The Big Four
In our club (Belgrave) there are a few that get upgraded to 'big dog' status which entitles them to pick and choose if you want to run a relay without running a step in as long as.... well, as long as they want!
For example if the 6 stage event is coming around most will have to show some form to get in the team but if Phil Wicks decided he wants to run having not done anything for a month or two he can just say the word and he is in, it's known and accepted.... An unwritten rule if you like. It's not just on your history of times you have run but the consistency in which you perform.
Until this year there were two 'big dogs' in Mark Miles and Phil Wicks, both top runners who have gained such status as previous runners have had at the club like Paul Evans, Gary Staines, Justin Chaston, David Anderson, Steve Sharp and so on.
This year they have been joined by two others. The first is Dan Mulhare, a really top runner who has struggled with a couple of injuries in the past but is now showing what he can do....and he has everything he needs to get even better and rival Phil as our number 1 5k runner now he has broken 14minutes (Wicksy will still take him down over a half marathon though!). Dan is quick...very quick, he is very strong and the Celtic warrior in him comes out when things start to get hard he is also a very nice guy.
The second and has recently gained such rank and it is the young gun Goolab, or as 'Sharpy' would call him... GGOOOOLLLLLLLAAAAAAABBBBBBBB!!
Goolab has stepped up over the last few years since he has come in to the team and in my view is now up there with the other three, he more than warrants it although will probably say he doesn't. Saturday showed what he can do and was just 6 seconds off the fastest leg of the day and in my opinion will is only going to get faster (id put a fiver on him running the fastest leg in 2011).
So there we have it, the big four and when you consider the guys in the team like International runners like Steve Davies, Pollard, James Kelly, Dan Mulhares younger brother (just as talented), old guys like Neil Speaight and Steve Sharp, and so on it shows how good they are.
Simx
Comments On "The Big Four"
Nick Goolab (European CC Silver Medallist, and he's one nil up on me in cc races),
Dan M Posted on November 14th, 2010Stephen Sharp (more relays medals than you could shake a stick at, and faster than me over 3km, which he likes reminding me about),
Steve Davies (Should have been a competitor at the world indoors, has 1500 and mile times I dream of),
Simon Jones (puts me to shame over 10km+ and the best agent I ever had, Dreading his first invoice ha ),
Paskar Owor (Double Olympian, enough said)
That's the last Belgrave team I ran on and considering everyone else you mentioned (Pollard,Kelly,Neil,Phil,Miles,Dent,Russell, etc etc) I reckon the "Big Dogs" change every race, but what's really exciting is the potential we have as a team. Role on the 12 stage, and National cc next year.
Chat soon mate
Dan
That's a bad bet as you're supposed to run the same time as me so I'll be joint fastest if it happens. But say that doesn't happen and you make that bet promise you'll split the winnings with me if I do it...
Nick Goolab Posted on November 9th, 2010Good seeing you on the weekend mate, a pleasure as always.
Much man love,
Goolab xxx