I often reflect on the question, what would it take to get really good at this?
And no, it's not just because it's that time of year when we're conditioned to retrospection and resolution making, I really do think about it a lot… but I consistently fail to turn thinking into actionable steps.
And by this, I of course mean running... and for me, that's the long stuff in the mountains... that's where my heart is!
As far as I can tell, this Strava activity was my first run since leaving school. Despite suffering from asthma back then, I had showed some real talent in cross country running, being promoted to the school team. I distinctly remember having at least one superb race at Cowdray Park, Midhurst... placing just outside the top ten despite losing a shoe after vaulting a gate into deep mud and having fingers so cold that I lost several minutes (and places) getting the damn lace undone and the shoe back on!
I have no idea why I stopped running but I did... I took a 35 year break.
Fast-forward to today, I'm a mediocre runner at best. One who rarely breaks the golden rule of comparing himself with others. And whilst I can lament about wasted years and what might have been if I'd just kept on running, I'm also acutely aware that it ain't just an age thing... there are some incredible runners my age (and older) performing incredible feats of endurance, which I admire immensely. So age, whilst a factor, isn't the whole story.
So... what would it take for me to get really good at this?
Planning
Planning is a good and necessary part of life... but I find it hard to reconcile planning with the last responsible moment principle, to which I heavily subscribe. It's the idea that there's always an optimal moment for making a decision about everything and anything and typically, it's best done at the last responsible moment. This is evidenced in my life, where, if I think about it, I hardly ever need to change any of what little plans I do make. I’m not saying that like it’s a good thing. There’s clearly a distinct lack of me sticking my neck out with a plan at the risk of later having to alter course or change it completely... or at least that's how it feels.
Furthermore, this reflects in my running. To any casual observer, I'm sure my Strava activity log would elicit a, what in the hell is he doing? There's so little perceivable structure to it!
Clearly, there are gains to be made here: if I can introduce some structure to my training with a clear set of thought out objectives over an extended period of time, I'm sure that could work wonders.
Rest
I really struggle with sleep. Typically I am in bed for 10pm and wake between 3am and 4am. Sometimes I'm able to get back to sleep, often I can't.
I gave up caffeine in August, 2022 and took up drinking lots of water. I did it, in part, as an attempt to liberate myself from a miserable onslaught of migraines (I've suffered with them from childhood) and also to see if my sleep improved. Initially it seemed to work but it was short lived. I still hope for a breakthrough.
But rest isn't just about sleep. Taking a day (or three) off running is also rest. I've done extended periods of RED (run every day) in the past but I've come to realise that for my character type, running every day isn't particularly healthy... motivation isn't the problem, it's taking adequate rest.
Diet
I've been vegan since 2017. I was initially evangelised by a colleague at work, she had almost singlehandedly convinced me to go vegan... but it took hearing someone on a podcast enthusing about how a vegan diet aids recovery after hard efforts to convince me to switch. I subsequently discovered that claim to be absolutely true (and it also cured my Raynaud's, which I'd been suffering with for years). I appreciate these are superficial reasons to go vegan but since then, I've found deep meaning and conviction in being vegan.
The thing is, I'm lazy. After a long run, I'll chop up a block of tofu and eat it... occasionally, if I am feeling adventurous, I might drizzle a little virgin olive oil over it. If I'm really in the mood, I'll treat myself to another delicacy, I'll rip the lid off a tin of baked-beans and spoon them in! Super healthy, right?
It's only recently, whilst browsing through old photos that I realised how well I used to eat when I first went vegan... a wonderful, and very dear friend bought me Peace and Parsnips and I discovered how combining simple, fresh ingredients made the most incredible, tasty and nourishing meals. With such an abundance of processed vegan food on the supermarket shelves these days, it's all too easy to forget the humble parsnip and friends!
So…
That’s it. I’d be more surprised than anyone if ever win a race (or even my age category) or set an FKT or do anything outstanding in running but why not aim high? Of course being really good at anything is all relative, I want to find my really good.
Nothing I’ve identified here is particularly earth-shattering, just small steps that I can action.
Sure, it takes commitment, determination, grit… in training and and in racing but it also takes discipline in planning, rest and diet.
Now then, where did I put Peace and Parsnips?
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