1977 was my last year as a junior and I had made it my goal to be selected for the Wellington team for the National Cross Country. To achieve this goal I had asked Gavin Thorley to help me out with coaching and he gave me a lot of interesting activities to include in my training which included gradual build ups and breathing exercises. On the whole the season didn't go all that well until the Wellington Cross Country Champs where everything clicked into place (as the training programme intended) and I finished in sixth place. I felt sure this would get me a place in the Wellington team, but it was not to be. Due to my inconsistency I was only selected as a reserve and didn't travel with the team.
The Bays Relay was the following week and I was running the first lap from Island Bay to Lyall Bay. I was determined to show the selectors what a mistake they had made and ran up with the leaders as far as I could. Unfortunately I didn't show the selectors anything as I blew up over the finishing stages.
The photo was taken just after reaching Lyall Bay and I was really struggling at this point.
However I did eventually succeed in making a Wellington team that year. This was the team to the Road Nationals which were held in Mosgiel and consisted of a single five mile lap around a huge, flat square. The photo below must've been taken fairly early on in the race because I look reasonably relaxed. I can remember being completely spent by the end.
Note: this was so long ago things were in black and white.
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