Mastering the Future

It’s approaching 300 days since I last raced. But I know that there are very much worse things than an Achilles problem, and I’ll be back.

It’s been a little frustrating watching target races slip by. 

Stirling’s Monument Mile and before that, the Scottish Athletics Masters 1500m and 5000m Champs in Grangemouth were in my sights this summer.

I got my race number last week for Manchester Half Marathon, my autumn target. I won’t be there either.

But I’m slowly recovering. The physio is happy with my progress and looking for me to build some pace back into my running, alongside all of the strengthening work and plyometrics.

Suck it and see, and back off if needs be. No speed sessions yet though, but I’ll take the positives!

One of these is a much higher awareness of what others are doing. I’ve learned that there is real pleasure in watching and and also trying to help others where I can.

Whilst it’s understandable that Scotland’s current stellar athletes like Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie and Josh Kerr stole the headlines this summer, I’ve been awestruck by Scotland’s current crop of older masters.

People like Dave Thom, Mary Senior, Chris Upson, Mark Gallacher, Paul Forbes, Alistair Walker are smashing it in their 50’s and 60’s.

Scotland vests, British and European medals. There’s few other countries in Europe right now producing talented masters athletes like us.

So what can we learn? 

That running with others sustains you and fills you with opportunities. It doesn’t matter whether you are 17, 37, 57 or 77.

That Scotland’s way of supporting runners, through clubs and coaches really is working, producing generation after generation of good and happy runners. 

Let’s be clear though. As a nation we risk shooting ourselves in the foot. 

We have serious challenges around finding the small amount of investment from Government and local authorities required to maintain running infrastructure like tracks.

And we must lean into and address an uncomfortable truth, that people from some communities – in poverty, ethnically diverse, and disabled in particular – still don’t have the chance to get involved as they should.

But people in their 50’s and 60’s are finding a running sweet spot. Less time in the workplace or different demands in your home life mean that you can run smarter and better.

Gains can be made when you’re over half a century old. 

It’s possible to better your best and even if you don’t you can measure yourself against your age group peers. I’ve done this and I believe I can further improve across all of the distances I like.

I’m biased, but I think we should celebrate and recognise our masters athletes more. How can we bottle and pay forward decades of knowledge and experience?

Are we asking for their insights, advice, listening to them, encouraging them to coach and pass their learnings on? Maybe, but perhaps not in a systematic way. Could we build a programme to capture all of this experience?

I thank these amazing people because without knowing it, they’ve given me real inspiration and belief over the past few months. 

I’m well short of the standards which they set, but they’ve shown that there is a path and through hard work and talent, a lot which can be achieved.

That’s enough fuel for me to focus hard on my recovery, to be patient, and when I’m ready again, to do my very best. 

There’s always something to aim at!