Never again will Sutton Park be the same....

When I think of Sutton Park and the national relays I think of a horrible finish hill, lot's of team tents, top class runners, 'Santa' on his motorbike, the ice cream van at the top of the hill and Pat Meads tea and cakes. For years I told people one of the reason I loved the relays was because of Pat's lemon cake or chocolate brownies, no ever believes me but it was true.

They say behind every great man is a great women and that was true of Alan and Pat Mead, there is no doubt all of the success the Belgrave team has had is because of Alan in particular and in turn...Pat.

Pat was a fantastic women who was the engine room of the team....taking photos, helping out at races, making cakes, the most vocal supporter (just beating Maria Sharp) and acts like a mum to all the runners in the team on race day....and we all know runners need a lot of help! I always used to go that little bit faster at the 'dog leg' section of the relays knowing she would kick my ass back at the team tent if I wasn't giving it everything I had out there, but she would also let you know how well you did if you gave it a 100% and came back in the slowest time possible....Mark Pollard was told numerous times how great he did when in fact he had a shocker but was foaming at the mouth with his stupid white gloves on trying his best! The rest of the team just told him he was shit.

Pat never pulled any punches and said it like it was and when I first went to Belgrave four years ago I was told how if you got invited to hers for dinner you have 'made it'...well I was lucky enough to 'make it' twice so hopefully that meant she quite liked me.

In true Pat style she battled the worst thing imaginable and lasted a lot longer than most would and I will miss her greatly but as I run past the ice cream van at the next relay I will smile knowing she will probably be watching and screaming at me to get moving!

Time stands still for no one and of course the team will carry on and I am sure will win more medals in the future but for me it will never be quite the same....nor the cakes!

 Simx