I’ve been taking a bit of stick this week from people about the length of my hair at the moment.  It’s fair to say that I would normally not let it grow this long, but it could be a while before it is next cut...

During a conversation with my housemate Ben a few weeks ago, he asked me if I thought I could improve on any of my PBs now.  Up until this year, I wouldn’t have hesitated to say no but for the first time this year, I’m starting to look at my PBs and wonder which one would be the easiest to break and if any of them are actually achievable. 

It’s less than two years since I ran my 10k PB of 29:49, and it came on a hilly course on a cold winters day at Ribble Valley.  Training had also been limited as we had been subject to icy roads for 2 weeks.   I don’t see any reason why I can’t improve on that 10k time given the circumstances, but it certainly won’t be easy and will require me to be leading a slightly different lifestyle to my current one.  In fact, I don’t think any of my road PBs were set in ideal circumstances and so my answer to Ben did cause me to hesitate for the first time ever to that question, but the answer was a yes.  Ben also thinks I can, but he wants to make it more interesting and has proposed that I cannot cut my hair until I improve one of my current PBs (I am allowed to cut it however after my next birthday on November 4^th 2012)!  So don’t be surprised to see me towards the end of the winter and next summer with flowing locks as my hair does grow very quickly!

It did get me thinking further on the subject.  There will come a point for all runners when the reality is that there will be no further improvement to any of our PBs.  Will the desire be there to train as hard, knowing that due to age, injuries, etc we will always be a shadow of our former selves?  Will we still want to compete at all, or will we just run for leisure?  Or will we accept that we have had our day and become a volunteer, or leave the sport altogether?

It’s interesting that by far the two most successful runners my club have ever had clearly fit into two categories.  Firstly there’s my dad, who despite slowing down considerably continues to run as often as he can and continues to take part in local races.  He is still fairly competitive in his age category, but due to wear and tear can only run once or twice a week.  The fact is, after over 40 years of running, he still loves it.  He comes to watch races, whether I’m running or not and maintains a genuine interest in the sport and the club.

Alan Blinston on the other hand was arguably our club’s most successful ever runner with appearances in the Commonwealth Games over 5000m where he clocked in the region of 13:30.  Alan still socialises with club members, but you will never see him at the track on a club night, or at a race.  He doesn’t run at all now.  As soon as he realised he was slowing down and couldn’t compete any more, that was it, he was not interested in continuing.

I know many more like Alan.  There are people in my club who do continue to run, but have stopped competing because they realise they won’t be able to replicate past performances and want to be remembered as going out close to their best.  Some of these people would still make our road relay teams, but when asked, they simply aren’t interested, perhaps because they feel there is an expectation on them to perform like they did when they last competed.

I can safely say, that I will be exactly like my Dad.  I train hard as I want to get the best results possible, but slowing down won’t stop my involvement.  I will continue to run for as long as my body allows.  And if my body doesn’t allow, I will do what it takes to keep going.  Physio, massage, cross training, strengthening exercises.

The fact is, although I train hard because I want to perform as well as I can, I do love running and cannot imagine not doing it.  I want to be turning up to cross country races in 20 years time, hammering it round Heaton Park, belting it around Boggart Hole Clough and whizzing around Wythenshawe Park.  Of course it would be nice to still be up there, but if I can’t be, I’d quite happily settle for just being able to do it.  I want to be up on the moors, plodding away for 3 hours, taking in the views and being alone with my thoughts.   I want to still be toiling around the streets of Tameside in torrential weather, knowing I am out there because I can, while 99% of the population are wasting their lives away sat watching trash TV.  I want to be going down to the club to train on a Tuesday, exchanging banter with clubmates, in between punishingly hard reps on the grass, track or road.  Quite simply, I just want to be able.

You can expect to see me for many years to come!

Cheers

Dave