Still Running (weakly). Issue 98

PAST – inspiration – “He exhausted his team of training partners like Catherine the Great exhausted her succession of lovers!” someone once said of John Treacy. The Irishman was renowned for his long runs, where he would indeed get international-class runners to pace him for as far as they could – until they could no longer keep up. His silver medal in the 1984 Olympic marathon was proof of the validity of his strategy.

When I worked for Sainsbury’s at their head office on the south bank of the Thames in London, I would often arrange group 10-mile runs for 5:30pm. Sometimes I would sneak away at 4:15 and run 10 by myself, joining my work colleagues for the scheduled 10 immediately after.

Our route usually took us round Hyde Park, where I would again shamelessly “use” them – sprinting along the sand on the gallops beside Rotten Row, trying to outpace my training partners who kept to the tarmac.

A little creativity can add value – which is cunningly disguised as difficulty – to your run.

PRESENT – perspiration – “I feel I can have a successful athletics career without leaving a huge carbon footprint,” said Innes Fitzgerald, who was 19 on 6thApril 2025.

So far, she has succeeded in both aims. She won the European under-20 Cross Country title in 2023 and 2024. Already this year, she has set a new European under-20 3000m indoor record of 8:40.05, taking an unbelievable 10 seconds from the previous mark, and a new European Junior 5km road record of 15:09 on her birthday. Video of the finish of that race in Bristol shows the extreme difficulty of the effort.

But, when the World Cross Country Championships were held in Australia in 2023, she refused her place on the team, because of her environmental stand. She has also been known to take a tiring succession of trains to races in Europe – while the rest of the team have flown – for the same reason.

All (green) power to you, Innes.

FUTURE – suggestion – Fartlek is a term that always raises a titter in the uninitiated athlete. It is of course a Swedish term, meaning speed-play, which originated in the 1940s, when Gundar Haegg and Arne Andersson swapped mile world records, using this form of training.

They would run in the woods and accelerate for bursts of 50 to 400 metres, sometimes up hills, often on the flat, but never to a schedule or preset template.

And, having thought about it, that is why I have never really done any fartlek. It is too easy to make it too easy (although Haegg and Andersson never did)! And I suppose I’m addicted to difficulty. On the other hand, on a track – now you’re talking – with a pre-ordained session, there is no hiding place. 8 times 400 at mile pace, with a 200 jog in the outside lane in between.

How terribly intimidating that is!

And then, as you improve, you can vary the session in several ways to make it harder. You can of course run faster; you can do 10 reps rather than 8; you can run 600s rather than 400s at the same pace; you can cut the recovery to 100 metres. Oooh, the possibilities are almost endless.

Just remember, as you progress, not to change more than one variable at a time. Trying to run 10x400 in 70 with 100 jog is a world away from 8x400 in 75 with 200. And, if you move your 400s up to 600s, give yourself the equivalent jog recovery – which is 300 (i.e. half of the distance) not 200.

No variation, no doubt, no hiding place, no fun! That is the way to improve. And that is why I don’t fart about with fartlek