Sky Academy Scholar Mark English on summer preparation and why athletics is so great
By Mark Ashenden
Last Updated: 24/03/17 12:10pm
For a man who is used to preparing for a new season pounding the tarmac, spending the last few weeks in water hasn't been easy.
Swimming has been a major part of Mark English's return to fitness since a foot injury (thanks to running over a pothole) forced his withdrawal from the World Indoor Championships in March.
The 23-year-old Sky Academy Sports Scholar and 800m runner opens up about his season preparation and love affair with athletics.... .
I'm optimistic about the summer. The challenge since the injury has been finding ways to keep fit so when I return to training properly I can focus on finding my rhythm again.
I'm hungrier than ever to put on my spikes and leave the swimming goggles behind. I have a 600m race planned for Birmingham on June 6 but I'll need to see how the injury progresses.
I really hope I can race in Amsterdam at the European Championships, but it isn't the priority. The Olympics come first, and I won't do anything that would put my race preparations for Rio in jeopardy.
Fighting back to fitness got me thinking about what makes my sport so great. So I wrote a few words.....
1. RIVALRIES
The IAAF and meet directors are really trying to promote head-to-heads this year and it is needed if they want to return to the Seb Coe vs Steve Ovett and Linford Christie vs Carl Lewis days.
Essentially, it's about creating the right story around it and allowing people to naturally choose sides.
Take the Coe-Ovett rivalry. This was pitted as a good boy vs bad boy rivalry. The public were intrigued because they were a Coe or an Ovett fan. Similarly, you were a Linford Christie or Carl Lewis fan.
And it's no surprise to watch these showdowns and see packed-out stadiums. Last year, we saw huge interest in Usain Bolt vs Justin Gatlin in Beijing. Everyone loves a good ol' showdown.
2. DRAMA
Anything can and does happen. Even the overwhelming favourites have a capacity to bottle and it's an irresistible sight to watch. Take John Treacy's victory over Ovett - otherwise known as that "arrogance personified" video on YouTube.
The "mud lark" Treacy out-leans a celebrating Ovett who clearly thought he had the race sewn up. You'd be hard pressed to pick a better video to teach someone that "it ain't over till it's over".
3. THE PAIN IS RELATABLE
I have to put my hands up and admit that before I was 10, I wouldn't run more than a mile. I wondered what the point was.
Grabbing a football and using jumpers as goalposts seemed more fun than running around in circles. But then I had to run cross-country and experienced a whole new world of pain.
Then came the 'fun run' 5k and 10k races at local Turkey Trots. After grinding my way through those races, I could only imagine what marathoners had to put their bodies through on a daily basis.
From then on, I went from switching the channel when a marathon came on, to empathising with the pain, focus and the slog. And those who have run any of these races will know what I'm on about.
4. NATIONAL GLORY
There's a huge surge of national pride anytime someone does well on the big stage. I know I felt incredibly proud watching David Gillick (400m) and hurdler Derval O'Rourke winning their indoor titles over the years. The arenas can be viewed as "proving" grounds, where nations seek to get one up on each other.
I remember very well when Gillick beat the German athlete Bastian Swillims (donning a very eccentric one-piece suit) to win the European indoors in 2006.
5. SIZES FOR EVERYONE
Athletics is a sport that caters for all sizes.
It's fascinating to walk around the dining hall at a Diamond League meeting and note the difference between the lean marathoners and the muscled shot-putters. No other sport has such a vast array of sizes.
6. SUMMER MEETS
A few of my mates came along to the Morton Games two years ago. This is an athletics meeting held in July in Santry, Dublin. They weren't regulars at athletics meets but they thoroughly enjoyed it.
From the exciting commentary trackside to great weather and track records - it's a great place to chill in the summer. You don't even need to fully understand athletics to enjoy watching it.
I'm sure if I went to watch an NFL game, I wouldn't have a Scooby Doo what was going on, but I'd still have a great time munching on some popcorn - it's a well-sold package.
Athletics could do even more to package itself along these lines, but meets like the Morton Games lead the way when it comes to entertainment and carnival-type atmospheres.
7. RELAYS
The best sporting event I have ever been to without doubt has been the Penn Relays. It's the oldest and largest track meet in the United States. It's a mixture of high school, college, university and elite events, attracting 15,000 competitors over five days.
The atmosphere is fascinating. The crowd usually tops 10,000 on the final day, many of them Jamaican. And when the "USA vs the World" relays begin, there's huge passion. Everyone loves getting behind a team.
Invariably, there will be at least one race where the leader is hunted down over the last few strides. It's a refreshing reminder of what's beautiful about relays in general - displays of pure desire, guts and pride.
WHAT'S COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS
19 - 27 MAY: Savannah Marshall, World Championships in Kazakhstan
22 - 30 MAY: Sam Oldham, Europan Gymnastics Championships in Switzerland
