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 No. 19 February 1999 |    |
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 Too Close to Call photos | The All-Schools Track & Field Championships |
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One of the feature events on the ACT Cross Country Club calendar is the Parliament House Relays. On a warm late Saturday afternoon last December 7 runners started congregating adjacent to Questacon for the 21st staging of the annual classic. Questacon? Yes, after nine years on the 1,632 metres of bitumen around our house on the hill we were banished to a new venue due to a clash with 'Carols by Candlelight'. So, it was down to the CCC's 'second home' at Questacon and a hastily devised road course which lapped the new cross country venue and the High Court. The measuring wheel revealed the one mile lap was actually closer to 1,770 metres. The new course was given favourable reviews by most runners after the event: 'more intimate', 'spectator friendly', 'more interesting course'; were some of the comments. Well into the ten by one-mile race it looked as though 'Questacon' would become synonymous with 'SCT's first victory'. A good start by Michelle Ward-Pearson and Fiona Jorgensen put us in second place, eighteen seconds down on the Woden Harriers paring of Joy Terry and Carol Ey. Shaun McCabe and Gordon Nightingale gradually narrowed the gap. A great run from John Tuckey had us ahead of the Harriers, a lead which was further extended by Stuart Doyle. Kevin Bonnett, running his last race in the gold and black, maintained the margin over his pursuers and supporting club-mates had their fingers crossed. Eighth leg runner, CCC President, Hugh Jorgensen would be handing over to Erin Lenon and anchor, Colin Neave. Desperate running by all three could not keep at bay the 'guns' that Harriers had put against them - Glenn Paterson, John Muir and Luke Roberts. So close, just one and a half minutes down, but by all accounts, a great effort from South Canberra Tuggeranong. In the 'B-Grade' teams of eight category it was another SCT/Vets/WH tussle. A number of our runners 'doubled' with Michelle Ward-Pearson overtaking Alan Wilson of the Vets in the last 100 metres to give SCT another second place finish. Results: SCT A-Grade
SCT B-Grade
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South Canberra Tuggeranong athletes were well represented in this season's All-Schools Track & Field Championships... Just check out the results which follow this report. It's impossible to cover all performances on an individual basis. An obvious place to start would be with the medal winners, however I've decided to mention first the effort of Chris Williams in the Under-14 men's 1500m. Here is a guy who has lowered his PB from well outside 5 minutes to low 4:40's this season. He came into the race as the youngest competitor of the nineteen entrants. Swamped at the start and slowed by a falling runner he found himself in third last place after 200 metres. With strong running in the second and third laps Chris moved up to 12th at the bell. A big kick over the last 300 metres saw him pass another three athletes to place 8th in 4:42.72. Afterwards Chris said of the race: "That was tough". Terry Martin although no longer a SCT member deserves a mention for his winning throw of 60.61 metres in the Under-20 men's Discus. Terry has been snapped up by the Canberra Raiders and will be a big loss to Athletics. Michael Hosking is an excellent runner but made his 98 All-Schools mark in the Under-14 men's 1500m Walk. A silver medal in 7:01.25 is just reward for this talented athlete. What can you say about Kelly Roberts? This is a lady who knows how to lift for the 'big one'. An interrupted preparation that would have left a lesser athlete totally psyched out didn't seem to bother SCT's leading female middle distance runner. She ran out hard from the start, giving herself every chance of winning. Her gutsy display resulted in a PB of 2:08.52 and a well deserved silver medal. You can't ask for much more than a PB in a Championship Event. When your best ever performance delivers you a medal, that's a bonus. Erin Sutcliffe could have been excused for being down after a lack-lustre performance in Saturday's Under-16 women's 1500 metres. She tried her best (many would be happy to place 5th at Nationals) but seemed to be off her early-season form which suggested a time under 4:40. Coming back on Sunday in the 800 metres final she produced a super-impressive performance which I for one will remember for some time. A slower than normal start worried supporters when she settled in fifth place at the bell. Erin's first lap split was 66 seconds and she seemed well out of medal contention. Her last lap surge had the locals cheering as she overtook runners and closed in on a medal. She finally ran into the bronze medal position in the last 50 metres and a PB of 2:11.57. Well done Erin! A couple of other 'mentions' from the All-Schools: Richard White's first ACT representation in the Under-14 men's 1500m Walk. Tricia Johnson's 12th in the Under-18 women's Steeplechase (the most competitive ever women's steeple in Australia which was won in a near World Record). The Dziubinski boys were again up there in the Pole Vault. Fourth place to Phoebe Holland in the Under-20 women's Shot Put. Hard-luck award to Craig Core who had to pull out of the Under-18 men's Steeple due to a virus he picked up in the week prior to the event. Results:
Under 14 Women's Long Jump: 16th. Kristen Murray 4.78m (1st Naomi King 5.78m).
100m: Heat 2, 5th. Kristen Murray 13.32 (Final - 1st Lauren Johnston 12.45).
200m: Heat 1, 5th. Kristen Murray 27.00 (Final - 1st Pip Kehoe 25.65).
Discus: 12th. Kristen Murray 27.05m (1st Samantha Collier 35.99m).
Under 14 Men's 90m Hurdles: Heat 2, 6th. Owen Longstaff 14.56 (Final - 1st Paul Stickler 12.58).
1500m: 8th. Chris Williams 4:42.72 (1st Mahdi Sani 4:22.88).
1500m Walk: 2nd. Michael Hosking 7:01.25 (1st Greg Collins 6:49.97).
Javelin: 15th. Shane Onus 37.48m (1st Josh Robinson 52.18m).
Happy New Year fellow Athletes and Officials,
While flying to America in August last year I was given to read, by Ewen Thompson, a photocopy of a book he was reviewing by the late Gordon Pirie on running fast and injury-free. I finished it by the time we landed in the States.
Being a pronator from way back, with a collection of old running shoes with half the heel worn away, I found that his advice made sense so I decided to put it into practice. 5 months later, I can report on it's effectiveness.
As to speed and endurance, I have not noticed much difference, but the big improvement has been in shoe wear and injury rate. The shoe wear factor has seen an amazing improvement with all signs of pronation gone! Despite 70 to 100 km per week rotating 3 pair of shoes (I have a pair at work for lunch-time runs, another pair for early morning runs and another pair for road-work), I have not had to replace a single pair. This is not good news for Brian Wenn and The Runners Shop, but definitely good news for you, the consumer. Apart from some muscle soreness during the change of style period as emphasis is place on different muscles, I have not had any of the usual Shin soreness and knee and ankle pains that most of us suffer from time to time.
The main points of the Gordon Pirie method:
Gordon Nightingale 21 January 1999
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