 |
| What's your full embarrassing name? |
Thomas Philip Southall |
| Married, or are you young, free and single and like to mingle? |
Married – don’t mingle too much these days |
| Where do you live? |
Great Gays at Hill Head |
| Do you work or stay at home? |
Work a three-day week (sort of semi-retired) |
| How long have you been a member at Stubbington? |
Approximately 20 years |
| Can you remember your first race? |
10 miler at Penryn, Nr Falmouth wearing “pussers pumps”, no investment in running then as soccer was my main love. |
| How often do you bother to go training? |
Every morning first thing before breakfast – hiatus hernia doesn’t help after food intake. |
| What is your favourite training run? |
Used to be Sunday morning through Titchfield, Hook End, Solent Breezes and cliffs. These days its simply a question of getting out and hope the weather’s not to bad. |
| What was your best ever race? |
Worthing 10 in 56.19. Previous year was 56.21, so was still improving! Year probably mid 80’s. |
| And what was your worst or most embarrassing race? |
Been plenty of them when the legs didn’t want to work. But probably my second Gosport Marathon when cramp took hold and as I walked past the farm shop in Titchfield Road. My nephew asked “Why is Uncle Phil walking?". I still managed 3hrs 20 ish, so it couldn’t have been too bad. The problem was that I stretched when leaving Warsash (feeling good) and I paid the penalty when I hit the “hill” passing Locks Heath. |
| Do you have a pre-race ritual? |
Spotting the least used loo. |
| What is the best piece of gear you have bought? |
Very thin pair of nylon leggings from Athletics Weekly at least 25 years ago. I still wear them once summer’s past – although I’m not allowed to sit down in them as the crutch is “shot”! |
| Worst piece of gear? |
Lots of other training bottoms to replace the above, but they always turn out to be “too thick” to be comfortable. |
| Why do you run when you could be sat at home watching EastEnders? |
I'm saving that for when I’m really old! |
| What does she/he who must be obeyed think about your running? |
Has accepted it for years – knows it’s a drug that must be continuously satisfied |
| What is the one piece of advice you would give to any new runner? |
Get into a routine and join a club. I didn’t until I was 30+ although I was one of the “best” runners at school and in the RN New Entries. |