When Bangs Met Paula
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting, interviewing and running with the legend that is Ms Paula Radcliffe. (Notes on running with Paula: turns out, she’s a bit fast). Just a few days before the London Marathon, she spoke to a crowd at Nike Town at Oxford Circus about her own return to running after having a baby (which is why she gave Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon a miss), how she keeps going through hard runs and her plans for 2012. Afterwards, I got a few minutes with her for a private chat. Check out what she had to say below:
Bangs: Are you approaching 2012 like any other competition?
Paula: In a way I am approaching it like any other competition, but the fact that it’s in London just makes it that extra bit special. It’s a massive extra motivation. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for an athlete to get to do an Olympics in their home country, so it’s all positive.
Bangs: When did running go from being something you were good at to something you wanted to do professionally? Was there a big light bulb moment?
Paula: I had that competitive element from the age of six. I just wanted to beat everyone. I remember my first school race, I came second, so I found out where the next race was and got my dad to take me up there every weekend so I could practice on that course and win the next one. In terms of it being something I thought I could make a career out of, that was a really gradual process. I was really just focusing on winning races. I was probably in university by the time I realised it was something I could do professionally. My parents and coaches really wanted me to get my degree so I had something to fall back on because in sport, one injury and it’s over. So I gave myself a year when I finished uni to see if I could make it as a career and luckily, I never had to go and get a job.
Bangs: Please tell me there are days when you just don’t wanna do it…
Paula: Oh yeah! [cue Bangs silently rejoicing] When it’s a really crappy day outside, you don’t wanna go out there and get wet or you just feel really tired.
Bangs: So how do you overcome that?
Paula: Do a run you really enjoy or run somewhere totally different. Try running without your watch so there’s no pressure or go out with someone else. Usually you find when you get out the door, you do enjoy it. My rule is that if after 10 or 15 minutes you still feel rubbish, just leave it that day. You don’t want to flog a dead horse. If you really do feel tired, listen to your body and just take the day off.
Bangs: Do you have any other tips for overcoming those mental barriers?
Paula: Have a plan – get a training schedule mapped out so you know what you should be doing that day. Run with a group. If there’s five or six of you, it’s rare that you’re all gonna have a tired day on the same day, so you can motivate each other. Also, vary your training sessions to make them interesting, so while you may not be in the mood to do a long run, maybe you would enjoy some hill reps.
So there you have it, even World Champions have days they don’t want to go for a run, the key is to just get out there. A massive thanks to Paula for her time and to Nike for setting it up.
Marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe led a Nike run club through the streets of London to launch the new Nike+ SportWatch GPS Powered by TomTom. The watch provides a dynamic and motivational running experience thanks to its unique functionality, beautiful design, and direct connection to www.nikeplus.com. Find out more at www.nikestore.com. RRP £179
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Tags: 2012 Olympics, Nike, Nike GPS Sportwatch, Paula Radcliffe, running
