Red and Black Magazine june 2020 v4

Up the hill www.hernehillharriers.org

2020 SUMMER ISSUE RED&BLACK
MAGAZINE
Virtual by
running
reality Herne Hill Harriers is a community athletics club that
believes in diversity & is open to all.

LOSPCEKCDIOAWL N

Do more Sprint talking
miles matter?
Lockdown
My other diary
sport is...
1

The Song of the Ungirt Runners

by Charles Hamilton Sorley

We swing ungirded hips, The rain is on our lips,
And lightened are our eyes, We do not run for prize.
The rain is on our lips, But the storm the water whips
We do not run for prize. And the wave howls to the skies.
We know not whom we trust The winds arise and strike it
Nor whitherward we fare, And scatter it like sand,
But we run because we must And we run because we like it

Through the great wide air. Through the broad bright land.

The waters of the seas
Are troubled as by storm.
The tempest strips the trees
And does not leave them warm.
Does the tearing tempest pause?
Do the tree-tops ask it why?
So we run without a cause

‘Neath the big bare sky.

Note: Charles Hamilton Sorley, more well known for his war poems, was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He attended King’s College Choir School and
Marlborough College where he thrived in cross country running and his love of running is seen in several of his poems. The first were published in his
school journal, although most of what he wrote was published after his untimely death in 1915 in the Battle of Loos at the age of only 20. The Song of the
Ungirt Runners was written during his training for the army, and his last poem was found in his kitbag after his death. His body was never found but he
is commemorated in Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey. This poem speaks of running for the joy of it and the instinct that we all have in us, whatever the
weather, to get out there and run.

Poem taken from Marlborough, and other poems by Charles Hamilton Sorley, Cambridge University Press, Published January 1916.

2

Lockdown special –
Now to build
back better

Welcome to our Lockdown special edition of spoken to in weeks.
Red&Black to mark the season that (almost) But, conversely, only
never was. But welcome also to Natasha really being allowed out
Lodge, Herne Hill athlete and our new co-editor. As to exercise meant that
our own small step away from dated structures the some of us have used
magazine is now being jointly edited, which means that opportunity to its
that we now have double the number of ears to hear max, training hard and
your news and views. This is vital because we want with huge enthusiasm,
Red&Black to contain all the content you want to see in relishing the fresh air
it, but Red&Black is written by-and-for club members and the opportunity to
so that means the news and features have to come from be somewhere other
you. So please get in touch. We are a big and diverse than our houses. With
club and we want that to shine through these pages. the restrictions on how
And we hope you’ll discover some of that diversity in this far we could range, it’s
edition. We look local and global, at some club member’s given us the chance to explore more of the immediate
particular obsessions, other’s meteoric rise within areas where we live, avoiding the crowds and going
the sport and still others’ hidden pasts in completely to places nearby where we may never have ventured
different sports. before, albeit 5 minutes away from our homes. The
virtual races showed that however far apart we are,
But most of all, this edition is a record of an unusual Herne Hill Harriers will always support each other and
time seen through the lens of our sport. For many of us share in each others’ achievements. Lockdown also
the annual cycle of competing and training gives shape seems to have created more runners than ever before.
to our year and uniquely, in living memory, that shape
has gone. In its place there have been innovations with But the last few months were marked by more than
virtual events and we have found different ways to train, the experience of lockdown. The Covid-19 pandemic
often solo, under lockdown. Some have got together exposed great social inequalities, not least the structural
online and found creative ways to keep connected and and institutional injustices faced by BAME people and
keep their focus. It hasn’t been easy but it has reminded communities. Reaction to the police killing of George
us how important the sport and the club are to us. Floyd in the United States ignited calls for action against
racism far beyond American borders. We know that
Herne Hill Harriers is all about participating in athletics there is much work to be done everywhere to ensure
as a team and community - bringing people together in that racism is actively challenged and changed, and
one common interest - and that is one of the things we that means sports clubs too, including our own, which
love most about it. For a moment, lockdown threatened contribute to our social fabric. In language that is
to take all that away. Without being able to train or race echoing around as people begin to look forward from the
or go on long runs together, how could that community pandemic, we have a chance now to build back better.
and team spirit stay in place? And yet it has, and we Let’s take it.
believe, perhaps to an even greater degree than before
lockdown. Andrew Simms & Natasha Lodge
Co-editors, Red & Black
Training alone and with few clear goals has been
difficult. There are team mates we haven’t seen or

RED & BLACK MAGAZINE 3
EDITORIAL | Andrew Simms | Email: [email protected] | Twitter: @Andrewsimms_UK
DESIGN, LAYOUT AND PRINT | Glen Keegan | Words & Pictures Ltd | 8 Stoney Lane, London SE19 3BD | www.wordsandpictures.co.uk | 020 8653 5203

PEOPLE

“I missed the buzz
of a hard session
and good race”

WHY I RUN

Still hitting paces in these races she’s never achieved before, Herne Hill senior woman
athlete Helena Corbin finds that the buzz of racing is stronger than the pain of lactic
sessions, and she might even toe the line for a few more cross countries
(but don’t expect her to go quietly…)

Why did I start running? Of course, the buzz of racing was another driving
I’m not sure I had much of a choice… I started factor for running – trying to better my personal bests,
win races, and beat my regular competitors. I ran at
“properly” running at 11 – my school was a specialist different levels across those years, both in track and
sports college and they make all the students race two field and, although many of you will find it hard to
laps of the school field to see who has potential for the believe, cross country, trying to earn that Surrey vest,
school running team. One good run later, I was in the and English Schools qualification was always a key
school cross-country team, a novice amongst seasoned motivator.
Aldershot, Farnham & District (AFD) junior athlete. I
didn’t even know what club running was at this point. By the time I went to university, running was in my
blood. Going to the University of Exeter I quickly slotted
My earliest race memory was from district schools straight into life in the running club, Monday and
cross country that year, our team packing well in the top Wednesday training and of course the Wednesday night
ten and me realising I could have out-sprinted a few of socials. My closest university friends became those I
my new team mates for a better individual position. Not spent most of my time training and racing with.
wanting to annoy my new friends, and knowing we had
the team win I didn’t, but safe to say I didn’t make that The third year of university was my “peak” of running
mistake again. up to that point. Whilst still on a mere 20 miles week
(at a push), I had implemented a proper strength and
During this year, and thanks to my PE teacher Jane Bell, conditioning routine, did a few longer (read 30-40 min)
I started training at Woking AC, her husband Fred (an runs and was consistently doing hard track / grass
early member of the British Milers Club) a coach there. sessions. I even stopped drinking on the Wednesday
The training sessions and friendships kept me running night socials. Hard sessions for me consisted of 800m
throughout my teenage years. I have great memories race pace – often. My staples were 3x4x200m or 600,
of laughing my way through training sessions, the team 500, 400, 300, 200, 100 and hills, always hills.
coach trips to races and travelling to random places in the
country. A shout-out to my mum too, who I now realise I achieved my 800m PB at the British University
gave up a lot of her time to make this happen. Championships (BUCS) indoors, having had to run a

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PEOPLE

PB in the heat and semi, to chase the fast girls around in the final 0.5 mile. I worried that if we were around the
in the final. This was followed in the summer by BUCS top 10, I wanted to be in it and, in 6th, I made it!
Outdoors, which was the test event in the 2012 Olympic
Stadium. And, let’s not forget, it’s also the year I The summer flowed into a successful winter
discovered my talent for the chunder mile (editors’ note: season for me. Whilst I moaned my way through a
entails drinking beer and running). I really can’t wait to lot of distance sessions (what’s new here), I returned
fit more of these into my schedule. to cross-country and road racing, hitting paces in
these races I’d never achieved before. One good
After university I had a bit of a motivational slump in Surrey league cross-country resulted in inter counties
running; it’s hard to follow the glory years. I had peaked selection, which was categorically not on my to-do list.
at indoor racing in February and the transition into
working life, with a professional qualification to study Writing this article and reflecting on the great
for, meant I let that take priority. memories I have made, I have no plans to hang up
my trainers or spikes for now. There are plenty more
I stepped away from competitive running for three lactic sessions to run, laughs to be had and PBs to be
years, still training a few times a week during this period beaten… and maybe a few more cross countries to
– hill reps, circuits and a steady run being staples. be run.
Running for me was still an escape and a way of
keeping fit… and eating all the chips I wanted.
Why do I run now?

With the qualification completed and more spare
time, I missed the buzz of a hard session and good
race. I had started running again for Woking, but moved
to London and joined Herne Hill Harriers with a long
“race fit” journey ahead; turns out ticking over only
gets you so far. I quickly slotted back in to the Tuesday/
Thursday training routine and weekend races, making
great friends along the way.

Training with a lot of marathoners I realised just how
little mileage I’d previously done and how much scope
for progression I had – a new and exciting journey.
The last few years I’ve been doing my highest mileage
ever and finally closing in on my 800m PB set in
2012. My track PBs are still my nemesis and I would
like to beat these before hanging up my spikes, as well
as getting a PB for 3000m (I don’t think DNF indoors
AND outdoors counts). A return of the dreaded, but
rewarding, lactic sessions, is required this summer (or
when the time is right).

That summer, along with my 800m progression, I
competed in the global JP Morgan Corporate Challenge
in San Francisco, my team having won the mixed race
in London in 2018. This trip was definitely a career
highlight. We were treated like pros, given stash, an
epic after-party…. Oh, and of course, the 3.5 mile race.
I was fortunate enough to run most of the race with an
American marathon runner, who even cheered for me
to “use that 800m speed girl” as I pulled away from her

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PEOPLE

My worst race,
my best race

We all have races we would rather forget, but what pushes us to continue are the highs
of achievement and the encouragement and support of our team. Liv Stillman describes

the pleasure and tactics of competing alongside the frustrations of injury and illness.

When I was asked to write about my best and – something I had been really excited to attempt when
worst races, I thought it would be easy. I walking the course – it suddenly felt like a very bad idea.
was wrong…it seems my results mean so I finished my first log facing the wrong direction…how
many different things to me depending on what I that happened please don’t ask, but all I can say is I
definitely won’t be trying steeplechase any time soon. As
was going through at the time. I sat on the log facing the runners heading my way they
My worst race takes me back to not very long ago, looked irritated that I appeared just to be sitting there.
February 22nd 2020, at an extremely muddy Nationals This prompted a marshal to say “oh don’t worry, keep
Cross Country Championship in Nottingham. A course going love!”. I made a mental note to definitely contact
that I love and was really looking forward to as my my local ladies football team whilst I scrambled my way,
second race back from serious illness. Six months earlier very un-lady like, off the log to avoid being spiked by the
when I was in hospital I didn’t dream I would be back next surge of runners.
running so quickly.
The week before I felt good, excited and ready to go. I As the course looped around and I saw the front pack
set off on my journey on the Friday, and slept the whole continuing to ease their way through the race, I felt
way, which is very unlike me – just for the record I wasn’t slightly disheartened to think that only last cross country
driving. I walked some of the course and felt better…all season I would have been a lot closer to them. It’s hard
good I thought. Fast forward 19 hours and I was standing to keep coming back from an injury or illness, and this
on the start line pleased to have caught up with my is my fourth time trying it. I have had to accept that it
Herne Hill team, but in a moment of silence before the takes time, both physically and mentally, to get back to
gun sounded, I looked up at the impending hill and mud racing in the way I know I can. I haven’t had a full year
baths proceeding it and wondered how I was going to get of training for 4 years, and it was certainly something I
up it. was hoping to have started this year, although current
I know my starts aren’t the best out there, but to circumstances have put a stop to that. I finished the race
say I could have walked quicker throughout that first mud splattered but delighted to hear that both Yasmin
mud bath would not be an overstatement. It was as if and Phoebe had finished very high up and had led our
somebody had loaded my timing chip with a 10kg weight team to a bronze medal.
– and thinking about it maybe I should have checked
– because I just couldn’t prevent my feet from sinking. My best race – On a more positive note, for my best
Looking at everyone ahead of me gracefully gliding over race I am torn between the Mini Marathon 2017, and
the course, I began to think that maybe it was time to South of England Road relays 2019. I love road running,
go back to playing football. As the first log approached it’s definitely my favourite type of racing, and I love team
events, so these races are special to me. Nothing can

6

“How on earth had I run three miles as PEOPLE
a 16 year old in 16:49? I was elated.”

beat the atmosphere of the London Marathon and the strong position so I held on for as long as I could, making
amazing experience it is as a younger athlete to be able sure that the gap between me and the two runners
to run the last three miles of the course before the elites ahead didn’t grow any bigger. I will never forget the last
come in. Watching the boys barge out of their holding few hundred metres where Geoff ran alongside me
pens into the warmup area, it’s a race in itself to get to cheering me on, super pleased with my effort. At that
the start line and a challenge to remain in one piece. moment I was so proud to be part of Herne Hill’s winning
I was pleased my race turned out a lot better than my team and to have contributed with such a solid personal
efforts at getting to the front of the start line. As I was performance. I also managed to bag 4th quickest leg of
racing down Embankment for the first time in my short the day and a PB too. The beauty of running the A leg
racing life I found myself in the front pack feeling really I realised, meant I was able to enjoy spending the rest
good. I soaked up the atmosphere of everyone cheering of the day cheering on my teammates. Relays are my
my name and the team printed on my top, and never favourite races – you’re all in it together and working for
once doubted that I shouldn’t be placed amongst the each other and you can’t beat that feeling.
athletes I was running alongside. I had no idea what
position I was in the race, or in the London Borough I would not be where I am today with these
Challenge, but I knew that I was definitely in the top 20. achievements without the support of Geoff and Keith
After having waved at my parents down Bird Cage walk, I who have always encouraged me even through my times
turned onto the Mall and couldn’t believe the time I could of injury and illness.
see on the clock over the finish line. How on earth had I
run three miles as a 16 year old in 16:49? I was elated.
On finishing, all I wanted was to find my parents and tell
them my new PB, however, much to my confusion, I was
led away by an official. I found myself in the presentation
tent amongst the UK’s best athletes at the time. I had
won the London Borough Challenge and finished 10th
Nationally. It taught me you should not place limits on
yourself, but as we all know, that is possibly one of the
hardest things to conquer in sport.

Two years later, and now too old to compete in the
Mini Marathon, I began to compete in some other road
races. Geoff asked if I would run in the Southern and
National Road Relays, to which I of course agreed – I
literally jumped at the chance. He told me our Herne Hill
team had a good chance of being placed for a medal. No
pressure I thought, as I toed the line as the A leg runner.

Geoff had told me not to start too fast, as there were
plenty of legs to get us into the medal positions. However,
I went racing off at the front alongside two other runners
completely forgetting Geoff’s words of wisdom. The
course was just over 5km, so I knew I would have to
settle into my pace in order to finish strong. It was a
unique race, as we were running along main roads, past
a petrol garage, around park paths and finally the track
– definitely not boring but there were a lack of spectators
on the outermost parts of the route.

I mentally committed myself to putting our team in a

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PEOPLE

The coach
with the most

Anthony Mayhew is an extraordinary youth coach, with recent national champions
like Dante Clarke and Mabel Smith giving just a flavour of the talent he has helped
developed. He is also a regular at Tooting, Sutton and other training and competition
venues around the country. He’s been coaching for over a decade and has guided
a number of athletes to UK lead performances across a wide range of events, skilfully

juggling the demands of throws, jumps and running. Here Club President,
Keith Newton, ask him about what got him started, his inspirations, how he gets the

best out of his athletes, and how he’s kept them motivated during lockdown…

Keith Newton: Did you compete yourself as an athlete? which was called Total Athletics.
Anthony Mayhew: No I did not compete as a track KN: Are there any athletes and coaches that really

and field athlete. In my youth football was my favourite inspire you? Do you have a coaching mentor?
sport. I enjoyed playing throughout my youth. At the end AM: There are a number of athletes and coaches
of my playing career I finished as a semi -professional
at Erith and Belvedere FC. That’s where I finished my who inspire me. As a youngster I grew up watching one
playing career of my first inspirations, who is a Legend of Athletics, a
Jamaican 100 - 200m sprinter called Donald Quarrie.
KN: When did you get into coaching athletics, and In the 1976 Olympics he won a Silver medal in the
what motivated you to become involved? 100m and Gold in the 200m. I was fortunate to meet
him a few years ago, and he was a great guy. My
AM: I started coaching about 13 years ago, it was second inspiration is Michael Johnson. Most people
thorough my youngest daughter Rachel that I got know of his achievements, a great athlete and four times
involved in track and field. Her mum could not take her Olympic Champion. His book Slaying the Dragon is a
to Tooting track one Tuesday evening and she asked me great read. I encourage my athletes to read this book
to take her. “How to turn your small steps to great feats”. In his other
book Gold Rush he says, “Elite Athletes are not born
The rest is history. I started taking her from that point they are made”
on and we began working together and had some
success together at county level. I was motivated by Coaches that have inspired me over years are Rana
the success we enjoyed in what was a short period of Reider and John Blackie. Rana coached Christian
time. This was due to her hard work and commitment. Taylor, Olympic triple jump gold medallist. I went to
I realised that progress can be achieved in technical an England Athletic National Coach development
skills which results in improved performances. Later, question and answer session with him three years ago
Rachel left athletics to pursue her studies. We worked at Loughborough university. The take away for me
together for just over two years and I realised how form that afternoon was that it is possible to be a multi
much I enjoyed coaching and decided to do continue events coach. This was the first time I started thinking
with my coaching qualifications. Whilst doing my level about coaching multi-events. John Blackie coaches
1 qualification I worked with a senior coach of a couple Dina Asher – Smith, 200m World championship and has
of years. Then I decided to start my own training group,

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done a fantastic job with her. I have been very lucky AM: The events we cover in the training group are
to have had numerous mentors over the course of my sprints, hurdles, horizontal and vertical jumps. A typical
coaching journey so far. I worked with a sprint coach, training session at Tooting track means that I have
jumps coaches and a multi-event coach which gave me athletes doing hurdles over at the 100m start line.
a good appreciation of multi-events. Athletes over at the high jump and at the finish line
athletes running 150/200m they finish at the 200m
KN: What does your typical coaching week involve, start line which is adjacent to the second jumps pit. This
winter and summer? means that I am walking between the four corners of the
track. In terms of juggling the different demands, this
AM: My typical coaching week looks like this: means that my time management is very important, the
Winter Session (October – December) athletes are very focussed and motivated which is what
Tuesday training 7:00 – 8:30 PM at Streatham Common makes the group works. We understand that our time
Hills together is very important, and we need to maximise our
Wednesday Training 7:00 – 8:30 Tooting tack focus
Thursday training 7:00 - 8:30 PM at Tooting track
Saturday training 2:00 – 4:00 PM at David Weir Leisure KN: What do you consider your biggest achievement
Centre as a coach?

During the winter months the sessions are split into AM: That’s an interesting question I have worked
two with shot putter Andre Parker who won U15 boys’
• Strength / Conditioning and Co-ordination English School in 2017, that was satisfying. However, I
• Technical Skills – On Saturdays we work indoors consider by biggest achievement to date is with Dante
Clarke as an U15 Boy. This year he is double national
Summer Session (April – September) champion in long Jump, with distance of 6.33m, and
• Tuesday training 7:00 – 8:30 PM in the Pentathlon where he gained 2953 points, both
• Thursday training 7:00 - 8:30 PM achieved at the Sheffield Indoor Champions 2020. With
the extended shutdown so far this season we remain
During the summer months when we are not optimistic that there will be some more competition
competing the sessions are used to maintain gains before the season ends.
achieved over the winter periods

KN: You coach athletes across a wide range of events,
how do you manage to juggle all the different demands,
and keep your athletes focussed?

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PEOPLE

Virtual
Running
Reality

Lockdown has forced us to change the way we train and compete. Susan Mair writes
about the virtual races that have come about due to Lockdown and the amazing
support it has brought out on the girls WhatsApp group.

Iam sure we would all agree that, in a time when relays were certainly not being taken any less seriously
most of us may be feeling downhearted by having to than the real deal. I have a newfound respect to all the
remain largely at home, paired with the reality that race organisers out there!
our goal races are now somewhere in the distance, we
were all in need of a bit of friendly competition and After an unnecessary panic that our first leg, run all
focus in these unprecedented times. Especially after the way over in Australia, was completed before the
training through this particularly wet winter (and that is equivalent start time in the BST time zone, our first time
coming from someone who grew up in Scotland!). But was in – 16.44min. This was followed by more superb
what a strange concept. A ‘virtual race’; to run a 5k as times from the 22 other wonderful ladies as the days
quickly as possible by yourself, nobody’s heels to be went on.
on the back of and no one pounding behind you. Just
you, your ‘course’ and some form of GPS. There was an influx of messages and screenshots
from those who were proud to share their 5k effort,
The need to select our own course was an which is exactly what it was, a huge individual effort
interesting challenge and something most of us are from each and every person who took part. The
not accustomed to when competing. With many of our responses were all heartfelt congratulations and
usual parks off limits due to the requirement to remain celebrations which were loud enough without being
socially distant, picking a speedy course was not going vocal.
to be as easy as doing the closest parkrun. I very much
doubt I was the only one on google maps drawing By the time I attempted my 5km I knew there would
out possible routes, attempting to limit the corners or be no change to our current team placing, there were
any form of uphill (or downhill) or the crossing of any already several times far quicker than I could achieve.
troublesome roads. I also heard some mutterings of And I will not lie, it crossed my mind not to bother.
wind speed being considered too – proof that the virtual But this isn’t the attitude at Herne Hill Harriers, and
although I will never be in the same league as some
of my incredible team mates, I do of course still want

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to improve. We are a team and even though we span training partners, the virtual relays allowed us to take
across different training groups and, incredibly, even some time to pop on our red and black stripes (some
across the globe, that means if you run a 5k in 16mins, literally and some metaphorically) and do what we love
18mins or 30mins you have a place in the team and the to do, run.
encouragement and praise is dished out equally.
*On writing this the current total stands at £9564
Reflecting on the first competitive virtual event most which has been raised for Association of NHS Charities
of us will have ever been a part of, and what was which supports staff, volunteers and patients impacted
certainly more important than winning (which of course by the Covid-19 crisis. An amazing effort from all. The
was a nice bonus), was the undeniable Herne Hill team link is still available to donate if you would like to and
spirit that shone throughout the competition. At a time have not already.
when we are all missing structured training and our

“The responses were all heartfelt
congratulations and celebrations which were

loud enough without being vocal.”

12

Allan Long 13

Much of the focus of athletics and racing is on young seniors, however, Allan Long
shows that this shouldn’t always be the case and that it’s possible to keep competing

and setting records much later into life. Steve Bosley tells us a bit about Allan
and how he came to join and compete for Herne Hill.

Ahuge congratulations to Allan Long on
being awarded the Michael May trophy for
outstanding performances and attitude to
veteran’s athletics

Allan was born in Leytonstone on 2 August 1942,
and didn’t become a member of HHH until the
age of 62 in August 2004. Sadly, he had become
a widower and was on the point of retirement living
locally in Tooting, when he saw the Tooting Track
athletics Open Meetings, where all age groups
compete. Shortly after, he began training with Ivor
Northey’s sprint and jumps group and has never
looked back.

Allan, I suspect, was a sprinter/jumper at school
and took up from where he left off more than 40
years earlier. He was fortunate to meet his present
wife Marian, and moved to the Sussex coast in
2017, but that didn’t stop him from competing at
the Monday evening Veterans league competitions,
taking on the 60 year olds and often winning at the
age of 75. He still regularly competes at the HHH
Open Meetings taking great pleasure in seeing
“youngsters and the not so young compete within
all aspects of athletics”.

Marian is always beside him, chauffeur, coach,
companion and greatest fan, although he has many
of those within the club and Master’s athletics as
a whole. He is always the gentleman; kind and
considerate to competitors and officials alike and
always willing to fill in for the team be it in a relay,
an unexpected jump or helping to adjudicate an
event. This willingness extends from HHH vets
team matches through to Great Britain veteran
representation. He is the most unassuming
superstar because he doesn’t believe he is one.
But that is the nature of the man that makes him
so deserving of the Michael May Award. Allan is
a role model of earnest endeavour who competes
and succeeds at the highest level but remains the
humble, willing helper and supporter of athletics
and all around him.

PEOPLE

My Secret
Weapon

After being stuck in a cycle of injury and clutching a doctor’s note that almost reduced
her to tears, Julia Wedmore turned a corner when she visited her first ‘advanced lower

limb class’. Now she’s the boss of conditioning, and knows where to
hide when it’s raining...

Driving with newly elected Club President Keith scribble reading “STRESS FRACTURE??”. I almost cried
Newton to the Southern Inter Counties in at the thought of having done that damage to my body
Oxford in December gave us a fair few hours to and having to be out for months. Luckily there was no
chat about running: the club, racing, and our weekly fracture, but I still had a long period of rehab ahead of
training schedules. “I hadn’t realised it was that me. I was sent to an absolutely brilliant NHS physio who
infrequent!” came Keith’s surprised reply when I told miraculously poked and prodded my foot back to health
him I only ran two or three times a week. and allowed me to start running again.

For someone who loves running so much you might But she also gave me a slightly unusual prescription:
think I’d be trying to run as much as possible, but in two 90-minute sessions a week in the UCLH gym at the
fact I was seriously capping the amount I was doing. bizarrely named “advanced lower limb class”. I went
And yet this was the most I had ever enjoyed running. along wondering if I would be fitted with a bionic leg,
Every run was such a novelty, and racing was the only but turns out it was a normal-ish gym session. Normal-
time I went fast so it was easy to muster the motivation ish because there were no spin classes, no gym
in my head and the energy in my legs to push hard. bunnies sweating it out on the cross trainer, and no
muscly guys flexing their biceps in the mirror. Instead a
I hadn’t always been training like this. After I left small group of focussed rehabbers each with their own
school I was constantly trying to increase my mileage crumpled piece of paper telling them what exercises
every week, but whenever I reached around 45 km to do. I was given a full programme of leg exercises
I would get injured and have to stop. As is common to strengthen my foot and allow my legs to take some
among runners I refused to learn my lesson, instead of the strain that I was putting on it. The first session
waiting out the injury and repeating the cycle. That involved the physio showing me the right technique and
was until 2017 when a foot injury would not get better for the next six weeks I diligently increased the loads
no matter how much I rested. I had to go and see towards the targets they had set for me.
someone about it.
I was extremely lucky to be given the time off work to
On the advice of the Editor of this magazine (now go to the sessions which kick started my new love for
that there are two, the one called Andrew) I went to the gym. I continue to go twice a week to build strength,
the Institute of Sports and Exercise Health to try to get and found I could do some of these sessions in place
some answers. After an initial assessment I was sent of running without any negative impact on my races.
for a scan. I remember sitting in the hallway with a note In fact the impact was positive. It’s hard to say whether
from the doctor to the radiographer that included a

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that was due to the strength I had gained or because
the conditioning was preventing injury and allowing me
to run with a consistency I never had before.

The 1st of March 2020 was a massive day in my
running career. I came second in the Frank Harmer
10K and missed my PB by one second. Sure it sounds
like a couple of near misses, but in fact it was a big
success because it marked one full year without major
injury. As someone who has been on and off the injury
train for most of their senior career this was a big step
forward. I had read about a study that found one of
the biggest predictors of your injury risk is whether
you have been injured in the last year. Now I had fully
completed both the track and cross country seasons,
my reward was to be out of the high risk group!

Of course it’s not all fun and games. There certainly
are downsides to gymming more than running. It’s less
time efficient, you don’t get to spend as much time with
your fellow Harriers, and it’s not as fun as running. But
the consistency it has allowed me to bring to my training
and the resulting performance benefits means I’ve
never looked back… not to mention the fact that it’s a
much more appealing option when it’s pissing it down
outside!

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LEARNING

Time to rev your
‘spinal engine’?

Having stumbled across an old idea and by sheer personal experimentation,
biomechanist and former Herne Hill coach, Mark White, solved a
problem that set his running free…

My supervisor was incredulous. spinal engine, so to speak. I was conscious this applied to
A spinal engine, is that what you I found the idea intriguing but me. When I looked closely in the
said it’s called? I replied in the mirror, I noticed my shoulders did
affirmative, feeling chastened. try as I might I could find very little not point in the same direction
Needless to say, I didn’t raise the take-up of the idea in the literature as my hips. When I looked in
idea again, but it would stick in on biomechanics. As I have found, the shower, I discovered my hips
my mind. That was three years biomechanists prefer things that pointed slightly to the left of where
ago when I was at Loughborough are easy to measure, rather than my feet pointed while my shoulders
University, but today through my orchestrated dynamical systems compensated by turning to the right.
own experience of running I am such as this. It was not something It may sound strange, but it is not
coming to realise there is something I pursued further as my move uncommon.
in it. to Swansea took my research in
another direction entirely. Then came my light-bulb moment.
The idea of the ‘spinal engine’ was What if this twist in my posture is
first proposed by Serge Gracovetsky Quite separately, I become aware interfering with the so-called spinal
in 1987 as the mechanism by which of another idea that could facilitate engine? If the spinal ‘axis’ is skew-
the shoulder and pelvic girdles work the spinal engine. Fascia runs whiff, my shoulders and hips may
together to transfer power efficiently throughout the body providing a not be able to counter-rotate so well
between the arms and legs during support structure and serving to together. If I can’t twist as much to
locomotion. It works by the hips and transmit forces and power from one side as the other when I run the
shoulders counter-rotating about the one part of the body to another. body will have to restrict movement
‘axis’ of the spine. If this mechanism One of those lines of connection is to maintain balance. To put it
is hindered in some way, such as called the Spiral Line which runs another way, the days when running
by the restriction of movement in the down and up the leg, forming a feels laboured might be the days
the hips or shoulders, walking and stirrup around the foot and, crucially, when one of the two spiral lines
running becomes more costly as wrapping around the torso, and have become tight, limiting twisting
energy is dissipated rather than attaching on the head, you see movement in the spine.
being efficiently recycled. It could here. There are two lines, one for
make running feel more laboured each leg, which combine to make But what to do about this? Twisting
like one of those days when your the cross-over structure. If one of exercises on their own didn’t seem
legs feel tired. In reality, it may be those lines should become tight for to help terribly much. But then,
nothing to do with your leg muscles some reason an asymmetry will be almost by chance, I hit upon the
and more to do with a misfiring introduced into the standing posture answer.
and in locomotion.
The humble sit-up was something

16

I disliked, as it felt uncomfortable to me, while my coaching LEARNING
brain dismissed the pointlessness of practising bringing
your shoulders towards your hips. And, no, sit-ups do not 17
develop an effective core even if they develop a stronger
rectus abdominis and obliques. The so-called core depends
on the internal posture muscles, not these external ones.

Recently, I tried the sit-up in a different way. Before lifting
my torso off the floor, I activated my upper back muscles
between my shoulders so that I felt a tension along the line
of my collar bones and neck. (This is the opposite of letting
the neck recede when the shoulders hunch.) Then, when I
used the abdominal muscles, I comfortably lifted my torso
into the sit-up.

Practising this only a few times a day (< 10 reps, the
Pilates way) my posture is better, I can sit comfortably
cross-legged on the floor, and my hips and shoulders
point the same way. And, best of all, I’m running faster
and enjoying it more. So what seems to have happened is
that by engaging my upper back muscles I improved my
posture, which encouraged my abdominal muscles to work
correctly. The body did not need to call upon the spiral
line to provide a postural role which it would achieve by
tightening up, like guy ropes supporting a tent, with one
line tightening slightly more than the other. Without such
inhibition, running became easier because the spinal ‘axis’
was no longer twisted, allowing a free counter-rotation of
the hips and shoulders. Consequently, the power transfer
between legs and arms became efficient. With greater
movement in the hips, the stride can extend – and just a
few more degrees can make a big difference.

This is what has worked for me, it is not by any means a
scientific study, but it is personal experimentation testing
certain hypotheses grounded in science. As runners,
we learn what works for each of us and what does not.
Sometimes we can be misled and can draw the wrong
conclusions, but if we continue our introspective inquiries
with an open mind we might find the right formula. As Peter
Coe aptly put it, it is a scientific study with a sample size of
one. I pass on this idea of the spinal engine and my own
experience as a new way to think about your running, and,
should you be in a rut, perhaps these ideas might allow you
to make a new start and improve your running.

Gracovetsky S. A., Lacono, S. “Energy transfers in the spinal engine.” Journal
of Biomechanical Engineering (1987), 9(2), 99-114.
Gracovetsky S. A. “Linking the spinal engine with the legs” in “Movement,
stability and low back pain: The Essential Role of the Pelvis”. Vleeming A.,
Mooney V., Dorman T., Snijders C., Stoeckart R., (Editors) 1997, Churchill
Livingstone. [Free to download.]

PEOPLE

Breathless, full of
beans and running

to catch-up

Jack Brotchie is awestruck, in a good way, and breathless, in a less good way by his
pilgrimage to the home of distance running in Iten, Kenya. Ultimately, however, after a

lot of pancakes, rice, potatoes, beans and hot road surfaces, he is enchanted
and inspired by a community of runners…

‘Red fades to brown’ was a saying that an ex- It’s also a bit of an arse to get to – Sean (Fitzpatrick,
girlfriend of mine used to repeat as justification the infamous) and I decided to break up the trip by
for not wearing any suncream. Whilst it used staying two nights in Nairobi with Lawrence (Avery,
to irritate me no end, my trip to Iten was confirmation another Kent AC runner), getting a couple of runs in,
that, at times, it’s completely true (Editor’s note: this before flying up to Eldoret. A short flight, but also a
does not conform to NHS health guidance for exposure mildly terrifying one, 45 minutes in a 32-seat prop
to sun!). Of the many things that I learnt during my trip, aircraft which we boarded shortly after a reading a
the strength of the sun at 2400m on the equator was cheery notice saying, ‘We are legally required to inform
possibly the most painful lesson. But I do still have a you that we had to perform a minor crash landing on
beautifully browned neck. this route yesterday. There were no casualties’. Great.

For those of you who don’t know, Iten is the self- Once in Eldoret it’s an hour or so drive up to Iten,
proclaimed ‘Home of Champions’, a tiny town situated eyes peeled as the landscape changes to the red dirt
at 2400m altitude on the escarpment of the Great Rift roads that we’ve all seen videos of. Iten itself is pretty
Valley in Kenya. It’s home to multiple training camps tiny, essentially one main road a couple of miles long
and St. Patrick’s High School, whose alumni include with tracks leading off it on either side. A few running
multiple Olympic and World medal winners and World stores, Lornah’s High Altitude Training Centre and track
Record holders. It’s also home to Renato Canova, Colm (which is a staggering £10 to use!), tiny bars, tailors and
O’Connell (a teacher at the school since 1976) and other so forth. Also, there are a fair amount of sheep hanging
internationally acclaimed coaches. In short, a bit of a around.
distance running Mecca.
We were staying at the C&C Guesthouse, a small

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“The other guests were exactly what I was
hoping for – a motley crew of mildly
eccentric obsessives.”

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house of Caroline and Chris, a Kenyan/Dutch
20 couple who were the proprietors. Caroline is a
reasonably successful runner on the European
road circuit whilst Chris is absolutely charming
but speaks the most bizarrely yet unintelligible
fluent English I’ve ever heard. Lovely, if slightly
repetitive food – pancakes for breakfast (post-
run), rice or potatoes with lentils, beans or greens
for lunch, soup and chapattis or ugali and more
beans/lentils/greens for dinner. Every day.

The other guests were exactly what I was
hoping for – a motley crew of mildly eccentric
obsessives. Omar, a Danish runner smashing
out 180k a week whilst targeting a 63 minute
half marathon in Berlin. A Swedish woman,
sadly injured, who was doing 3+ hours on the
cross trainer every day and hoping to win the
Backyard Ultra in June (if you don’t know what
the Backyard Ultra is, look it up, fascinating).
Nick Storry, a mildly mysterious U21 Kenyan
800m runner who’s been coached by Canova
to around 1:48 and hoping for a breakthrough.
Kevin Carr, a V40 from Devon who was going for
sub-3 at the Newport Marathon. Oh, he’s also
the World Record holder for running around the
entire bloody world unsupported. Dan Jones,
an extremely jolly New Zealander who ran 2:16
at the Gold Coast Marathon and was hoping
for a breakthrough in Hannover (he’s still in
Iten!). And us, a slightly creaky group of mildly
mediocre Surrey League runners. Running wise
we pretty quickly grouped up as Sean, Omar
and Dan running together (for the most part) and
Lawrence, Kevin and myself taking it easy a few
minutes behind (joined by Pete Lighting when he
arrived for the second week).

To the running itself. First off, it’s really, really
unpleasant. Whilst I had run at the Big Half the
day before flying, I really wasn’t prepared for
how tough I was going to find it. I hear that some
adapt quickly to the altitude. I didn’t. 7:00 miling
felt like a light tempo, not helped by the fact that
‘flat’ isn’t really a word you can apply to any of
the routes in the vicinity. The Keellu Road was
a route of choice for a fair few of our easy runs

PEOPLE

since it’s smooth, new tarmac. It’s also got around 750 ft believe I was any older than 19, therefore I love him.
of elevation gain if you do the classic 5 miles out and 5 Equally memorable was an undulating long run down
miles back.
to Eldoret (similar to the Boston course, downhill but
The schedule was roughly 10 miles in the morning, 5 plenty of climbs), with a matatu driving between the two
in the afternoon on your easy days. Not running twice a groups of us, handing out drinks and such. Ending up in
day is seen as negligence, everyone does it. There’s also the town centre, lounging by a swimming pool for a few
not much else to do. When you’re just eating, sleeping hours and then absolutely stuffing ourselves at the finest
and running, racking up the miles is incredibly easy. A Indian restaurant in the county.
job had never seemed so inconvenient.
Main billing, however, as a running experience, has to
For our track sessions we went down to Tambach go to the Iten Fartlek. Just being at the start for the first
Track. It’s at a slightly lower altitude so it’s a little easier time is intensely intimidating. 150+ runners, 4 Mzungus
to breathe but it’s also a little hotter. Absolutely stunning (Sean, Dan, a 2:12 Russian and myself) and an uphill,
location on the edge of the cliff essentially, free to use 1min on/1min off Fartlek at altitude. The full session
and just a 15 minute matatu drive away (as an aside, was 20 reps. It started with essentially random surging
matatus are 7 seat people carriers that act as local for 5 minutes and then settled into a rhythm once I was
transport – although 7 seats can normally fit a minimum already dropped by the majority of the group. Sean was
of 12 people). The track itself is red dirt, slightly lumpy, maybe 100-150 metres ahead of me, and I managed
slippery and rocky with a lovely deep indentation in Lane 10 reps keeping that gap roughly the same before I
1 but you wouldn’t change it for the world. couldn’t go another step. By that point there was only
one runner behind although a fair few had already
Aside from having somewhere to run (relatively) fast, dropped. For perspective Dan and the Russian finished
the spectacle of seeing various Kenyan training groups the session but were dropped by the second group
go after it is incredible. Whilst I was plodding round before the end. Words can’t describe how tough it was,
doing 400s at slower than 5k pace (altitude! heat!), one but also how awe inspiring. After seeing the top guys
local group was smashing out 400s in 55-60 secs per there and at the track it kind of made sense that they
lap for our entire time there, whilst a couple of guys in would just jog around at 8-8:30 pace for their evening
Police vests (running for the police, army or fire service miles.
is prestigious in Kenya, Geoffrey Kamworor and Asbel
Kiprop both represented the police) were running It wasn’t ALL running, you spend a decent amount
progressive 600s, going 30sec-28sec-26sec per 200m. of time trying to identify the European and American
It was staggering. And then you realise that these aren’t pros out there for camp, playing obscene amounts of
sponsored, elite athletes, these are guys with massive board games (mainly Ticket to Ride) and even a day
holes in their shoes, no team kit, no pro coaches, just trip or two. We spent one day at Lake Baringu, driving
trying to impress enough to get a chance at racing in across the valley floor and taking a boat safari in an
Europe. environment that is being rapidly altered by climate
change. But even down in the valley the driver was
To further hammer that point home we met up for constantly pointing out the home village of Paul Tergat,
a coffee that afternoon with Barnabas Kipyego, who Rhonex Kipruto, Mary Keitany and so on. It’s hard not to
Sean had met at the Jersey Marathon. Barnabas has feel totally immersed in the sport, and inspired by it.
run 2:12, has no coach and with Covid-19, no means of
income so far this year. Whilst he would’ve been the 4th Rather than expecting massive, tangible gains in
fastest British runner of 2019, his socks had more hole fitness, I saw the opportunity to go to Iten as a chance
than sock. He bet on himself for the Jersey Marathon to hang out with some mates, meet some other, mildly
spending almost £1000 on flights and accommodation eccentric runners and just see somewhere that we’ve all
since he has no manager, although it did pay off with heard so much about. From that angle it was a massive
the win. He also told us, whilst we were plodding around success. From the angle of gaining fitness with which to
that evening at 8:00 min/mile pace that he was 32 or 36 win my bet against Keith at the 12 Stage – well, that’ll
and that Kipchoge was at least 45. He then refused to just have to wait a year!.

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Mindful games

When Josh Pewter started Run Talk Run in Tooting it was a club of one at a pub table, now
it’s a vibrant community of people providing mutual support and, running at the pace of the

slowest, putting one foot in front of the other is mostly just the excuse to get together

On a cold Monday night in January 2019 I sat in isolated in large cities, and pressure on NHS mental
the corner of the Wheatsheaf pub, hopeful that health services ever growing, a place to be able to meet
the front doors may open to show a likeminded likeminded souls and support each other has never
soul in hi-vis and laced-up running shoes. For the past been more needed.
two weeks I had been pushing the message out locally
that I was starting a running club in Tooting, for non- London in particular has been ranked as the ‘loneliest’
runners. A club whose attention was focussed less on city in the UK with only 7% of Londoners thinking the
times and personal bests and more on community, city is a good place to make new friends. Loneliness can
kindness and putting mental wellbeing first. Despite contribute to or exacerbate mental health difficulties
my best efforts, after half an hour had passed, nobody with four in ten people having felt depressed because
showed and I ventured out to do a loop of Tooting, solo. they were alone.

It has never been in question, that the running we all After a few months away from the UK, I discovered
love and enjoy has huge benefits to our physical health, a group through social media called Run Talk Run that
but more recently there has been a greater spotlight were starting small running support groups around the
on running’s benefits to our mental wellbeing. With UK. Jessica Robson had founded this a year earlier as
work hours increasing, people more frequently socially she found how powerful running can be to aid recovery
from her own personal challenges, using her journey,

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community and knowledge, she built something to clubs, bake offs for the Tooting community centre, and
support others. After a few conversations with Jess, now a running buddy system to meet up with one other
I came away feeling South London could do with has kept the group going. It’s an uncertain few months
something similar. but I think more than ever it’s important to find that safe
space, go for a run, talk.
It took a few weeks to get it off the ground, but Run
Talk Run Tooting was born. Roll on 18 months and I know Run Talk Run certainly isn’t for everyone, but it
we’re 92 members strong, getting 35 people turning up is there for anyone should they need it. I’m even hopeful
regularly every week. It’s been a journey of easy 5kms, the way some are progressing in the coming months
post-run pints, group races, pub quizzes and most of all some our runners will join Herne Hill and pull on the
quite a lot of fun. There are just three rules to Run Talk mighty red & black. But if you’re free on a Monday night,
Run, apart from 5km every Monday night. It’s open to or know someone who could do with the outlet; come
all paces (and headspaces) we run as quickly as the and run slow, chat & maybe grab a pint afterwards at
slowest runner, and it’s free to absolutely everyone. the Wheatsheaf, I’ll be waiting in the corner.

And, it’s been incredibly rewarding. Seeing people Run Talk Run (Post Covid) is on Monday Nights,
who could barely run a mile without stopping go on to at The Wheatsheaf (Tooting Bec) for a weekly 5km
take on half or even full marathons is a wonderful sight community run. 7:15pm meet for a 7:30pm start.
to see. What is even more valuable is seeing friendships For more information go to www.runtalkrun.com or @
made, and runners become happier. It’s created runtalkrun on Instagram
leaders, people with zero confidence or self-esteem
when they joined, leading runs, public speaking and
helping others. A parkrun takeover of Tooting last August
was a clear highlight, with all volunteer roles taken up by
our gang. It’s also been good for me personally leading
it; it’s pushed me to be more honest about my own
headspace and feeling like I can talk freely without any
judgement or awkwardness.

More so, the whole experience has made me
appreciate the art of running slow. I love a long Sunday
run from the track more than most, but it can still be
knocking out 4:20 per km with the boys and girls, (and
sometimes sharper towards the end if people want to
get home for breakfast!). Mondays at Run Talk Run if
we break 6:00 per km then we’re shifting. The running
becomes secondary to the conversations, and the
run becomes a rest day but with the endorphins still
bouncing around afterwards.

The last months since lockdown have been
challenging for a running club, as we all know, not
being able to run together, socialise & train. It’s been
a challenge of how to still engage and lift people whilst
not being able to meet up. Run Talk Run has grown
exponentially too, in 75 locations all over the world.
So we’ve been bringing it all together with a weekly
podcast Jess & I host whilst people temporarily run
solo. But locally in Tooting It has been great to see such
camaraderie, innovation, and positivity - virtual book

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Sprint talking

Red and black catches up with Kristal Awuah to learn a little about her journey in athletics.

Double world under-20 bronze winner in the 100m Monday to Wednesday are track and gym sessions,
and 4x100m in Tampere, and the holder of Thursday is a rest day and on Friday I train in the
English Schools titles in 2016 and 2017, Kristal evening. On Saturday I train during the day and Sunday
tells us who and what inspires her and how she keeps is another rest day – it’s all about training, recovery,
motivated. training!
How do you choose your races?
At the age of just 20 Kristal has already achieved My Coach selects the right blend of races for me to
so much in her career and travelled halfway round enable me to meet my peak performance.
the world to compete. Her Power of 10 profile is an What are your career highs and lows and why?
overwhelming array of international achievements as My career highs are racing in Berlin and the European
well as a long list of more local races, showing the indoors. It’s always great when I achieve what I set out
strength and depth of her as an athlete. She ran an to do with PBs.
11.16 second 100m in Berlin at the end of the season, My career low is the British trials as I wasn’t able to
missing Dina Asher-Smith’s national junior record by just perform to my usual standard and missed out on an
two hundredths of a second and closer to home she individual spot to Doha.
won Sports Person of the Year in the Active Wandsworth When you are not running, what do you like to do?
Awards 2019. I love to watch Disney films, to go shopping and also
What is your favourite London park to run in? baking.
Brockwell park and Tooting Bec Common. What are your pre and post race go-tos?
Do you have a playlist you train with? Pre race is watching Horrid Henry.
No, I don’t have a particular one, I just listen to any Post race is watching movies and eating a burger.
music that keeps me pumped and ready to go. What sparked you to think ‘this is what I want to do’?
If you could run against anyone who would it be? When I won all the races at primary school and I
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (the first Jamaican woman watched athletics on the tv
in history to win an Olympic gold medal in the 100 m Do you have any advice to up and coming juniors?
sprint). Just believe in yourself and never give up!
Who inspires you? What has been your favourite race venue?
Flo jo - Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner (she is Berlin.
considered the fastest woman of all time from the world What is the training session you dread the most?
records she set in 1988 for both the 100 m and 200 m). Speed endurance training.
When did you start athletics? What role has HHH played for you?
When I was in primary school The club has supported me throughout my athletics
What is your next athletic goal? career and they continue to do so in an amazing way
Definitely the Olympics in Tokyo, which will hopefully today.
now take place in 2021. Who is your main support group?
What was it like winning sport’s person of the year in My coach, mentor, physio, sister and my dad.
Wandsworth?
It was such an amazing, exciting and humbling Can you describe the feeling of being on the start line of
experience to be recognised by the local community an international race?
Why do you run? There is a great deal of excitement, but I also go into battle-
Because I love it! mode and feel very in control of what I’m about to do.
What does a typical training week look like?

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Leaving
hurdles in her

wake

Former Herne Hill Harrier Jessie Knight began 2020 as an unheralded 400m hurdler,
albeit of international quality, having placed third in both the British Championship and then
as a guest at the Belgium Championship. The latter was a last ditch attempt to try to secure

a place in the GB team for the World Championship in Doha in October. Her PB time of
56.04 in Brussels was only four hundredths of a second outside the selection standard, but

Jessie missed out and started this year with a vengeance, racing 400m
without hurdles on the indoor circuit.

Afull time school teacher, Jessie’s breakthrough following questions for Red and Black....
came in the early months of this year as she How are you feeling under lockdown?
became the current British Indoor 400m I’m feeling pretty good and have tried to create a new
champion in Glasgow eight days after she had clocked routine which I feel is the key to getting through it. With
a stunning 400m PB of 51.57 at the same venue, working from home and training each day, I am able
defeating a world-class field including Poland’s Justyna to fill my days and keep busy so I am doing fine at the
Swiety-Ersetic at the Müller Grand Prix. moment. I am obviously gutted that most of the races
this season have been cancelled/postponed but it’s a
Although no longer a Herne Hill club member, Jessie time to stay positive and it will make me appreciate next
spent six good years of her athletics development racing season even more.
in red and black colours between late 2010 and the How have you found training as a 400m runner without
end of the 2016 track season. From joining the club access to a track?
until starting at Loughborough University in September A It’s not ideal but we are lucky that we can run
2012 and despite being a 400m specialist, Jessie was anywhere and don’t need much equipment. I bought a
coached by our young athletes middle distance coach measuring wheel to use during lockdown so I am able to
James McDonald. Jessie still holds our club senior and measure distances along roads and on grass, which has
under 20 women’s 400m records with her 53.48 and been very helpful.
54.41 in 2015 and 2012 respectively. Always a popular Have you been tempted by any of the virtual running
team member, she was also in both of our last two HHH events (even ones that are not your distance!)?
women’s 4 x 400m club record teams along with Katie Not really as I am following a thorough training plan set
Snowden and Hannah Edwards, including the quartet by my coach (Marina Armstrong). If she included one in
who still hold the record set at Wigan in 2013. the schedule, then I would do it but it’s quite unlikely.

Andrew Simms and Geoff Jerwood posed Jessie the

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How were you introduced to Herne Hill Harriers? coached for a while by James McDonald in a middle
I joined HHH when I was 15 years old as I was looking distance group. How much over distance content is
for a local club. I visited Tooting Bec track one evening there in your training now, e.g. aerobic runs and longer
with my grandad and everyone was so friendly and reps?
welcoming so I joined shortly after. In the winter, we do fartlek sessions on the grass to build
What was your favourite race with HHH and why? our aerobic capacity and I really enjoy them. We also
Winning English Schools (Senior Girls 400m) in 2012. do longer track sessions such as 15 x 200m but these
Although I wasn’t competing for Herne Hill in this race sessions are purely winter sessions. We only use long
(as I was running for Surrey Schools), I was coached by aerobic runs during recovery weeks as we do most of
James McDonald and it was also the race where I broke our other aerobic work on the grass or track – I think this
the U20 club record with 54.41s. keeps us on our toes with running mechanics.
What is your strongest memory of HHH?
James McDonald. He is a great coach and a great Photos are of Jessie after her Muller Grand Prix win in
personality to be around. I’ll never forget his Monday Glasgow and the HHH women’s club 4 x 400m record
sessions where I’d have to run pulling a tyre behind me team at Wigan in 2013, Jessie Knight, Aisha Naibe-Wey,
for 300m! Katie Snowden and Hannah Edwards.
What reflections on the sport have you had during
lockdown?
It has been really enjoyable training with no pressure
as there are no races coming up. It’s made me realise
how much I love the sport because despite training
alone, I play some music and am able to really enjoy
my sessions. With limited exercise allowed, it’s been
the part of the day I look forward to the most which has
been really nice.
What are you looking forward to?
I’m really looking forward to the 2021 season. I had a
big breakthrough this indoor season and haven’t yet had
the opportunity to continue the journey. I would love to
try and make my first senior GB team.
Which is your favourite session?
In the winter, I love longer sessions such as 9 x 300m
with short recovery and hill sessions with a jog back.
In the summer, my favourite sessions have to be over
the hurdles. A particular favourite of mine is 3 x start to
hurdle 5 as it is great to practice your stride pattern at
race pace!
Which is your least favourite session?
Anything longer than 400m! We do 600m sessions each
week and although I feel they are so beneficial, they hurt
a lot so I can’t say I look forward to the pain - especially
after a day at work! I just have to remind myself that
these sessions are the ones that have the biggest impact
as they make you mentally and physically strong.
Although a 400m and 400m hurdles athlete you are a
former Surrey women’s 800m champion and you were

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Developing
athletics in
Somaliland

From the rise of the new Uffo Athletics Club and the apparent increase in women’s
participation in running, Herne Hill’s Mohammed Ismail reports on initiatives to develop the
sport in Somaliland. He’ll also happily accept donations of running shoes or GPS watches

to help with the shortage of equipment in the country…

Uffo Athletics Club and progress so far… (Qaranka) team has managed to act as a run leader for
Athletics in Somaliland is shifting in a positive way, Uffo Athletics Club, whilst the overall training structure is
guided by me.
whilst there are many challenges that could hinder this
progress including lack of appropriate training facilities, I think what has helped me to coach from a distance
including tracks, fewer qualified coaches and access to is the use of social media, GPS watches, which one or
appropriate training gear, to name a few. two athletes have, and Strava, as details of key sessions
are sent to me to analyse, especially our 6-weekly ‘Time
Since my last visit to Somaliland in Summer 2019, the Trials’ of 8km and 24km, for the 10km and marathon
club has managed to establish regular long-distance runners respectively. The time trials are key, since there
training groups in Hargeisa and Borama. The core of is limited competition in Somaliland and these are one
these groups is built around small numbers of athletes way to monitor progress.
who are affiliated to the military and police athletic
teams in Somaliland. In the short term, the aim is to Typically, weekly sessions consist of short intervals
encourage other government departments and some (200m to 800m), longer time-based intervals (3-8mins),
of the larger corporations to establish their own athletic which is sometimes alternated to 40 to 60 minute tempo
teams, similar to what they do with football, which has runs and long-runs of 24km to 40km. Most athletes train
large affiliations across the country. twice a day, but the overall weekly mileage of any athlete
does not exceed 120km, with the majority running
However, Uffo is in a unique position in that it aims to around 90-100km. We tend to focus on quality rather
welcome everyone regardless of age and ability. Perhaps than quantity, for now, at least.
the community club approach is more appropriate for
Somaliland in the long-term, for the simple reason that Athletes who have directly benefited from our
it leads to more participation and encourages a culture guidance and your donations of running gear finished
of active lifestyles among Somalis. This approach has in the top six of the Somaliland marathon and a close
so far worked well with a few practical issues, as I second for the 10km.
am coaching from a distance in London, but Rashid
Handulle who is the official coach of the military We also had five female runners who did very well
in the 10km, despite only joining our training groups

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halfway through the build-up, as well as having to deal extends beyond running as there are more sportswomen
with the many challenges that female runners face in on football Astro-turfs and basketball courts. But
Somaliland. Our athletes who finished in the first three female soccer players are now taking up running.
places have been awarded with decent cash prizes too, In effect the first and second winners of this year’s
including an $800 first prize for the marathon winner. Dahabshiil Somaliland 10K were footballers that have
Women’s participation of athletics on the increase… since switched to running and have been signed up
by the Somaliland military athletic team. At Uffo our
Earlier this year both the Somaliland marathon (3rd female runners also aspire to be runing leaders and
edition) and the inaugural International Hargeisa half sport administrators, and we plan to instigate sports
marathon took place. Little has been written so far about leadership training in the coming year for our female
the increasing popularity of women’s participation but it athletes.
is on the rise.
More on the rise of women’s running in Somaliland:
As a coach to both female and male runners in https://bloomgist.com/2020/03/20/running-takes-hold-
Somaliland, I wanted to share with you a perspective among-women-in-somaliland.
that may be nearer to the athletic situation on the Donations of running gear…
ground. Although the focus has been on the capital
Hargeisa, Somaliland is about the size of England, Our campaign for secondhand running gear is
Wales, and Northern Ireland put together, and then continuing, particularly for running shoes and now for
some more. Considering that, participation in athletics old GPS watches if you have any that you would like to
is fairly small compared to football, and is spread out go to a second home. If you would like to donate running
across the country, perhaps with fewer women runners shoes, you can now drop them off at Tooting Bec track
from the capital due to its higher density per capita, and as we have a recycling bin in the green hut. You can
fewer suitable and safer places for training. For instance, also contact me directly on 07450 164038, and I would
some athletes told me that in Borama, which is closer be happy to collect any from you. Please spread the
to the border with Djibouti (a country rich with athletic word to your colleagues, friends, and family members
history) there are more female runners than in the rest about our campaign. Thank you!
of Somaliland, partly due to access to rural grounds to
train and access to coaching support from Djibouti.

Nevertheless, since the Somaliland marathon and
10km races have been staged in the capital, it appears
that more runners inhabit Hargeisa, including female
runners. The Somaliland marathon and International
Hargeisa half marathon are wonderful annual events,
but more competitions are needed across the country,
including track and field championship events.

Some of the challenges that are unique to female
runners in Somaliland include, inconsistent or mixed
messages from those in leadership positions within the
Youth and Sports ministry, be it cancellation of events or
lack of clear cultural and religious guidelines for female
runners.

According to some of the female runners at Uffo
Athletic Club the most discouraging and most likely to
cause them to stop participating in athletics is broken
promises by those in government...‘that youth should not
be promised competition and then cancelled’.

Creating spaces for women to be active in Hargeisa

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Why ‘parent clean sport
education’ matters

Newly qualified coach, Mohammed Ismail, writes about why a clean sport is not just a

concern for individual athletes, and why it’s a matter for everyone close to them…

Iwas recently interviewed for a As a newly qualified coach with is a long and challenging journey
piece of IOC funded research, an opportunity to support young filled with many highs and lows.
‘Understanding and supporting athletes from my Somaliland, as Parents can be a great support to
parent clean sport behaviours well as those in the UK, I feel athletes along the way.
through an exploration of the compelled to know more about
sporting system’ led by Dr Helen the systems that are in place both By being engaged in your child’s
Staff at Leeds Beckett University. nationally and internationally. sporting career, you see first-hand
Coaches play a crucial role in how they cope with the lows,
This research is about developing the development of athletes as when they have their frustrating
‘clean sports programmes’ that sportsmen and sportswomen as moments and when they might be
target athletes’ wider support well as people. Because one’s susceptible to external pressure to
networks to ensure any such coaching philosophy can have a make the wrong choices. For many,
programmes are effective and direct impact on whether athletes success in sports and in life is
accessible. So, when I first heard chose to train and compete clean. “winning”. For some, that means
about this, I wanted to share it using performance-enhancing
with coaches, parents, and young Figures released by UKAD’s drugs, but in the words of a great

athletes at Herne Hill Harriers. Clean Sport Week 2020 during Basketball coach, in fact, “Success
Unfortunately, it coincided with the COVID-19 lockdown, showed is peace of mind, which is a direct
the early stages of COVID-19 and that 1 in 10 (12%) of elite athletes result of self-satisfaction in knowing

social distancing making group admitted that their coaches had you did your best to become
discussions difficult. However, never discussed anti-doping the best that you are capable of
if you are a coach or parent of measures with them, whilst 83% of becoming.”
young athletes and would like athletes also believe that coaches
to contribute or be part of this should educate themselves on Personally, I think all athletic
important discussion on clean sport anti-doping rules in order to advise clubs should at least have a point
education you can contact Dr Staff on how athletes train. With these of contact, whether this role can
at: [email protected]. results in mind, UKAD is offering be incorporated with a club welfare
So why does it matter? Coach Clean as a free resource officer’s role, or that specific anti-
for coaches to brush up on their doping workshops are offered
Anti-doping education provides anti-doping education with the internally and made accessible to
athlete support personnel with aims of closing the gap. I previously all at least once a year, as well as
the knowledge to guide athletes completed the Clean Sports Advisor signposting relevant anti-doping
to make informed and educated Course, but have also booked information on club website.
decisions to create a lasting clean onto the Coach Clean course,
sport legacy according to UK Anti- which can be accessed via: ukad. I am sure everyone is aware
Doping (UKAD). Therefore, clean coachwisehub.com. I would highly about the ongoing sanctions of
sports education is provided not recommend these free courses. elite sportsmen and sportswomen
only to athletes, but to teachers, by the Athletics Integrity Unit
coaches, and parents, to ensure Equally, parents have a vital role and the number of nonsensical
everyone around an athlete is in helping their children be clean ‘whereabouts failures’. If we are to
creating the right environment to and stay clean in relation to anti- believe the reasons behind these
ensure rules are not broken. doping. Achieving success in sport whereabouts’ failures, everyone
needs clean sports education.

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Covid Ramblings
from Wimbledon
Common and Staying
Fit during Lockdown.

Lockdown has forced a change on us all – the way we exercise, the way we shop and
eat and the way we connect. Waldy Pauzers muses on how his routine has
altered and what lockdown can teach us.

The advent of lockdown has brought on quite a few What’s changed? I have to say that the announcement
changes to our lifestyles and attitudes, especially of lockdown came as no shock and I readily admit
as active athletes. It seems that COVID-19 has to being one of the ‘Last Night at the Pubs brigade’
induced upon me a sense of inertia - the more time I fully realising the severity of loosing this Herne Hill
have available, the less I focus on the tasks in hand, community pastime. The supply of home stocks were
hence posting my Red and Black article contribution already well in hand - someone had to take responsibility
rather late. I have learnt that a little recuperative to dispose of the live Latvian beer bottles which had
rest time doesn’t go amiss, added to a scarcity of been imported and were now unsellable at the London
athletic activity which has rather given rise to a lack Latvian Club.
of inspiration for writing a Red and Black article. I
think, too, that this lockdown period has provided me It was clear pretty quickly that we were in it for the
with space and time to revise my lifestyle and take on long run (pun intended), so the first phase was to
retirement, though the intended desire to travel under develop and settle into a new routine. It’s important, I
such new circumstances have been somewhat reduced. think, to accept that we cannot currently control parts
of our lives that we all previously took for granted and
I felt concerns very early on this year about what was as serious as this situation remains, why get wound up
happening the other side of the world and whether over that? With a bit of common sense I’ve enjoyed my
this new virus would spread. But our modern city free time and begun to develop a structure within these
lifestyles and mass travel allowed us to rapidly transmit new parameters. It’s important for all of us to look on the
a contagious virus worldwide. Degrees of denial, slow bright side, to enjoy family or flatmates (where we can)
response and plain disbelief of potential consequences and to give time to what we’ve neglected. Appreciate
ruled our world political classes despite the word the good, discard the negative. This year has brought
‘pandemic’ being top of the world order list of risks. a glorious Spring full of far more wildlife than normal.
Subsequently the virus now continues to test our social Breathe how clear London’s air and night sky is and
structures and co-operative resolve. It is also challenging appreciate the quieter streets and reduced travel, unless
the perceptions and myths of who is ‘worthy of respect you are a key worker - praise and respect to each and
within society’. every one of them.

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Having anticipated restrictions to outdoor exercise, 8th understand the concerns of the risk of an increase in
March was the start of my decision to run and train daily food and drink, though I claim many of us are eating
rather than persist with my sensible slow build up from somewhat healthier and consuming many more fresh
an unwanted seven week lay-off. This mindset persists foods than before. Depletion of the supermarket
today (now day number 72) and has helped to improve vegetable section almost seems to be the new toilet roll
both my fitness and positive attitude in the face of a shelf of March, and it is not a case of short supply, staff
little adversity. The revised government strictures that are continuously resupplying.
allow us to train more than once a day have not made a
difference to this mindset - I am barely holding together Lockdown highlights: News of my family being safe is
training once a day, thank you, so I have no wish to go a huge relief and I now have the time to contact those
jogging with Boris for an evening session at the tender old friends I always mean to call but never actually do.
age of 66 years. The number of people out running and My social calendar is also far from empty - the Herne
cycling around me though seems almost a revelation. Hill Harrier/Doss AC monthly virtual ‘pub crawls’ are
Did all these people really play team sports or pump iron hilarious, I always look forward to virtual Latvian choir
in the hidden gymnasia of South London? Will running practice and virtual road racing has been fun if also a
receive a new upsurge of participants? How would we challenge. The open space of Wimbledon Common with
cope when we are likely to restart athletic activity under the sun and fresh air has been a blessing and I now
considerably more restricted conditions? have a tidy garden, although the cuttings and rubbish,
with nowhere to go, sit hidden away in the shed.
In these new boundaries I have begun running with Supermarket foraging has also become a past time of
my camera which makes my recovery runs proper mine - the best bargain so far has been Fuller’s ESB at
recovery whilst maintaining the miles. I can observe £1.55 a bottle, bagged a brace or more there.
and better appreciate what is around me. Wimbledon
Common, a mere mile from my house is where I train The 75th anniversary of VE Day, 8th May, brought
to marvel at the landscape – there is a huge diversity welcome relief from social abstinence, though my
of nature in such a small space. It has been a joy to uncertainty as whether to celebrate this date always
put the best of what I snap on Facebook. What initially perturbs me. The official setting down of arms in an
started on a whim to brighten the days of those unable extended, vicious and bloody war is a resounding relief
to get outside, grew so much in popularity, that it has but for many of Eastern European origin it also marks
now become a challenge I have set myself to keep the time of the replacement of one tyrannical occupation
supplying ever different pictures of Wimbledon Common with another. However, that day the sun was again out
until our release. Thank heaven for the seasons, but well and bright, the common was at its glorious, heart-lifting
over 100 different pictures of one local running location best and Wimbledon Windmill had been bedecked for
isn’t bad going. One friend even suggested I was the anniversary. Returning from my most pleasurable six
inventing a new form of Biathlon, snapping rather than miler, familiar and unfamiliar neighbours were gathered
shooting combined with cross country. in our street, all maintaining the two metre rule, for a
glass and a chat while showing off WWII pictures of
I am coping with more mileage than I have run for grandparents and parents. It rather put our perceived
a decade by adding structured hard training sessions troubles and hardships into perspective considering
whilst keeping the body together. It’s time consuming WWII’s devastating impact on society while also giving
but good for the body and psyche. The longer daily us a chance to chat and, in some cases, introduce
runs get me beyond the 45 minute boundary where the ourselves.
‘feel good’ endorphins really kick in. As for the Virtual
Race Time Trials, I seem to get myself more nervous What I miss/need: My family and friends and a sunny
and fidgety for one of those than covering the back of Sunday afternoon beer garden are things I am missing
the line up for a division 1 Surrey League Cross-Country in lockdown. As are trekking, being able to race with
race, bizzare! other people and getting a haircut.

Aside from running, during lockdown, I have begun Now I feel I have got to the stage in lockdown where
cooking more adventurously and eating better. I I am entering into the domain of Greek mythology and
the lot of Sisyphus - the man condemned to roll a stone

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forever uphill. I have started painting the front of the
house. Initially I ignored the need to address that fearful
step as past experience has told me that once you begin
painting, the more every small blemish and imperfection
implores you to be addressed. Inside or out, large or
small, accessible or in the corners, all demand attention
until the house glistens with the gloss of new paint.
The outside, frames, doors, ceilings, coving, walls and
bannisters are all areas that have now come to my
attention and will keep me occupied into the cooler and
wetter days to come. Yet, I can only hope that Uncle
Boris will break the spell of this virus and release us
from internment, and me from my painting conundrum
before I run out of house.

As we go through this together, yet still apart, let’s take
what opportunities we can to develop a newfound norm
that we want for the good of us all - a more respectful,
appreciative and integrated society. Whether you are
defined as an unskilled supply worker, an immigrant
keeping transport links active in the line of duty, you
deserve equal respect to any member of society. If you
are a link in sustaining the NHS, care homes, supply
chains or essential transport you are worthy of our
highest gratitude and admiration. Thank you.

Adversity happens, but it is how we get on with and
over it that matters. Stay safe. Enjoy, be positive.

Up the Hill.
Waldy Pauzers.

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Lockdown diary

During the great upheaval of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic millions of people
were forced at short notice radically to alter their lives, it was no different for runners who
are especially used to a regular, structured training schedule. Red & Black’s new co-editor,
Natasha Lodge, reflects on the challenges and revelations of running through a crisis...

Idon’t like change. It means adjusting, finding new the overcrowded household I am currently occupying
routines and having to think and put effort into what (my parents, my two sisters and two toddler nieces -
I’m doing and I’m inherently lazy. I will do anything in meal times can be interesting). Running has got me out
the fastest and easiest way possible. So when lockdown of the house at a time when I think it was easy for some
stopped all training I had a momentary panic. I was to become trapped indoors. I think we were the lucky
anticipating lots of ‘runs’ without any real structure and ones to already have that motivation, drive and routine to
a sense of isolation and loneliness but Geoff Jerwood, get out and run.
our coach, came to the rescue and I’m so grateful that
he did. His commitment to our group is a source of This lockdown has also revealed to me how much
ever constant awe and it has really helped me maintain I compare myself to others. A shortcoming I’m fairly
a sense of connection with everyone and a sense of ashamed to admit, but it has certainly challenged me
structure to my training. and this lull in life has forced or enabled me to face it
head on. The birth of the virtual race and as a result my
Another aspect to get used to was Tooting Common. use of Strava have been two things that I have struggled
Suddenly it was a constant obstacle course of small with. Maybe because I haven’t raced for so long, or
children and people who have never realised that maybe because it’s just bloody hard to push yourself
running is so awesome. I have to say I found it rather with no one else around you but I have judged myself
overwhelming and pretty difficult to run fast reps harshly with my times, and then Strava kindly compares
amongst a mass of furloughed people. So I took to me with other runners afterwards. However I have really
the streets. With most people at home they have been enjoyed putting on the red and black again and I keep
blissfully empty and perfect to explore. I’m a little reminding myself that I run for the joy of it, because
ashamed to say that in the 24 years that my parents that’s what it is, a real joy. And when I feel that joy I run
have lived in Furzedown I have never been down a with so much more confidence and inevitably make
number of these streets, and apparently a lot of them more progress that way. On a more positive note it has
are really quite pretty. Among those I have found my been a real pleasure to see the girls Whatsapp group
training havens, although I should probably apologise to go mad with support and to have more interaction than
the residents whose streets I bomb up and down twice ever between Geoff and Steve’s groups. I have virtually
a week. The other end of the road I live on provides met a number of new members and spoken to team
a more than sufficient hill for Thursday sessions and mates I haven’t seen in a while.
the perimeter of the Rec by Graveney School is a fairly
acceptable oval if you look at it from the right angle, I have adjusted, found a new routine in this strange
because who knew I would miss running laps so much. apocalyptic time and learnt some things about myself,
but I have missed the group. Geoff shouting times
As much as I hate change, that doesn’t mean it’s at us from across the field and the camaraderie that
always bad. It has allowed me to train consistently and comes from having others suffer the same sessions
get my fitness back and it has shown me how much alongside me are parts of normal life I would like back.
discipline I have. It’s revealed how important running is For me lockdown has been a real opportunity to see
to me - the endorphins that I’m certainly addicted to but what running brings to my life and my reasons for
also the much needed mental space to combat working doing it, and it is so much the lesser without the team
from home, the uncertainty of everything going on and around me.

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How much do
more miles
matter?

One lesson from lockdown for Raj Paranandi is discovering that he cares less about
numbers than he thought. Running, at its best is elemental and replenishing,
about liberation, discipline and ca-maraderie. But he is still curious about
what would happen if he could squeeze a few more miles in…

What was the most thrilling finish in the history of kilometres. But… how?
our sport? For many, Dave Wottle’s late charge My relationship with running has had its phases -
in the 1972 Olympic 800m final in Munich
is up there. With respect, I might put this down to the variously it has served to control my weight, to channel
widespread availability of the race on YouTube. Were it competitive zeal and to provide escape from the
also on film, then my spectacular dash for the line in the pressures of being a new parent. The one constant has
2013 Oslo Marathon would perhaps be considered its been injury: a procession of ankle, hamstring, foot and
equal: the 6.50 final mile, the gurning expressions, the back problems.
crestfallen adversary - this race had it all.
The common denominator in all of those injuries?
It is also the moment that my obsession with mileage Mileage. Every time I have tried to run more than 50
began. As I walked through the post-race ‘funnel’ area, miles a week injury has struck, sometimes very painfully.
I was embraced by the man I’d beaten in a sprint finish. My rather feeble stats reveal a highest ever weekly
He was Norwegian and, strangely, spoke English with a mileage of 59.2, and a top 10-week average of 48.5.
strong Liverpool accent.
On one level it’s clearly absurd to worry about this. The
Norwegian runner: “Brilliant, lad, well done.” fact that I beat someone who was running more than
Me: “Thanks. You too mate, I enjoyed that.” twice as much as me should be a source of pride rather
Norwegian runner: “Fu**ing hell, I’m so tired, I’ve been than admonition. But on anoth-er level, in a world where
training 100 miles a week for this.” we are frequently told more is better, it felt somewhat
As I recovered several hours later, with my traditional emasculating to be a “low mileage guy”.
post marathon meal (cheeseburger, chips, chocolate
milkshake, beer), I couldn’t forget his words. One Over the years I got over it and did what worked
hundred miles a week. One hundred and sixty for me. Yet I’ve kept returning to the same ques-tion:
“Is there a way of achieving the same results as high
mileage runners on lower mileage?”

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LEARNING

Initially I wanted to use how can injury be avoided and
this article to answer it. how do people find the time?
That is until I realised It comes down to five key
the answer is, at worst,
a re-sounding “No”, and el-ements.
at best “It’s impossible 1. Why the hurry? Slow it
to prove that the answer down.
is yes”.
Reynolds notes that he
The scientific papers began running slower miles
that I researched arrived as a way to recover from a
at fairly uniform conclusions. longstanding achil-les injury.
For example, Stephen Seiler When it had a positive effect, he
writes in the International Journal began to research the philosophy
of Sports Science and Physiotherapy, of Ed Whitlock, a Ca-nadian runner
“Endurance athletes appear to self-organize who did nearly all of his running at very
toward a high-volume training approach… Over a broad slow paces and ran a sub 3 hour marathon aged
range, increases in total training volume correlate well 74 and a sub 4 hour marathon in his late 80s. “There’s
with improvements in physiological variables and perfor- certainly an argument for doing a lot of training very
mance”. slowly,” reckons Reynolds. “The biggest hurdle is getting
people to slow down. I always like to use the cake
Two-time Olympian Pete Pfitzinger, perhaps better analogy, which is that your mileage is your cake, you
known for his “Advanced Marathoning” training bible need to build a big cake, and then any speed work is the
which has been followed by tens of thousands of icing on top. If you can do it, that’s great. If you can’t,
club runners, emphasises that, “racing per-formance then it doesn’t affect that much. It’s the 5% rather than
improves with increased mileage”, referencing a range of the 95%”.
physiological improvements including glycogen storage, Kent AC’s Rob Laing, a V40 runner who ran 2.27
increasing blood vessel density and improved ability to in the 2019 London marathon, attributes some of his
utilise fats. He adds that there is, “also a psychological success to the easy pace of his recovery runs and says
component to the benefits of high mileage. You gradually that this is partially because of ‘lazi-ness’. “When I’m
push out your horizon for psychological fatigue, which running to and from work, most of the time I can’t be
can be particularly useful for races.” bothered to push myself (at) more than 8 minute miling
as I quite enjoy that pace. High mileage helped condition
Anecdotally, these scientific conclusions seem my body, build endurance and bring down weight, all of
justified. Herne Hill’s Bryn Reynolds, who has a 69 which are important. Pushing my mileage up from 80
minute half marathon PB, says, “The number one miles a week to 100-110 miles a week (consistently),
determinant I’ve seen in turning people from good improved my marathon time from 2.38 to 2.27.”.
runners into great runners has been when they’ve 2. Play with the pace.
stepped up and started doing more running”. Brotchie says: “For any kind of physiological marker,
you need to constantly introduce different stimuli. For
Jack Brotchie, who ran a 5000m PB of 15.30 last example, in the Jack Daniels point of view, there are five
summer, echoes this point: “I can’t remember seeing paces at which you should train [easy pace running,
anyone bump their mileage up and not get better. I think marathon pace running, threshold training, interval
it is the best way to train. But I also remember the most training, repetition Training). “I try and mix it up”.
impactful statement I’ve ever read. It was just a random Reynolds outlines an interesting mechanism through
comment on Letsrun.com which was that, ‘the best way which speed training can be incorporated into a training
to train is to run as much as possible, at a variety of schedule without generating large amounts of lactic
dif-ferent speeds, without getting hurt’. And essentially, acid. He occasionally builds Canova Hill sprints into his
that’s what it comes down to”. schedule (named after Italian coach Renato Canova).

And with that, the premise of this article changed.
What are the enablers for a high mileage training regime,

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LEARNING

“They’re 10 second sprints, absolutely flat out, on a fairly Laing seconds this: “Most of the time I try and run to
steep surface. Recoveries are 2 to 3 minutes, often at and from work every day, so I can get 60 miles in by
little more than a shuffling pace. The runs are almost commuting without any hard sessions. When you add
like a form of plyometrics, you’re just getting your body a long run on top, the weekly mileage ramps up pretty
conditioned and reminding yourself what it is to run quickly”.
fast.” 5. Tread carefully around injuries

I’ve tried pace variation in my own training, too, with a All three make it clear that avoiding injury is
favourite of mine being longer (10-13 mile) progression paradoxically one of the key reasons for their high
runs where I try to increase effort (and ideally pace) mileage approach. Laing’s view is that “the benefit of lots
throughout a run. of slow miles is that you know you won’t get injured”.
3. Personalise your training. Don’t be stymied by
tradition. What do you do when you can still feel injuries coming
on?
As a relative latecomer to the club running scene, I
was somewhat bewildered by the number of intense Reynolds recollects: “I remember once having a
efforts people put in each week when I first joined the niggle, ignoring it and going to do a track session of
club. A classic Tues-day/Thursday/Saturday schedule 14 x 400m. Absolutely nailed it. I was flying that night.
seemed sure to increase injury risk, particularly for Didn’t run for 2 weeks afterwards. Now, if I even suspect
masters runners or those with longstanding injury there’s a niggle lurking, I’ll stick to easy jogging. If it’s
concerns. more than a suspicion, I’ll be straight onto my exercise
bike until it’s gone.”
For these groups, there are ways of adapting. “When I
build up for a marathon, I will generally not do a Tuesday At a professional level, Scotland’s European 5000m
session,” explains Reynolds. “I will just do my one long silver medalist Eilish McColgan recently echoed this
tempo each week and the focus is very much on that. point in an interview: “I have a rest day every week and
And the reason I like doing it is because you just focus … never double-run. Instead 3-4 days a week, I’ll cross
on the rhythm rather than specific paces. One of the train easy. Training smarter has allowed me to stay injury
biggest risks certainly for me is when I go and I do a free”.
group session on Tuesday, the temptation is to do every-
thing as hard as possible and start racing.” So what does this mean for me? Can I ever see myself
running a 100 mile week? In reality, the probability of
Laing, too, has forged his own path. “I have been that happening is very low - running needs to fit around
injured before when I do too many quality sessions and my family and work rather than my life fitting around
now I’m wary of that. I try and do one quality session a running. But I would like to run more and see what
week but I don’t think you need much more. But I try would happen if I could build up to a slightly more
never to miss those Tuesday sessions in a marathon modest 70 miles a week - so I’ll be adapting my training
build up.” to incor-porate these five tips.

If in doubt – speak to your club coach about how best In the distant future, as a grizzled veteran reflecting on
to incorporate group sessions into your training plan, the 2020s and imparting ‘wisdom’ to anoth-er generation
particularly when increasing your overall training volume. of runners, I doubt that mileage will figure highly in my
4. Time is an illusion; lunch time doubly so. recollections.

This is a topic about which I feel passionate as time is If the Covid lockdown has taught me anything, it’s
often the binding constraint with my running. With two that numbers aren’t at the heart of what I care about.
young children, I am frequently in the position of having Running is about liberation, discipline and camaraderie;
to cram mileage into a defined window of time. it is elemental and replenishing.

Expecting father Reynolds adds: “For the entire Despite this, there’s an itch I still need to scratch.
duration of my career, I’ve tried to find logical gaps I’d like to run more miles for the same reason that I
when I can run - commuting to work, commuting from wanted to run a marathon for the first time, or a hard
work and running at lunch; if you do that, then you’re 1500 metre race on the track, or a Sur-rey league cross
effectively using ‘free time’.” country race… because, more than anything, I want to
know that I can.

40

COLUMN

RUNCH Spinach and pea patties - makes
8 patties
...OR ‘REAKFAST,
OR ‘RUPPER - TASTY Ingredients:
100 g/1⁄2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
‘GO FOOD’ FROM 250 ml/1 cup water
NATASHA LODGE. 3 handfuls/21⁄2 oz of fresh spinach, stems
removed and roughly chopped
Chocolate and banana muffins: 300 g/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
makes 10-12 2 sprigs of basil, stems removed
2 eggs,
Ingredients: 75 g/3⁄4 cup rolled oats
2 cups rolled oats 50/1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon olive oil, for frying
3 large mashed bananas
1/2 cup any nut butter you like, or even Nutella Method:
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey 1. Bring the quinoa and water to the boil in a
2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flax, 6 tablespoons water) or
2 eggs small lidded saucepan, then reduce the heat
1 tsp vanilla and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes, or
2 tbsp any milk you like until small tails appear and the water has been
3 tbsp cacao powder absorbed.
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 2. W hile the quinoa is cooking, put the spinach
in a food processor with the peas and basil
Method: and blend until almost smooth.
1. pre heat oven to 175 degrees, and mix your 3. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk.
4. Add the pea mixture to the bowl along with the
flax seed with water to make the flax egg. rest of the ingredients, except the oil.
2. s et aside and add all ingredients into the 5. W hen the quinoa is cooked, fluff up with a fork
and set aside to cool.
blender minus the chocolate chips. 6. Add the quinoa to the bowl and mix together.
3. add flax egg when it’s ready (about 5 mins), 7. F orm into a ball in the bowl and set aside for
at least 15 minutes for the mixture to ‘glue’
blend, and then pour into bowl to add together.
chocolate chips. 8. Form the spinach and pea mixture into 8
4. p our into muffin tin liners, bake for about 20 patties, about 100g each, and fry in a little oil
mins or until golden brown, let cool, or eat over a medium-high heat for a few minutes,
them hot! or until golden underneath. Carefully flip each
patty and fry on the other side for a further few
minutes, or until golden.

41

LEARNING

Seeking the
source of
Parkrun

He’s run 168 Parkruns in 3 different countries in 6 different cities, including 48 of the

55 (at the last count) Parkruns in London, but Duane Matthews is eager for lockdown to be

over so that he can get Lon-done. And, he argues, there’s much more to the event than a

weekly time trial with cake often at the end, there’s a secret social glue

that running clubs could learn from…

The morning of the 29th March 2020 was nothing saw just 13 participants, of which Paul (a keen runner)
like a standard Saturday. Standard for me had was not one. He happened to be injured and was the
become waking up early and heading off to timekeeper that day. At first it was called Bushy Park
Parkrun. But on this morning everything had changed. Time Trial[2] but it later changed to the name to UK
Time Trial. The name change happened organically
Parkruns, like other mass gatherings, had closed in when Wimbledon and various other events were added.
response to Government instructions following outbreak
of Covid-19. It was a good decision too. Every week I suspect the seed for the idea was planted when
350,000 people take to the parks to complete their 5km Paul lived in South Africa and ran with a group every
runs at one of the 600 locations around the British Isles. Saturday morning who would do something known as
That is in the UK alone. The number is in the millions The Rockies Zoo Lake Time Trial[3]. Oddly enough the
globally. route is also on grass, in a park and over a distance of
5km.
Parkrun, for anyone left who has not heard of it, is a
free 5km event organized in parks around the world. It Meanwhile back in London on that strange Saturday
takes place in 22 different countries to be specific. The morning it gave me a chance to reflect on my own
beauty of it is that it is not funded by the participants. Parkrun journey. My first Parkrun was in 2014 when I
Sure, people can donate to Parkrun in the UK, but it lived in Cape Town at the Green Point event. It takes
still survives mostly on the generosity of the volunteer place around the iconic football stadium with the
organizers and helpers. It represents the kind of altruism backdrop of the mountain.
that more of would make the world a better place.
Source: https://www.exodus.co.uk/insights/spotlight-
Parkrun was started 15 years ago in Bushy Park by greenpoint-parkrun
a man name Paul Sinton-Hewitt[1]. The first event
As one can see from the image it is a beautiful place

42

LEARNING

to run hence the appeal. But visual appeal aside, I Africa organise weekly time trials for this very reason.
could not have known then that this would become The Rand Athletic Club (RAC) has been organising a
my Saturday ritual for years to come. I have currently time trial every Tuesday since 1972. It attracts 500
participated in 168 Parkruns in 3 different countries in people regularly. Many stay after the event for a drink
6 different cities. I managed to make it to a Parkrun in and to socialise[5].
Bloemfontein, Rome and Cornwall whilst on holiday. I
have plans to Parkrun in Boston if the marathon gets the My loyalty to Parkrun certainly goes without question.
green light to continue. I always manage to find an opportunity to do a new
Parkrun when I have the opportunity. I remember feeling
I have been quietly beavering away at completing all pretty gutted one Saturday at missing Parkrun when
the London Parkruns of which I have completed 48 in Glasgow with the Herne Hill Harriers at an athletics
of the 55. I will leave this story for another time. My meeting. The stadium was next to a Parkrun which I
reflection got me thinking about why such a small habit could have run as a warmup.
has snowballed into such a big part of my life. I think the
attraction is the simple. Parkrun is fundamentally about I managed to do a Parkrun when in Bloemfontein
the joy of running. Although there are finishing positions, visiting friends for the weekend. Probably the funniest
the prize for first is only personal pride. There is never a is when I did a Parkrun in Rome because a friend
last place runner because every week a volunteer comes missed her flight and had to rebook for the next day. It
last in the form of the tail walker. just so happened to be a Saturday and dropping her off
involved driving close to the start of the event. Everything
It is quite remarkable that all around the country was exactly the same as a normal Parkrun except the
– in 600 plus locations – every weekend a group socialising was done in Italian rather than English. True
of individuals meet, inspect the course, setup, brief to Parkrun though the locals were friendly and even
participants, start off the run, hand out tokens, scan accommodated me by speaking in English. There was a
barcodes, collect tokens, sort tokens and pack up, all great big panettone at the finish line which made it even
in a two hour period. If someone came along an hour more memorable.
after an event finished they would not even know it
happened. It’s quite inspiring really. Maybe it is the social element or maybe it is the cake
which can frequently be found at the finish line of most
What I enjoy is how inclusive Parkrun is. Take for Parkrun events… Whatever it is, personally, I cannot
example the vested, vapor-fly-clad, club runner – they wait for the day when we can take to the parks on
are welcome. What about the out-of-towner taking in Saturday mornings once again.
a little Parkrun tourism? – they are welcome too. What
about the chatty Kathy or Kevin who babbles from A short while ago I came across the running
gun to mat? – also welcome. What about the mom challenges app which works with Google Chrome[6]. It’s
or dad, with pram or dog combo? – Yes, they too are a really fun way to track one’s Parkrun stats. There are
welcome. Pretty much any imaginable type of human also a few bonus challenges like the Alphabet challenge
can participate. There’s even a group of Octogenarians, and Parkrun bingo. I will go into more detail about that
people in their 80s, doing the rounds[4]. another time but it influenced my London(e) challenge
(doing all the Parkruns in London). I am sure many
I would hazard to say that club running could learn a people will find the plugin interesting. I look forward to
few tricks from Parkrun. Few institutes drum up such seeing everyone again when lockdown is over.
loyal support as Parkrun. If I had started only running
at a club and never discovered Parkrun I think I would [1] https://www.parkrun.com/about/our-story/
have been less likely to stick with it. At least in the [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkrun
beginning it is tough to get up to a reasonable level. [3] https://www.rockies.co.za/the-best-5km-time-trial-in-

There are still benefits for club runners at Parkrun. johannesburg/
Doing the set distance as a time trial once a week can [4] https://blog.parkrun.com/au/2019/07/10/record-breaking-
be a good benchmark of fitness. It’s also a great way
to get people into running clubs. Many clubs in South parkrun-for-the-octogenarians/
[5] https://rac.co.za/rac-time-trial/
[6] https://running-challenges.co.uk/

43

COACH NOTES

A Winter of
Consolidation
and Rebuilding

the Engine
Room

One of Herne Hill’s middle-distance coaches Geoff Jerwood reflects on the highs as well as
the difficulties the recent seasons have brought. From injuries to lockdown he passes on
a few notes of how the middle-distance teams have drawn together and battled through

against the odds, naming a few very hard-working achievements.

The previous winter 2018/19 was in many ways what we could not have anticipated was the seemingly
a stellar one for the Herne Hill Harriers women, wholesale outbreak of injuries among our women during
unprecedented in the history of our club. In our most recent winter of 2019/20. Perhaps not quite
Senior Road Relays our teams won an area title and of pandemic proportions, but when you add to this
National medals, while our Under 20s claimed National the wonderful news that our best Senior female cross
Cross Country and Cross Country Relay titles. In the country athlete of the last season would miss this one
Senior Cross Country Relays we won area medals and as she was due to give birth in March (congratulations
secured our highest ever position in the National event Stacey on the epic arrival of your gorgeous daughter
in Mansfield. Plus we had a very near miss in placing a Arwen), we were up against it in the cross country
very close second in the Surrey Ladies Cross Country season.
league in March 2019.
There were no Senior National, area or London
This was always going to be a tough act to follow but Championship medals and we had an overall sixth

44

COACH NOTES

placing in the Surrey League. Our Under 20s did claim Stillman came through her own personal battles to join
silver medals at the National Cross Country Relays and the season at the tail end as she led our women home
bronze at the National Cross Country Championships, in the final Surrey League race and then made her vital
but our women’s season saw something in common with contribution to our bronze medal team in her age group
our men in the emergence of an even deeper squad at the National in Nottingham. It is amazing that Liv is
of runners. One among which is the degree of mutual back running, never mind running well again and as a
support and encouragement that appears to be very coach rarely has anything given me more pleasure and
strong and which I expect will stand both our men’s sense of achievement than to see this and it was a huge
and women’s teams in good stead when we are able to positive for all of us at the end of a difficult cross country
resume competition once the lockdown restrictions are season.
sufficiently eased.
Our men’s team, as mentioned, consolidated
For a coach reflection I shall confine my individual magnificently in a very tough Surrey League Division 1
mentions to those athletes I coach or who run with my with - over the four league races of the season - a good
group, but what was enjoyable throughout the season fifth placed A team of 10 per race and our B team (the
was to see some consistent improvements from some next 10 to finish) were a fabulous second overall of the
and breakthroughs from one or two others, as well as B teams. In the final two league races of the season we
the beginnings of the development of this new engine turned out at least 30 men per race (so we effectively
room which saw HHH men finish a comfortable second also had a full C team at these fixtures) and we were
behind the all conquering Kent AC team in the B team also out in force at the National as the rebuilding of
contest in the Surrey League. Our men’s and women’s our famous red and black engine room of yesteryear
team captains Angus Butler and Julia Wedmore were gathers apace. Our star individuals included the usual
both invaluable in helping to coerce our runners to the front end presence in our team of Mike Cummings,
race start lines. Angus was a big part of our strong Rich Henderson and Andrew Warburton, the persuasive
numerical turnouts for the men and Julia lead from captaincy of Angus Butler, the very welcome arrival of
very close to or actually at the front of nearly all of our the Australian Dewar twins Nick and Brandon, the very
women’s teams in the main competitions (did she miss exciting emergence of Under 20 Arlo Ludewick, the
any?) with her best Surrey League placings to date and inexorable progress of Jack Dickenson and the superb
leading our women at the National in Wollaton Park. post Christmas racing form displayed by Carl Delaney.
Arlo and Carl finished their seasons especially well
Fiona de Mauny led our women in almost every as they placed 16th and 18th respectively in the final
race until her indoor season goals took over and her Surrey League race and then in Nottingham Arlo was
racing both indoors and out was generally impressive 41st in the Under 20 men’s race and Carl led our Senior
from October through to early March, culminating in men in 150th in the usual huge field of runners.
a double W35 400m/800m British Masters Indoor
Championship victory. Also on the track, but outdoors in Unfortunately, the pandemic robbed us of the Spring
Australia, Chloe Tighe had a curtailed season, but not road relays just as our women’s team were regaining
before registering a superb National silver medal winning strength and fitness in time to challenge at the National
performance over one mile just before Christmas in event in Sutton Coldfield. In the end this was replaced
what was one of the strongest domestic women’s middle to some extent by the inauguration of the first Virtual
distance fields ever assembled. National Road Relay Championship which saw Herne
Hill women emerge victorious in both the 12 to score
Sarah Grover spent much of the season managing and 6 to score team results which I have reported in a
injury or niggles, but ran as many of the races as she separate piece in this issue. Not quite the way we would
was able to within such restrictions. Before Christmas it have wished to win our first National Senior women’s
was wonderful to see Katie Balme make a last minute team title, but a very impressive collective performance
offer to complete our Under 20 women’s team in the which serves notice to the rest of the country that our
National Cross Country Relays in Mansfield and help ladies are a force to be reckoned with.
us bring home silver medals. Another Under 20 Liv

45

COACH NOTES

Running

under a roof

Steve Bosley reflects on the indoor season and the amazing results some of the younger
members of the club achieved before lockdown.

The indoor season between January and March young athletes distance group achieved their times in
proved to be a very exciting period for the club’s their only races indoors this winter at the BMC indoor
track and field athletes with lots of high quality meeting at Lee Valley as well as performing regularly
performances. over cross country during the winter months, a sure way
to build up strength for the shorter distances.
It was a particularly wet start to the year although
not as cold as in many winters, but of course no one Mabel Smith cleared 1.70m in High Jump and as a
knew that competition would grind to a halt in March result won the Surrey Indoor Championships at Sutton
due to COVID-19. A wide range of athletes from U13s in February. Dante Clarke who headed three events
to vets took advantage of the indoor programme to enjoyed a superb indoor season winning the National
check their fitness and we had some excellent results at Indoor U15 boys Long Jump and multi event titles.
championships. He also won, by a large margin, the Long Jump title
at the National U15/17/20’s Indoor Championships at
The club has a long history of performing well at Sheffield. Three weeks later at the U15 boys Pentathlon
indoor competitions, long standing members may he won again, and set two PBs over Shot and 800m.
remember Selwyn Clarke being one of the country’s Alex Abebrese, having only just moved up an age
top sprinters over 60m in the 80s, and in the 90s and group, came third in the U15 boys Shot, and his brother
early 2000s many of the club’s athletes used to travel to Ignatius gained second in the U17 mens Triple Jump.
Bedford and Birmingham for the National and Southern Dante, Alex and Ignatius all won medals in the South
Indoor Championships, rarely returning without a host of of England Athletic Association Indoor Championships
medals. This year has been no different. Kristal Awuah in January in which Victoria Alicante-King, in her
ran a world class time to rank fourth in the country, first competition for the club, won the U15 girls Shot.
however her season was curtailed when the World All these young athletes worked extremely hard and
Indoor Championships in China, scheduled for March, these results are a demonstration of their effort and
were cancelled. Indeed, many athletes’ views towards dedication.
indoor competitions would, I think, have been different if
they had known what was about to happen to their track We had four athletes this winter who were number
and field season. one in the country in five events:
Dante Clarke in U15 Boys Pentathlon and Long Jump
Herne Hill had nineteen different athletes achieving Sophia Sahai in U13 Girls 1500m
performances which ranked them in the top twenty in Zac Crowther in U13 Boys 800m
the country including four who were highest ranked. Mabel Smith in U17 Women’s High Jump
Sophia Sahai and Zac Crowther from James McDonald’s

46

COACH NOTES

U13 girls U17 women
Sophia Sahai 1st 1500m 4.58.08 Mabel Smith 1st high jump 1.70m
Massita Diaby 13th 60m 8.43m Niyah Costley 12th 60m 7.76
U13 boys Saskia King 16th 60m 7.78
Luca Anderson 4th 60m 8.10 Makarios Mensah 14th triple jump 10.92m
Jon Goldston 17th 800m 2.28.47 Jasmine Coss-Mullings 1st long jump 12.73m
U15 girls U17 men
Sapphire Haley 3rd 60m 7.73 Ignatius Abebrese 18th long jump 6.42m
(championship best performance) Ignatius Abebrese 4th triple jump 13.69m
Victoria Alicante-King 1st shot 11.77m Kai Broadbent 1st shot 13.38m
U15 boys Alie Sesay 2nd shot 11.06m
Dante Clarke 1st pentathlon 2953 pts U20 women
Dante Clarke 1st long jump 6.33m Lakiesha Owusu-Junior 9th 60m 7.66m
Dante Clarke 4th high jump 1.75m Havana Alliston-Greaves 14th 400m 57.87
Dante Clarke 6th 60m hurdles 8.79 Havana Alliston-Greaves 7th 800m 2.12.94
Zac Crowther 1st 800m 2.03,95 Senior women
Alex Abebrese 4th shot 12.84m Kristal Awuah 4th 60m 7.34
Andrew Barrett 12th high jump 1.65m Senior Men
Aaron Brown 1st triple jump 12.73m

Obituary:

KEN STICKELLS
13 March 1930 - June 2019

We are sad to announce the passing
of one of our oldest and long serving
members, Ken Stickells, who served
over 60 years of membership during
which he ran regularly for the club over
cross country, road and track races. Ken
first started competing for the club after
the Second World War, often being a
member of our junior and senior cross
country scoring teams in the 1949 and
50 seasons, competing regularly in club
events. He lived locally near Streatham
Common and retained his affection for
Herne hill Harriers, attending the club’s
anniversary dinner in 2014, held at the
Bedford in Balham. He will be sadly

missed.

47

COLUMN ittthsbeaehnathtan,shRivpifnslreeeoodptdrmwetat&ishhndtBeogaudlnltelsaleuidcvcsoseek,dtsnthmiogseeocsatreaonwsbvyelietrhs

My other sport is / was

Table Tennis

As a towering senior for Herne Hill Harriers Simon Messenger has been dropping
PBs all over the place for the last couple of years, but once (for quite a while) he

dropped, chopped, spun and looped table tennis balls with the best of them.
Here he serves some backspin on what it was like...

“Ah, oui oui oui, le ping pong! ” would be a fairly or Cricket, about 150,000 club members).
common response in France when I’d tell Anyway, this meant that the route to the ‘top’ was
people I used to play Table Tennis as my main
sport. In the UK, it tends to go more along the lines of pretty slow, and I spent many years dragging a possibly
“Oi, Table Tennis isn’t a sport mate!”. This, a) isn’t true regretful Dad to regional tournaments around far flung
(don’t get me started) and, b) more than anything else, little villages, eventually gaining enough points to reach
reflects the level of the sport in each country (France: the next ranking, and so it went for a few years. My
good: UK: “not so good”) but I’ll get back to that later. highlights were scarce: I won the Département du
The beginning Rhône Coupe des Non-Classés (the cup for the people
who don’t even have a ranking) in 1999. And here I am,
I started playing club table tennis as a 10 year-old: I still talking about it 21 years later.
think I was originally wanting to copy my brother, who
himself I think was wanting to copy my Dad. At the By the age of 15, testosterone had kicked in and I was
time, I thought my Dad was some kind of table tennis now somewhat of a catch: 6ft5, about 65kg, full of acne
world champion because he had this shiny copper May AND a cool kid. My lankiness certainly kept the girls
& Baker 1985 trophy from his office. A few months away, but it did have one slight advantage: I could reach
later, I was a smug little s**t and could easily destroy further than others. Though my meteoric rise never
him. Maybe he had slightly oversold his exploits. But I came, I started improving and climbing through divisions.
was nonetheless hooked, and the Tassin Club Pongiste The highlight
gained another slightly awkward child for their Groupe
Espoir (‘Hope Group’) squad. At this point, I might have By the time I left for University, I was decent enough
been the one who oversold my skills. to start winning championships in Scotland and I
once (I think, it was a while back) rose all the way
Table Tennis, like other “common” sports which don’t up to the mighty heights of 25th in national rankings.
really exist in the UK such as Handball, is actually a The standard, in all honesty, was pretty low, so we’d
reasonably “proper” sport in France: google tells me win the Scottish Universities Championships every
that there are 200,000 licenced members in France for year; we finished second in the British Universities
3,500 clubs. For comparison, in the UK, there are only Championships twice which qualified us for the
20,000 members (and in other “big” sports like Netball European Universities Championships in 2009 in Serbia,
where I got my arse royally spanked by properly elite

48

COLUMN

players, some of whom ended up playing in Olympic who’ve smirked at me saying it can be tiring before I give
games. (Random fact: my teammate at the time was a them a 20 minute training drill which ends with them
heavily tattooed Australian cage fighter.) bent double.

By now, I was getting a bit bored and moved on to Clearly, table tennis alone won’t help you sprint up Box
another random sport – Korfball – for a few years before Hill or crack a sub-2min 800m, but sports come in all
settling for running with Herne Hill Harriers, possibly shapes and forms, and don’t always involve crazy cardio
because I was just sick to death by then of having to routines. Table tennis definitely required stamina, speed
explain to people that my hobbies of the previous 20 and flexibility and the pros are genuine athletes.
years were in actual fact, indeed, sporting endeavours.
Would I go back to table tennis over running?
Though everyone always doubts this, if you play Honestly, nope. It was fun, but in the past. That said,
properly (ie. not ping pong with a beer in your hand I could do the splits back then, whereas I can barely
at the campsite), then table tennis can be pretty touch my toes now, so there’s something to be said for
demanding: I’ve lost count of the number of runners it. Or maybe that’s just old age kicking in…

49

COLUMN

My other sport is / was

Tennis

Before sharpening up as a middle distance runner for Herne Hill’s senior men,
Matthew Cartwright was more commonly seen making finals with a tennis racket,

and still has the gleaming white sweater to prove it

My tennis sessions used to start with a coach around the top two or three in the county for the next
instructing me to run three laps of the court, couple of years and represent Bedfordshire at county
a few ‘forward and backs’ and occasionally a cup events. I still have the gleaming white sweater and
footwork ‘figure of eight’. After that, I’d probably run no the oversized tracksuit as a memento.
further than a few steps in either direction for the rest of
the session. While studying for my A-levels I tried to play a little
more frequently. I’d take a combination of the bike
My dad – a county badminton player in his youth and, and the train to the tennis club most mornings, before
more recently senior county tennis player, had a racket heading back to school for the afternoon. That lasted
in my hand shortly after I could walk. Since then I would about 6 months. During this time, I had the incredible
go as far to say the sport has dominated my life to the opportunity to head to the Bollettieri IMG Academy in
current day – albeit in various guises. Florida for a couple of weeks to train like a ‘pro’, which
included a lesson from the man himself on my serve,
As for running, I’d compete for the school in Cross although, I promise you’d never know.
Country meets and used to represent the school at
Bedford Athletics Track – although you do get some I went on to play socially at university, which was
funny looks when you turn up on the 1500m start line in also the time I moved more into a coaching role,
a pair of Adidas Barricades (editor’s note: this is a tennis predominantly with juniors at Gosling Tennis Centre.
shoe). This was (I think) my last track race until my first On leaving university I went onto complete more of
ever senior track race – 800m at Tooting at the back my coaching badges and coached full-time back at
end of 2018. Letchworth until moving to a career in procurement in
2014. I have since played for clubs in Bristol (winning
Back to Tennis. Throughout my school days I played the Bristol 1st division in 2016), represented Avon as
multiple times per week, mainly at Letchworth Tennis a senior and played in the Surrey League for a club in
Club. Despite training in Hertfordshire, due to the fact London in 2017and 2018.
I lived in Bedfordshire I would compete in the Beds
County Championships (not to mention the fact that I Despite my playing career taking a bit of a back seat,
stood a far better chance than I did in Herts). My finest tennis, however still plays a major part in my life. Since
achievement was reaching the county singles final in 2017 I’ve been part of a company called Active Away,
the 2006 U16 boys event. A result which saw me hover leading tennis holidays throughout Europe, which isn’t

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