April’s member of the month Zoe Thompson has had some brilliant performances recently and is a real team player. Zoe ran a PB at the Blyth 10km and was first V35, then bettered her 10k time at the North Tyneside and finished with another strong 10k time at Gateshead. She was part of the prize-winning team at GF relays and in the 6-stage relay team who were top NE women!
Here, Zoe tells us a bit more about her recent successes, future training goals and favourite snacks…
It’s been a busy month of racing during April with two 10k PBs, a 5k PB and a couple of relays thrown in for good measure! I’ve had a quieter couple of weeks since though and now looking forward to Blaydon.
What is your ideal post-race snack/meal?
Fish & chips at the coast is my fave treat meal. Can’t beat it! Or chocolate milk for a post-training snack, it’s got to be Chocomel though. I’ve read that lots of professional athletes drink it so that’s good enough for me!
Are you a hot or cold weather runner?
Definitely cold. As long as I’ve got warm ears and hands, I’m good to go.
Flat course or hills?
Flat as a pancake please! Hills and XC are a work in progress…
Long or short distance?
Middle. Anything from 5k up to half marathon and I’m happy. I’ve only done two 10 mile races so far but think that might be my sweet spot!
What is the main piece of kit you couldn’t do without?
Headband. Fringe problems!
What is your proudest running achievement?
It has to be getting sub-90 at the Brass Monkey half in January. I’d been running well for a few months but I wasn’t feeling confident on the day after having a cold so I set off a way behind the 1 hr 30 pacer. I kept him in sight and managed to (very, very slowly) reel him in over the course of the race. It was an incredible feeling to finally overtake the pacer and cross the line with 30 secs to spare!
What is your happiest running memory?
The last XC race of the season at Alnwick. Our ladies team were sitting second in the league and we knew we’d have to win the final fixture to have a chance of topping the league…and only went and did it!!! I find XC a lot harder than road running so I was really happy to find out I was our fourth counter in that race too. Double win!
What is your favourite running event and why?
The Blaydon race has the best atmosphere and it feels like a proper occasion. Always enjoy the chance for a social knees up afterwards too!
What is your main training goal at the moment?
Good question! I’m mainly just enjoying my running but I might target sub-40 10k in the autumn. I’ll need to take almost a minute off my current PB to do it so it’ll be really tough but I like a challenge!
What are your favourite things about being a member of TBH?
It’s such a friendly, inclusive and supportive club that provides so many opportunities for members – from team races like XC and relays, to personalised coaching, track sessions and even trips abroad. We are genuinely spoilt! I also love the depth and quality of our lasses team in particular, it’s brilliant to feel part of a big team that’s going from strength to strength! Running alongside so many amazing ladies every week really spurs me on.
