Mike Bainbridge
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| What's your full embarrassing name? | Michael James Bainbridge (used to be Coullthard before I was adopted and was nick-named Cowfart at Primary school-still carrying the scars!) |
| Married, or are you young, free and single and like to mingle? | Married for 15 years to a long suffering wifey! |
| Where do you live? | Woke up in a landrover whilst on holiday in Yorkshire this year and in a dog kennel in Turkey. Wherever I lay my head........ |
| Do you work or stay at home? | Still celebrating my second Headship which I start in January. |
| How long have you been a member at Stubbington? | Stubbington is my third club and by far the best yet. Previously men's captain of Gosport Road Runners and a member of Havant AC. |
| Can you remember your first race? | Ran the Great Cumbrian Run in 1992 where the finishing prize was 10 Benson & Hedges! It's grim up north! |
| How often do you bother to go training? | Five to seven times a week depending on the focus and number of bottles of red wine consumed on a Friday night! |
| What is your favourite training run? | From home in Gosport along the shingle to Titchfield Haven, through it , returning via Stubbington and Lee. The first long run I did was down here and I love the variety of scenery and terrain. |
| What was your best ever race? | Totton 10km in 1994 on very little training. I had just become a Dad and ran 32:19 on a complete high! |
| And what was your worst or most embarrassing race? | Too numerous too mention, but the contenders would be: Probably in the same race as Chris Hall, going through two miles in the New Forest 10 in 10min 15sec, collapsing and hitching a ride back in an ice cream van. Drinking too much at a Gosport Road Runners' Christmas do, being photographed in an uncompromising position, then the next day driving the club minibus to the Hogs Back race where I threw up at the finish. Leading the Great South Run in 1995. I tucked in behind Tom Buckner, going through the first mile in 4:41. Walking at two miles! (Did finish though in 58:00). Going through 20 miles at London in under 2 hours, hitting a very large wall, collapsing backwards over the line and being put on two drips for 3 hours. I hobbled back to Waterloo via the tube wrapped in a St John's blanket. Sat down for a rest and people started throwing loose change at me! |
| Do you have a pre-race ritual? | Marmite on toast and a banana. |
| What is the best piece of gear you have bought? | The orange vest I wore while running unattached in the Totton 10k. |
| Worst piece of gear? | Some luminous green shorts I thought were cool at the time, but the photos say different! |
| Why do you run when you could be sat at home watching EastEnders? | I feel free when I run and it helps me to de-stress. Also, I find it helps my libido. |
| What does she/he who must be obeyed think about your running? | She is grateful for the peace and quiet, and libido on return! |
| What is the one piece of advice you would give to any new runner? | Don't be a slave to your running log. Run how you feel sometimes. |