Still Running (weakly). Issue 164

PAST – inspiration – “Come on, Steve Till, you should be winning this.”  “There has to be a commitment in pole vaulting.”  “Your standing throw was as good as you’ve done.”  “That’s the fastest of the three.”  “Watch out for this guy, Daley Thompson.”

Tom McNab, who died last week at the age of 92, had a passion for athletics that shone through in every single one of his dealings with those athletes who, like me, attended the National Junior Decathlon Squad weekend in April 1976.

Explaining his respective comments above, he thought, given my personal bests, that I should be leading the 1000-metre time trial.  I did not commit sufficiently to a vault and, falling backwards, landed painfully on the tarmac surround of the landing bed.  My standing shot was better than when I moved across the circle.  He was quick to congratulate us on a better 60-metre sprint.

Tom’s skills were deployed in almost every department of athletics.  He was a notable triple jumper himself, winning five consecutive Scottish titles.  He coached or helped to coach many notable athletes, including Thompson and Greg Rutherford.  He trained the Chariots of Fire actors to look like runners.  He invented the Five Star Award scheme for schoolchildren.  He founded the British Athletics League.  And he was a bestselling author, writing, among other titles, Flanagan’s Run, which became a highly acclaimed film.

But it was Tom’s personality that most people remember.  As I say, I can still hear the passion in his voice in every one of his words of encouragement to us wannabee Daleys.  And his very Scottish way of calling the throwing implements – not the shot, the discus and the javelin – but the ball, the disc and the spear!

RIP Tom.

PRESENT – perspiration – Well, he did it!  Josh Kerr said he would try and break the world mile record in London on 18th July this year – and break it he did.

Such chutzpah is rare since the days of Muhammed Ali, but you cannot but admire Kerr’s ambition, his unwavering focus on the prize, and his commitment to the work to achieve it.

His body language on Saturday looked like he was going to do it.  His command of the race never wavered.  And once he took over the lead, increased his gap on his pursuers, and finally edged away from the wave lights, we stood and shouted and filled the Olympic Stadium with a level of noise I had not experienced since Mo Farah won the 5000 in 2012.

Josh has released some details of the key workouts in the build-up to this race, outstanding among them for me is his 2:42.45 1200m at altitude at the beginning of July.  This reminded me of what Roger Bannister attempted 12 days before his record in 1954 – a three-quarter mile time trial. 

“I felt that 2 mins 59.9 secs for the three quarters in a solo training run meant 3 mins 59.9 secs in a mile race.  A time of 3 mins 0.1 secs would mean 4 mins 0.1 secs for the mile – just the difference between success and failure.  The watch recorded a time of 2 mins 59.9 secs.  I felt a little sick afterwards, and had the taste of nervousness in my mouth.”

A little side note: almost unnoticed on the back straight was the women’s long jump, featuring Larissa Iapichino.  She was celebrating her 24th birthday on Saturday, and on 4th July this year, she had added a centimetre (7.11 to 7.12) to the Italian national record – a record previously held by her Mum, Fiona May, once of Derby Ladies, who won Olympic silvers in both the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games!

Isn’t that nice?!

FUTURE – suggestion – One of my athletes has just asked me for a schedule to build her up for an autumn ultramarathon.  Although she is quite experienced in this field, having done several 50kms before, her intended race is far further than she has attempted previously – 48 miles.

The principles on which I based her schedule may be interesting for you, whether or not you have an ultradistance event in your sights.

She rightly asked for more running in her schedule, with longer runs and some consecutive days of long hard efforts.  She wanted to run five times a week but asked for a ‘de-load’ week every 3 or 4 to allow her to absorb the precious value of her previous work.

She enjoys her weekly track sessions, which remain important not only to keep her faster gears working, but also to maintain some variety in her training – and to allow her running a little social dimension.  (I know how lonely most of the training of an ultradistance runner can be – “Oh clubmates, why on earth don’t you want to run 35 miles with me?”!)

And I also added hill work most weeks, because I know that sheer leg strength can make all the difference in these longest of races.  She would also continue with twice-weekly gym visits for the same reason.

There you have it…….. a lot of running, specifically, ever-longer runs at the weekend, sometimes followed by a 10 or 12 miler the next day.  5 runs most weeks.  A much easier week about once a month.  Track sessions to add speed, spice and company.  Hill work (and gym sessions) to keep those legs strong.

A typical week might go Monday gym, Tuesday track, Wednesday gym and easy run, Thursday hills, Friday rest, Saturday 24 miles, Sunday 10.

Simple – until you try and fit it around a very demanding job in the City, a boyfriend, other hobbies and a bit of a social life!