Still Running (weakly). Issue 02

PAST – inspiration – In an echo of a past that included them sharing a flat as young track cyclists in Manchester almost 20 years ago, on Sunday 28th May, on the final stage of the Giro d’Italia (second in cycling prestige only to the Tour de France), Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers “led out” Mark Cavendish of Astana Qazaqstan, so that the Manx Missile could win the last Giro stage he will ever contest. Cav retires at the end of this year. The Welshman had lost the overall lead the day before on the mountain time trial, but thought he might as well as do an old friend, “a brother” he called him, a favour. In the world of cycling, where you are really only supposed to help team-mates, this was indeed great sportsmanship.

PRESENT – perspiration – In winning the World Series Triathlon in Cagliari on Saturday 27th May, Alex Yee of Kent AC outkicked New Zealander Hayden Wilde with an amazing 28:30 10km split (after 1500m swim and 40km bike), showing great future promise in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics, 1500/40k/10k being the Olympic distance event. He owns a 10,000m track PB of 27:51.94, second only in UK under-23 rankings to one of last week’s heroes, Dave Bedford, who ran 27:47.0 in 1971 (on a hot day on a lumpy old cinder track in Portsmouth)!

FUTURE – suggestion – We’re all busy, so increase the benefit of some sessions by working the last few miles or efforts. To my way of thinking, a 10-miler where you increase the pace over a series of hills between 6 and 9 miles is worth a lot more. An interval session where you cut the recovery between the last few reps yields more speed-endurance. Even press-ups or sit-ups where you hold the ‘position of pain’ for a few extra seconds towards the end can make you feel like Rocky – or a bit rickety – or both.