Still Running (weakly). Issue 134

PAST – inspiration – “I train twice on Christmas Day because I know the others aren’t training at all.  It gives me two extra days.”  So said Daley Thompson, Olympic decathlon champion in 1980 and 1984.

Daley was famously ferociously dedicated.  One day when he was fishing, he heard on the radio that Jurgen Hingsen, the West German, had broken his world record.  Legend has it that he chucked his fishing gear in the river and went off to the track to train.

Knowing Daley – well, I bumped into him training at Crystal Palace Stadium in 1977! – I wouldn’t be surprised if that were true.

Then there’s the Coe and Ovett Christmas Day story that I have relayed to you in the past.

On Christmas morning 1979, Coe went out and ran about 12 miles, and was quite pleased with himself while tucking into his roast turkey lunch.  Towards the end of the afternoon, however, he began to feel a little worried, sensing that his rival might be out training a second time, so he put his gear back on, and went out and ran about another 5 miles with some hill sprints thrown in.

Years later, he recounted the tale of his postprandial unease to Ovett, who replied, “You mean you only trained twice that day!”

But, going back to Mr. Thompson, my favourite story about Daley and dedication concerns Dave Ottley, an Olympic silver medallist in the javelin, who trained under Thompson’s coach for a period in the 80s, and who once complained about his sore stomach muscles.  His coach asked why his stomach was sore, and Ottley said it was “all those sit-ups” that the coach was making him do.  The coach had written, “Do 4-6×20 sit-ups,” (every day).  Ottley had misread it as, do 46×20 sit-ups!

The point is, said Daley, that he did them without question.

Best do those BEFORE the turkey!

PRESENT – perspiration – Many of you have emailed me to share what keeps you going.

Malcolm said: “The first London Marathon gave me the bug to keep running.  I’m 84 now and still enjoy the training.  I used to do 42 mins for 10k but I only managed 1hr 50 mins at York this year but I enjoyed the day and the atmosphere surrounding the event.  Regardless of being rather slow these days I’ll carry on regardless.”

That’s brilliant, Malcolm – you are an inspiration.

Geoff has told me that his club had its Festive 10km last Sunday, and he had previously finished the race in 70:48 in 2023, 70:00 last year, but this year managed 67.17.  As he said, “Not too bad for 76.”  Not bad at all, Geoff!

He continues: “It was the first time I experimented with Run/Walk/Run after running the first 10 minutes, then walking 1 minute quickly, and 3 running.  In the last half mile, I had enough energy to just run, passing three running mates with one accusing me of being on steroids as I ran past.” 

Competing with your younger self is one thing – what about competing with your younger daughter?

Bob says, “First target is to continue to beat my 42 years younger than me daughter in a 10km on 01/01/26.  I still reign as champion at that distance but not at any other, so the win over her is somewhat important to me.  I just hope she is going to an all-night New Year’s Eve party whilst I plan to be tucked up by 11pm!”

Slightly underhand tactics there, Bob!

Funnily enough, my daughter also has a 42-year advantage over me, but there’s no way I could emulate Bob and stay ahead of her.  It might be age, or it could just be that she sticks to a demanding training plan, does track sessions every week, and practises yoga every night.  Which keeps her that little bit more flexible than your arthritic armadillo of a correspondent.

FUTURE – suggestion – And finally, Sue, for one, is determined to do fewer social runs!

Around this time of year, running clubs and exercise groups tend to put on a lot of sociable events.  You know the sort of thing: “Come along, choose your group to run or walk with, wear tinsel or your favourite Christmas jumper, and just have fun.”

And that is of course absolutely the right thing to do over the festive period.  But don’t let it become a habit.

Sue contacted me, because she had realised that she was quite enjoying the Tuesday night, Sunday morning and occasional Thursday morning social runs with various groups – you know, the ones that don’t call themselves runners – “The Portsdown Plodders” or “The Idworth Idlers.”  She was enjoying them a bit too much in fact.  They would run, walk, or run and stop, to accommodate the pace of the slowest in the group, so she ended up doing more sightseeing than training.

She knew she was simply not working hard enough to improve.  So we have fashioned a schedule that allows her an optional, easy, sociable run in between her compulsory long, steady run, her obligatory speed session and her mandatory parkrun tempo effort.

A sub-30 has been out of reach for a while, but I can now see it on the horizon!