Profile by Arne DumezNick Buckle is a man of many names - the Hustler, half of the 'Bunckle Twins', the Buck, Nickele Buckele - and a man of many talents. Not only can he devour a 1kg jar of peanut butter in a matter of days if left to his own devices, he is one of those few individuals who can sincerely appreciate Stormzy minutes before toeing the start line (and a Big Mac minutes after crossing the finish).Before joining the Belgrave Harriers and giving running a proper crack, Nick was an elite rower. While at Newcastle University studying for his degree in English, he represented Great Britain at the University world champs and was on the fast track to great things:"I stopped rowing to focus on my career which just wasn't possible while training as a full-time athlete", he reveals. "Plus, I think I was close to realising my potential as a rower so it just seemed like a natural point to stop".Not quite prepared to leave the lycra lifestyle behind, Nick decided to switch sports and rub shoulders with real athletes.While we could always count on Nick to deliver a reliable, high-quality run for the team despite his demanding student schedule, his status within the club jumped up a notch to certified big gun in the 2017-2018 season when he was even less available as a trainee solicitor in Reading.Starting with a stellar run at the Night of the 10k PBs in Highgate where he finished 2nd in a PB of 32:15, Nick's season saw him improve in all events. On the track, he put himself next to teammate Matt Welsh on several occasions to break the 9min barrier in the 3000m."My pre-race routine usually involves some boxing-style trash talk (especially when I'm racing Matt) followed by some high-calorie, incredibly unhealthy snack. Then I'll have a 'warm up' which is really just me shuffling around listening to Stormzy." Secrets of the trade, ladies and gentlemen...Of course, this routine played a huge role when he took on the 5000m in the final SAL meet in Southampton. The 25-year-old ran an enviable 15:27 behind Mahamed Mahamed's younger brother to the sound of gritting teeth:"I think I executed the SAL 5000m well", he narrates. "It was a lot like my best performances in rowing where I raced aggressively and just hung on."It is probably worth nothing that before moving onto the XC season, the Buck thought it would be appropriate to add the Surrey 10,000m championship title to his collection - just in case.The grass of Wormwood Scrubs was as delighted to see Nick in October as he was to don the XC spikes once more. Little did he know that when he helped the team to a well-earned - albeit it slightly controversial - bronze medal that day, he set the standard for his running over the following months.What ensued was a cascade of incredulous congratulations from teammates and coach alike as Nick made a habit of hurling himself into the mix with the county's best runners and more than held his own. Starting with an 8th place finish at the Surrey champs at Denby's Vineyard, Buckele improved his South of England record by finishing 56th in Brighton's Stanmer Park, the state of which would have made any runner whimper. As if a tasty 7th spot in the highly competitive Surrey XC League in Coulsdon a few weeks later wasn't enough, Nick also helped himself to a top 80 finish at Parliament Hill ahead of the Ugandan Lion himself.Unsurprisingly, Surrey Athletics judged it appropriate to award him a yellow vest for the Inter-Counties in Loughborough a few weeks later. Once again, England threw some of the worst running conditions at Nick and once again he conquered them. He dragged himself home with an impressive 87th finish that day to conclude his winter season."It's no secret that my main focus is cross-country and hopefully I'll be competitive at nationals one day", Nick fantasises. "First I'll need to gradually increase my training load though as it's pretty poor compared to my competitors at the moment! This should improve my performances across the board and put me in a position to achieve more."While we wait for the competition to stop shivering and shaking, we will join Nick in eagerly counting down the days until the first strides of XC season.