Still Running (weakly). Issue 52

PAST – inspiration – There are many ways of keeping the faith in running – holding onto a belief, perhaps just for a few minutes or seconds, sometimes over many years.

Our past example comes from Alain Mimoun of France, who won silver medals behind the golds of Emil Zatopek of Czechoslovakia, in the, wait for it, 1948 Olympic 10,000, the 1950 European 5,000 and 10,000, and the 1952 Olympic 5,000 and 10,000!

But he kept the faith, moving up distance, as runners tend to do as they age, he contested the marathon in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne – and won! Zatopek came sixth. When the Czech crossed the finish line, and Mimoun told his friend it was he who had won, Zatopek stood to attention and saluted him. Then the two embraced.

“For me, that was better than the medal,” said the Frenchman later. But he had endured a decade of losses to finally achieve that win.

PRESENT – perspiration – Keeping the faith over a matter of seconds, rather than over the years that Mimoun had to wait, has rarely been better illustrated than by Megan Keith in her torrid last lap duel with marathoner Fiona O’Keeffe of the US at the Night of the 10,000 metres PBs. Keith had the belief that her superior track speed would win out over the American’s road-based endurance. And she held onto that hope, even when she was a considerable way back with 300 and 200 to go, and still more than 5 yards behind with just the finishing straight to run.

In the cauldron of an event like that – organised around noise and passion with spectators only feet from the athletes, beer tents on the straights and fireworks at the finish – it speaks volumes for the Scot’s focus that she kept her head, clung onto the almost disappearing form of the American and trusted her power to bring her through with little more than 10 yards to go.

FUTURE – suggestion – In running, keeping the faith is a vital character trait. I always say that, in any important race, where you are pushing for a place on the podium, a first finish at that distance, a personal best or your best for a long time, there will without doubt come a moment, a minute or a mile, where you will convince yourself that you cannot do it.

It is then that you need to have faith in your training – to remember the work that you’ve done to get you to this point – to put you within reach of that objective – and to believe that this moment will pass – and that yes, you can do it.

Easier said than done – but nonetheless a vital asset in an event where you are redlining it to achieve your goal, with the constant danger that you can stray over that line, balanced with the belief that straying once or twice need not be terminal!