time to take-up table tennis
I’m not a natural runner; my legs are too short and, having only taken it up when I was 40, I was over-the-hill before I even started. I truly hated every step for several years. It was initially a necessary evil as the adventure races I was competing in were ‘topped and tailed’ a run but I have to admit that it did eventually click and it’s proved to be exercise that I’ve grown to quite enjoy.
Over the years the distances have steadily increased and the times sporadically declined, though I do think they’ve peaked. A sub 40 minute 10k was missed by only seconds and a 90 minute half marathon by a frustrating tight eight seconds! B*gger. And certainly my 3.34 marathon will NEVER be bettered by me as it’s just not a natural distance and does more harm than good. The Greek soldier, Pheidippides, who first ran the 26.2 mile distance from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens died after delivering his message so how much evidence do we need!
A Non-Runner’s Record of Non-Running:
’24 in 24′:
24 peaks in 24 hours completed in 17.55
Artemis Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon:
2008 – One mile swim, seven Munroes, seven mile kayak and 34 mile cycle completed in 13.09. Shocking weather.
2009 – Same again but ten minutes slower – 13.21.28. All weather experienced but generally hot, too hot.
The Marathon:
The ‘Shakespeare’ May 2006 – 3.49.59
Greensands Trionium Ultra Marathon –
Preston Guild Marathon 2012 – 3.34.00
Half-Marathons:
Wokingham 2004 – 1.50
Wokingham 2005 – 1.42
Wokingham 2006 – 1.43
Reading 2006 – 1.36.40
Marlow 2006 – 1.41.25
Wokingham 2007 – 1.36
Reading 2007 – 1.36….again!
Wokingham 2008 – 1.33.27 (Hey, sub 1.35!)
Wokingham 2010 – 1.30.08
Ten Milers:
Hayling Island 10 Miler, 2001 – 1.16 (With Ginge, Wayne, Michelle and Stu)
Adventure Races:
Trailplus 2004 – Sub 4.00…..just (Kunie, Ginge and me as Boast, Drop, Drive)
Trailplus 2005 – 2.54.38 (21st), 2.56 (15th), 3.23 (23rd) (Ian, Matt and me as Welease Woderwick)
Trailplus 2006 – 3.05.39 (7th), 3.49 (17th), 3.41.23 (17th) (Ian, Matt and me as Welease Woderwick….and 1st overall!)
Trailplus 2008 – 3.10.11 (19th), 2.51.40 (19th)
Triathlons:
Dorney Lake/ORCA Sprint of 760m swim, 20k cycle and 5k run completed in 1.27.01
The New Forest Half IronMan:
2009 – 5.27.15 (2k swim – 38.26, 80k cycle – 2.45.08 (incl both transitions), 22k run – 2.03.40)
2010 – 5.47.45 (2k swim – 1.01.43, 80k cycle – 2.39.28, T1 & T2 – 10.35, 22k run – 2.06.00)
UK Ironman 2010:
12.59.25 (553rd overall/55th in M45-49 age group) – 2.4 mile swim – 1.25.7 (9.25 T1), 112 mile cycle – 6.53.40 (6.00 T2), 26.2 mile run – 4.25.15
Kingston Festival of Running, October 2007 – 8.2 miles: 58.04
Kingston Festival of Running, April 2010 – 16 miles: 1.58.26
The Penn Seven:
2004 – Not recorded……obviously too painful.
2005 – 58
2007 – 51.12
Bracknell Forest Five:
2006 – 34.47
10K’s:
Several Fleet ones in the early 2000’s all completed in around 45 mins as it’s a flat, fast PB course.
Peter Driver Memorial Race 2005 – 46.00
Yateley 2005 – 45.16
Oracle 020 10K 2005 – 44.56
Princes Trust/Legoland 2005 – 43.30
Yateley 2006 – 44.16, 43.02, 42.02
Yateley 2007 – 43.05, 43.02, 43.07
Yateley 2008 – 41.35, 40.45, 41.08
Yateley 2009 – 42.30 (in 30 degrees)
Windle Valley Runners – Several in 2007 all around 45 minutes. Feb 2008 – 43.09. March 2008 – 42.52. March 2010 – 41.35
Staines 2010 – 40.21 (21st out of 526 runners and 9th in age group)
Duathlons:
Ful-On Tri Duathlon, April 2009 – 1.26.09 (5k/20k/5k – 20.48/43.51/21.30)
Tom’s time – 40.39 (2.5k/10k/2.5k – 9.04/22.14/9.21)
Hellrunner XC Runs:
November 2009 – 1.26.01 (eleven miles)
November 2010 – 1.25.44
November – 1.20.48
Time to take up table-tennis, me-thinks!
