Still Running (weakly). Issue 144

PAST – inspiration – “One final point about half-miling, which is no less meaningful for being a truism: never give up.  When six runners come off the bend racing for the tape, there will be one man more determined to win than any of the others.  As their legs begin to buckle, their arms to flag and their resolve to melt, he will force his mind and compel his body to that line.  Let that man be you.”  So wrote Adrian Metcalfe in his book, Running, in 1969.  Metcalfe won Olympic silver in the 1964 4x400 relay and was later a sports commentator.

‘Running’ was the first book I ever owned about, well, running.  But it was a book I lost way back in time – somewhere between house-moves and relationship-breakdowns.  I found it again recently online, and my mind went straight to that paragraph at the end of Metcalfe’s chapter on the 800 metres or 880 yards.  It made such an impression 50-odd years ago that I have never forgotten it.

Other bon mots include this conclusion to his thoughts on sprinting: “One last tip – be magnanimous in victory, and silent in defeat.  There is no point in being unnecessarily disliked.”

And the truth about all competition: “It reduces grown men to fear, a dry cold nervousness that shrinks our courage before we start to run.  We draw a thread of cotton across a track and make ourselves sick with the thought of running towards it."

PRESENT – perspiration – “To say that I ran for my country is definitely my proudest achievement as a runner,” said Geoff Wright in an email to me recently, whilst also reminiscing about the 209 Events training camps in the Algarve, which he attends religiously.  I’ll let the man himself tell his story………

“It was August 2019.  I had turned 70 in June and was recovering from a half marathon race on Pen-y-fan to complete my Three Welsh Peaks races.  I had run Eryri (Snowdon) and Cadair Idris in 2009.

“I received an email asking me if I’d like to compete for Cymru/Wales in Coventry in an inter-regional competition.  My first thought was that it was a wind-up from one of my running mates, but looking at the sender’s email address, I recognised the name as a fellow runner and replied asking which event he had in mind.

“A quick reply came saying that Welsh Masters Athletes were searching for runners in the 70-75 age category to run the 100 and 200 metres.  I later found out that the usual runners were either injured or on holiday.  I had very modest times in local WMA events for both distances but couldn’t turn down the opportunity to run for my country.

“I tried to pack in a few training sessions on my local track in Cardiff but was totally aware of the huge differences between the athletes from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and myself.  The no. 1 Welsh athlete, Glyn Sutton, had won the 100/200 double at the European Championships in Lyon a few years earlier and I was taking his place!

“I finished last in the two races by a big margin, but what a wonderful experience.  I managed two PBs, 18.53 for the 100 metres and 38.99 for the 200.

“To say that I ran for my country is definitely my proudest achievement as a runner.  I’ll be 80 in three years hopefully and will be training hard to try and reach the WMA Standards for sprinting and possibly cross-country.  Mike Gratton and the coaches on the 209 camps have been excellent, and I’ve learned a lot from them, including the greatly missed Bruce Tulloh who was coaching us on the camp, Mara Yamauchi, Jenny Spink, Nick Anderson, Tom Craggs and Mike Bannister of Run Brighton.”

Well done, Geoff, all power to you.

FUTURE – suggestion – I asked Geoff what training he did before his sprints.

“I had three sessions, one with a club mate, Mel James (a current Welsh World Champion 200 metres relay runner in the 80-85 age category).  He showed me drills he does to prepare for racing, another with Mel and two of our fellow club runners, and a session on my own about three days before the event in Coventry.

“I had very little experience of running quickly and did a kneeling start in the two races because I had never used blocks!”

Thinking about older runners training for sprints reminds me inevitably of Steve Peters, sports psychologist to the stars (British cycling, Ronnie O’Sullivan) and treble world masters sprint champion (100, 200, 400) multiple times.

He warms up with a 400-metre jog, some stretching and leg lifts, and then runs 3 100 metre sprints with 15 minutes’ rest between them, takes a 30-minute recovery, before sprinting 300-400 metres all-out.  He does that three times a week – and that’s it.

There have been comments online about Peters running all-out and the danger of injury that that presents.  But everyone emphasises the vital importance of warming up, especially for us older runners!