I tell you, if my Mum wasn't hard of hearing before..she certainly is now! She had the dubious pleasure of sitting next to me on what turned out to be the most momentous night for British athletics.
After winning three gold medals during the day (cycling and whatnot) - and with attention turned to the Olympic stadium - we doubled that tally in the space of 45 unbelievable minutes. First there was Jessica Ennis (who started me off on the Great Manchester Run dontcha know?!), not settling for just winning heptathlon gold; but doing it in style by blasting away from the field in the 800m. Then there was Greg Rutherford becoming the surprising (to all but him it seems) long jump champion; and the night was rounded off with the crowd (and me!) screaming Mo Farah round the last lap of the track to 10,000m glory. What a blummin' night; not one to forget in a hurry, if ever!
What made it all the more special for me, was the people themselves. They were not only role models for how to be athletes, they were role models for how to be human beings. It is clear to see that they are dedicated and disciplined individuals - not to mention talented - who possess a will to win, but when you see how popular Ennis is with her fellow competitors, when you hear Rutherford thanking all the fans, his parents, and his 'most beautiful girlfriend'; when you see Farah's daughter running along the track to find her daddy....you realise that wanting to win does not have to mean sacrificing your humanity; quite the opposite in fact.
At the risk of making a ridiculous comparison, that night held particular meaning for me. It inspired me. I am never going to run at the pace of a Farah, I am never going to have abs like Ennis, and the only long jumping I am going to do is over a deep puddle (and even then will probably not jump far enough and end up sklooping right into the middle of it); but they talk of training, they talk about determination, they talk about challenge, they talk about fear of failure, they talk about discipline, they talk of ups and downs, they talk of wanting to succeed. All of these things I can relate to wholeheartedly; and their success gives me hope.
So on my Sunday morning runs I will continue to wear my Team GB gear with pride (regardless of how much of a wally I look). This; here, now, is my training; this is my Olympics, and I am striving for my own, personal gold medal.
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