Respect..............

Woke this morning with very heavy legs and even tighter hammies and it was really a flip of the coin whether or not that i was to go into the City for the HuRTS fartlek session that was on the cards.
Reluctantly cycled in and again a big crowd was on show for the 1 minute ON / 30 second OFF for 45 minutes. Straight away i felt i was struggling even on the first couple as the leaders were off in the distance and even Slim Sammy Agnew knew better then to run at my lousy pace. Settled in with BRAT /Hardmen J.C and 'The Laughing Policeman' Samsy around Mrs Macs and coming around the back of the O.H before Billy Batt even came by me. Got around near the Quay and basically just cruised at the 18 minute mark (due to (a) the crowds and (b) i was stuffed) did nothing for a period of 9 minutes and then tried to get back home. It helped big time when i saw Swim Mentor Pete Walker on the return as i knew Pete keeps it honest and you always know what you are in for with him. Pace picked up and all of a sudden i was feeling good and the stiffness in the legs was all but gone. Seemed to help one another here and managed to get home with 7 seconds to spare averaging 3.51s on the return journey.
Again Not brilliant by any means but in the scheme of things very happy i was even out especially after yesterdays long run. Legs feel OK now so even agreed to meet Kanser first up in the morning for a Med/Long run of 18ks around the park (3 x 6k loops)
Got chatting to the Chairman, Kanser and Barts at the conclusion of today's set and the conversation turned around to how well the 'Taxi Man' Elvis is going in this moment in time, and they are all on him to turn me over come the Striders 10k on the 2nd February. The way i am going he probably will but there appears very little respect these days from these 'Young Pups' within the HuRTS group, as most of them don't even know (or care) what our Pb's are these days :)


Anyway away from today's session, over the next couple of weeks i will be doing a brief on all the Berlin Bound HuRTS boys (15 of us i believe) that are in for the Marathon come September and give the readers an insight on what you can expect from the travelling group.
To start the list - today's member is -
John Bartles - AKA, Barts.
Top line runner who can always be found at the front of the group tucked in with Tom, Tucks and company, One of the best trainers within the team unfortunately hasn't managed to put it all together in the big races to date. A couple of good 10k races but his PB in a Marathon is around the 2.54 mark (New York i think it was).
With the right training and mindset should be able to knock out somewhere around 2.34 i predict. Although he should just focus on getting an 8 minute PB to see OFF my best before he goes in search of bigger things.
A quiet lad in the team and i just hope once we get to Munich for the Oktoberfest he isn't overawed with the drunken behaviour that may go on with the likes of Stankard/Highnam and Kanser :)
To pinch a Tom saying an 'all round Good Guy'

Barts in full flow late last year in the J.P Morgan - Can he produce the goods in Berlin?


Cheers