Challenge Of Representation

ALEX TEUTEN ON HOW TO TARGET THE BIG RACES THIS WINTER

- Alex Teuten

FOR PRETTY much everyone in athletics, the opportunity to represent, be it at county, regional or national/ international level is a huge, if not ultimate, goal. Of course, once it is achieved then the objective shifts to doing as well as one can in the representation event but the process of qualification is a stressful process and is usually the result of a carefully structured and executed training plan.

The area and school champs for all the counties in the UK will have just been held, and the process of selection for the UK Inter-Counties and English Schools is currently taking place. Some will be left disappointed, but some will be ecstatic that their training has paid off and they can now look forward to pulling on their county vest.

It is of course an honour to represent and is an opportunity to shine and compete against some of the best cross-country runners in the UK at an invitation-only event. There will be pressure, too, and it is important to manage that and channel it into producing the best performance one can. For many, it will be the first time and without the experience of running in a national event the nerves will be jangling metaphorically speaking.

So what advice can I give to those people? From experience, I would ensure you are prepared physically and mentally for the task in hand. Many athletes tend to have a mid-season break around this time; it helps to refocus, evaluate goals and prepares the body for the hard training and racing that is yet to come. During this time, I would sit down with your coach (or put pen to paper if you’re self-coached) and come up with a structured plan for the rest of the season, leading into those championship races.