Not our best of nights, as a team we got a PW! (Personal Worse!) Things looked strong the night before! But as Team Managers know, anything can happen on the night, even an hour before, then 2mins before! Short on sprinters it was a marathon and long distance runners that stepped up to fill in the 200m, returning from injury Cara said she would run a comfortable `B’ string 200m to get a point saving herself for the 1500m where she had trained hard for during the winter. At the last minute and without the A string runner showing Cara quickly changed to the A whilst Chris Bond dropped an age group to fill in the B W35 leading to a domino effect as Ros Tabor our W60 filled the W50s gap. Ros ran an amazing race which was close for 2nd, 3rd and 4th place all the way to the line.
Why Cambridge are back in the outside lane I don't know, it's certain not been five years since we were here, I was told that lanes are drawn by chance but I thought myself and other team managers agreed that hadn't worked out fare, that each club should take a turn on a rota but as the divisions change we agreed this can be difficult, so were we are again on the outside.
Seeing we didn't have a W35 for the long jump, nicely warmed up after the 200m, Cara volunteered to do one jump, honest, I don't put pressure on these ladies, they see a gap and make up their own minds, I'll do it for a point Cara said before heading off for the 1500m. Maria MacDonald (W60) competed in the W50s long jump which meant this event in all age groups was covered. Cara was just completing her last stride before the 1500m when we saw her pull up, her little face said it all, the calf she had pulled before Valencia a year back had gone again, anyone that has had injuries like this will know what went through her mind, a years’ worth of calf rehab and training for this event – all over, there was little time to console her as she helped fellow athletes change numbers, luckily our team had several on under each other so it was a case of just swapping the numbers round. Chris Bond took on the W35 A , it was clear some runners had a 17years younger age gap on her! Ros became the W35’s B running against women 15years younger but she didn't let this be an excuse, Ros seemed determined to make this a race and her last lap looked like she was running a 400m! Amazing! Maria MacDonald having come to have an easy night was now running the W60s 1500m.
With only three runners left and no one to fill in we had to drop out of the 4x100m, not in my history (some 34years!) can I remember this happening, we've bridged the gap with hammer throwers and marathon runners but always managed to scrap together a team so tonight – we get a first of some description! Sad in terms of league point but not in terms of points for team unity! Four athletes came together on a bench to support each other with a cuppa, only I spilt mine and we laughed as this just summed up the night! What was impressive was how Cara spoke whilst icing her calf, Maria, Chris and Ros by her side, all reflecting positively on a way forward from here, it was clear, Cambridge Harriers remains very much a team. This was the second match, we still have four left meaning we could come back from this. Thanks to Andy for cheering us on, Frank for cheering us up, the loving hug he gave Cara when he arrived seemed the best medicine before he had to drive the car home! For anyone wondering, we had Maria, our marathon runner willing to throw once in the discus but seeing they hadn't even started the women's by 8:30pm we left not able to face the relays, – we called it a night and hit Burger King on the way home!
RESULTS: W35 200M Cara Oliver (W40) 35.1 5th W35 200M Christine Bond (W50) 37.8 4th (B String) W35 1500M Christine Bond (W50) 6.03.5 5th W35 LONG JUMP Cara Oliver (W40) 3.14 5th W50 200M Ros Tabor (W65) 35.8 4th W50 1500M Ros Tabor (W65) 5.53.9 1st W50 LONG JUMP Maria Macdonald (W60) 3.32 3rd W60 1500M Maria Macdonald (W60) 7.39.8 3rd
MATCH RESULTS 1. Dartford 6 / 73 2. Bexley 5 / 46 3. Blackheath & Bromley 4 / 45 4. Bromley Veterans 3 / 39 5. CAMBRIDGE HARRIERS 2 / 26
OVERALL DETAILS 1. Dartford 12 / 137 2. Blackheath & Bromley 8 / 92 3. Bexley 8 / 81 4. CAMBRIDGE HARRIERS 7 / 83 5. Bromley Veterans 6 / 65