The Selfish Gene

This post is rather rambly and kind of fizzles out. I decided not to write about the original subject so apologies if you find it doesn't really go anywhere. Good to write something though, it's been a while. 

--

We’re a selfish bunch, us runners. We scarper off into the sunset at every available opportunity, engaging in an activity we love doing and feeling smug about it afterwards. Whilst out we have no need to think of others, only that we need to plant the next foot effectively and move forward.

Sadly, there is a distinct lack of three-legged races on the UK Athletics race calendar. A lot of training, and certainly racing, is done solo - the running Lone Wolf stalking a new PB. But does this approach lead to a certain mind-set in the average runner?  Dogged, Single Minded and focused.

If we look at the opposite end of the spectrum, my own experiences have taught me that the solo-minded Rower is doomed to failure. Without the successful input of the others in the boat, your average oarsman is up shit creek without a blade.  “You’re only as strong as your weakest link” reverberated round my head on many an occasion. It’s in everyone’s interest to mutually support each other to improve, increasing the skills in the boat and the chances of success come regatta season. As is the case with Passengers, there’s no room for Superstars in a crew boat.

So when these two worlds collide it can cause fireworks. As runners, we don’t get many chances to operate as a team. Even in the XC season, individual effort is prized almost as most as your team’s counting position. 

I raise this for a couple of reasons. It’s noticeable amongst local clubs that there are some that train and run races as a squad and indeed will run as a pack. Now, I grant they are lucky to have a reasonably large number of people of similar ability, but could other clubs learn something from that?

I offer that a group that decides to train and race as a squad will see improvements all round. Yes, the quickest runners may not be working at 100%, but they will be pushing the slower ones to perhaps push the envelope and exceed their potential. It would be a risky strategy and would likely take a few months of frustration but I think overall the whole club would benefit.

I’m certainly not claiming that this is the only route to improvement, just a collection of thoughts I’ve brought together over a few months. Throwing it out for debate. I know I’m on shaky ground with this as for the last 18months I’ve been training solo. It’s a decision I have no regrets about, but undeniable that when others join me for a session, I think everyone achieves a great level of performance that they otherwise would have done. I love that feeling and seeing others achieve great things; it inspires me to try even harder. Overtake me on an Interval? You can be damn sure I will be trying everything I can to stay with you till the end.