Club Championship

Event Information:

• Profiles

  Norval Hope

  

  Nickname: Lurch (Dozer named me 34k into Melbourne 2011 because I was leaning crazily forward, was a pale grey, and could only respond in grunts)
  Vital statistics (2014): Age: 48 Height: 181cm Weight: 70kg
  Family: Wife and two kids (12 and 8)
  Interests outside running: Family, martial arts (Yinfu kungfu), food
  Why I started running: Originally: when aged around 14 mainly XC / track because I was ok at it and it was less painful than rugby. Now: personal development and to stay fit / sane.
  First joined the Midday Milers: June 2010, Smoothy introduced me to 10 x Airlie as one of my first sessions and it taught me quite the lesson about pacing!
  Running highlight: Won't talk about the real highlights of my youth; too long ago and slightly depressing to remember. Since returning to running as an adult definitely finally running my first decent marathon in 7 attempts and finally achieving the sub-3 dream of my childhood: 2:58:04 at Melbourne 2012. So pleasing to get the mark, but even more so to do it at home running first half with Rog, with the support of our great Miler's club and my family unexpectedly at the finish (daughter's birthday)!
  Running lowlight: Melbourne marathons 2010, 2011 going through halfway in 87/86 and having the wheels fly off at 30/32 k. Track seasons 2012, 2013 – I'm done.
  Favourite running shoe: Regular training: Nike Free 3.0 v3 (can't get them anymore, v4s were rubbish and v5s only ok), Skechers Go Speed/Go Run2, Long runs: Inov8 Bare X-Lite 150 / Skechers Go Bionic (0 drop), Track spikes: Adidas Adizero Cadence.
  Favourite area for training: Tan, Goschs, Eaglemont, Collingwood Track, Albert Park Lake, Princes Park
  PB’s: Tan 13:14; 5k 17:41 *; 10k 37:01 * (v soft given 36:58 10k split at Ballarat 2012); 15k 55:53 (Ballarat 2012), Half marathon 1:21:29 *; Marathon 2:58:04. * = age group rather than lifetime
  Best performance ever: 800m 1:59.7 (1980 Hong Kong)
  Any pre-race superstitions: No, but pre-race or long run I always have: fruit juice, a strong coffee, two crumpets with honey and a banana. I avoid alcohol for a week before important races as seems to impact focus / effort.
  How do you prepare for a race?: Annoy wiser and much more accomplished Milers with lots of questions and requests for advice. Struggle with long tapers mentally, and also got sick on the Wed before Gold Coast 2012 (when I think I was in much better shape than for my pb a few months later at Melb).
  Most admired sportsperson: Gebr, Tsegaye Kebede, Rob De Castella, Steve Ovett, Daniel Komen (Two mile WR 7:58.61 !!!)
  Favourite food: Chinese dumplings, Beef Pho, Japanese & Pasta
  Favourite drink: Beer
  Favourite movie: Withnail & I (1987)
  Favourite music: Joy Division / Punk / pounding Acid Techno
  Dream occupation: Kungfu instructor (if only I was good enough and it paid!)
  A little known fact about me: One of my prize possessions is a 5 foot 7 kg Chinese sword called a Da Dao (Grand Sabre). In a master's hand it is a most impressive and beautiful thing, much less so in mine.
  All too well known facts about you: I am 90% quad! A result of at least twice weekly runs up Victoria Peak in Hong Kong as a kid and continual deep stance work since university. Also other Milers tell me that I'm the very worst person to follow on a hot/dusty or muddy speed session. Thankfully I'm not that fast so you can just run in front of me!
  Three things on your bucket list: Trail Ultra, Comrades Ultra (South Africa), Ironman
  Favourite quote: “We cannot learn without pain.” Aristotle
  Favourite Haiku: “To convey one's mood in seventeen syllables is very diffic” John Cooper Clark

  Gerard Koelmeyer

  

  Nickname: Coalminer
  Vital statistics (2013): Born: 1976 Height: 180cm Weight: 64kg
  Family: Wife - Natsuko
  Interests outside running: Cooking
  Why I started running: To improve cycling
  First joined the Midday Milers: 2012
  Running highlight: Running the 2012 Melbourne Marathon together with my wife
  Sporting lowlight: 2008 Melbourne Marathon – Went exactly to plan in the sense that I didn’t have one.
  Favourite running shoe: Adidas Takumi
  Favourite area for training: Beach Rd, Yarra Blvd
  PB’s: Tan 13:23; 5k 17:46; 10k 37:55; Half marathon 89:39; Marathon 2:56:30
  Any pre-race superstitions: None
  Most admired sportsperson: Yuki Kawauchi; Herb Elliott; Emil Zatopek
  Favourite food: Spaghetti Bolognese; sea urchin
  Favourite drink: Tomato juice
  Favourite movie: Match Point
  Dream occupation: Writer
  A little known fact about me:My heritage is Sri Lankan
  Three things on your bucket list: Visiting space, speaking fluent Japanese, walking the Camino de Santiago
  Most important thing to me: Living in the moment; family; self-improvement

   

  David Mellings

  

  Nickname: Rog
  Vital statistics (2013): Born: 25/01/1968, Height: 187 cm, Weight: 77 kg
  Family: Wife Lauren and daughter Ellie. Cat Snowy
  Interests outside running: Footy (Hawks), eating, holidays
  Why I started running: Continually being bugged by friends to do fun runs; eventually I caved. I suspect the fact I was almost 42 and facing an increasing waistline influenced my decision. It wasn’t long and I was hooked
  First joined the Midday Milers: 2012; thanks to Cans for that
  Running highlight: Melbourne Marathon 2012. Was my 2nd marathon, and almost 3 years to the day that I began running. To run sub 3 hours (2:55:29) as a near 45 year old and be part of a winning MMM team was a thrill. The notion I’d even run a marathon a few years earlier was laughable.
  Sporting lowlight: 1. Under 13 cricket, last over and 2 runs required with me facing. We still needed 2 at the end of the over. The wood never touched leather. Also failing to finish AV Bundoora in 2013.
  Favourite running shoe: Adidas Adios 2
  Favourite area for training: On and around the tan. It offers so many options in a small area.
  PB’s: Tan 13:49, 5k 18:28, 10k 37:21, Half 1:23:19, Marathon 2:54:15 (I didn’t have to look any of them up; and yes I know some of them are very soft, the 5k especially).
  Any pre-race superstitions: Traditionally I have Hainanese Chicken Rice from Kotaraya the day prior. I’ve recently shifted though to the Salmon Chazuke at Shyun instead or in addition to. Not really a superstition. For this year’s MM for some reason I did feel the need to use the pins form the previous year’s run.
  Most admired sportsperson: Jason Dunstall. That I got to see his career was a joy; he did everything so efficiently, and with so little fanfare. Unstoppable 1 on 1 at his best. Delivered the club 2 more premierships by sticking his neck out to hire Clarkson.
  Favourite food: See above. I really have a shocking sweet tooth though so I’m a sucker for chocolate, biscuits, cake and ice cream. I have a fridge at home dedicated to them. I don’t have the Marbles Tim Tam fetish though. A good lemon slice is hard to beat. Same with the snot block. Shyun in Carnegie is my favourite restaurant going around.
  Favourite drink: Nothing in particular. On a nice warm day a James Squire Amber Ale, or Bintang will suffice. Pretty partial to some decent Shiraz or sav blanc as well.
  Favourite movie: The Life of Brian. “I say you are the messiah, and I should know I’ve followed a few.”
  Dream occupation: Anything that involves me working in sports.
  Three things on your bucket list: Run an overseas marathon; golf at St Andrews, retire well before age 65 to live a life of luxury.
  Most important thing to me: My family naturally. Standard answer I know. Otherwise I think I’d be hard-pressed not to say running. Even my wife has come to understand that it is something she just has to live with.

   

  Mark Purvis

  

  Nickname: Hutz
  Vital statistics (2013): Born: 4 June 1957, Height: 175 cm, Weight: 60 kg
  Family: Married to Candice
  Interests outside running: Golf (Royal Melbourne GC), Melbourne Football Club, singing
  Why I started running: Experimented with lots of sports at school and had immediate success with running
  First joined the Midday Milers: 2007 at the invitation of Ross “OST” Becroft
  Running highlight: First Australian finisher in the 1992 Tokyo Marathon in a PB 2:24.23
  Sporting lowlight: 1. Hit during a run by a car coming out of a Punt Road service station and landing head first on the pavement (which may explain a few things), 2. Being tripped by Luke Yeatman in a track 5000m and landing head first on the track (which may explain a few more things), 3. Running one lap short in World Masters 10000m final in Brazil 2013 (see 1 and 2 above)
  Favourite running shoe: Asics Kayano
  Favourite area for training: The Tan (where else?)
  PB’s: Tan 11:27, 5000m 14:58, Sandown 6.2k 18:56, 10k 31:05, Half 68:44, Marathon 2:24.23
  Any pre-race superstitions: No
  Most admired sportsperson: Haile Gebrselassie
  Favourite food: Chocolate
  Favourite drink: Summer – any good beer; winter – aged Scotch whisky
  Favourite movie: Cinema Paradiso
  Dream occupation: Lead singer in a world famous rock band
  A little known fact about you: Co-wrote and recorded a song “Too Country For Candice” posted on YouTube. See it here
  Three things on your bucket list: Watch the Demons win an AFL premiership, run Berlin Marathon, retire with a million dollars in super
  Most important thing to me: Good health