ATHLETICS: Why Pauline likes to be beside the sea

MARGATE is your archetypal British seaside town.

Beachfront cafes jostle alongside candy floss stalls and amusement arcades, seagulls soar overhead while chirpy Cockneys sell winkles on the promenade.

But, while the south east coastal resort has been wowing visitors for many a decade, Nelson-based athlete Pauline Powell has other reasons for finding it appealing.

Like a place in the England squad for example.

It was after a recent run around Margate in the Reebok Cross Country Challenge that Pauline won a national re-call. And she wasted no time in making her presence felt, helping her country bag fourth spot at a major meeting in Belgium.

One of East Lancashire's most promising athletes, Pauline has become used to travelling the length and breadth of the country in pursuit of international recognition.

Now, at long last, it is starting to happen on a consistent basis and no one can say she isn't qualified.

For this 26-year-old Blackburn Harrier is nationally ranked in cross country, road racing and track events. She is the first woman in the Harriers' esteemed history to be called up for England - her first cap was in February last year - and she was crowned the Northern 1500m Track Champion in May.

The senior ladies cross country county title has been hers for two years running, she is top 15 ranked in the 800m, 1500m and 3000m, 5k and 10k road events and, for the last 16 years has been listed in the top three county runners in her age group either on track or in cross country. Indeed, since she first pulled on a pair of running shoes at the age of 10 no one else has had much of a look-in.

It is a record which takes some beating, and is likely to stand for a good while yet.

Putting in at least 70 road miles a week, hill work, 15x400m track repetitions - twice a day, six days a week - Pauline shows no sign of slowing.

In fact, with a place on the Great Britain team on the horizon, she's only just begun - even if she still can't actually decide which is her preferred discipline. "Most athletes tend to specialise in one discipline and it's rare to compete in road, track and cross country," says Pauline, who is gearing up for the World Trials in the inter-county championship in Nottingham in February.

"I'm fortunate in that all three disciplines come naturally to me and I can compete all year round. The track season runs during the summer and the cross country season through the winter - road races are 12 months a year.

"I find that each discipline benefits the others. You need pace for cross country, and you get that from track events. Cross country and track help me for road events, so by doing all three I have an advantage over a lot of other runners."

Despite all this there's no getting away from a gruelling travel schedule with races coming thick and fast.

She wouldn't have it any other way. Having made the decision to concentrate on Athletics full time two years ago, no obstacle is too great.

"In a sense, I've outgrown this area. It would be easier to take part in races in East Lancashire, but it doesn't necessarily help me in the long run. By going further afield I have the opportunity to race in bigger competitions against better athletes. Even if I come second, third, fourth or whatever, I still stand to benefit more.

"Two years ago I sat down and thought about what I really wanted. At the time I was working as a special needs teacher, but it was difficult to fit in all the training and one or the other had to go. Athletics was an easy winner - I didn't want to look back in 10 years time and wish I'd done it. "It does make things very difficult financially because I don't receive any funding. It costs over £3,000 a year on travelling expenses and race fees alone, trainers and equipment come on top of that. I've written to lots of local firms for support, so far without any luck. Some don't even write back."

One man who has backed Pauline all the way is her father Frank. Accrington Stanley supporters may remember him pulling on his football boots, but Frank was a keen athlete too - in fact he was odds on to make the international headlines himself before a broken leg put paid to any kind of sporting career.

"I used to run at school but that's not why I took it up. My Dad has always been a runner and he's coached me since I was at school. I suppose he encouraged me to take it up.

"He trains with me every day. He's even planning to ride with me on a bike when I start building up my mileage! But there's more to it than that.

"He plans which races I should compete in, which is essential. It's vital you don't under race or over race, especially if you've got a big event coming up. If you don't run in as many matches as you should then you won't be ready when it comes to the big one. On the other hand, if you run too many, you feel it at the trials because you've hit your peak too early.

"It's a fine line, but planning when and where you peak is a big part of the preparation. "Last week I was due to run in the Leeds Abbey Dash, but I brought a cold back from Belgium and missed out.

"I would have liked to take part because it would have helped me build up my pace for Cumbernauld (Scotland) next week, because it's a really fast and flat course."

And so it goes on: "I've got the world trials coming up at the beginning of February and if I make the top six there I make the Great Britain squad in Portugal in March. I've never made the Great Britain team before - that is my next goal.

"If I can get through the trials and get into the Great Britain team, I can concentrate on the Commonwealth Games and then the Olympics.

"There is a lot of money to be had at the top end of the sport. Top runners like Paula Radcliffe are millionaires, but where I am now there is next to nothing. Someday though I want to get up there."

Pauline Powell is one determined lady - you would be mad to bet against her.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.