Thread by @GuruAnaerobic

HOW TO BE WORLD CLASS

I went from average to world-class – this is how I did it, and how you can do it.

[Hint: Age is your friend]

THREAD 👇👇👇

This is me in 1988 – 27yrs old. Slim, light build.

Not long before this photo my girlfriend persuaded me to join a running club. I always liked running but never took it seriously, but I had taken part in a few ‘fun runs’.

So I start training at an athletics track with a coach but also designing my own sessions and weekly/monthly programme.

My first 800m race a few weeks after I joined was 2:14, ok, but nothing to write home about.

Around about the same time I took part in an undulating 8mile New Year’s Day race (West Bay to Beaminster, in Dorset. UK) after a bet on New Year’s eve. I was 4th in 46:50 – again, ok – but nothing special. My VO2 max ~63ml/kg/min (Bleep test)

Not long after (my late 20’s) I ran 4:21 for one mile, in The Westminster Mile open road race in London.

I quickly got down to 2 minutes flat for 800m – a semi-decent *club level* performance. With more (very hard) training, I took a few seconds off this.

At some stage in my early 30’s I took a year out to test myself over sprints – 7.2 (60m); 11.3 (100m); 22.5 (200m). Pretty nippy, but no sprinter. Then I went back to longer distance.

When I turned 40 (1981) I decided to stop all the longer distance running and concentrate only on sprinting. I bought some blocks and learnt how to start properly.

There’s a saying in running that “as you get older you go up in distance” i.e. you lose your speed but endurance remains. I thought this was self-fulfilling. I looked at the older distance runners and didn’t like what I saw. Skinny, no muscle.

I wanted to be strong and muscular

My first year in ‘Masters’ (over 40yrs) competition I came 4th in the national Championships at 400m (53.1) and 3rd in the UK over-40 rankings at 200m (23.3). I had gone from a normal club runner to top national level for my AGE

I continued training hard for 10 years (getting medals at national level), at 50yrs running 12.1secs for 100m – that put me ~25 in the World for my age group.

I had gone from club level to national level to world-ranked level as I aged.

In my 50’s I backed off training hard; however at 60 I am ‘training’ to run 5:30 for the mile & 12.xx secs for 100m. Neither are *top* of the world, but world ranked.

A 5min mile & a 12sec 100m probably puts me in only a handful of 60yrs olds globally who can do both.

AGING FAVOURS YOU

My advice (from my lived experience)

If you have ‘average’ sporting genetics you can get relatively better (much better) as you age – even world-class.

1/ Whilst others give up training, go to seed, put on weight, or are too injured to train - keep yourself fit & lean. Have self-respect

2/ Retain muscle mass and keep strong

3/ Have a *physically active lifestyle*. Do not leave all your physical activity to 'exercise windows'

4/ Soft Target Training

If you want to achieve anything in sport you need an ego, but you have to tame it, make it your pupil not your master. As you age you have to become intelligent and not get injured. It doesn't matter how fit you are if you get injured

SQUID GAME

Be consistent. Apply training intelligently. Keep healthy. You CANNOT train like you are indestructible.

Two ways you will rise over time:

1 Your 'opponents' exit the gene pool a la Squid Game
2 Their degradation is faster than yours; they sink - you rise.

Your 'opponents' are actually your friends. They give you the drive and desire to achieve. They push you and you push them.

You see what they can do; it gives you the self-believe that your goals can be achieved.

As far as running is concerned that means (mostly) training on soft ground; not killing yourself in any session – i.e survival, and leaving something in the tank.

Focus:

1 aerobic (mitochondrial) health
1 anaerobic (glycolytic) health
3 strength and muscle
4 metabolic health

5 a positive psychological attitude
6 a consistent & commonsense approach to training (dose-response, overtraining & injury avoidance) – you take longer to recover from injury!
7 eat well
8 avoid the 'diseases of modernity'

GOOD LUCK!

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