What do you do when you have the opportunity to trade in your penciled ten miler for a 5k with Mo Farah? You run with the wind in your face and dust at your feet, that’s what! So that’s exactly what I did. Having won a competition to run, have breakfast and have a Q&A with the running demi God himself, I found myself on the Piccadilly line, Arsenal bound to one of the most memorable Sunday mornings of my life.
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The sun was high and the air was crisp. But the atmosphere was silently filled to the brim with expectation and excitement. Personally, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. This opportunity meant more to me than most.
It’s no secret that my father’s untimely passing was one of the reasons I began ‘running’ (more like shuffling!) up and down my street beneath a cloak of darkness. It is also well known that my father was a die hard (pardon the pun) Arsenal fan and by default, I had followed suit.
So hold up, not only was I going to run with THE man of the moment, Mo Farah but also I was going to get to lap the Emirates Stadium? Excuse my lack of decorum right now but; HOLD ME BACK FAM! I can’t help but believe that my Dad slipped God a lil suttin suttin just so I could live our dream.
Once we were all ready in our ‘One Mo Mile’ t-shirts and had dealt with all the legal practicalities, in walked the man himself. Slight and humble with a head slick enough to breakdance on, he was everything I had imagined and more.
“I am having a moment.’’ I said to friend and fellow RunDemCrew runner, Melissa.
Before I could faint from love at first sight, we were off zig zagging our way through Highbury and Islington; he kept the pace at a RELAXED seven-minute miles. Considering he performed a blistering race the day before where he was doing the same but within the unfathomable region of four minutes per mile, I can only believe it felt like a walk in the park.
Once we huddled together for more photos and caught our breath, we were lead upstairs to a well-deserved breakfast of sausage rolls, pastries and the like. While, I would like to say, I kept it ladylike and reserved my appetite, I am currently in marathon training and my body doesn’t play that! I ate for myself and those that were there in spirit!
It was thrilling to watch him interact with his fans in such a relaxed manner. It was almost as if we were his friends. Not once did he turn down a photo or seem uninterested. He genuinely made everyone feel like they were the most important person in the room.
During the Q&A he explained, that he too is still a young man who when invited to have a kick about with the Arsenal players, became as star struck as a child and then fully understood how his fans must feel.
“How much of your success is down to talent? If you could give us a percentage breakdown, how hard do you work to maintain your excellence?” I asked
“Man, talent will only take me so far. When I line up against my competitors, I know we are all talented. The track does not lie. It shows your weaknesses. But if you’ve put the work in, it also shows your strengths. Yes, I am a naturally gifted runner and enjoy what I do. Regardless of the money or Nike, don’t get me wrong, such things are nice. But they are not what entice me to comeback. It’s knowing, I gave my all. And that I trained hard enough, regardless of talent, to be the best.”
There he was. An inspirational character, I usually only get to converse with in my head, looking me dead in my eye and confirming my worst fear. It’s never about talent. Sure, that’s a blessing but those with less of it will trump you as they had more of an inclination to hit the track and do 8 x 400’s while you catch up on The Grammys. Shame.
Mo, if you happen to be reading this, thank you for involuntarily being the face of our Olympics. And I wasn’t kidding about the RunDemCrew invite. Every Tuesday is an opportunity to run with London’s finest.
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About Candice
I don’t know how long I’ve got here. And to be honest I don’t care! While I am here, I am going to make sure I investigate every nook and cranny of life. I do this through two ways; writing and running. Both allow me to inhale and exhale. At 24 years old I’ve been blessed to see far corners of the earth, race in exotic countries and then write about it! I had no idea I would be where I am today. With a first class degree in life, I live by the words of my favorite singer; James Vincent McMorrow ‘ I’d rather be working for something, than praying for the rain’ So I work hard and then dance in the rain, until the rainbow’s fade into the sunset. Follow @CandiceBrownB