Monday, October 31, 2005
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Progress
Okay, been a while since I posted. For about 2 months now I've been concentrating on exams, but now they're over and I can begin to concentrate on my runing again. Had some indifferent performances recently. A good run in the Striders 5k, followed by my two worst performances to date two days later at Herts Schools then a fairly good run in the boiling heat at thelast NJL fixture takin second to Dave Bottjer after a good race with the Norwich chap, who I actually outsprinted for the finish unbelievably. 9:37, not great but in that heat worth a lot more!
Got a 10k this weeked, High Ongar, looking to take back my title of two years ago as top junior and also have a go for one of the senior placings. I've beatena former winner comprehensively now so I have a chance, it all depends how it pans out.
Got a 10k this weeked, High Ongar, looking to take back my title of two years ago as top junior and also have a go for one of the senior placings. I've beatena former winner comprehensively now so I have a chance, it all depends how it pans out.
Article for Paper- Using this as a transfer point.
Well it’s the athletics season. Time to find the old school vest from the back of the wardrobe and brush the cross-country mud from the spikes as we prepare to run, jump and throw to success. The school is seeking to defend our district title (overall) and age group titles once again at District Athletics. As we’ve won the overall boys title for 17 years in a row, we’re at the risk of sounding arrogant. Pretty damn good, with English schoolboy internationals such as Harry Harste having left the school achieving great things during his time and Ben Hellmers, last year 6th in the UK 10km U-20 rankings, this year even faster narrowly beating Noel Thatcher (see interview elsewhere in paper), we have a reputation to uphold. So the informer is issuing you this guide to the future talents and athletics prospects to watch out for!
Ian Tobin. Events; long jump, 100, 200m Year; 10 House; Chantry
Man of all sports, broke the UK age-group long jump record in year 7, struggled after that to beat that enormous jump but is now back to setting personal bests. A great sprinter to go with his long jumps, Ian holds county and district records at Long Jump and multiple county titles. Looks set to only get better
Tom Smith. Events; 1500, 3000m, XC Year; 10 House; Chantry
Last year, this guy scared me. A stunning 4:37 for 1500 and 10:09 for 3000 was uncomfortably close to my own times ( being 2 years older!) and far faster than I’d ever gotten close to at that age. Very fluent style and has a strong finishing kick, brilliant win at Districts in year 8, sitting in till 200m to go behind two others before kicking. Schools first finisher in our English Schools XC cup round. Had a clear win over 1500m at last year’s sports day and will be looking to repeat.
Alex Moore. Events 100, 200, Triple Jump, Long Jump Year; 9 House;
I was talking to Alex’s club team manager the other day. “He’s a born winner and got the grit and determination to make sure” were his comments. Won the Hertfordshire sports hall title and competed in the national final against athletes a year older and did extremely well. Mainly a triple jumper given the choice but due to UKA rules can’t compete regularly till he becomes an u-17. Despite being a sprinter was extremely unlucky not to win a place on the school top 4 XC team, this is practically unheard of!
Joe Hazell. Events; 800, 1500 Year; 10 House; Chantry
Unlucky in some ways to be in the same year as Tom Smith as in any other year Joe would be being lauded as one of the school’s most promising athletes ever. Has strong endurance and unfortunately injuries hampered what appeared to be a very impressive XC season, yet still placed top 8 in the County XC champs. Broken the 5 minute barrier for 1500m which means a top 3 placing at Districts should be assured. Stalwart of the team.
If I have one thing to say (and usually I do), it’s that athletics is the one sport where you can make something of yourself regardless of how much talent you have. It’s quite simply level of effort = level of success. Yes, the guys above are incredibly good. Winning even a school year title requires you be the best of 150 pupils (in TBSHS often to take your year title you’ll have to in the process beat the district champion) a district title the best of 1200 pupils. Yet it’s do-able, I started athletics as year 7 b-string 1500m runner as no-one else would do it. Now I’m still b-string, but for the county team with only an international ahead of me. If I can do it so can you! So get out there and enjoy yourselves. It’ll come in time.
About the author: Current u-20 Herts. 5000m record-holder, u-20 county 5000m gold, 3000m gold, team XC gold, individual XC silver, 800 bronze. 5 Herts vests. Top 50 UK u-20 5000m ranking.
Ian Tobin. Events; long jump, 100, 200m Year; 10 House; Chantry
Man of all sports, broke the UK age-group long jump record in year 7, struggled after that to beat that enormous jump but is now back to setting personal bests. A great sprinter to go with his long jumps, Ian holds county and district records at Long Jump and multiple county titles. Looks set to only get better
Tom Smith. Events; 1500, 3000m, XC Year; 10 House; Chantry
Last year, this guy scared me. A stunning 4:37 for 1500 and 10:09 for 3000 was uncomfortably close to my own times ( being 2 years older!) and far faster than I’d ever gotten close to at that age. Very fluent style and has a strong finishing kick, brilliant win at Districts in year 8, sitting in till 200m to go behind two others before kicking. Schools first finisher in our English Schools XC cup round. Had a clear win over 1500m at last year’s sports day and will be looking to repeat.
Alex Moore. Events 100, 200, Triple Jump, Long Jump Year; 9 House;
I was talking to Alex’s club team manager the other day. “He’s a born winner and got the grit and determination to make sure” were his comments. Won the Hertfordshire sports hall title and competed in the national final against athletes a year older and did extremely well. Mainly a triple jumper given the choice but due to UKA rules can’t compete regularly till he becomes an u-17. Despite being a sprinter was extremely unlucky not to win a place on the school top 4 XC team, this is practically unheard of!
Joe Hazell. Events; 800, 1500 Year; 10 House; Chantry
Unlucky in some ways to be in the same year as Tom Smith as in any other year Joe would be being lauded as one of the school’s most promising athletes ever. Has strong endurance and unfortunately injuries hampered what appeared to be a very impressive XC season, yet still placed top 8 in the County XC champs. Broken the 5 minute barrier for 1500m which means a top 3 placing at Districts should be assured. Stalwart of the team.
If I have one thing to say (and usually I do), it’s that athletics is the one sport where you can make something of yourself regardless of how much talent you have. It’s quite simply level of effort = level of success. Yes, the guys above are incredibly good. Winning even a school year title requires you be the best of 150 pupils (in TBSHS often to take your year title you’ll have to in the process beat the district champion) a district title the best of 1200 pupils. Yet it’s do-able, I started athletics as year 7 b-string 1500m runner as no-one else would do it. Now I’m still b-string, but for the county team with only an international ahead of me. If I can do it so can you! So get out there and enjoy yourselves. It’ll come in time.
About the author: Current u-20 Herts. 5000m record-holder, u-20 county 5000m gold, 3000m gold, team XC gold, individual XC silver, 800 bronze. 5 Herts vests. Top 50 UK u-20 5000m ranking.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Rivals
Just seen the performances of probably my two main rivals in Hertfordshire in my scholastic year though they were both running somewhere in the Premier League and I was in the Thames at Woodford Green. Mark Stitchbury ran 4:23.bit for the 1500m today (I ran 4:23 today) I was well ahead of him in the last XC and the last but one he pipped me on the line. James Newman who beat me sizeably on all XC this season ran 9:25.7 for the 3000m today at the Premier, I ran 9:25.2 at the Open meeting a few weeks back. Looks like we're in store for some pretty close races this season!
(Main report for today beneath the photos)
(Main report for today beneath the photos)
National Junior League-Thames Division 1- 1500m-24/04/05
Got down to the Woodford Green track, it's actually perhaps a little closer to me than the track I train on as although it's further it's straight down the motorway, if you were able to get out on the hard shoulder it would be quicker!
Met up with team-mates and got a few pictures of them both messing about and in action (to be posted shortly), then went over to my race, found out 2 of the woodford green boys who'd been beating me all XC season were in my race. One of them was normally not that far ahead and the other had already raced today so I thought I'd have a good race there, then I started chatting to some of the other competitors (14-15) including Dan Watts, ESSA senior xc champion, 130 places ahead of me! Warmed up with george and got ready for the race, then lined up and it began! Deliberately tried to go slow at the start and did for the first 200m then started advancing upwards, went through the first lap in 68 in the end! The accelerated even more like an idiot moving myself into 4th place behind Dann Watts and his two team-mates all about 20m ahead, went through the second lap in 2:16 another 68 lap, was starting to hurt a little now but kept on going, went through the bell in about 3:10 so I'd slowed down to 72 seconds per lap with one having gone past me, then at the start of the last lap one pulled level, I tried to keep up but he then went ahead, followed by one more, but the two WG&EL lads were still behind. 300m to go and it was hurting, arms ached, kept on trying though, came round the bend and started pushing, almost caught the guy who went past me at the start of the lap but he just kept ahead :(. I'd beaten the two WG&EL boys though for the first time ever! Ran 4:23 which is a 7 second PB and the first time I've gone under 4:30 so moderately pleased, but I could have run smarter and I think I should be runnign a touch faster by now, still speed-work should now sort everything out!
Met up with team-mates and got a few pictures of them both messing about and in action (to be posted shortly), then went over to my race, found out 2 of the woodford green boys who'd been beating me all XC season were in my race. One of them was normally not that far ahead and the other had already raced today so I thought I'd have a good race there, then I started chatting to some of the other competitors (14-15) including Dan Watts, ESSA senior xc champion, 130 places ahead of me! Warmed up with george and got ready for the race, then lined up and it began! Deliberately tried to go slow at the start and did for the first 200m then started advancing upwards, went through the first lap in 68 in the end! The accelerated even more like an idiot moving myself into 4th place behind Dann Watts and his two team-mates all about 20m ahead, went through the second lap in 2:16 another 68 lap, was starting to hurt a little now but kept on going, went through the bell in about 3:10 so I'd slowed down to 72 seconds per lap with one having gone past me, then at the start of the last lap one pulled level, I tried to keep up but he then went ahead, followed by one more, but the two WG&EL lads were still behind. 300m to go and it was hurting, arms ached, kept on trying though, came round the bend and started pushing, almost caught the guy who went past me at the start of the lap but he just kept ahead :(. I'd beaten the two WG&EL boys though for the first time ever! Ran 4:23 which is a 7 second PB and the first time I've gone under 4:30 so moderately pleased, but I could have run smarter and I think I should be runnign a touch faster by now, still speed-work should now sort everything out!
Monday, April 18, 2005
Training too Hard? 18-04-5
Over the past three days I've run 15 miles (sat), 4 miles at 5:48 pace (sun) and today 6 x 800 roughly (90) in 144, 142, 147, 143, 140, 143 then jogged 4 miles in the evening before 4 miles at 6m/m pace, which actually felt pretty easy. Last Wed I did 13 miles (total), 2 in a track on the Thursday and 13 on the Friday, that's a half-marathon in 3 out of 4 days. Just shows how hard you have to train. Slight niggle in calf but easier few days should sort that out.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Photos
Just added a massive amount of photos to the site (well about 6...). Trainings going well, did 15 miles yesterday and 4 today in 23:12 so 5:48 pace. Need to get a good few more in tommorow.
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