Still Running (weakly). Issue 176

PAST – inspiration – “You looked so slow!”

Southampton Athletics Track.  Mid to late 1980s.  Rod Lock was putting me through a session of 400s, with our mutual friend, Bob, watching on.

I was in pretty good form at the time, capable of a 1:15 half and a 2:45 marathon, say.  Under the gaze of these guys, I was pushing the 400s pretty hard, starting with a couple of 70s, before working down to 69, 68, 67.

I came off the track, gasping for air, weaving my way towards Rod and Bob, when the latter asked, “What were your times?”

I told him.

He shook his head: “You looked so slow!”

Our default expectation of speed in watching runners run round a track is set by the likes of Steve Ovett back then and Josh Kerr now.  They look so easy at 57-58 a lap, that anything slower appears positively pedestrian.

I remember watching the majestic Steve in the 1500 in a match against East Germany at Crystal Palace in 1978, when nobody wanted to lead, and their opening laps were slower even than mine – about 75.  The commentator noted that they would go faster on their relaxed 10-mile runs than they were managing that afternoon.

It all kicked off in the final two laps of course, as Ovett uncorked a last 300 of 37.5 to win in the overall slow time of 3:53.83.

Ironically, one of the East Germans he beat easily that day, Jurgen Straub, would beat him to the 1500 silver medal behind Coe two years later in Moscow.  Perhaps Ovett’s 1978 kick convinced Straub that he better make a longer run for home in the Olympic final, which he did.

My point is this: we are each an experiment of one, so don’t worry how slow or how fast you look or feel, the only competition is yourself.

PRESENT – perspiration – As you will know, Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86.  Best known as a Conservative politician and best-selling author, he was also a decent sprinter in his early years.

When I say ‘decent,’ though, I mean ‘quite fast’ rather than ‘honest.’

It will come as no surprise to you to learn that, even here on the track, he was renowned for stretching the rules, specifically trying to “beat the gun” on numerous occasions.

For example, when competing in the 100 yards for Oxford University in the 1964 Varsity Match against Cambridge, surviving footage famously captures Archer making three consecutive false starts.

This would normally trigger automatic disqualification, but Archer somehow talked his way out of the ban, and he eventually finished second in the race.

I can recall the footage being shown on ‘Have I Got News for You’, in the aftermath of another one of Archer’s later, more serious misdemeanours, with Messrs Hislop and Merton shaking their heads and chuckling over how typical of the man this cheating was.

He carried on running in later life, completing the London Marathon in 2004 – some months after being released from prison.  Here, of course, his ability to beat the gun was less of an advantage. 

I was in that race, on the same start-line as Archer (the lengths I go to, to be on the spot to report these things for you!)  While he was briefly in earshot for the first mile, I can recall him being accompanied by a personal trainer who repeated shouted at him to speed up.

He finished in 5 hours 26 minutes, some way behind your correspondent I am proud to say, with the press gleefully reporting that he had been overtaken by a person dressed as a camel, a phone box and a pedestrian walking.

I think that a lot of us do sport because, among other reasons, we assume it to be a meritocracy – you get out what you put in – but I’m afraid, in Archer’s eyes, it was just another arena in which he tried his best to gain an unfair advantage.

FUTURE – suggestion – Which leads me to the unique qualities of an athletics track.

Whilst Garmins now let us perform measured and timed speed sessions wherever we like (don’t try to beat the gun, though), to my way of thinking there is nothing quite like getting on a 400-metre track to bring out the best in you.

It is obviously dead flat and precisely measured.  Hopefully, it is sheltered from any prevailing winds.  But the main thing is, it has an atmosphere that is intimidating and inspiring in equal measure.

Do you know what I mean?

Because of its singular purpose, there is no shying away from the session you came there to do.  Because of its openness, there is no hiding place.

So I would urge everyone with any level of ambition in running to do some track training now and again.

Although you may feel that you want to get the whole thing over with as soon as possible, do warm up – at least 10 minutes of jogging, whatever stretching you want to do, and then some 60-metre strides building up to faster than the speed you want to attain in the session itself.

And then?  What?

Well, that is up to you.  But even, let’s say, a brisk 400, followed by a minute’s rest, a faster 200, another minute off, and then an all-out 100 – repeated 2 or 3 times – can certainly enhance your speed, hone your speed endurance and give you a wonderful feeling of wellbeing.

Don’t forget to jog at least 5 minutes to warm down.