ABRaS Men's Team Captain 2009
interviewed by Amanda Nimon Peters
Amanda: Welcome Richard, we are delighted you could fit us into your schedule.
Richard: It�s a pleasure to be here.
Amanda: So, now that you have reached the pinnacle of your life�s achievements - being elected ABRaS Men�s Club Captain - tell us, how does it feel?
Richard: It is one of the proudest moments of my life. Looking after a stable of such highly talented athletes is a dream come true.
Amanda: What sort of sacrifices have been necessary to get you to this amazing high point, i.e. where you are today?
Richard: I have forsaken my career, friends and family to be single-mindedly driven in the pursuit of making the ABRaS men�s team the greatest elite group of runners Dubai has ever seen.
Amanda: Richard, can you tell us more about your vision for ABRaS Men�s Team? How far do you expect them to go this year? Have you clarified your strategies, delineated your goals and prioritised your objectives?
Richard: My aim is to consolidate last years achievements (how can you improve on a 100% success rate that we enjoyed as a club in 2008?). But more importantly, we need to strive to continue smashing personal bests and positively moving our individual running goals forward. For example, Neil Tait was beaten by just 2 minutes at RAK by the legendary Ethiopian female athlete, Derartu Tulu. For 2010, I expect him to beat her.
Amanda: Now, for our readers who would like to get to know you better, can you tell us a little about yourself. For example, what is your motto in life? And what inspires you?
Richard: My motto, nay, my raison d�etre, is to find the finite point between eating Mac Donalds, drinking Stella and indulging in general debauched behaviour � without it affecting my running too much.
I am also a keen advocator of just enjoying my running without it weighing me down with pressure. This does not mean I don�t train hard, but I am not an elite and so I treat my running as a fun hobby. As for what inspires me? Running in the Sussex countryside � and perhaps the adult entertainment star Jenna Jameson.
Amanda: And what is your worst nightmare or greatest fear?
Richard: Heights, spiders, teeth falling out and baldness. And also sharing a kayak with Amanda Nimon Peters during the Abu Dhabi Adventure Race later on this year. The thought of being so completely isolated and no way to escape the talking � I am training my eardrums in advance.
Amanda: You should be so lucky! Tickets in that kayak are re-selling for a fortune.
Amanda: Who would you consider to be your role model? Why? (BTW �Chris Taylor� is not an option here, so choose someone else mate)
Richard: George Galloway � not for the infamous Celebrity Big Brother performance, but for his tireless and �indefatigable� efforts helping the plight of the Palestinian people and championing peace in the Middle East. Also, Sir Bobby Robson � an absolute statesman in the game of football which is littered with egos and celebrity. And Phil Clarke � for nailing 3 hours in the Dubai marathon. Legend.
Amanda: Would you care to share with us an embarrassing or humorous incident from your past?
Richard: I�d rather not. It involves baked beans, a Zippo lighter and a singed bottom.
Amanda: So, let�s get back to sports and interests. When and why did you take up running? What�s your favourite type (or distance) of race and your worst type of race?
Richard: I took up running when I left the army at 21 � I was amazed at how quickly my gut expanded without exercise, so I took to the trails on the South Downs.
My favourite distances? � the longer the better, although it has now been pointed out to me by Anna that 5km and 10kms suit me much more. I hate 800/1500 meters. It involves far too much pain.
Amanda: What�s your typical race-preparation routine?
Richard: I like to hit Hardee�s hard, fast, aggressively and at pace. I feel this gives me the perfect combination of carbs, protein and fat. It also makes running behind me a very unpleasant experience.
Amanda: What�s the one essential piece of advice you would give a fellow runner?
Richard: Follow a training plan and write down your goals. If you log these, you have something tangible to work with. But if I can add another one please? Running is fun � enjoy it!
Amanda: Can you tell us a little about your other interests, outside of running? Do you do other types of sports, for example? Do you collect anything?
Richard: Barasti, cooking (have only just started dabbling but I really enjoy it) and sunbathing.
Amanda: And finally, for an extra special treat to our readers, can you tell us three things about Richard Pavitt that we did not know?
Richard: I have the longest tongue in the world. I have the hairiest legs in the world. I once won the Sussex Young Artist of the Year award (under 16�s). I won this not through talent � it was a pastel drawing of the countryside. It got smudged in the post and transformed said drawing in to an unrecognisable masterpiece.
