ARTist in the spotlight - Yaboya1

ThePiedPiper

This week's ARTist in the spotlight is an athlete who has come a long way since last October. For a couple of years, yaboya1 was hovering just over the 3:30 mark for the marathon, and initially targeted to go sub 3:30 in Seville in February. However, with smart training and commitment, he ran a superb 3:07, showing that there is huge, unlocked potential, not just in himself, but in everyone.

Log is linked here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057073987

I'll go with the first few questions:

1. When you were told back in October that proper training could get you to 3 hours, did you believe it could have happened so soon?

2. Do you only have one running top?

3. How do you plan on laying out your summer for a tilt at sub-3 in the autumn?

4. Having torn up what you thought you could achieve in the space of four months, what do you think you could achieve with 4-5 years of good training?

5. Are you upset that you don't have a Chicago Marathon umbrella?

6. What races are on your bucket list?

7. Have you any plans to join an Athletics Club?

8. Any unusual facts about yourself?

9. What's your favourite session?

10. What boardsie would you most like to beat in a race?

yaboya1

Thanks RFR.

1. When you were told back in October that proper training could get you to 3 hours, did you believe it could have happened so soon?

No. I didn't believe it was possible at all, ever! I thought one day I might run a sub 3:20 marathon and that would be my limit. If I ever did achieve that I'd be delighted.

2. Do you only have one running top?

Contrary to popular belief, I don't . I originally bought the now famous/infamous tricolour shirt to wear in Berlin in 2011 assuming that it would get me a shout out from any Irish spectators. It turns out that my two subsequent marathons have also been abroad, so I wore it in those too for the same reasons (although I was a bit disappointed with the 'Irish' crowd in Chicago). I'm not sure why I wore it in Enniscorthy. Seems to have become my default race day outfit. I've never worn it in training, or in Dublin for that matter!

3. How do you plan on laying out your summer for a tilt at sub-3 in the autumn?

At the moment I'm just keeping myself ticking over running whenever I can and trying some of this HADD style HR training. I'm also in the middle of trying to set new PB's at all my race distances to justify my current level of fitness, as some of them are/were extremely soft compared to what I'm capable of at the moment. After the Terenure 5 Mile in May, I'm going to decide what way I'll approach Berlin. If the HADD training appears to be improving me I'll probably stick with that, otherwise I was thinking of doing a plan from the Daniels book.

4. Having torn up what you thought you could achieve in the space of four months, what do you think you could achieve with 4-5 years of good training?

I have no idea, but it excites me. I'll never say never again. I don't want to get ahead of myself though, so I'll worry about sub 3 first. If/when I do that, I'll set myself a new target. Reading KielyUnusual's log shows what massive improvement can be possible though (I'm not putting myself in his league btw. Just making the point about his rate of progress)

5. Are you upset that you don't have a Chicago Marathon umbrella?

Devastated :pac:. Although judging from the pictures I wouldn't say it would last too long with the winds we get here in Dublin. They don't look very durable.

6. What races are on your bucket list?

I want to run all the major marathons. I've already done Berlin & Chicago and I might get into New York this year. I'll leave Tokyo until last because it's so expensive in every way and wasn't actually a major when I started running. I hope to be qualified to run London & Boston for 2016. I'd also like to do Barcelona, Paris & Valencia. No particular reason other than I looked at entering them before, and gave them serious consideration because they got such great reviews. I'm also mad to run Dublin again, but circumstances keep preventing it. If I don't get into New York this year, I'll run Dublin.

7. Have you any plans to join an Athletics Club?

I would really like to join one, but the hours/shifts I work mean it would be difficult to make all the training sessions and I would prefer to commit 100% if I took the plunge. I can be pretty obsessive.

8. Any unusual facts about yourself?

I can think of two things that are probably unusual?
I've PB'd in every race I've ever run in & I've attended a race meeting at every single racecourse in the UK.

9. What's your favourite session?

I'm not sure what I'd say is my favourite, but I really loved the results of the VO2 Max sessions I did when training for Seville. I found them really difficult, but I knew that my marathon pace would feel like I was in cruise control in comparison (which it did). I always felt a huge sense of satisfaction getting through them after hitting my desired targets.

10. What boardsie would you most like to beat in a race?

I don't actually know that many boardsies, but just from reading race reports and logs I suppose Krusty or KU, as it would mean I'd be capable of a sub 2:38 marathon

AuldManKing

Nice answers!

I'll post some more Q's during the week, but am interested in at what point in your training did you realise you were so close to the 3 hour mark?
If you had of realised sooner or had tried to train for 3 hours, would it of hampered your race progress (i.e. going to quick early on).

yaboya1

I'll post some more Q's during the week, but am interested in at what point in your training did you realise you were so close to the 3 hour mark?

When I did the 15m Long Run (with 12m @ MP), I had originally planned to run 7:30min/mile because that's what I needed to be doing to break 3:20. I was already confident I was able for that, so I decided to try hold the MP miles below 7:15p/m (sub 3:10 pace), fully expecting to blow up and have to slow down coming home. The opposite happened though, and I was able to accelerate towards the end and actually went below 7 minutes for the last two miles. My average pace for the entire run that night was 7:13p/m, despite the fact that the first three were only warming up. That's when I started to wonder how much higher I could aim. When I ran the Half-Marathon distance on my own in 1:26 I started to believe sub 3 could be possible, but I was still very wary about going for it as I know how wrong things can go in a marathon.

If you had of realised sooner or had tried to train for 3 hours, would it of hampered your race progress (i.e. going to quick early on).

I would have never originally trained for 3 hours because I never believed I could get anywhere near it. I think it might have hampered me if I did though. If I was attempting to hit paces that I wasn't able for at that stage, it would have been easy to get disheartened or even injured trying.
I don't think I could have realised any sooner than I did that such a time might be possible. My fitness was always gradually improving as my training progressed, so although I was close to 3 hours by the time the marathon came around, I was nowhere near that in December (I struggled to hold 7:30min/mile the day after the boards beers!).

RayCun

yaboya1 wrote: »

I would really like to join one, but the hours/shifts I work mean it would be difficult to make all the training sessions and I would prefer to commit 100% if I took the plunge.

you know nobody gets to all club sessions, right?

Sporting background?
When/why did you start running?
How did you discover boards?
Race where everything went right?
Race where everything went wrong?
Favourite distance?
Favourite race?
Do you do any supplementary training (core, weights, swimming etc)?
Do you watch your diet?
What would you change about running/athletics in Ireland?

Calvin Johnson

Favourite race distance other than the Marathon?

Duanington

What are your ultimate goals in terms of finishing times across the various distances you race and have these changed in light of your recent achievements?

Thinking back 12 months ago, would you have thought you would find yourself putting together a (realistic) sub 3 training plan for 2014 as you seem to be doing now?

RayCun

Have you/will you ever run cross country?
Track?
Do any field events?

yaboya1

Sporting background?

Played Football & Gaelic for the school teams and continued with the football until I was about 19-20. I was no better than ok at both. Also did a couple of cross-country runs for the school team when they were stuck for a body. Did quite well in those and helped win them a bronze medal, although myself and the other guy who were mainly responsible for it never got one because we didn't run in enough races! Never gave running a second thought after I left school. Took up golf around the same time and that has been my main sport since then.

When/why did you start running?

I was playing in my golf club's Monthly Medal in July 2010 and needed a birdie on the 18th to win. I've a lifetime under-par record on that hole, so in betting terms I was an odds-on chance. I played it as badly as I've ever done, made a bogey and lost by one. That put me off golf for a while and in the (pub) post-mortem afterwards, running the marathon came up in conversation. It was always something that had interested me but I was sceptical of whether I'd stick to the punishing training. After the golfing debacle though, I needed something else to focus my mind on. I gave up golf for six months and signed up for the DCM and the remainder of the Race Series the next day. I started running miles the following evening.

How did you discover boards?

I can't remember how I actually came across the website, but I was already a member when I started running. As I got closer to my first race (Frank Duffy 10 Mile), I logged on to see if there was a running section. When I came across it I couldn't believe the wealth of information. Even back then yourself & Krusty were quite active and I think you were going for similar targets to me in the race series, so I've been an avid reader ever since although I only started posting regularly when I started my log.

Race where everything went right?

I suppose the Terenure 5 Mile last year where I set out to break 35 minutes, which was an ambitious target for me at the time. I did my first mile in 6:30 and felt like I was in complete control for the whole race after that to come home in 34:23. I was very happy with that result.

Race where everything went wrong?

I don't want to tempt fate, but I've never had a race where everything went wrong. Things haven't been ideal at times but I've almost always been happy with my result. I suppose the Dublin Half-Marathon last year was probably my worst race. I had never intended running it, but decided I needed to do a race as a confidence booster having been out with injury for so long. I crawled home in the heat that day (1:45:xx), believing that any ambitions I had of breaking 3:30 in Chicago were gone.

Favourite distance?

The Marathon. By about 26.2 miles .

Favourite race?

My favourite race to date has been the Berlin Marathon. I just loved everything about it. The city, the bands, the crowds, the race and the cost compared to other majors. It's awesome. I can't wait to run it again in September.

Do you do any supplementary training (core, weights, swimming etc)?

I didn't do anything for my first two marathons. I used to swim a lot before I started running, but I'm so bad at controlling my breathing in that it's untrue. I'm much better at it when I'm running! I've never done any weight training. After I ran in Berlin I read how important it was to have a strong core to hold you upright when you're struggling in the latter stages of a marathon. When I asked my physio what he thought, he agreed. Since then I've made it my business to do a weekly cycle of core work, and did 2/3 a week in the lead up to Chicago when I wasn't able to run at all. I'm convinced I wouldn't have run a PB that day otherwise.

Do you watch your diet?

I'm not strict about my diet in general, because I feel if I abstained from stuff I enjoy (alcohol, desserts, the odd take-away) I wouldn't enjoy my running as much. I'm of the opinion that as long as I don't miss any training sessions, I can eat/drink whatever I like. In saying that, I generally avoid alcohol & junk food in the week of a race as I would doubt whether I had run my best time if I felt I was carrying a curry from the night before or the after effects of a hangover.

What would you change about running/athletics in Ireland?

I'm not the person to ask this question, as outside of my own races and training I'm pretty clueless about athletics in general. Although one thing I think they should introduce in the DCM is the need to qualify for the correct starting corral. Dublin is the only place I've ever come to a complete standstill in a race and I think people starting in the wrong corrals were to blame.

yaboya1

Favourite race distance other than the Marathon?

I have really enjoyed the 5 mile races I've done, so I'll probably go with that.

yaboya1

What are your ultimate goals in terms of finishing times across the various distances you race and have these changed in light of your recent achievements?

My goals for 2014 were:

5k (sub 19)
5m (sub 33)
10k (sub 40)
10m (sub 70)
HM (sub 90)
M (sub 3:10)

I've already managed to achieve three of those and I'm expecting to get the HM time this Saturday in Larne. I've a 10 miler lined up in Clonakilty on Easter Monday and then the Terenure 5 Mile in May. After that I'm going to set some new goals. I'd imagine they'll look something like this:

5k (sub 18)
5m (sub 30)
10k (sub 38)
10m (sub 65)
HM (sub 85)
M (sub 3:00)

I haven't really got any ultimate goals as I never expected to be able to go that fast. I suppose the sub 3 Marathon is the one that would mean the most to me.

Thinking back 12 months ago, would you have thought you would find yourself putting together a (realistic) sub 3 training plan for 2014 as you seem to be doing now?

No. Not a chance. I never ever believed I would even get close to 3 hours. I wanted to run all the majors since I started running, but I'd accepted that I'd never run Boston as I wouldn't be quick enough to qualify (sub 3:05). I felt that running that race any other way was cheating.

yaboya1

Have you/will you ever run cross country?

As mentioned earlier, I ran a couple of races while I was in school. I'm not that bothered about it but I have noticed that a lot of top cross-country runners go on to do well in marathons, so I wouldn't rule it out.

Track?

I did one 4x400m relay out in Morton Stadium when I was in school. I've never believed I was a quick runner and always thought the distance events would play more to my strengths. Never say never, but I've no current desire to race on the track.

Do any field events?

Never. Wouldn't even know how to get involved if I wanted to.

ger664

Hi yaboya

How would you rate Seville against the other majors you have done ?

Which O'Neills was the best ?

yaboya1

Hi Ger.

How would you rate Seville against the other majors you have done?

I thought Seville was a fantastic race. I really loved it and would say the same about Chicago & Dublin. It's not a knock to the others, but more of a compliment to Berlin that I picked that one as my favourite. I suppose I've been lucky in all the races I've run in that I've got very few (if any) complaints.

Which O'Neills was the best?

I think the vote has to go to the one you brought me to on the Sunday. The fact that the original stopped serving food at 4pm has to count against it, while the friendly waitress and good all round atmosphere in the other one swings the verdict heavily in it's favour.

Calvin Johnson

Are you happy with where you train?

career_move

Favourite food?

3 people from history that you would resurrect for dinner and what would ye talk about?

Dream date and what would ye do? *lets keep it clean ..... there's children reading!

What's the most amount of money you've lost in one day gambling?

"Horse racing is an evil sport where wicked men dressed in ladies tights and armed with cushioned whips, force horses to race against their will and natural instinct, which can in a small number of cases (0.8 % based on this year's Cheltenham festival ) result in their demise" Discuss

yaboya1

Are you happy with where you train?

I suppose I am. I do most of my training adjacent to the sea between Clontarf & Sutton and sometimes over the other side along the strand in Sandymount. On nice days these are beautiful places to run, especially as you can choose to incorporate the beach on either side if you so wish. Seems such a peaceful place with the lapping waves the loudest sound to be heard away from the hustle & bustle of the City Centre.
You also tend to get the worst of the weather along the coast though, so the bad days are not so much fun. I would like to use the Phoenix Park more than I do currently, but it's a 5 mile round trip for me just to get to the front gate so I need to be doing a long run of some description to do that.
One thing that drives me mad about Dublin in general is the wind. It's always windy, always! Just seems to depend how strong. And along the coast it's usually at it's strongest. Very frustrating when you're trying to do any kind of session where the reps are supposed to be the same.

yaboya1

career_move wrote: »

Favourite food?

3 people from history that you would resurrect for dinner and what would ye talk about?

Dream date and what would ye do? *lets keep it clean ..... there's children reading!

What's the most amount of money you've lost in one day gambling?

"Horse racing is an evil sport where wicked men dressed in ladies tights and armed with cushioned whips, force horses to race against their will and natural instinct, which can in a small number of cases (0.8 % based on this year's Cheltenham festival ) result in their demise" Discuss

I like these questions, but I'm going to have to give a couple of them some thought. I'm going out for a run now and I'll get to them when I get back

Calvin Johnson

I reckon Career Move might be your dream date. Both love horse racing and running. Have you met her yet?

barryoneill50

yaboya1 wrote: »

I like these questions, but I'm going to have to give a couple of them some thought. I'm going out for a run now and I'll get to them when I get back

What's keeping you:D

yaboya1

Favourite food?

You can't beat a nice fillet steak with all the trimmings. I had a very tasty one quite recently in Ryan's/FX Buckley's on Parkgate Street, followed by a New York Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake. Gorgeous!

3 people from history that you would resurrect for dinner and what would ye talk about?

I really love sporting autobiographies/documentaries, so three people I'd love to talk to about their careers/lives would be George Best, Ayrton Senna & Emil Zatopek. I'd say they'd have some stories (especially Georgie )

Dream date and what would ye do? *lets keep it clean ..... there's children reading!

I've got a bit of a thing for petite girls with brown eyes, so I suppose someone like Rachel McAdams or Jessica Alba. I'd go out on the town in New York because you can do anything you want in that city. It has everything.

What's the most amount of money you've lost in one day gambling?

€2,500. It wasn't actually in one day, but it was in one bet and trumps anything I've ever lost in one day. I can elaborate if you want?

"Horse racing is an evil sport where wicked men dressed in ladies tights and armed with cushioned whips, force horses to race against their will and natural instinct, which can in a small number of cases (0.8 % based on this year's Cheltenham festival ) result in their demise" Discuss

This statement is complete & utter bullsh*t. Although jockeys sit on their backs and try to steer them around, a man/woman weighing between 8-10.5 stone is not going to make an animal that weighs more than half a tonne do something it doesn't want to do. Horses are herd animals and run around in fields on their own without the assistance of any humans. In Dubai (wrong as it might be) I think it might be the case that they're treated better than women. Racehorses live in complete luxury compared to any other species of animal. I've been to stables and know people who work with horses. They love them more than they do most of the humans in their lives, so for any animal rights groups etc. to suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it's slander.

As for the 'result in their demise' part of the statement, what is the suggestion? Ban horse racing? Do we then ban everything that results in any human/animal deaths? People are killed on our roads every week. Do we ban driving? People die from alcohol/tobacco related illnesses. Do we ban both of those? A man died in the Dublin Half-Marathon this year. Do we ban running? People/animals die every day in different circumstances but we can't just react with a kneejerk reaction of banning everything. Where would it end?

Calvin Johnson

Cracking answer to the last question.

career_move

yaboya1 wrote: »

What's the most amount of money you've lost in one day gambling?

€2,500. It wasn't actually in one day, but it was in one bet and trumps anything I've ever lost in one day. I can elaborate if you want?

Go on fill us in with all the gory details

yaboya1

Go on fill us in with all the gory details

It was back in December 2008. I had been having a look at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival well in advance trying to identify a 'banker' bet. Ante-post betting can be a minefield, especially in the novice events so I decided to stick to the championship races. The Champion Hurdle looked too open, so I swayed away from that and although Kauto Star looked the obvious one in the Gold Cup, I was wary of backing him because no horse had ever regained the crown. So I went through the other two races in detail. In the Champion Chase I was convinced Master Minded would win again after his 2008 demolition job. I went through the likely opposition with a fine tooth comb and I was very confident he had the beating of everything, bar one horse called Petit Robin who looked bit unexposed. He was due to run over Christmas at Kempton, so I would wait for that. In the World Hurdle I was adamant that Punchestowns could not get beaten. He had hammered every one of his potential rivals in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on the bridle, except for Kasbah Bliss (who didn't get up the Cheltenham hill in my opinion). Although he (Kasbah Bliss) had run a close second to Inglis Drever in 2008, that race was run on the Old Course and the three time champion was on the downgrade. The switch back to the New Course wouldn't be in his favour and he had run poorly there in the Triumph a few years earlier. After Petit Robin ran (and lost) at Kempton on December 27th I was confident I had a winning double unless I was extremely unlucky (fall, injury etc.) I placed the €2,500 bet the next day.

Big Bucks had never run over hurdles in the UK. He wasn't even in the market when I placed the bet (I think he was actually 33/1 for the Gold Cup!). On the 1st January he appeared in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham. It was seen as a confidence booster after his fall in the Hennessy and connections wanted to expose a favourable hurdles mark. He won easily. After that they decided to stay over hurdles with him. He went on to beat Punchestowns in the Cleeve and (unfortunately for me) followed that up with victory over the same horse in the World Hurdle. The pair were a mile clear of the third, with the odds-on favourite Kasbah Bliss a well beaten fourth. Big Bucks went on to make history by winning the race four times in a row. I'm still sick to this day that I didn't cover it. His SP was 7/1. I just felt so hard done by, as he wasn't even in the race when I placed the bet (Master Minded won easily too btw)

ecoli

yaboya1 wrote: »

Go on fill us in with all the gory details

It was back in December 2008. I had been having a look at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival well in advance trying to identify a 'banker' bet. Ante-post betting can be a minefield, especially in the novice events so I decided to stick to the championship races. The Champion Hurdle looked too open, so I swayed away from that and although Kauto Star looked the obvious one in the Gold Cup, I was wary of backing him because no horse had ever regained the crown. So I went through the other two races in detail. In the Champion Chase I was convinced Master Minded would win again after his 2008 demolition job. I went through the likely opposition with a fine tooth comb and I was very confident he had the beating of everything, bar one horse called Petit Robin who looked bit unexposed. He was due to run over Christmas at Kempton, so I would wait for that. In the World Hurdle I was adamant that Punchestowns could not get beaten. He had hammered every one of his potential rivals in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on the bridle, except for Kasbah Bliss (who didn't get up the Cheltenham hill in my opinion). Although he (Kasbah Bliss) had run a close second to Inglis Drever in 2008, that race was run on the Old Course and the three time champion was on the downgrade. The switch back to the New Course wouldn't be in his favour and he had run poorly there in the Triumph a few years earlier. After Petit Robin ran (and lost) at Kempton on December 27th I was confident I had a winning double unless I was extremely unlucky (fall, injury etc.) I placed the €2,500 bet the next day.

Big Bucks had never run over hurdles in the UK. He wasn't even in the market when I placed the bet (I think he was actually 33/1 for the Gold Cup!). On the 1st January he appeared in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham. It was seen as a confidence booster after his fall in the Hennessy and connections wanted to expose a favourable hurdles mark. He won easily. After that they decided to stay over hurdles with him. He went on to beat Punchestowns in the Cleeve and (unfortunately for me) followed that up with victory over the same horse in the World Hurdle. The pair were a mile clear of the third, with the odds-on favourite Kasbah Bliss a well beaten fourth. Big Bucks went on to make history by winning the race four times in a row. I'm still sick to this day that I didn't cover it. His SP was 7/1. I just felt so hard done by, as he wasn't even in the race when I placed the bet (Master Minded won easily too btw)

It could have been worse. I was expecting you to say Test Cricket

yaboya1

ecoli wrote: »

It could have been worse. I was expecting you to say Test Cricket

Even though there was almost three months until the event took place, I'm sure a bet on test cricket would have felt like a longer wait!

ecoli

yaboya1 wrote: »

Even though there was almost three months until the event took place, I'm sure a bet on test cricket would have felt like a longer wait!

Probably the easiest sport to make money on (as you probably know yourself)........... But just not worth it

AuldManKing

my usual Q's

* You have just finished your marathon, what would be in your dream goodie bag?

* Top 3 all time sporting heroes?

* If you could go back 20 years and give yourself just one piece of advice, what would it be?

* Handicap 10k race boardsie race where the seeding is perfect so it really comes down to pure guts/ wanting it more( not running ability). Who wins?

* If you had to be mentored/coached by a Boardsie for a year then who would you pick?

* Any interesting facts you can tell us about yourself?

* on behalf of MarthaStew: if you had 6 months perfect training, what would you run 1 mile in

* Couldn't back a horse again or couldn't run? Which would you choose & why.

yaboya1

You have just finished your marathon, what would be in your dream goodie bag?

I get cravings like a pregnant woman immediately after a race finishes. I want to see chocolate in there, and lots of it! I've done the miles, I've eaten well, I've made the sacrifices. Now it's time to relax and gorge. I remember they had a huge bar of white chocolate in the bag after the Dublin Half in 2010. That was very, very enjoyable. White Chocolate doesn't get as much credit as it should. It's up there with milk chocolate in my opinion. Apart from that it's always nice to get a technical t-shirt as a memento (and for something to wear when the tricolour is in the wash :P) and I also love a bottle of Luzocade Sport to guzzle on and help wash down the chocolate. I'm easily pleased :pac:

Top 3 all time sporting heroes?

Brian O'Driscoll
Paul McGrath
Rafa Nadal

I don't think anyone (Irish anyway) could leave BOD out. He's widely recognised as the best rugby player in the world, has been at the top of his game at the very highest level for 15 years now and is a thoroughly nice bloke to go alongside it. What more could you ask for?

Paul McGrath has done amazingly well to get where he did in football considering his difficult upbringing. He's always struggled with personal demons in his life and couldn't train most of the time because of his dodgy knees. Yet he was player of the year at Villa on numerous occasions and marked Roberto Baggio (who was supposed to be the greatest player in the world at the time) out of the game at USA 94 when he was basically playing with only one arm. An Irish football legend who's up there with the best players we've ever produced.

Rafa Nadal is the ultimate example of a thorough professional. He's the epitomy of the saying "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard". Although he's obviously talented, it's arguable that Djokovic, Federer & Murray all possess more natural ability than he does, yet he's got a winning head to head record against all of them. He's managed to win 13 Grand Slam titles (3rd most of all time) and doesn't look finished yet. If I had to get anybody to play a point to save my life, it would be him.

If you could go back 20 years and give yourself just one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don't back Punchestowns in the 2009 World Hurdle

Handicap 10k race boardsie race where the seeding is perfect so it really comes down to pure guts/ wanting it more( not running ability). Who wins?

I'd love to think I could win it, but that's probably unlikely. I guess it's hard to look beyond Krusty considering the consistent determination he's shown over the years to get to where he is now from where he was when he started. Anyone who puts in that many miles on their own is going to be hard to pass in a race.

If you had to be mentored/coached by a Boardsie for a year then who would you pick?

From personal experience and reading other logs menoscemo seems to be pretty good and was the one who picked up on me reading my own plan wrong before Seville, so I'll go with him. In saying that, this whole forum seems to be full of good coaches offering sound training tips and advice.

Any interesting facts you can tell us about yourself?

Apart from the two I put for RFR's question, I'm not sure. I'm pretty boring! (What do you want to know?)

on behalf of MarthaStew: if you had 6 months perfect training, what would you run 1 mile in

I have no idea. I've never even tried to run a mile flat out as fast as I can, so this is a bit of a wild guess. If I gauge off my last mile in Marlay (5:40) and assume I'd improve for totally focusing on that distance (and without having run two quickish miles before that), I'd like to think I could maybe get around the 5 minute mark, maybe just under?

Couldn't back a horse again or couldn't run? Which would you choose & why.

This is easy. I'd choose not to back a horse. No matter how much you study form, ground, courses, jockeys etc., you can get it all right and lose because you still need luck on your side. I love running. I love the fact that I will (usually) be rewarded for any hard work I've put in. And if I'm not, it won't cost me any money. That's not the case with a bet. It's also much more satisfying completing a marathon (or any race) in a time you're happy with than collecting a bet.

career_move

- where do you see yourself in 5 years time

- if you could be somebody different who would you be

- matt chapman: legendary pundit or annoying ar$ehole

Itziger

You've been to every racecourse in Britain???!! Jesus, man, that's amazing. Didn't know you were THAT much of a horsey man.

Q. Did you win the two entries for Valencia?

yaboya1

Sorry about the delay. Was making my way up north.

where do you see yourself in 5 years time

This is another good question. I don't know is the honest answer. I'm a bit of a dreamer. I'd love to travel the world, go cruising around the Caribbean, drive around North America & Australia, go hiking in South America, discover the Far East. I've done lots of travelling but I'd like to do more. I haven't got a set plan. I just like to play life by ear.

if you could be somebody different who would you be

I'd love to be a professional golfer. Let's say Padraig Harrington (without the Tin Cup style accessories) since he's won a few majors. Travelling around the world following the sun, staying in the best hotels while playing the best courses. That lifestyle would suit me very well.

matt chapman: legendary pundit or annoying ar$ehole

He fits into both categories. Can be a bit like Eamon Dunphy as he's not afraid to say something controversial, but equally he sometimes feels the need to say something when there's nothing to be said just for the sake of being controversial. I've been to a couple of Cheltenham previews when he's been there. He's a great MC but an awful panelist.

yaboya1

You've been to every racecourse in Britain???!! Jesus, man, that's amazing. Didn't know you were THAT much of a horsey man.

I've actually been to 61. There's only officially 58 now. I count Newmarket as two and Folkestone & Hereford have shut down since I went. Never got to Great Leighs though. That was closed before I started going. I went to a few of the big meetings over there, then I thought why not get them all in? So I did. I can be very obsessive. It took me more than four years. Some of them are not easy places to get to!

Did you win the two entries for Valencia?

I haven't heard anything or received any emails, so I assume I didn't?

yaboya1

I'll be handing this over to someone else at the end of the day. If anyone has any more questions, fire them at me before this evening.