In a week when not much was happening in terms of high profile races 3 significant events took place.
Firstly Oonagh Cochrane and Sharon Connor ran 10 miles for the first time and were mightily pleased. Well Done to them, remember when you said you could never do that? Only another 16.2 to add on to hit your target!
The second was the food free post Christmas Do on Saturday at which members tried out the new training strategy of never eating on an empty stomach. It obviously worked a treat as everybody bar one of those attending felt so fit and energetic that they skipped running on Sunday morning, though in fairness, most were probably at church instead.
The third was that I managed to run 2 miles non-stop on Friday morning which represents a major step forward, several thousand steps actually. So delighted was I that I repeated it again on Sunday, a company free experience, for the aforementioned reasons. After that it turned into a series of walk /jog, walk/jog until I remembered someone suggesting that perhaps if I tried to run faster the higher tempo might eliminate the tripping sensation which has become second nature to me over the past year or so. I tried that and was hit with a triple whammy. One, I realise I can't run any faster, two, when I do, the tripping mode sets in after the same distance only quicker, and three, I hit the ground harder. After some further thought, expletives deleted, I came to the conclusion that interval training is the answer. So my new schedule is Run 2 Miles, Rest for 1 day, Run 2 Miles Rest for 1 day and so on. Might be worth making a fitness video out of this perhaps?
SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY
Several of the Junior members were in action at Delamont on Thursday in the Co Down Schools Cross Country races with Ellen Erskine and Laura Gardiner taking 3 and 4th places in the Minor Girls race, with Harriet Pele and Amy Godfrey in 23rd and 48th places respectively
Mark McGrady and Paddy Erskine took 18th and 29th places respectively in the Intermediate Boys race with Tom McMeekin 32nd finisher in the Junior Boys event. Matthew Carrick was just outside a top twenty placing in the first Year Boys race, taking a respectable 21st spot.
The Club had 5 representatives in the First Year Girls race and acquitted themselves admirably with Aoife Cochrane 11th, Laura Green 12th, Tara Findlay 23rd, Elisha Surginor 26th and Eimear Connor 54th just to prove to mum that there's talent throughout the family. Aoife qualified for the Ulster finals as a member of the winning Assumption team.
My apologies if I missed anyone out of this report as Boys and Girls were running for their schools and I may have overlooked someone. Well done to all anyway as they continue to prove that their more structured training tutelage under the guidance of Simon McGrattan and Kim Surginor is paying off.
WHERE ARE THE OLYMPIC TORCH BEARERS?
Does anyone know anyone who has been selected to be one of the Torch bearers when the Olympic Flame travels through this district, Newcastle to Santfield, by Relay on 7 June? I ask because I haven't found anyone among the local running clubs who has been or knows anyone who has been. If I had been selected, which I wasn't, but would give my right arm and even throw in my gammy left leg for good measure, for the once in a lifetime experience, I would be shouting it from the rooftops. In fact I'd be selling tickets to my family and friends to come and take the photos, though that's probably illegal. I have been told that there were 11 nominations for every place in the relay and that the selection panels which had to chose were faced with very difficult decisions – I have no doubt of that but if every person selected only gets to carry the torch 300 metres that's a lot of people. So how come everyone is keeping silent about this great privelege?
Probably the greatest scandal of this selection process is that the inspirational John McKeag, Ballydrain Harriers and honorary life member of East Down AC, who is in his 90th year and has been running for over 70 of those years, and is still an active runner and cyclist, was not selected! What better advert could there be for the Olympic spirit than John's participation in the Relay, especially if he was paired with youngest torch bearer?
Anyway the information to hand states that there is no appeal process if you haven't been selected but in the FAQ section in answer to the question What should I do if I no longer wish to be a Torchbearer? the answer given is “Individuals wishing to opt out of being a Torchbearer are asked not to respond to the conditional offer they receive, thereby informing us of their decision to no longer be a Torchbearer.”
This doesn't really answer what happens if at a later stage, after responding positively to the conditional offer, someone drops out – it suggests though that there could be a place for a substitute – and John would be the very man. I know this is all speculation but it strikes me that it will be a serious injustice if John is not chosen to be involved in the occasion.
Can we do something about this even at this stage? I'd like to hear your views joemarathon50@btinternet.com
Online entry for Jimmy's Ten on 18 March 2012 is now available at www.spanglefish.com/eastdownac and with numbers restricted to 600 you're advised to get your entry in as soon as possible. Any problems contact me at above email address or on 07933214894.
Further details next week.
Joe Quinn
5 February 2012
