Look at me!

Like many competitive athletes I'm fairly vain, it's just that most don't care to admit it. I enjoy pushing myself and beating others in the process; it's an extremely satisfying experience.

This year I decided to concentrate a bit more on running rather than cycling, which has been my sport of choice for the past two decades. A few friends and I set ourselves the goal of completing the Salzburg Half Marathon, which we duly did last weekend.

I was extremely happy with my 1hr 30min 26sec time (obviously going 27 seconds faster would have made me even more happier), especially since I had overtaken a lot of people to finish in 156th place out of over 1600 starters. An average result on the grand scheme of things, but nonetheless gratifying.

Unfortunately my timing chip didn't work so I don't feature in the results table and out of the ten or so galleries online, I'm not in any photos. It's like I wasn't even there, and this is where the vanity side of things kick in.

Yes, I do this for myself, but by golly, I like other people to know when I've done good. Achieving a good time but not being recognised for it is frustrating. To many, this may sound ridiculous, but I guarantee most athletes can relate to it, even if they don't want to say so in public.

FOOTNOTE: After a few testy emails to organisers and the timing company, I was added into the results. Feel much better now, thanks.