupid to risk it for an time like 15:30 or something.

I got to watch the rest of the race once I put my kit back on though, gave as many of the guys a shout as I could but with so many in the race I missed a few out here and there. Bowser ran well and although he hasn't got the biggest fan club in the world he is improving and always seems nice enough to me. Ross Toole also making a comeback after injury problems put in a good race and Mellor was up there yet again with Ryan. Ross Toole ended up rooming with us (Kelly and Pollard) with a mix up over his room, not sure what happened but he left the hotel at 4.30am a happy man I think he is getting back into shape.

It was good to see familiar faces and catch up a little, Jonny Mellor took some time to pass on some advice on my injury when he had the problem, which was along the lines of what Alex Hains had said to me but I much appreciated his time. I spent some time with him in the gym on the Friday whilst I was hitting the bike and as I churned out the miles his team were working out pumping weights and killing time I think! Speaking of the gym....I spent quite a bit of time in there, the pool was shut so I was on the bike Wednesday night, Thursday morning, Thursday night after a run, and Friday morning.

After Armagh I flew direct to Leeds! We got to the hotel just in time to join Mr Bill Laws of Belgrave Harriers for dinner before I was once again rooming with Pollard and had to give up the double bed again as he was racing. This was to be my first experience as acting 'Team Manager' for Belgrave Harriers. I tried to use my knowledge built up over the years from watching football and took the Benitez/Capello angle and tried to enforce discipline and nearly had to pull Pollard out of the race due to back chat at Breakfast....he got a severe warning!

When we arrived at the event I put the flag up and went to collect the numbers for the guys, the bit I found hard was having to wait for them all to turn up when I would have liked to walk around a bit more and catch up with guys like Darren or say hi to Lily. Goolab was first to arrive and soon questions about the course were coming at me and I probably should of studied it more to let them know but I had no idea (black mark against me there!).....then the good old pin situation and the fact runners always forget them, my conversation with Paskar Owar (Sydney Olympic finalist 800m) went like this:-

Me - "How many years have you been running Paskar?"

Paskar - "Ooo maybe 10-12 years"

Me - "And how many races a year roughly do you run"

Paskar - "um, maybe a few each month"

Me - "And in every race do you have to wear a number?"

Paskar - "Yes, most of them"

Me - "So how come you still don't bring pins with you!!!"

Paskar - "HaHaHaHa"

I can't talk though as I do the same but started to realise the frustration a manager must go through. Then there is people like Will Cockerell....like a wild fox he is hard to pin down and you would think he would collect the number when he first arrived but no he wondered around like a loose cannon whilst the manager starts to worry if he ever going to collect the number! Then it's trying to get the athletes to the start....Dan Mulhare is 10minutes away from the gun going off and he hasn't even put his number on the vest or put spikes in the shoes yet, by this point I was having heart failure. You go to the start to collect t-shirts and they still haven't come through the pen where they check the chips on the shoes...well this is where I thought "never again". Once the race is off you have to return all the unused chips and then its job done but to do this all the time would be hard work and I didn't even have to do the bit where you ask guys to turn up, send out info, make sure they are all fit and ok leading up to the race, pick up and drop off to the airports, train stations, bus stops!

I didn't do to bad though with Goolab winning the Junior men title and the Seniors placing 7^th in the team event. That's enough of management; let's get back to trying to get fit again.

Simx