During discussions with Mark Armstrong this week, I think it is fair to say that we covered so many differing subjects with regards to running, be it the mental side or of course the physical. 

“What do you think about those people who are not necessarily the creme de la crème of runners yet are still happy to commit their lives to running?” Mark asked. 

“Well, I was one of those,” I replied only for Mark to say, “yes, but you were one of Norfolk’s best.” Just that comment alone embarrassed me as I know I am a long way from being right up there with some of Norfolk’s best ever. 

I then went into great detail that whilst I did win a lot of races whilst running some decent times from 5k up to the marathon along with a couple of ultras, it really was down to sheer hard work and full-on commitment. 

During my era there were a lot of runners around here in Norfolk and indeed Suffolk where if those same talented people had put in just a couple of more percent, they could have been exceptional. 

Don’t get me wrong as lots of guys here in the county did produce some amazing achievements but at the same time, they also had a lot of other commitments too. 

Graham Davison, for one, was so very talented and I am sure if he had been full time then he would have been right up there with the best. Jimmy Piper too, just to name a couple. Pete Duhig was like me – full on and raced at a level which surprised so many people. Once again, not just because of talent, but just his sheer belief and determination. 

My own drive came about for many reasons whilst also being inspired by lots of people who made an impact on my early life. 

However, I also suffered with low self-esteem and have no problem admitting to that. Deep down I still do, I told Mark, but that was also a driving factor. 

I have met a lot of top sports people during my life, and I have found the same with them too despite everyone else looking up to them whilst thinking they are supreme individuals. 

“Why do you think some people perform so much better in training and then fall short when it comes to racing?” Mark also asked. 

I liked that question as that can be applicable to so many people. 

When I was involved in pro boxing there was a saying about fighters who performed so much better in the gym than what they did when it was time to make the walk to the ring and do it for real. ‘Gym Fighters’ is what they were called. 

My thoughts on the subject be it athletes, boxers or indeed any other sports people, is that it is one thing to perform well in our comfortable surroundings, it can be a different ball game when taken out of our comfort zone. Perhaps a bit like the darts player who struggles to release the dart when under pressure. This of course is where sports psychology comes in and having the ability to just zone in and focus on the job in hand, particularly when you have spent hours, weeks and months preparing for a big occasion. 

Further chat went into how training for a marathon can affect performance at the shorter distances. Needless to say, when preparing specifically for the longer distances it can affect performance where more speed is required, but for many and let’s just say not the elite, my view is that when in marathon training and putting in the extra work, if done properly you can still run well over the shorter distances and even PB at them. 

Yes – talking all things running is something that we runners of all standards just love doing. Even if we have covered the same ground so many times before. 

Last week I lost another one of my most treasured and loved training partners – Tala – one of my huskies. This week’s column is so very much dedicated to her. Oh, and she never did ask questions, she just ran...