In 1962 the was the film, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, starring Tom Courtenay, and written by Alan Stillitoe.
It tells how Colin, a youth from the English of Nottingham, famous for Robin Hood, a boy who was rebellious, and from a poor background, was caught stealing from a bakery, and was sent to a reform school.
It was at the reform school that he found solace, satisfaction in long distance running, he could escape from everyday problems, review his past and re-evaluate the privileges and rank given to him by the authorities a the borstal or reform school.
It was whilst he was running that he had to push through the pain barrier, that pain that grips the stomach, and at which time many people give up the race. It is when he pushed through this barrier that he could escape into his world.
Many years ago, I found the joy of long distance running, or as I knew it, cross country running.
As a boy, I would set off on a route, where there could be no turning back, I just had to continue to reach my destination.
I would not jog, but set off at a fast speed, I needed to do more paces, or strides, than most people as I have short fat hairy legs.
My legs would begin to ache. I would start to breath heavily, and begin to sweat.
I knew that within a few moments I would get the extreme pain in my stomach, the stitch as we called it. If I pushed through that, it would disappear, the pain in my legs would go, my breathing would ease, and I would feel the cooling wind on my body.
It was as if I was floating on air, my legs would be ponding away, but I felt nothing.
It was then that I felt I was in a different world, my own world, where I could be by myself, to think, to plan, to review, and it was so plain to see what I was to do, to be able to plan.
Unlike
Colin in the film
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, I have found that it is of no use to be rebellious against authority.
Colin, under the guidance of the governor of the borstal, becomes the best long distance runner in the region, and he is entered into a competition against a local school.
Colin soon realises who is the person he must beat to win the race, and as soon as the race starts,
Colin over powers the competition, leading the race from the start. As he runs he is in his own world, reflecting on the horrid past he had lived, and all he saw was the hopelessness of the future.
He stops just before the finish line, and although the onlookers and supporters shouted for him to continue, he could see no future, and rebelled against all, allowing the other to race past him and win the race.
For me I want a brighter future, I know that there will be pain, times when I am alone in a far off country, having to eat by myself in the evening, to go to bed without a good night hug or kiss, when I have a long stretch of training days, perhaps 21 days without a break from 9am in the morning until 6pm at night. I know that there will be many obstacles along the way, people not agreeing to my methods, my teaching, people who have problems they want me to solve, which is over and above the course content. There will be people who will be trying to trip me up, to make me fall, but in my extra hightened state of awareness I can see them before they can strike. But, if I push on, the pain I will suffer will be overcome, and I will be able to see things much clearer, it will be as if I am on a cloud, being able to work at a higher level.
I know that the end will come, and that if I push on, just like when I was a younger me, I will win, and all who ran the race with me will be winners too.
I plan for that brighter future, I have nothing else in my mind, so much so, that I love my job.
