Still Running (weakly). Issue 18

PAST – inspiration – “Oooh, four chelsea buns,” said my work colleague. “Yes, but they are all for me,” I warned. It was October 1985, and I was embarking on one of my annual recovery periods from running. I’d raced marathons and ultras – both running and race walking – almost every weekend in the previous two months, and I deserved a break. And some cake!

I didn’t particularly feel like stuffing myself with four chelsea buns every day, but it was a clear way of reminding myself that I should be relaxing – not running very much at all, and not worrying about my diet either. I felt that it was good for me physically and mentally to have this period in the year where I switched off in this way.

Most runners – certainly track runners, and those not embarking on the New York or Chicago marathons – would have two or more weeks off in this period. They eat cake! They drink beer!! And they plan their next year.

PRESENT – perspiration – George Mills has perspired recently, running a mile in Oregon that ranks him behind only Steve Cram and Sebastian Coe on the UK all-time lists. He is the son of England footballer, Danny Mills, who was renowned for his professionalism but admits that George is on a different level of dedication.

This makes a certain amount of sense because, as the elder Mills suggests, team sports are different. Your teammates can make up for you, whereas there’s no hiding place out there on the track.

George is having a bit of downtime himself before gearing up for 2024, Olympic year, where just making the British team at 1500m will be hard enough, considering that we boast the last two World Champions in Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr, as well as guys like Callum Elson, who just won silver in the World Road Mile Championships.

So, whilst George Mills did not let a birthday cake in the house during his racing season (“That’s not coming in here”), he did celebrate his mile with “half a beer!”

FUTURE – suggestion – If there is a “rest” month in running, then it is October. Of course, there is still the very end of the summer racing season, and some autumn marathons, and the cross-country season on the horizon, but if there is a slight lull, this is it.

And so this is a great time to plan your next year’s goals and thus your next twelve months of training and racing.

This longer-term goal setting, to my mind, is invaluable. Yes, you can decide to go for a 10km personal best in eight weeks’ time and train up for it – and achieve it. But the really important goals need planning from far further out.

What is your biggest, scariest goal for 2024? When will it happen? What are the stepping stones to get there? Which races do you need to do? What training do you need to undertake? Are there any other dependencies, or lifestyle changes?

What I mean by “dependencies” – in simple terms – is, if you have decided that you want a 5km PB of under 18 minutes, then you might decide you need more speed, and this might mean that you need more strength in your legs, and that you might need to go to the gym and do leg weights.

Or, if you really want to finish your first marathon next September, you need to get into that Sunday morning long run group in the next town. But they run faster than you at the moment, so do you need to build up your long runs now, to be able to join them in April?

Maybe, even, if you are going to do more training, you should think about lifestyle changes – prioritise sleep, schedule a monthly massage session, or even let a couple of things go – give up darts, pause the DIY, abstain from cake!

If all of that sounds scary, good. If it sounds very organised, of course it is. If it sounds professional, then yes, it’s the only way. Nothing worth having is ever easy.