Still Running (weakly). Issue 106

PAST – inspiration – “And Ron Clarke concedes defeat to Lachie Stewart,” commentated David Coleman as the Scotsman, who died on 31st May this year, won the 1970 Commonwealth 10,000 metres in Edinburgh, in front of a rightly ecstatic crowd.  His win set the tone for a successful Games for the hosts, as Ian Stewart triumphed in the 5000, Rosemary Stirling claimed the 800 title, and Rosemary Payne won the discus.

But Clarke of Australia was the greatest distance runner of the 60s with 17 world records.  However, his lack of a finishing kick meant that he never won a major title, having to settle for 4 Commonwealth silvers and one Olympic bronze.  This was really his last chance.

However, in 1966, Clarke had visited Emil Zatopek in Prague.  When he left to go home, the Czech gave him a small box, urging him not to open it until he was on the plane.  When he did so, he saw that Zatopek had given him his 1952 Olympic 10,000 gold medal, with the words: “Not out of friendship but because you deserve it.”

Perhaps, in the end, Stewart got the gold his kick deserved, but Clarke’s silver lining was the golden respect he got from the whole running world.

Rest in Peace, Lachie.

PRESENT – perspiration – Last weekend, I did the Cheddar Gorge Omnium, an event format nicked from the world of cycling, where the four events test different facets of your running armoury.  I did the bronze (shortest) version, where a 6km run was followed by 100 metres sprint, a 1km run and a hill climb.

Written down like that, it doesn’t sound a lot – less than 5 miles of racing, broken down into bite-size chunks – but believe the M60 winner (“Thank you, thank you, no autographs please”) and sole M60 participant when I tell you that it is hard.  The 6km (actually 6.9) is long and up and down the sides of the gorge; the 100 is a nasty shock if you haven’t sprinted since school; and the 1km and hill climb demand extended fast efforts on equally unforgiving terrain.

And – because it’s all in one day and the events are scarcely an hour apart – there’s no chance to really ‘get off the river.’

FUTURE – suggestion – “Get off the river,” said Thommo, “it’s vital to get off the river.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.  We were in the middle of a training weekend on the sand dunes of Merthyr Mawr in south Wales.  We’d run an easy 6 before breakfast and had just completed a demanding pre-lunch session of hill sprints on those famous dunes.  We were planning another easy run before dinner.

“It’s something I learnt when I was rowing,” he answered.  “When you’re training more than once a day, you’ve got to get well away from the training environment in between sessions.  We’d get well away from the river and go and have a cup of tea in McDonald’s.  Otherwise, you’re always thinking about the next outing, and you never really psychologically recover from the previous session.”

And it’s true.  And it’s a rule I’ve abided by ever since.  So, if you are going to train twice in a day, or you’ve got yourself onto one of these training camps, make sure you have a physical, mental, emotional and psychological break between sessions.  Get off the river.

So the old Steve Redgrave-wannabe did know something after all!