All or Nothing

The last two weeks here in St. Moritz have given me a taste of what it is like to live your days as a full time athlete. Train, eat, rest, repeat. It sounds great and it is, most of the time. 

To maximise the benefit of any form of exercise-induced stress on the body, adequate rest and recover time must be afforded. Fair and well, that this might be a core tenant of physiology but try convincing your better half of same when you are trying to justify why you are going to bed for a mid-afternoon siesta back in Cobh while your two small children are running up the bill at the local creche!

That’s why coming away from the external stresses of work and family life are in part what makes a period of training like this successful. Going to bed at night only having to worry about where you run in the morning, what gear you wear and who you have for company is hardly the biggest set of challenges you might have to consider before putting the head down. 

Piz Nair, 3057m above sea level

There is no shortage of running routes here high up in the Engadine Valley. In fact, a conservative estimate suggests there is 400km worth of trails and tracks to explore, be it on foot or bike. Heaven for anyone with a love of the great outdoors. Here you will find some of the most amazing scenery you are ever likely to see. Fast flowing rivers and silver topped lakes overlooked by towering mountain peaks, many of which sit at 3,000m and beyond. 

Whether trekking, running or biking around these parts, most seem to conform to the unspoken code of etiquette that allows for a brief exchange of smiles and pleasantries, which suggests to me that everyone else is enjoying themselves just as much as we are! I will have to remember to drop the ‘morgen’ and ‘grazie’ greetings on my return to the Irish roads or I might start getting funny looks!

I normally have my two British training mates Andy & Jonny for company when they are running easy. Andy has his sights set on breaking the British national marathon record for his age category (035-45) when he travels to Valencia at the start of December while Jonny is looking to secure the Olympic qualifying standard when he lines up in Berlin in five weeks time. While their humble and welcoming approach is one that makes life around them very normal, it is inspiring at the same time to spend time in the company of people who are aiming at such heights. 

Equally impressive neighbours to call your own are the Norwegian trio of Ingebrigtsen brothers. Remarkably, Henrik, Filip and Jakob have all held the title of European Champion over 1,500m in the last seven years. Coached by their father, Gjert, who is famed for his sometimes unconventional methods, the Ingerbrigtsen’s have even been the subject of a television series back in their home country. Available on youtube accompanied by English subtitles, it makes for compelling viewing. Having had the pleasure of speaking with Gjert and the boys over the last couple of weeks, I can say almost for sure that their approach is not half as outlandish as might be suggested. 

Team Ingerbigtsen

Unlike the more modest, egalitarian outlook which encourages participation first and foremost in sport, Gjert has pushed his children from a young age to be the best athletes they can be. It is certainly different from the more modern school of thinking when it comes to youth development but one that apparently is working for now, given the boys success at the very top level of athletics. When I put it to the head of the family that his ways are often said to be different from the norm, he gave me an insight into what pushes him towards pushing them. 

Born in Båtsfjord, one of the most northern and exposed parts of Norway, Gjert’s father died when he was just four years old. Growing up in such extreme conditions without a father figure forced him to work a lot of life out for himself. Nothing was handed to him on a plate as he recalled, and so neither would any of his own seven children get an easy ride in life. 

“If you want to be successful at anything in life you must work very hard, but hard work is not something everyone likes.” 

I look forward to following the progress of Team Ingerbrigtsen through the upcoming World Championships in Doha and beyond and am grateful for the opportunity to have had a brief insight into their world over the last couple of weeks. 

Hill work never looked so inviting!

While their performance levels are on an entirely different level to mine, that same principle of working hard to achieve your goals is one that I can certainly relate to as it was inspires me everyday. 

This week our two boys will go back to school. The youngest, Charlie, is joining his bigger brother, Alfie, for his first term in primary school. It is unfortunate that my time away coincides with such an occasion and I would, of course, like to be there to share the moment but these are sometimes the decisions you have to make if you are going to give everything to realise what you set out to do. All or nothing, once again. 

I am very grateful that along with my wife, Victoria, both of the boys and my parents will be able to make the trip to support me in Berlin next month. By putting everything possible into the preparation for that one day, I might in years to come have a good reference point to reflect back to when the subject of hard work and commitment needs to be encouraged among the two boys. 

If, through my actions, I can show them that endeavour and a willingness to prepare are some of the most important attributes to see us through our days, they themselves should be in a better position to succeed at whatever challenges they might face in life.

As a wise man once said, “if you want to be successful at anything in life you must work very hard, but hard work is not something everyone likes.”

Keep up to date with Trevor's journey to September's Berlin Marathon by following @TrainWithTrevor across all social media