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Sonia O'Sullivan RT Journal
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What do you do when you can’t run as fast or as far as you would like to , well you still try to run as fast and as far as you can, but you have to realise that it won’t be as fast or as far as you used to run.This is a dilemma that I have found myself in the past few years and only now nearly 4 years down the track have I finally figured out that no matter how hard I try or how many times my mind tries to tell me otherwise, unless I run in some obscure race over some obscure distance it is unlikely that I will run another PB.
I can’t really pick out my last true race, it seems so long ago. I supppose the London Marathon 2005 was my last PB (2:29.01) and even then I thought I should’ve gone quicker…surely there was time left to do this in the future. So I trained like I was going to run in the Olympics or World Championships, I ran 100mile weeks and 3 sessions a week trying to keep up with Great athletes Benita Johnson and Craig Mottram. I went to altitude for my holidays, while the kids were still at school, Saint Moritz, Falls Creek, Ballarat, Flagstaff…….surely some of these magical places would rub off on me and I would get out there for one last Hurrah. The Beijing Olympics loomed in the distance and what a dream it would have been to run into an Olympic stadium at the end of an Olympic marathon but it wasn’t to be. Athens 2004 would remain as my final run for Ireland on the track and what an emotional race that was for me all part of my Olympic roller coaster carreer.
After years of putting in the miles and the hard efforts the injuries started to take a toll on my body, it was like putting a cake in the oven everytime I went to race. Even though all the ingredients were there they can’t have been mixed right or maybe the key ingredient “REST” never really got a look in and the cake always came out a bit flat and not the result I was looking for. It has been said and I absolutely agree the reward isn’t always what you get but what you put in, this is so true I enjoyed every long run every session, pushing my body to the limit but eventually it is difficult to explain to your friends and family and you realise it is time to take a step backwards and take a look at the big picture, there were too many pieces of the jigsaw missing, time to move on to the next stage of my life.
I still like to go for a run most days but realise that I must think of it as fitness, enjoyment, a great start to everyday. I tell myself this everytime I get myself back up running to an hour, but then the sessions start creeping in, a few hill reps here and there and then the dreaming begins……
Earlier this year I was in Dublin for the Great Ireland Run, I wasn’t running at the time apart from a jog around in the kids race and even that was a few day spre-mature…..but I couldn’t resist it. I had just swam a mile in one of the few 50m swimming pools in Ireland and mentioned this in passing. Next thing you know I was signed up for the Great North swim, a mile race in lake Windermere, a beautiful spot in the Lake District. Later I found out that swim wouldn’t take place until September, and by that time I was back up running a lot more than I was swimming so a crash course in swimming began in September, so that I could at least go the distance. Earlier in the year I had run just under 40minutes for 10km so figured under 40minutes for the mile would be just fine. I was pretty nervous beforehand, not really about the swim but about this little time barrier that I had announced at the start of the race. I got around without being kicked or splashed too much and climbed out of the lake and ran across the line in a speedy (for me) 32minutes…..within minutes of finishing I was talking about crashing through the 30minute barrier…..PB’s were back on my mind again.
I am still running more than I am swimming but using my new found swimming challenge as something to give me a break from running everyday and feel like I am doing something good for myself. I am planning to run in the Great Australia run on November 29th in Melbourne, but the day before that I will run with my kids in the family fun run over 2km, we have been training once a week for this with some kids after school .
On Tuesdays and Thursday’s I have been at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) in the fantastic open air 50m pool. I am in the water before the sun is up and it is the best part of the day for me to see the sun rising and spot some hot-air balloons in the distance while ploughing through the water.
The Great Australia Run is the big challenge though, last year I was out injured so walked around in just under 2 hours, this year I would like to get under an hour for the 15km, but a mini target within that goal is under 40 minutes for 10Km then push on to the finis. The hardest part will be getting to the start line and not leaving everything in the parks on the daily run. It won’t be a PB but it will be mission accomplished if I cross that finish line under an hour .
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5 comments to "Sonia O'Sullivan RT Journal"
A fantastic journal from one of the greats
Hey Sonia. I read your biography and was amazed at all the success you achieved in your running career. However - the feeling I got from your book was that the sadness and disappointment from not being able to win a couple of the big races (eg the olympics) still outweighed all the happiness you felt from all your triumphs. I'm sure any runner in the world, would be over the moon with happiness, if they could achieve just a fraction of what you have. In this article you say that it's hard to accept that you'll never achieve another PB - But if you age adjust results - there's still PB's to be had in every age category for the rest of your life! I was at the world masters games the other week...and watched many truly inspiring female runners in their 60's, 70's and 80's race. You may not be as fast as you were...but there's still a lifetime of fast running and PB's to be had! Enjoy!
Hi, Love to meet up with you one day. Aside from all your incredible and wonderful achievements remember that I am no doubt one of many women that over the years quietly sat and watched you, followed you and learned from your toughness and composure. Thankyou.
Read your book,a great read of a wonderful career from 1500m to marathon.Always admired your style of racing,a real runner's runner to watch.Hope that you get to feel Oz as more of your home as time goes by,we don't mind sharing you with the Emerald Isle.
Thanks for all the enjoyment you brought me over the years.....You were a joy to watch running and made us all proud of you in Ireland. Its great to hear you are still enjoying running. I wish you well in wherever life takes you.....
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