Stubbington Green Runners

What's your full embarrassing name?

Mark Christopher Le Gassick.

Married, or are you young, free and single and like to mingle?

My girlfriend is Lucinda Jane Simmons who also runs for SGRAC.

Where do you live?

Fareham.

Do you work or stay at home?

I’m the Reviews Editor for the Health A-Z on NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk).

How long have you been a member at Stubbington?

I joined SGRAC in October 2002.

Can you remember your first race?

The Today’s Runner XC at Tweseldown, north Hampshire. I wore football boots because I didn’t have any off-road running shoes!

How often do you bother to go training?

Running: 3-4 times a week, swimming: twice a week, stretching and conditioning: twice a week, gym sessions: twice a week, cycling: as and when I can fit it in!

What is your favourite training run?

Grass fartlek, hill sessions (Titchfield rollers), and interval sessions on the road, track, or treadmill.

What was your best ever race?

The Stubbington Green 10k in 2006 (31.49), closely followed by the Eastleigh 10k in 2009 (31.55).

And what was your worst or most embarrassing race?

The Wessex XC at Newbury in 2002 - I missed the exit to the finish and ran an extra lap!

Do you have a pre-race ritual?

A full rest day the day before a race and two pre-race warm-ups - one slow and one fast.

What is the best piece of gear you have bought?

Elastic laces are a must-have for training and racing - I  have them in four pairs of shoes!

Worst piece of gear?

1,000 Mile ‘Blister-Free’ socks - they were fine until they gave me blisters!

Why do you run when you could be sat at home watching East Enders?

With two full-time jobs I don’t have much time to watch TV but when I do it’s definitely not soaps (thank goodness for the iPlayer!)

What does she/he who must be obeyed think about your running?

Luckily, Lucy is also a runner so she knows how important it is for me to spend time training in order to achieve my objectives.

What is the one piece of advice you would give to any new runner?

Train hard and focus single-mindedly on achieving your most important goals, but don’t over-train, always listen to your body, and never run with an injury.