Tactics are key Lollipop

Marathon winner, Dave Norman has made Lollipop and I remember that it’s not about the distance or your competition it’s always about tactics.

The Greater Manchester Marathon took place today at 9am. A 26 mile sweat bath that starts and ends at Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground.

The event boasted a flatter route with only 55m of elevation gain which definitely seemed to work for our champion Dave Norman.

The Mancunian athlete has raced and won the Greater Manchester Marathon before in 2012 so at first to Lollipop and I his win didn’t seem that remarkable.

But after reading his blog valuable lessons were learnt.

After a tough build up to the race Norman was not pumped with positivity. At the start of February he suffered from frostbite and was struggling to get into shape.

Norman ran a couple of 10k races in 31:20 and 31:22 at the end of March. His times were shoddy and he admitted he was nowhere near where he needed to be.

Although he managed to get himself into shape his Achilles tendon was causing serious issues.

So when race day loomed Norman decided to aim for 5:20 per mile pace.  People questioned his judgement and wondered why he wasn’t going to try to run a PB.

But he wasn’t in PB shape and this was not part of his tactics.

Instead Norman studied his athlete opponent Andi Jones. He studied his aim to finish in 2hrs 14mins. Throughout the marathon he knew his position. He knew when he was tiring. He knew when to pounce.

Norman ran his third fastest mile of the race- 5:18 for mile 24 and he soon passed Jones.

His opponent’s time was 2hrs 22mins. Norman’s time was 2hrs 20mins.

Our champ didn’t tire, his legs didn’t give way, He didn’t over do it because he stuck to his tactics and won the GM Marathon for the second time.

Lollipop and I know that in sports and sometimes in life the most important tactic is to stick to your tactics.

So we congratulate Dave Norman  not just on winning again but reminding his fans and spectators what marathon running is all about.

Mo dreams big for 2014

London Marathon 2013 winners Priscah Jeptoo and Tiki Gelana can’t even get a look in across today’s headlines. All eyes were on Mo including Lollipop who thinks the Olympic Champion will go all the way to the finish line next year.

Clearly she has not read the recent money grabbing claims that depict the idea of Farah as an expensive pacemaker.

Even three-time London Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe quizzed Farah’s decision to run only half of today’s race.

She said: “It’s not something I would have done, but that isn’t a criticism of him.”

“I would have preferred to come in to a full race.”

Of course our champion Farah rejected such comments and said before the race: “”That’s one of the things that hurts. It’s not nice but all the people who know me know I’m not the sort of person who would do that. I genuinely enjoy my athletics.”

And after his incredible half marathon run in just under an hour Lollipop and I are totally  behind Farah.

The 30-year-old athlete is only the 7^th man to win both the 5,000m and 10,000m at a single Olympics in the 2012 London Games. He epitomizes British athletics and shows how far the sport came in 2012.

Those comments which question his nationality and his ethics in competing today have little respect for his talent and achievements.

Farah’s reported fee of £450,000 for his two appearances should be highlighted by the press but so should his previous accolades and what he has done for British athletics.

His fee does not come from the taxpayers pockets but from advertisers, fellow runners who enter through the ballot, or defer for a year, and the charities who pay London Marathon the sum of 300 pounds to secure a bonded place.

There may be less money given to charity due to his appearance today but Farah already does so much. The Mo Farah Foundation was set up by him and wife to help save lives and support people affected by the worst drought to his the Horn of Africa.

Farah needs to capitalise on 2012 to keep his career on track.

He hopes to compete in the London Marathon next year after defending his world champion title which means he will be focusing on both track and marathon runs in 2014. But after what he has already achieved at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford Lollipop has no doubts for Farah.

“Of course he’ll win. Doesn’t he win everything now?” questions Lollipop.

Indeed he does Lollipop. Indeed he does. Well apart from Sports Personality of the year of course.