THE OLDER YOU GET

It is said that the older you get the wiser you get. I don’t know if that is true or maybe I am just the stupid or gullible one. When I started with running and then walking I really had no idea what I was doing, I struggled and being a guy you don’t do the ultimate sin, “Ask for help”

So I struggled through the first year, banging my head every turn, countless torn muscles, blisters and other ailments that a newbie is prone to.

While this happened I vowed that I do what I could for new runners so they would not have to struggle like I did. Later in like my 4^th year I began road leading at Run Walk for Life. A road leader takes members out onto the road and you keep them safe whilst out there helping where needed be it advice or moral support or the occasional white lie, “You looking so good” mean time eish. I carried on at BackToBasics in Pinetown

So then I started with pacesetting, basically giving up my race to get the strugglers in, I always choose the cut off bus. There is a sense of achievement in doing this and the greatest was 2008 Two Oceans cut off bus, man that was a high I doubt I will ever top.

Through the course of this I have met and helped many people, one of my treasured athletes was Des. She struggled with too much talking and not enough effort. We worked hard and from a 3:30 half marathon we got her to a 2:51, this was race walking. I am very proud of Des and her achievement.

Other like Mathilda and Sheila were a challenge not to mention Lydia but the all excelled and went on to do great things. Those times are the greatest, you know you did not waste your time and there are the rewards.

Then you have others who come into your life and they can fool you, I want to do this, I want to do that, each time I feel okay here is a challenge. After a while for no apparent reason they just quit or worse go elsewhere after you have spent months assisting them.

Each time you think to yourself what the hell do I do it for ?

It takes about two weeks to set up a good three month program and before you can do that you need to analyze the runner or walker to see where you need to work on, style or speed or both. This does not do your private life any favours as you are in front of the computer at night working away instead of being with your family.

Then it blows up in your face and you wonder what the hell happened and then why the hell did I bother. I guess I will always be a bad judge of character because my instincts have let me down in that department time and time again. I really get to believe that their friendship is genuine, friends are special to me, but bearing in mind there is friendship and then there is coaching, the two must always be separated.

Like now Anna is my friend but on training she is my student, my trainee and out there on the training runs she is in boot camp, after the run we are friends. We run races as friends not as a coach and student and that works so well.