Monday Motivation

#mondaymotivation It might not be today but if you dig in and stay strong you’ll get your moment! #thewanderinglondoner

So I met this jolly pair in 2006 and planned to use them for the 2007 London Marathon. I changed plans and ran with Adidas instead. It was a case of a situation faced by most sports leaders, head coaches and managers - Making difficult and unpopular sporting selections for the overall good.

I packed them up and moved home from Tower Hamlets to Barking & Dagenham. During this time I forgot them for a few years before unearthing them in the basement around 2009. They were still in great nick and looked fresh and battle ready. 

For a few years they just sat on a shelf looking good but stayed inactive as unused subs. In fact sometimes they’d be lost to view for months on end due to being covered up by mountains of shoes, sandals, trainers. 

During London Olympic year I had so many different footwear that this lot stayed firmly on the bench. The squad was big and the rotation policy wasn’t favourable. Thereafter followed a few more years in the doldrums before a few meagre appearances in 2017 and 2018. 

The loyal servants again took a backseat and were forgotten again. 

Last year I made a decision to switch trainers for the big event at the last minute. I had a new pair sitting in my car boot which were no good at this stage and I had a lightbulb moment. 

I dug my old friends out and bought them in from the cold. I surveyed the wide grins and big shining puppy eyes staring back at me. There was no resentment - Just happy, happy. 

After 13 years the weary old journeymen lived up to their star billing and  stayed loyal to me throughout the London Marathon 2019, providing excellent spring, bounce, protection and comfort. I spotted two of the most horrible blisters after removing my socks at home afterwards and honestly hadn’t felt anything whilst running.

It was a Pat Cash, John Jensen in Euro 92, Goran Ivanisevic, Greece 2004, Toto Schillaci, Oleg Salenko, Buster Douglas, Leicester City kind of all rolled into one career defining moment. 

They have pride of place on the old shelf now.

Life will throw situations where we will feel neglected and unfulfilled but it’s important to have perspective, keep working, trusting your ability, showcasing and be totally ready to seize that opportunity when it arrives. 

For most of us one chance is all we will ever get to make the leap to fulfilling and realising our ambitions so the grasp must be a very tight one. 

This pair may have been neglected, underused and forgotten for years but when the call came over a decade later boy were they ready and boy did they shine.