Being the class fattie, cross country was anathema to me, I just didn’t have the stamina so I used it as an opportunity to sneak in an extra couple of cigarettes. At that time of course I wasn’t a diabetic, so I couldn’t use that as a means of escape. Funnily enough, despite my bulk, I did manage to develop a fairly good speed over short distances which was great for playing Rugby, and my build was ideal for a front-row forward. Sadly though, it was a single sex school, so I didn’t get to watch girls playing hockey. My teenage years were very deprived.