Still Running (weakly). Issue 170

PAST – inspiration – “The nicest person in athletics.”  “Great club man.”  “Too caring and compassionate for his own good.”  “Always gracious to the press.”  “Always has time for his fans.”

And then there’s this guy……….

“I was not a particularly pleasant person… I would turn up for the usual Tuesday and Thursday track sessions… do the session... and go home with scarcely a word to anyone… I would drive my car at nearly 100mph on the motorway… Moody and taciturn at home.”

In fact, it’s the same man – Dave Moorcroft – and the quotes above illustrate the difference in a runner when they are building up for the races of their life.

The second quote describes Dave’s attitude in early 1982, when he was running fantastically well.  This was the year when he would take almost six seconds off the world 5000 record, set PBs at 800, the mile, 3000 and of course 5000, and win Commonwealth gold and European bronze at that distance.  (By the time of the Europeans, he was over-raced.)

He had also won Commonwealth gold and European bronze at 1500 in 1978.

Dave tries to explain his mood in his book – Running Commentary – without really coming to any conclusion, but I think the reason behind his Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde transformation is simply that, when one subconsciously feels that one is capable of great things, then one loses patience with a lot of the trivia of life – even chatting to clubmates, coaches, family and friends!

It was true: he had no injury worries; he had trained well all winter; he was 29 years old and had no excuses left.  This was his moment of truth.

When he set his 5000 metres world record of 13:00.41 (down from Henry Rono’s 13:06.20) I was staying with my parents but had gone out for the evening.  When I got back, they said, “A British runner has set a world record this evening.”

“Oh, who was it?” (As you can imagine, as a track nut, I was really excited about this news.)

“I don’t know.”

“Well, what distance?”

“Not sure.”

“Well, how many laps was it roughly?”

“Oooh, quite a few.”

So I had to wait for the morning paper to find out!  Bit frustrating!

PRESENT – perspiration – Dave Moorcroft (73 now) was appointed Chief Executive of the British Athletics Federation in 1997 and served until 2007.  He is credited with turning the finances of the organisation around from near bankruptcy to a turnover of £18 million.  He was also Chair of parkrun UK for six years until 2024.

One of my adoring readers recently bumped into the great man and they swapped stories.  Andy said that he mostly just ran for pleasure and saw little point in risking injury chasing ‘mediocre times.’  “I felt really humbled,” he continued, “when Dave replied he’d be happy just to run 2 miles without pain.

“That really put me in my place and helped me adjust to being at the back of the pack.”

Thank you, Andy!

FUTURE – suggestion – Going back to the mindset necessary to achieve great things, Dave Moorcroft found himself being grumpy almost continuously.  For the rest of us, the challenge is usually just before or on the day of the challenge itself.

Many athletes, who have trained to make themselves capable of a great race – a personal best, a podium, even a win – have shied away from the challenge at the last moment.  Some have asked my advice before they totally gave up.

I always tell them a version of this………..

Firstly, remember, whatever you do on Sunday or don’t do, what you are asking of yourself is very difficult.  To parcel up all of that training and determination, and deploy it perfectly over the exact length of the race – that’s hard.  World-class hard.  I know that, before all of my PB attempts, I just wanted to crawl away and hide. 

But you try and get into the process – get up, eat, go to the loo, drink, get there, loo, warmup, drink, start – and in this way, try and creep up on the monster that you are fighting.  I know it can be hard to focus.  I am not ignoring all of the other stuff swirling round your head – I know it’s hugely difficult to put all that to one side and commit to a 100% effort when thoughts are nagging away at you – but believe in your training, stick to the process, and who knows?

As always, it is the first step that is the most difficult, however you think of it.  Getting out of bed.  Getting in the car.  Getting out of the car!  And NOT having a coffee and a chat with your friends, but warming up like you know you should.

Think of all the effort you have put in in training.  Think how much you want this success.  Don’t betray all of that months- or years-long investment by weakening on the day. 

Keep the focus.  Keep to the formula.  Keep the faith.  And keep fighting.