Chapter 1: Early days

I remember those first runs round the block at Lyndhurst and feeling that I was pretty good (near the front but not AT the front).

I was certainly no star but did the odd run up to Parliament Hill in Hampstead. Cold but enjoyable…it was a sport I felt you didn't need to know the “rules” about and therefore sat well with me. I could go about my running quietly and under the radar as heaven forbid if I was to compete with my brother – the sports ace.

The formidable X-country team

I don’t have too many recollections of having participated in races until I was at Mill Hill School at the age of 13. I was quickly brought into the school cross country team and reluctantly continued running.

I was however getting quite good at it and manage to win the school junior cross country cup by winning most points and getting the fastest time that year of 16 minutes for the 2.5 mile course.

I never felt that cross country was something to be proud of though. Not next to the gladiatorial exploits of the Rugby teams.. I would hang around with them but only for comedic interest and intrigue into their bizarre songs and rituals. Here Clive Greenhough, one of my best friends straddled both camps and was a cross country runner AND rugby champion. He helped integrate me into both camps.

Running did not have the same cache as rugby and certainly lacked the hedonism I so enjoyed. I continued therefore to reluctantly run however smoking roll-ups at 16 probably did not help.

Even so I managed to win the senior school cross country competition with a time of 28:55 for the 4.6mile course.

Not the best but certainly in the top 20 times. Even better was that I came in to the finish line a good 1-2 minutes before my nearest rival, Jeremy Raphael. People could not believe it…I couldn’t either and shrugged off the win, thinking that it simply was a meaningless victory and one that could not compare to a Rugby trophy or colours.

I think in retrospect I should have taken this as a sign of things to come...