Yesterday I ran a short but fast session. This was followed by increasing the intensity of my physio routine, and then I accidentally stressed the Achilles when I stumbled. All these things led to the tendon being more sore than normal last night and this morning. Yet, I didn’t feel it at all when I ran this morning – the fastest run I’ve done in months. Looks like the rehabilitation is very much on track.

Kevin Carr continues to power his way through Illinois, with another 74 km yesterday. Although still a little behind at the moment, he looks very much like breaking my world record. If he continues as he has this past week, he’ll smash it.

Continuing with the “races from the past” series, today I’d like to recount a 400 metre race from 1977  when I was 16 years old. It was the state schools championship final. I had won my heat the previous day and qualified with the second fastest time. Preparing for the final I was a little intimidated by the fact that most of the other finalists had coaches “in their ears” just minutes prior to the final. Unfortunately, though I improved my time in the final to 51.2 seconds (still my PB), I only placed 5th (or perhaps 6th – I can’t be sure now), but was only one second behind the winner.

I’m not one to have regrets, but this occasion was tinged with a sense of “what if”. You see, I had no personal coach and had only trained twice by myself leading up to the championships, and each of these sessions comprised less than three minutes of running – virtually nothing. Ever since, I’ve wondered what I might have been capable of if I’d trained like I do now. Probably 47 or 48 seconds, winning easily. Oh well, that’s life.