<p><span lang="EN-US">It has been a historic season of marathon racing. Because of the pandemic, all the world&rsquo;s major races have been packed into a two-month window, and what a festival of incredible performances it has been! On Sunday (5), the Spanish city of Valencia will host t</span><span lang="EN-US">he final&nbsp;</span><span lang="EN-US">World Athletics Elite Platinum Label</span><span lang="EN-US">&nbsp;ma</span><span lang="EN-US">rathon of the year, to bring the curtain down on this exciting, unique and intense period of racing.</span><span lang="EN-US">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">If you follow my writing, you&rsquo;ll know that food is never far from my thoughts! Having been an elite marathon runner for several years, food and fuel have always been a high priority. When I was training and competing as an elite athlete, I always tried to eat as much as possible of what I call &lsquo;highly nutritious&rsquo; foods, namely foods that contain a large amount of micro-nutrients. One of these foods is seafood &ndash; I ate clams, oysters, squid, prawns, scallops and more, as often as I could. Which brings me back to Valencia, and tomorrow&rsquo;s marathon.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">The classic Spanish dish, paella, is from the Valencia region and shares its name with the large flat pan it is cooked in, over an open fire. Traditional Valencia paella contains meat, especially chicken and rabbit. But being a seafood fan, my favourite is an alternative version which is packed with whole prawns, mussels and squid. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">Paella, like so many traditional, iconic dishes, has numerous variations depending on the region, who is making it, what is available, and so on. Its simple combination of rice, meat or fish, and vegetables is great for distance runners. I wonder how many runners in Valencia will sit down tomorrow evening to a delicious local paella? I must say, I wish I was there with them!</span><span lang="EN-US">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61ab5a618c2632be6a28e64f.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /><br /></span></p>
<h2><span lang="EN-US">Ingredients</span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> <span lang="EN-US">1 large onion, finely chopped<br /><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> </span><span lang="EN-US">3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span><span lang="EN-US"> o</span>live oil for frying<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> 4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span><span lang="EN-US"> h</span>alf teaspoon saffron<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> 1 teaspoon smoked paprika<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> 200g rice (ideally Bomba rice, but I use sticky white rice)<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> 100g squid, cut into rings<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> 10 king prawns, shell on<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span><span lang="EN-US"> a</span>pprox 20 mussels<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> 300ml fish stock<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> 150ml white wine<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">&bull;</span> 1 lemon, chopped into wedges<br /><br /></span></p>
<h2><span lang="EN-US">Method</span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull;</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span>Start by scrubbing the mussel shells clean, cutting off any beards, and discarding any that are opening. Place the clean mussels in a saucepan with a well-fitting lid. Add 1cm of boiling water and steam for 10 minutes with the lid on. Discard any that have not opened and set aside. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull;</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span>Next, in a paella pan if you have one, or a large flat frying pan, fry the onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue frying for 2 minutes. Add the tomato, saffron and smoked paprika, turn down the heat and continue stirring until the tomatoes have broken down. Add the squid and cook for 2 minutes, then the rice and stir well for another 2 minutes. Now add the wine and most of the stock. Give it one quick stir and then stop. Allow the mixture to cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes, depending on which type of rice you use. You may need to top up with a little extra fish stock or boiling water if the mixture becomes too dry before the rice is fully cooked.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61ab5a528c2632be6a28e64c.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"><br />&bull;</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span>While the rice is cooking, place the prawns on top, spread around so they cook through. Once pink on the underside, turn them over. If the rice becomes brown and crispy on the bottom of the pan, that is fine &ndash; this is one of the tastiest parts of a paella! </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull;</span>Finally, arrange the steamed mussels and </span><span lang="EN-US">lemon wedges on top and serve immediately. </span><span lang="EN-US"> &nbsp;</span></p>
<p><strong><span lang="EN-US">Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics Be Active</span></strong></p>

The classic Spanish dish, paella, is from the Valencia region and shares its name with the large flat pan it is cooked.

Recipe: Valencian paella

<p>The period of time immediately after an Olympic Games is when we often see elite athletes retire from their sport. The Olympics is the pinnacle of competition for many athletes, perhaps even the dream of a lifetime. It makes sense to put your heart and soul into competing on this world stage, and then use the time that follows to think about what comes next and move on to pastures new.</p>
<p>Continuing to train hard for another four years &ndash; or in the case of the postponed Tokyo Games, five &ndash; is a long time for athletes who may be coming to the end of their careers. With the Games over, the post-Olympic period is an obvious time to call it a day.</p>
<p>Retirement, however, is not an easy process for many elite athletes. Competing at world-class level often calls for total devotion to your sport. The time, mental energy, physical exertion and sacrifices required to be competitive at this level are considerable. Your entire existence can become wrapped up with being an elite athlete. It certainly is a vocation and all-consuming.</p>
<p>When this life comes to an end, many things abruptly stop: your daily routine, training with your friends and teammates, an aspiring goal that fires you up, the guidance of a coach, your income, possibly&hellip; and many others besides. It&rsquo;s not an exaggeration to say that, in essence, what defined you as a person &ndash; your entire identity as an athlete &ndash; comes to an end.<br /><br /></p>
<p><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/618fb1ac90699f7b6307a136.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /><br /><em>Mara Yamauchi speaks at a conference in 2017&nbsp;</em><em>(&copy; Getty Images)</em></p>
<p><br />Some athletes might make this transition seamlessly, but for many it is difficult. For every athlete who has made a fortune, built a successful brand, or become instantly recognisable, there will be huge numbers who have none of these things, even though they may have worked just as hard as the medal-winners and champions.</p>
<p>Mental ill health often accompanies retirement for elite athletes but thankfully, talking about mental health is no longer as taboo as it once was. Last month we marked World Mental Health Day on 10 October, and Mental Health Awareness Week occurs in May every year. These landmark events remind us to look out for people in our lives who may be suffering. The need for support for retiring athletes is now much better recognised than in the past, and more athletes are finding the courage to speak up about their experiences. This has led to the appearance of a variety of organisations which provide help to retiring athletes, including recruitment companies matching employers with former athletes.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/mk/asics-world-ekiden" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6195029fbb3bbc7313bde908.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></a></p>
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<p>My own experience of retiring from elite competition was certainly difficult. The void left behind, which my marathon career had previously filled, felt enormous. I felt bereft of solutions for replacing what I&rsquo;d worked so hard at and enjoyed over many years.</p>
<p>However, one positive aspect of retiring from the marathon was a memorable conversation I had with a friend about it. She commented: &ldquo;It seems wrong to use the word &lsquo;retirement&rsquo; for athletes, who are mostly still young; a word like &lsquo;reinvention&rsquo; is surely a much better alternative.&rdquo; I could not disagree. &lsquo;Retirement&rsquo; suggests a coming to an end, or something being over; whereas &lsquo;reinvention&rsquo; evokes new beginnings and the &lsquo;recycling&rsquo; of valuable skills, experience and attributes. I tried to hold on to this thought as I navigated the journey from world-class athlete to ordinary person. I was also struck by how this different way of viewing a move from one way of life to another might also be useful in adjusting to other life-changing events, such as children leaving home.</p>
<p>An example of an athlete who has successfully reinvented herself is Goldie Sayers, the 2008 Beijing Olympic javelin bronze medallist and British record-holder, who founded and runs a property development business.<br /><br /></p>
<p><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/618fb1bf90699f7b6307a139.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></p>
<p><br />&ldquo;Retiring from sport is challenging for every athlete but I tried to see it as an opportunity to learn new things while having the time and headspace to do something new,&rdquo; Sayers explains. &ldquo;As athletes we tend to be addicted to progress and challenge, so running my own business was a good way to achieve both those things. I had experience of renting property while I was an athlete, and running a business seems to fill the identity void that was left when I retired.&rdquo; Sayers also suggests that athletes who have retired before you might be a useful source of advice as mentors.</p>
<p>If I could go back and give my younger self some advice about leaving elite sport behind and reinventing myself, this is what it would be.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>1. Be aware of grief</h2>
<p>Saying goodbye to an entire way of life as an elite athlete is a major loss, and, like all losses, grieving for it might be necessary. The sense of something valuable that is gone forever, being unable to get it back, and feeling the emptiness of its departure are all signs of grief which could easily affect athletes. Grief, though painful, helps us humans to process the loss of things dear to us. Grief might not hit you, but being aware that it is a possibility could help to explain any feelings of sadness.<br /><br /></p>
<h2>2. Seek help</h2>
<p>Being willing and able to admit you need help is important. Help, in whatever form is necessary for you at the time, might be the difference between setting off on a new, positive path, and spending a long time unable to move forward and flourish. Help could take any number of forms and it might take time to figure out what exactly you need. There is no shame in asking for help. &nbsp;<br /><br /></p>
<h2>3. Plan ahead</h2>
<p>While still competing, acquire skills, work experience or education that will smooth the way to a life after sport. Thinking ahead, while you are still an athlete, to what you might do afterwards gives you time to put plans in place and prepare. This may seem obvious, but it&rsquo;s tempting, while you are an invincible athlete, to imagine that this life will never end. All sporting careers do come to an end eventually. Having thought ahead to what will come afterwards saves time and avoids having to make important decisions at what may be a difficult period.&nbsp;<br /><br /></p>
<h2>4. Engagement with purpose</h2>
<p>Work or activities that are fully absorbing and engaging will go a long way to fill the gap left by a sporting career. Being an elite athlete doing the sport you love and are good at is a very special, unique privilege. Few things can match it in terms of generating motivation and energising you. But if you can come close, that fire and inspiration can be rekindled.<br /><br /></p>
<h2>5. Focus on your daily routine</h2>
<p>What you do every day can have a major influence on how you feel as you embark on reinventing yourself after sport. Doing some physical exercise, connecting with people, having something which provides a little routine each day, doing kind things for other people, and sleep and dietary habits that are fit for purpose will all help to keep your daily life on an even keel.<br /><br /></p>
<p>One model for elite sport which perhaps should be adopted by more nations around the world involves major national organisations such as the armed forces, the police and private sector corporations employing athletes. Italy, Kenya and Japan use this model. While competing and training at elite level, athletes often have reduced work duties. In return, their employers benefit from the prestige and, in effect, advertising, from their employee athletes performing on the world stage. Once their sporting careers are over, athletes can work in &lsquo;normal&rsquo; jobs with these organisations. This gives the employers a supply of well-respected and trained employees, and the athletes a job without the worry of deciding what they will do next.</p>
<p>There is no magic recipe for successfully navigating the end of an elite sporting career and finding a new life. We are all individuals and what works for one will be different for another. At least nowadays there is some recognition that this transition is difficult for many athletes. The more we can have an open, honest and positive debate about it, the better athletes of the future will be served.</p>
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<p><strong>Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics Be Active</strong></p>
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Two-time Olympic marathon runner Mara Yamauchi shares some advice about leaving elite sport behind and reinventing herself.

Retirement, or reinvention?

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<h1><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">ABOUT MAKING TRACKS</span></h1>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">What is Making Tracks?</span>&nbsp;</h3>
<p><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">Making Tracks is a youth engagement strategy targeting K-12</span><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">th</span><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;students that invites all youth to be a part of the history, the cultural diversity, the global unity, and the sheer excitement of the world coming to Oregon for the World Athletics Championships! On our website</span><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none">&nbsp;educators, youth program leaders, and families can find a collection of informative resources, lesson plan ideas, and activities that use a variety of subject areas to investigate the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 with youth.</span><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Making Tracks is your guide to explore WCH Oregon22 and how it will inspire you!</span>&nbsp;</p>
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<h3><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">What is our goal?&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</h3>
<p><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">To use the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 as a catalyst to celebrate and explore cultural diversity, the history and future of the sport of track and field, and healthy and active lifestyles through sport with youth across Oregon, the United States, and the world.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p>
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<h3><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">Who&nbsp;is the program designed for?</span>&nbsp;</h3>
<p><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">Our website and resources are designed to be accessed by educators, youth program leaders, and parents and caregivers to find activities and opportunities for your classroom, youth program or to do at home with kids! Activities and opportunities are available for K-12</span><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">th</span><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;grade audiences. While the resources have been primarily designed by educators in Oregon with local students in mind, sign up for access to all online materials is also available to anyone around the nation and world.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p>
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<h3><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">What does the program provide?</span>&nbsp;</h3>
<p><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">We provide an a-la-carte collection of informative resources, lesson plan ideas, and activities designed to use a variety of subject areas from social studies to math to bring the World Athletics Championships to life in your classroom, youth camp, or home as well as activities and participation challenges designed to promote healthy physical activity through exploring the sports of track and field and running. The program will also provide school/classroom groups and other youth groups the opportunity to participate in exclusive live virtual events and in-person experiences connected to WCH Oregon22 as these opportunities become available closer to event time. Exclusive opportunities will be shared via email if you have signed up for Making Tracks.</span>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">How and when can the resources be accessed?</span>&nbsp;</h3>
<p><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">The Making Tracks digital <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/oregon22/making-tracks/library"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Activity Library</strong></span></a> are now accessible on this website! You'll be prompted to complete a brief sign up form for full access to all resources. Be sure to include a valid e-mail address and sign up for email updates during sign-up to receive email updates about new content and activity additions and exclusive opportunities!</span></p>
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<h3><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">What will you be emailing me?</span></h3>
<p>Updates and information about the Making Tracks Youth&nbsp;Engagement&nbsp;Program and related community involvement opportunities tied to the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. We may also send optional surveys from time to time to request more information about how you are using Making Tracks- participating in surveys greatly helps us measure our reach, understand our user base and provide the best programming possible for our users! During sign-up you will also have the option to sign up for general track and field updates from World Athletics if you desire.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
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Information about the Making Tracks Youth Engagement Program

About Making Tracks

<p>The theme for this year&rsquo;s World Food Day, on 16 October, is &lsquo;Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow&rsquo;. As you&rsquo;ll know from my various recipes for World Athletics Be Active, healthy and tasty food is something that is close to my heart.</p>
<p>If you run regularly, chances are you&rsquo;ll often be hungry. Food habits can have a big impact on your training and performance, as well as on the planet. With climate change a real concern, I&rsquo;m trying to eat less meat while continuing to aim for a balanced, varied diet.</p>
<p>Having lived in Japan for many years, I became a fan of soya products such as edamame beans, tofu and miso. Soya products are a good protein source which are an alternative to meat. One of my all-time favourite soya dishes is agedashidofu &ndash; crispy fried tofu served with a delicious sauce and condiments on top. The hot sauce softens the tofu and makes for a warming and satisfying, yet simple dish.</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;re feeling a little nostalgic for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, try making agedashidofu &ndash; I promise you&rsquo;re in for a treat! &lsquo;Age&rsquo; (<span lang="EN-US">揚げ</span>) means fry, &lsquo;dashi&rsquo; means to take out (<span lang="EN-US">出し</span>) but also means stock (<span lang="EN-US">出汁</span>) (which is the base of the sauce) and &lsquo;dofu&rsquo; (<span lang="EN-US">豆腐</span>) means tofu &ndash; the &lsquo;t&rsquo; becoming a &lsquo;d&rsquo; as it comes after another word.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy making it!<br /><br /></p>
<p><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/616aade1a85d9e262705fc71.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></p>
<h2>Ingredients</h2>
<p>&bull; 1 block of tofu, approx 350g (ideally kinugoshi or silken)<br />&bull; Flour or cornstarch<br />&bull; Vegetable oil for frying<br />&bull; 120ml fish stock<br />&bull; 1 teaspoon mirin<br />&bull; 1 tablespoon soy sauce<br />&bull; Condiments: ginger, daikon radish, both finely grated; finely chopped spring onions<br /><br /></p>
<h2>Method</h2>
<p>&bull; Start by removing excess water from the tofu. Wrap it in a clean, dry cloth, and place in a slightly tilted pan for 10 minutes, to allow the water to drain out.</p>
<p>&bull; Mix together the fish stock, mirin and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring to the boil then turn off the heat. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan. (Agedashidofu should be deep fried, but I use shallow frying, turning the tofu as I fry to ensure every surface is cooked.)</p>
<p><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/616aadcda85d9e262705fc6e.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></p>
<p>&bull; Cut the tofu into six cubes, coat with flour or cornstarch and place carefully into the hot oil. If deep frying, fry until the cubes are golden in colour, remove with a mesh spoon and drain on kitchen paper. If shallow frying, keep turning them carefully until every side is fried, then remove and drain.</p>
<p>&bull; Place the tofu into serving dishes, cover with the hot dashi sauce and place the grated daikon and ginger on top. Sprinkle the chopped spring onions over the tofu and serve immediately while hot.<br /><br /></p>
<p><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/616aadb3a85d9e262705fc6b.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></p>
<p><br /><strong>Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics Be Active</strong></p>

Crispy fried tofu served with a delicious sauce and condiments

Recipe: agedashidofu

<p><em>Ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, and throughout the month, we will be highlighting a series of stories across our channels, as athletes share their mental health journeys. This year&rsquo;s World Mental Health Day campaign is 'Mental health care for all: let's make it a reality', with a focus on highlighting positive stories, as inspiration to others. The first in a new series of posts on our website offers advice on how to cope when dealing with long-term injury, with links to other features at the foot of the story. </em><strong><em>#WorldMentalHealthDay</em></strong><br /><br /></p>
<p>Running &ndash; and, indeed, athletics as a whole &ndash; is a sport that levels things out. A disappointing race result provides a purpose for the next batch of training. A well-run race a vindication of the work that came before.</p>
<p>The benefits associated with running, like any regular exercise, are well publicised, but what about when the sport is no longer an option, when long-term injury has meant running can no longer provide that outlet from your everyday stresses and strains?</p>
<p>Based on personal experiences, here are some pieces of advice if ever you find yourself with an extended period on the sidelines.<br /><br /></p>
<h3>Accept that you will feel down</h3>
<p>It is often said that keeping positive is a crucial part of recovery but it&rsquo;s na&iuml;ve to think you won&rsquo;t have your ups and downs. People run for many different reasons but a big one is how it makes you feel: more confident, sleeping better, even happier. When you lose that, it will take anyone time to adjust.</p>
<p>Feeling low and losing that spring in your step are all perfectly normal responses to injury and when they come along don&rsquo;t beat yourself up for losing that positivity. Watch a film, eat some nice food and accept that there are moments when you will feel glum. They might last longer than you expect but there is no weakness in some self-pity.<br /><br /></p>
<h3>Don&rsquo;t be afraid to talk to people about how you feel</h3>
<p>After any major injury, people will often find themselves surrounded by those closest to them &ndash; friends and family concerned for the wellbeing of their loved one.</p>
<p>It can be quite humbling to have the support of your loved ones and that helps with the positivity.</p>
<p>But over time, there can be the tendency to think that you don&rsquo;t want to burden others with something as trivial in your head as an injury or how it is making you feel.</p>
<p>What you will find, however, is that those that first helped you will invariably still want to help you down the line. Chatting to them and telling them what is occupying your mind is a healthy way of coming to terms with your injury. Try not to bottle up your feelings until it&rsquo;s too late. You&rsquo;ll probably find this can be more upsetting to your loved ones than actually speaking to them in the first place.</p>
<p>Don&rsquo;t suffer in silence, speak to those that care for you. If it doesn&rsquo;t make you feel better, there is no weakness in seeking professional help, too.<br /><br /></p>
<h3>Find something else to focus on</h3>
<p>Athletes are often very passionate people and taking away a pursuit can provide a big gap in one&rsquo;s day-to-day life. But flip it over and you may find yourself with a whole lot of new free time. How you spend that may even open a new exciting chapter in your life.</p>
<p>It can be anything that takes your fancy, from a new exercise that forms part of your rehab routine like swimming or cycling, to completely new and unrelated pursuits such as writing, reading or music. Find something else that excites you and can occupy some of that passion. It will help you pass the time and give you something to look forward to besides your return to the sport.<br /><br /></p>
<h3>Allow yourself the opportunity to re-evaluate your relationship with the sport</h3>
<p>If running or athletics has played a big part in your life and defines who you are, losing that identity can be a very difficult and daunting reality.</p>
<p>But having no option but to think of a life without athletics can be a blessing in disguise. Ask yourself: why do I love to run, throw or jump? What did I get out of the sport and was that always healthy?</p>
<p>Doing so will mean when you do come back to the sport, you will have a better understanding of exactly why you do it. It will also enable you to spot the warning signs should a passion ever become something unhealthy.&nbsp;<br /><br /></p>
<h3>Take it day by day and celebrate the little wins</h3>
<p>At the start of your recovery process, try to find motivation in the things you can do, the slight improvements from day to day along the road of getting better.</p>
<p>Over time, however, it can be easy to think about all the things you cannot do, rather than the things you increasingly can. This is a perfectly normal thing to think, but it doesn&rsquo;t help. Think instead about what you have done today that puts you in a better position than when you woke up. Have you done your physio? Have you given your body the sleep and food it needs?</p>
<p>And if for whatever reason life gets in the way, don&rsquo;t worry about it. It is a long road and everyone has their stumbling blocks along the way.</p>
<p>The road ro recovery can be long and hard, but remember: there is light at the end of the tunnel.</p>
<p>A long-term injury is a horrible thing to endure but it also provides an opportunity. A few years down the line you might even look back and think you are all the stronger for it.</p>
<p><strong>George Mallett for World Athletics Be Active<br /><br /></strong></p>
<p><em>George Mallett is a keen runner who sustained a split knee cap a few years ago, which led to a long recovery process involving surgery and a prolonged absence from the sport. He is now running more and faster than he ever did beforehand and is in a much happier place with his relationship with the sport</em></p>

The benefits associated with running, like any regular exercise, are well publicised, but what about when the sport is no longer an option?

How to cope with long-term injury

<p><img style="width: 200px; height: 200px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg?cachebuster=36d9895b-365f-4c7a-b5f8-6f082ae4b35f" alt="Mara Yamauchi" align="right" />The recent Weltklasse Zurich meeting brought this year's Wanda Diamond League to a close, and what a finale! If you're not yet ready to move on after the excitement in the Swiss city then how about bringing a bit of Switzerland to your home by trying out this recipe for Butterzopf bread?</p>
<p>A soft, light and tremendously tasty plaited bread, Butterzopf, or just Zopf for short, is similar to Challah and brioche. Enriched with butter and milk, if you eat this bread warm and fresh, you might struggle to go back to eating any other type of bread! Traditionally eaten on Sundays and on the Swiss National Day, 1 August, Butterzopf baking in the oven will fill your home with the delightful aroma of a local village bakery.</p>
<p>I first discovered Butterzopf when I was training at altitude in St Moritz. Slices of this divine bread were the perfect antidote to long runs in the mountains which left me drained of energy. The most commonly available Zopf is made with white flour but I found a wholegrain version in the neighbouring village of Pontresina, which was also utterly delicious. I&rsquo;ve recently started making Zopf at home. It is surprisingly easy, so do give it a try!<br /><br /></p>
<h2>Ingredients</h2>
<p><span lang="EN-US">60g butter, melted<br /></span><span lang="EN-US">300ml milk<br /></span><span lang="EN-US">8g active dry yeast<br /></span><span lang="EN-US">2 teaspoons caster sugar<br /></span><span lang="EN-US">500g strong white bread flour<br /></span><span lang="EN-US">1 tablespoon salt<br /></span><span lang="EN-US">Egg wash for brushing: one tablespoon milk with one egg yolk<br /><br /></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/613cd610a673cb96e7bf6a1b.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /><br /><br /></span></p>
<h2>Method</h2>
<p>&bull;&nbsp;Mix the melted butter and milk together. The mixture should be lukewarm. In a small bowl, mix the yeast and sugar, then add 2-3 tablespoons of the butter/milk mixture. Stir well and leave for about 5 minutes until you can see the yeast frothing and bubbling.</p>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull; </span>In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt, then add the yeast mixture and the remaining butter/milk mixture. With your hands, bring the ingredients together into a dough.</p>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull; </span>On a floured surface, knead the dough thoroughly for 10 minutes until springy and elastic. Return the dough to the large bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size &ndash; about 60-90 minutes.</p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull; </span>Remove the dough and knead lightly for 2-3 minutes to get rid of any air pockets. Now you can form your dough into a plait on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Proper Zopf calls for a plait made with two strands of dough. I haven&rsquo;t managed to crack this technique yet, so I make a plait using three strands (I&rsquo;ll keep working on my two-strand technique!). </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull; </span>Separate the dough into three equal sized pieces, roll them into long strands and then plait them, tucking the two ends underneath cleanly. Then brush the egg wash over the whole plait, cover again with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull; </span>Finally, brush again with the egg wash, and cook for about 35 minutes in a preheated oven </span><span lang="EN-US">at 200&nbsp;</span><span lang="EN-US">&deg;C</span><span lang="EN-US">. Once cooked, the bottom of the loaf should sound hollow when tapped. Leave it to cool slightly on a wire rack. Enjoy it while</span><span lang="EN-US"> it is warm and fresh!<br /><br /></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/613cd638a673cb96e7bf6a1e.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></span></p>
<p><strong><br />Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics Be Active</strong></p>

If you're not yet ready to move on after the excitement of Weltklasse Zurich then how about bringing a bit of Switzerland to your home by trying out this recipe for Butterzopf bread?

Recipe: Swiss Butterzopf

<p><img style="width: 200px; height: 200px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg?cachebuster=36d9895b-365f-4c7a-b5f8-6f082ae4b35f" alt="Mara Yamauchi" align="right" />If you&rsquo;re looking forward to watching the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, you might be thinking about learning a few words of Japanese.</p>
<p>The host nation&rsquo;s language is one of the hardest in the world to learn, with three separate alphabets and about 2000 characters in common use. But there are plenty of wonderful features of Japanese too.</p>
<p>All characters can be read in more than one way (some in many ways!) and with so many characters, that means there are a huge number of words which sound (nearly) the same but have different meanings. The word &lsquo;hashi&rsquo; means &lsquo;bridge&rsquo; or &lsquo;chopsticks&rsquo;, depending on your intonation.</p>
<p>Another feature about Japanese that I love is a whole set of onomatopoeic words &ndash; which sound like what they mean. For example &lsquo;pika pika&rsquo; means something that is flashy, shiny or sparkling, like a light flashing on and off.</p>
<p><img style="width: 300px; height: 200px; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/medium/60e989c07b6253328378e93e.jpg" align="right" />One word which is widely loved is &lsquo;katsu&rsquo;. It is familiar to many outside Japan as katsu curry has become so popular. Katsu (<span lang="EN-US">カツ</span>) means &lsquo;cutlet&rsquo; so it refers to the crispy pork or chicken that is fried in breadcrumbs, over which you pour delicious curry sauce. But &lsquo;katsu&rsquo; (<span lang="EN-US">勝つ</span>) is also a verb which means &lsquo;to win&rsquo;. So tradition dictates that before an exam, sports contest or other major challenge, if you eat katsu it will bring you good luck. I wonder if the entire Japanese Olympic team will be eating katsu on the eve of the opening ceremony?</p>
<p><img style="width: 300px; height: 200px; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/medium/60e989f57b6253328378e941.jpg" align="right" />Katsu curry is well-known, but I prefer traditional &lsquo;tonkatsu&rsquo; &ndash; a pork loin or fillet cutlet, with spicy brown sauce, served with rice, shredded cabbage and pickles. What makes it extra special is in some tonkatsu restaurants you&rsquo;ll be given your own little pestle and mortar to grind up toasted sesame seeds which you mix with your brown sauce. The sesame gives the sauce a lovely earthy flavour and a silky texture.</p>
<p>Another absolute favourite of mine is katsudon &ndash; pork cutlet served on rice with a tasty egg and onion sauce on top. I promise I&rsquo;ll bring you katsudon in a future recipe article for World Athletics!</p>
<p>Katsu can just as well be made with chicken instead of pork, and this version of it is equally delicious.<br /><br /></p>
<h2>Ingredients</h2>
<p>2 pork loins or 4 chicken thighs (if using chicken, cut into thirds lengthways)<br />Salt and pepper<br />Panko breadcrumbs, plain flour and 2 beaten eggs for the coating<br />Vegetable oil<br />Sweet white cabbage, one quarter</p>
<p><strong>For the brown sauce:</strong><br />Toasted sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons<br />Worcester sauce, 2 tablespoons<br />Tomato ketchup, 2 tablespoons<br />Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon<br />Mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon<br />Cooking sake, 1 tablespoon<br />Sugar, 1 teaspoon<br /><br /></p>
<h2>Method</h2>
<p>&bull; Spread the pork or chicken out on a large plate and sprinkle salt and pepper all over. Then turn the pieces over and repeat on the other side.</p>
<p>&bull; Wash the cabbage, drain, slice very finely and set aside.</p>
<p>&bull; To make the sauce, grind your sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar. Transfer to a bowl and add all the remaining sauce ingredients and mix well.</p>
<p><img style="width: 300px; height: 200px; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/medium/60e98a147b6253328378e944.jpg" align="right" />&bull; In three separate bowls, place some breadcrumbs in one, flour in another, and beaten eggs in the third. Coat each piece of meat in the flour first, then in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs, and set aside on a large plate.</p>
<p>&bull; In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil until it is really hot. Katsu should ideally be deep fried, but I use shallow frying as it uses less oil, which is simpler to dispose of afterwards. Shallow frying makes the cutlet a slightly uneven colour but I think it tastes just as good.</p>
<p>&bull; Place your coated pieces of meat into the hot oil and fry for about five minutes until the down sides are crisp and golden. Turn carefully and fry the other sides. After five minutes, make a small cut into the meat to ensure it is cooked through thoroughly (cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of the meat).</p>
<p>&bull; Place briefly on to kitchen paper to remove any excess oil. Serve immediately with rice and the shredded cabbage. Drizzle the brown sauce over your cutlet and enjoy!</p>
<p><strong>Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics Be Active</strong></p>

Katsu is a popular Japanese dish. The verb 'katsu' also means 'to win'

Recipe: katsu

<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/8a1d4507-5605-49b2-9512-d91eb3b43460.png" alt="Kate Carter" align="left" />Chocolate has lots of benefits for runners and athletes. No, really. Hear me out...</h4>
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: right;"><strong>Kate Carter</strong> <em>(<a href="https://twitter.com/katehelencarter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katehelencarter</a>)</em></h4>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Deep in the distant past, when I was a small child, there was a TV campaign in the UK by the Dog&rsquo;s Trust charity to encourage responsible pet ownership. &ldquo;A dog is for life, not just for Christmas&rdquo; ran the slogan. Well, I feel much the same about today&rsquo;s World Chocolate Day. Chocolate is far too important to relegate to just a single day. Chocolate is for life, not just a day in July.</p>
<p>I wish I was the kind of person who could open a large bar of chocolate and have just a few squares before putting it away for the next day, but I am not and never will be, and frankly I&rsquo;m not sure those people deserve chocolate anyway. I once went to visit my sister and her family in summer and she still had Easter egg chocolate in the kitchen cupboard. It&rsquo;s incredible that I share DNA with her.</p>
<p>If we had the chocolate Olympics &ndash; and really, we should &ndash; then my podium places would go to Lindt Excellence Extra Creamy, Marks and Spencer&rsquo;s Swiss milk and Hotel Chocolat Dizzy pralines. But though I am a milk chocolate devotee, it&rsquo;s the dark stuff that I probably ought to consume more of, not least because it really is good for you &ndash; and good for running.</p>
<p>Bear with me, I promise this is not funded propaganda for Lindt or Hotel Chocolat (though I am entirely open to offers from both) &ndash; there is plenty of evidence to back this claim up. For a start cocoa, which of course dark chocolate is higher in, has been shown in some studies to improve vascular health. It&rsquo;s thought that&rsquo;s because it is loaded with polyphenols, and they help the body to fight inflammation, reduce oxidative stress and increase the formation of nitric oxide &ndash; which in turn causes blood vessels to dilate. So better blood flow = better vascular health.</p>
<p>But wait! There&rsquo;s more. Lots of runners will have heard that milk is a good post-run recovery drink because it has just the right mixture of protein, carbs, water and nutrients. Well, chocolate milk is even better. The ratio of carbs to protein is better than in most sports drinks, it&rsquo;s easily absorbed (those with dairy allergies clearly notwithstanding) and the added chocolate not only makes it taste nicer, but the added sugar actually boosts the carb content: an 8oz glass of normal milk has about 12g of carbs, whereas chocolate milk has about 30-35g.</p>
<p>Then there are the studies that show that chocolate can even improve your VO2 max &ndash; essentially how fast your body can use oxygen. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5025384/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Researchers found that 20g of dark chocolate a day</a></strong></span> for three months given to sedentary people improved their Vo2 max score by 17%. The fact that that research was done in Mexico, historically speaking the home of chocolate, is surely no coincidence&hellip;</p>
<p>Perhaps more surprisingly, chocolate turns out to be a good source of running fuel as well. Of course as runners we know that sugar = fuel, but chocolate is surely a far nicer source than the sticky gels that marathoners will be all too horribly familiar with. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8886339/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Back in 1996 a study</a></strong></span> fed some lucky college students dark chocolate before a moderate intensity run, and found that their blood sugars stayed higher, fuelling them for longer. Compared to the poor non-chocolate-fed group, they also showed a lower rate of perceived exertion and better blood lactate levels.</p>
<p>Seriously, where does one sign up to be a subject in chocolate-based trials? There's a brand called 80Noir Chocolate that was devised by an ultra-runner who used chocolate as fuel for years. I've never tried it, but would like to volunteer as a guinea pig for any researchers looking for willing victims to test the effects.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Chocolate has antioxidants, a bit of caffeine, a hit of iron, soluble fibre, vitamin D, manganese, copper, magnesium &hellip; it&rsquo;s basically a superfood and I&rsquo;m now wondering if I should eat some more of it. After all, it is World Chocolate Day, right?</p>
<p>Chocolate is for every day, but perhaps even more of it today.</p>

Chocolate is for life, not just a day in July. 

The Athletic Life: why chocolate is a runner's superfood

<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="#JPN">Japanese/日本語</a></em></span></p>
<p>Running alone, at a time that is convenient for you, is one of the joys of this simple sport that many of us take for granted. Just putting on your shoes and getting out into the fresh air, clearing your head, running as far and fast as you like&hellip; running is a simple remedy for the stresses of modern life.</p>
<p>But for Yoko Aoki, one of Japan&rsquo;s top runners with a visual impairment, running is not quite so simple. She always runs with a guide runner. Planning ahead and coordinating her large team of guide runners is a normal part of her running schedule, on top of the physical and mental challenges of training hard and competing at elite level. I caught up with Aoki and her team to hear about the enjoyment and challenges of running with a guide.</p>
<p>Aoki, 45, suffered a detached retina after leaving senior school, and competes in the T12 category. She took up marathon running in 2008 and has gone from strength-to-strength ever since, setting her personal best of 3:09:55 in December 2019. Working full-time for NTT Claruty Corporation, a special subsidiary of NTT, alongside running, Aoki is supported by the Japan Blind Marathon Association (JBMA), which has helped to make Japan a powerhouse in distance running for visually-impaired athletes.</p>
<p>Under the guidance of head coach Yoshihide Fukuhara, himself a visually-impaired athlete, Aoki&rsquo;s team, &lsquo;Team Oyo&rsquo;, consists of around 30 guide runners in total. She runs every morning before work with guide runners who live near her home. Aoki coordinates this rota herself. On Wednesdays and Sundays, she runs speed sessions in a local park or on a running track, overseen by Fukuhara. At each of these sessions, five guide runners will accompany her, one by her side and others running in front and behind.</p>
<p><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60e031dc7c2a7845aeff0b6f.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" /></p>
<p><br />With Aoki&rsquo;s impressive speed, it isn&rsquo;t always straightforward finding enough guide runners who are fast enough to keep up with her. Her team consists of men and women of various abilities. Morning runs tend to be easier runs, but for speed sessions the number of guide runners she can call on who are fast enough is limited. Naoki Okumura is one of the faster guide runners in her team. &ldquo;I can keep up in terms of speed but the height difference between me and Aoki makes it tough&rdquo;, he explains. &ldquo;I am about 30cm taller than her, so I have to adjust my stride length, and drop my arms to suit her running action&rdquo;. Coach Fukuhara says changing your form takes time; it is easy enough for the guide runners over short distances but to run a long way with an unnatural form is tiring. This is a common challenge in Team Oyo &ndash; the faster runners who can keep up with Aoki are mostly the men, but they are, on average, taller than her. So for Fukuhara, an integral part of planning Aoki&rsquo;s training menu is thinking which guide runners can complete sessions with her. As Aoki improves, so too must her guide runners. &ldquo;I want her to get faster, but then it is tough for me too&rdquo;, laughs Yasuhiro Ukitsu, one of the speedier men in the group. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Aoki lives in Tokyo, but training in hot, humid Tokyo summers is tough. So Team Oyo will spend time in Hokkaido and at altitude in Nagano on training camps this summer. For marathon competitions, visually-impaired athletes use two guide runners, who exchange the running tether at the half-way point. Deciding who will fill these two crucial slots in races is something Aoki discusses at length with her team. All three of them must be on top form to ensure a successful result. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<p>Being a guide runner to a world-class athlete may seem like a heavy responsibility. But all of Aoki&rsquo;s guide runners who I spoke with had only positive experiences to report. Safety is the top priority for all of them. Avoiding potholes, warning her about upcoming steps in the pavement, and steering clear of cars, bicycles and pedestrians is paramount. But that is only one small part of being a guide runner. &ldquo;Aoki is training hard and trying her best in a stressful environment, so I often check to make sure she is not overdoing things, or suffering too much&rdquo;, explains Makiko Yokoyama. In competitions, helping Aoki to beat her rivals also comes into play. &ldquo;I help with pace judgement, monitor how Aoki is doing, and give her tips on how to win&rdquo;, explains Hiroyuki Takada, who ran the second half of Aoki&rsquo;s PB-breaking race in 2019.</p>
<p>But being a guide runner isn&rsquo;t all about running. &ldquo;I describe the scenery, identify flowers that are in bloom, and tell her the name of any restaurants we pass whose food smells delicious!&rdquo; explains Ukitsu, who also ran with Aoki when she set her PB. None of the Team Oyo guide runners has formal qualifications, but they&rsquo;ve learned from more experienced guide runners and training events organised by the JBMA. All of them train hard, on top of work and family commitments, to maintain their fitness so they can accompany Aoki. Running to and from work is a popular time-saving way of fitting in training for some of them.</p>
<p>For Aoki and her team, the running they do together builds connections, and creates so many opportunities for shared enjoyment. &ldquo;Many people think guide running must be difficult&rdquo; says Okumura. &ldquo;But with a little care, anyone can do it. Aoki is a competitive athlete but many people with visual impairments simply want to walk or jog. Just give it a go&rdquo;, he says. For Ukitsu, helping Aoki has given him more motivation for his own running. &ldquo;If I tell Aoki to try her best in the last, really hard 1km of a marathon, then I must do the same. When I am in races by myself, I really give it my best at the end&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Fukuhara sums it up: &ldquo;Regardless of disability, age, or gender, simply by running together and talking, we meet new people, enjoy the same activities, and break down walls between us&rdquo;. Aoki explains that by running or walking with someone who cannot see, your world expands. You can gain some sense that you did not have before, and the breadth of your life will expand. &ldquo;More than accompanying another runner, it&rsquo;s about enjoying something together as friends,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;You might notice much more of your surroundings while running as a guide."</p>
<p>Aoki wants to spread awareness about the world of running for people with visual impairents, and being a guide runner. She and her team work incredibly hard together. It isn&rsquo;t all about running, but about human connections, enjoying a variety of experiences together, and making friends.</p>
<p><strong>Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics Be Active</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr />
<p><a name="JPN"></a>&nbsp;</p>
<h1><span lang="JA">青木洋子：ランニングを通じて世界が広がる</span></h1>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span lang="JA">一人で都合の良い時間に走る事はシンプルなスポーツであるランニングの一つの当たり前の楽しみです。ただ靴を履いて、爽やかな空気に囲まれ、頭をすっきりとして、自分が好きな距離やスピードで走る事。。。近代生活のストレスに対してランニングは簡単な薬です。</span></p>
<p><span lang="JA">しかし、日本の視覚障害を持っている力強い選手の一人として青木洋子選手にとって、ランニングはこんなにシンプルではありません。彼女は必ず伴走者、つまりガイドランナーと一緒に走ります。エリートレベルで競技を出場、それから辛い練習の肉体的および精神的な挑戦の上で、前もって計画を立てて、彼女の大きいガイドランナーのチームを調整する事がランニングスケジュールの普通の部分となっています。青木さんとガイドランナーの皆さんと伴走付きのランニングの楽しみと挑戦について話し合いました。</span></p>
<p><span lang="JA">青木選手（</span>45<span lang="JA">歳）は高校卒業後、網膜を剥離したため</span>T12<span lang="JA">のカテゴリーで競技に出場しています。２００８年にマラソンを始めて、２０１９年１２月に</span>3:09:55<span lang="JA">の自己ベスト更新をしたことを皮切りに、どんどんと強くなってきています。マラソン競技をすると同時に青木さんは</span>NTT<span lang="JA">の特例子会社（</span>NTT<span lang="JA">クラルティ）で社員としてフルタイムで勤務しています。</span><span lang="JA">また、視覚障害を持っている選手の長距離競技で日本が強くなる大きなサポートをした日本ブラインドマラソン協会（</span>JBMA<span lang="JA">）のサポートを受けています。</span></p>
<p><span lang="JA">視覚障害選手である福原良英監督の指導に基づいて&lsquo;チームおよ&rsquo;と呼ばれ、青木選手のチームはガイドランナー合わせ合計で３０人程います。毎朝青木さんは家の近くに住んでいるガイドランナーと一緒に走っています。このスケジュールは青木さんが自分で調整します。水曜日と日曜日に近くの公園か陸上トラックでポイント練習を行います。このポイント練習の調整は福原監督の責任下で行われます。ガイドランナーは隣に一人、そして前と後ろにも、合計５人で伴走します。<br /><br /></span></p>
<p><span lang="JA"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60e031787c2a7845aeff0b69.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" /><br /></span></p>
<p><span lang="JA"><br />青木選手の優秀なスピードを考えると、彼女に付いて行ける十分なスピードのあるガイドランナーを数多く見つける事は簡単ではありません。彼女のチームには男女様々なレベルのガイドランナーがいます。朝練ではそれほどペースは速くないのですが、ポイント練習で付いていける速いガイドランナーの人数は限られています。&lsquo;スピードは付いて行けますので問題ないですが、身長の差が３０センチぐらいで、青木さんの走り方に合わせるためにストライドを調整したり腕を下げたりしないといけませんね&rsquo;、と速いチームメンバーの奥村</span><span lang="JA">直樹</span><span lang="JA">さんは語っています。福原監督は&lsquo;フォームを変える事は時間がかかります。短距離なら、不自然な走り方は大丈夫ですが、長距離になると疲れますね&rsquo;と説明しています。これはチームおよのよくある挑戦です。青木さんに付いて行けるガイドランナーは男性が多いですが、身長は平均で青木さんより高いです。福原監督は練習メニューを考えると、ガイドランナーもが走れるか想定しないといけません。青木さんが速くなってくると、ガイドランナーの皆さんももちろん速くならないといけません。&lsquo;青木さんに速くなってほしいですが、そうすると僕も大変です&rsquo;とペースが速い男性のチームメンバー浮津</span><span lang="JA">康宏</span><span lang="JA">さんが笑って話します。</span></p>
<p><span lang="JA">青木さんは東京に住んでいますが、熱くて湿度が高い東京の夏で練習する事が辛いです。なのでチームおよはこの夏北海道や高地である長野県で合宿をする予定にしています。マラソン大会の時に中間点でテザーを交代するガイドランナー二人に視覚障害選手は伴走してもらいます。青木さんはチームの皆さんと一緒に相談しながら、この大切な二人の枠を誰が務めるのかを決めます。結果を残すように三人とも調子が良くないといけません。</span></p>
<p><span lang="JA">世界レベルの選手のガイドランナーは責任が重いと言えます。しかし、話しを聞いた青木選手のガイドランナーの皆さんは積極的な経験を報告していました。皆さんにとって安全は第一です。穴を避けたり、前にある歩道の段差が来るよと警告したり、車、自転車や歩行者の進路を遮らなかったりする事が大事です。ただ、それはガイドランナーの役割の中ではたった一つだけの部分です。&lsquo;青木さんは、日々苦しいトレーニングやストレスの多い環境の中で頑張っているので、少しでも癒しになればと思いながら、無理してないか、辛いことを溜め込んでないかなどを気にしながら走っています&rsquo;と横山</span><span lang="JA">牧子</span><span lang="JA">さんは説明します。大会の際は勝負も現れます。&lsquo;レース中は、安全確保のほか、ペース配分、体調の変化、勝負どころの判断に注意を払っています&rsquo;と２０１９年の自己ベスト更新マラソンの後半を伴走しました高田裕之さんが語ってくれました。</span></p>
<p><span lang="JA">しかし、ガイドランナーは走る事だけが仕事ではありません。&lsquo;周りの景色や咲いているお花の話をしたり、レストランから美味しそうな料理のにおいがしてくる時には、どんなレストランかを伝えることも重要です！&rsquo;と自己ベスト更新マラソンも走った浮津さんが説明しています。チームおよのガイドランナーは正式な資格を持っていませんが、ベテラン伴走者に教えてもらったり、</span>JBMA<span lang="JA">の訓練イベントへ参加したりしています。青木さんの伴走ができるように、お仕事や家事の追加に皆さんは練習を頑張っています。時間を大事にする方法として何人かが仕事の帰りに帰宅ランもしています。</span></p>
<p><span lang="JA">青木さんとチームメンバーの皆さんにとって、伴走は人たちの間の繋がりができたり、同じ活動を一緒に楽しむ機会も多いです。&lsquo;伴走は難しいでしょうと良く言われますが、少しの気配りと思いやりがあれば誰にでもできます。青木さんの場合は競技ですが、視覚障害の方々で歩く事、ジョッギングだけをしたい人が沢山います。気軽にしてみたら良いと思います&rsquo;と奥村さんが話します。浮津さんにとって、青木さんに頑張ってもらうと、自分も頑張らないと、という気持ちになっています。&lsquo;ラストの１キロとか、辛い時に青木さんに頑張って！と言ったら、僕も最後の辛い時も頑張らないといけないですね。一人でレースを走る時でも頑張らなくちゃ、と思います&rsquo;と説明しています。福原監督はこう話します：&lsquo;障害、年齢、男女と関係なく、一緒に走りながら話したりすると、新しい関係ができたり、同じ趣味を楽しんだり、壁を乗り越えられますね&rsquo;。青木さんは&lsquo;目が見えない人と走るとか歩くとかすると、世界が広がっていくと思います。自分にない感覚が得られて、人生の幅が広がっていきます。視覚障害ランナーと伴走するよりも、お友達として何かを一緒に楽しむ事です&rsquo;と説明しています。&lsquo;周りの環境をもっと気が付くかもしれません&rsquo;。</span></p>
<p><span lang="JA">青木選手はブラインドマラソンの世界と伴走者である事を多くの人に知ってもらいたいそうです。彼女とガイドランナーの皆さんは直向きに一生懸命走り続けます。走る事だけではなく、人間関係、様々な経験を一緒に楽しむ事とお友達を作る事が大事です。</span></p>
<p><strong><span lang="JA">世界陸上連盟ビーアクチブ、マーラヤマウチ</span></strong></p>

Running alone, at a time that is convenient for you, is one of the joys of this simple sport that many of us take for granted. But for Yoko Aoki, one of Japan’s top runners with a visual impairment, running is not quite so simple.

Yoko Aoki: widening horizons through running

<p><img style="width: 200px; height: 200px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg?cachebuster=36d9895b-365f-4c7a-b5f8-6f082ae4b35f" alt="Mara Yamauchi" align="right" />Hot summer days are finally here, and the long-awaited Tokyo Olympics will open next month. We've all heard how hot and humid Tokyo summers can be, and having lived through nine of them, I can assure you they are quite something. But in the same way as they host major sporting events, Japanese people apply flawless organisation, carefully thought-through strategies and effective measures for dealing with summer heat. From air-con to clothing, sleep habits to food, Japan has all manner of coping strategies ready to combat the hot months.</p>
<p>When I lived in Tokyo, I was amazed by how quickly the seasons progress from one to the next, and how promptly food choices change accordingly. People love to eat food which is appropriate for the time of year and which helps you to cope with the climate's challenges.</p>
<p>Hot, humid summers have an entire menu of must-eat food items. Flavoured, shaved ice deserts and grilled unagi eel are two of summer's top foods which promise to keep you energised. But my absolute favourite is 'hiyashi chuka', a cold noodle dish covered with colourful, tasty toppings and a delicious sauce. Literally meaning 'chilled Chinese', it is similar to ramen but served refreshingly cold to help fight off heat-induced lethargy. Other names for it are 'reimen' (cold noodles), or 'hiyashi ramen' (chilled ramen).</p>
<p>If you're planning to spend many hours in front of the TV watching the Olympics, do give this dish a try. I promise, it is perfect for a hot, summer's day!<br /><br /></p>
<h2>Ingredients</h2>
<p>&bull;&nbsp;Ramen noodles, 2 portions<br />&bull;&nbsp;Toppings: cucumber, carrots, ham, cherry tomatoes, 2 eggs, cress<br />&bull; Sauce:&nbsp;<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">25ml </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">soy sauce, 30ml rice vinegar, 30ml cold water,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">1 tablespoon </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">sugar, pinch of salt,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">1 tablespoon </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">sesame oil,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">1 tablespoon </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">toasted sesame seeds<br /><br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c4aa44871ab4bc4bd637b6.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" /></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Method</h2>
<p>&bull; Start by boiling the eggs for about seven minutes to ensure they are hard-boiled but the yolks are still a little soft. Remove, allow to cool, peel and cut into halves.</p>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull; </span>Next make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Leave in the fridge to chill.</p>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull; </span>Boil the noodles according to the instructions. As soon as they are al dente, drain and rinse under cold water to cool them quickly. Arrange the cold noodles in two bowls.</p>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&bull; </span>Now prepare the toppings. Carefully chop the cucumber, carrots and ham into matchsticks. Slice the tomatoes in half. Cut the cress with scissors.<br /><br /></p>
<p><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c4aa63871ab4bc4bd637b9.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" /></p>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"><br />&bull; </span>To assemble your dish, place the toppings carefully on the noodles, sloping upwards towards the centre of the dish. Keep the same ingredients together rather than mixing them up. Finally, pour over the sauce, sprinkle the cress on top as a garnish and serve immediately.</p>
<p>You can use a wide range of alternative toppings according to what you like to eat, for example, crab sticks, boiled chicken or pork, prawns, sweetcorn, bean sprouts, wakame seaweed and radishes. Enjoy!</p>
<p><strong>Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics<br /><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60c4aa28871ab4bc4bd637b3.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" /></strong></p>

'Hiyashi chuka' is a cold noodle dish covered with colourful, tasty toppings and a delicious sauce.

Recipe: hiyashi chuka

<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/8a1d4507-5605-49b2-9512-d91eb3b43460.png" alt="Kate Carter" align="left" />Whatever their background, age or speed, runners are always on the same side. Does any other sport really have such a sense of community, or common experience?</h4>
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: right;"><strong>Kate Carter</strong> <em>(<a href="https://twitter.com/katehelencarter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katehelencarter</a>)</em></h4>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>There are about 7.6 billion people on the planet, yet the theory runs that no two people need scan through a chain of more than six social connections before they find a common one.</p>
<p>Back in 2008, Microsoft researchers decided to investigate how true this rather implausible-sounding theory really was. Using billions upon billions of electronic messages, they worked out that any two random people in the world really are apart by only six degrees of separation. Or, to be more precise, 6.6 degrees. After all, who doesn&rsquo;t have 0.6 of a friend?</p>
<p>Today, however, I can exclusively reveal my own study &ndash; peer-reviewed by 0.6 of my friends &ndash; which proves conclusively that any two runners, anywhere in the world, will find a common connection in less than three steps.</p>
<p>OK, so the evidence I put forward is more anecdotal than an entire conference on folk tales, but every time I put it to the test it holds true. If you&rsquo;ve ever found yourself somewhere far from home and fallen into conversation with a fellow runner &ndash; whether at the start line of an overseas race, in a hotel gym, or on public transport where you find yourself sitting next to someone sporting a familiar race T-shirt &ndash; you&rsquo;ll know the phenomenon well. Within a few minutes, you&rsquo;ll find they&rsquo;ve met someone at your running club, you know a few of their running buddies, or you actually finished within about two seconds of each other in a marathon one time. Come to think of it, you had thought they looked familiar, maybe it was from one of your race photos?</p>
<p>Running is near-magical for forging connections and common ground. Two runners together will never suffer from lack of conversation even if, on paper, they have absolutely nothing in common, were born in different hemispheres and are generations apart in age. Because runners can always talk about running. It&rsquo;s getting us to stop that&rsquo;s usually the problem.</p>
<p>Does any other sport really have such a sense of community, or common experience? The most popular sport on the planet might be football, or it might be cricket, or perhaps it&rsquo;s basketball, but with all those sports comes rivalries, or tribalisms &ndash; a sense that you can all too easily be on a different side of a line. With running, we are all, always, on the same side of the line.</p>
<p>Perhaps it&rsquo;s simply because we are all almost entirely only competitive against ourselves and a clock, so regardless of what the clock tells us, we really do feel that we are in it together. One person might take a few minutes more to get round a particular race or run, but it&rsquo;s the same course, the same weather, the same hills to slog up or the same sun that beats down on us. That&rsquo;s enough for a profound sense of camaraderie, no matter what the individual result may say.</p>
<p>Nowhere is this more obvious than in parkrun, where the community element is infinitely stronger than any individual performance would ever be. If you start talking parkrun with another runner, it&rsquo;s almost always to talk about how friendly it is, or how good the cafe next to the finish is, or what a beautiful loop it is &ndash; it&rsquo;s almost impolite to ask how long it took someone to do it &ndash; and who, really, cares anyway?</p>
<p>Then there are bonds forged in races, or on long runs. If a friend paces you to a PB, or supports you round your furthest distance so far, there&rsquo;s a deep sense of gratitude that goes beyond the expected. Even just going through the same experience &ndash; a particularly horrible course or a day when the weather tests you all severely with freezing rain or boiling sun. Whenever that race is mentioned again between the participants, they will get a distant look in their eyes, and nod at each other, like world-weary veterans remembering a long-ago campaign.</p>
<p>But it&rsquo;s also just very simply about sharing a love for something that makes us feel better. All runners know that there are few things (injuries aside) that can&rsquo;t be made better by a run, and are often keen to spread the joy to others, like running apostles. In fact, given that <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/global-running-day-research-nielsen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">today&rsquo;s Neilsen research finds that four in 10 people consider themselves to be runners</a></strong></span>, it makes me wonder why this planet seems to be full of people who don&rsquo;t get on. I mean honestly, has anyone considered just getting the United Nations to host round tables where hostile participants are only allowed to discuss running?</p>
<p>I&rsquo;m not claiming that running could create world peace but &hellip; well actually, I think I might be. The combination of the magic of common connections, plus the endorphins &ndash; surely it wouldn&rsquo;t be a bad place to start.</p>

Whatever their background, age or speed, runners are always on the same side. Does any other sport really have such a sense of community, or common experience?

The Athletic Life: one degree of separation and a few strides of familiarity

<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/8a1d4507-5605-49b2-9512-d91eb3b43460.png" alt="Kate Carter" align="left" />Does nursing make a great runner, or does running turn out to require the same skill set as nursing? It's a chicken-and-egg type scenario that has been made more apparent over the past year.</h4>
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: right;"><strong>Kate Carter</strong> <em>(<a href="https://twitter.com/katehelencarter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katehelencarter</a>)</em></h4>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>For many of us in the past year, running has become less the pursuit of fitness, and more a coping mechanism.</p>
<p>Whether it&rsquo;s a tiny precious window of time out of the house to get fresh air and a change of scene, or an escape from the grind of a job that&rsquo;s changed beyond all recognition, running has made the load a little bit lighter for people all over the world. Nice work, running.</p>
<p>But that load has surely been heaviest for those who have spent the past year on the frontline of healthcare. After all, who needs an escape more than someone whose entire life is spent in the thick of the pandemic?</p>
<p>Today is International Nurses Day &ndash; and I really hope that when the past year or so has receded to a more gentle sepia tone in our memories, we will still remember and be grateful to all the nurses, indeed all the frontline workers who, instead of staying safe at home, ran towards the fire.</p>
<p>Thinking about it, it struck me that among the runners I know and admire most, a surprising number of them are nurses. Is that just pure coincidence? Or if not, is it chicken-or-egg: does nursing make a great runner, or does running turn out to require the same skill set as nursing?</p>
<p>European marathon champion Koen Naert worked as a nurse until a few years ago, and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://spikes.worldathletics.org/post/koen-naert-heroes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last year he wrote about using running to cope</a></strong></span> after dealing with the aftermath of the terrible 2006 Brussels bombings: &ldquo;I remember coming home late at night and telling my wife stories about the day and saying, &lsquo;I can&rsquo;t stay inside, I have to run to ease my mind&rsquo;&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br /></p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/a1fcc1f3-237e-4c20-973a-02313fde3d8a.jpg" alt="" width="638" height="425" /></p>
<p>I cannot imagine what he saw, and had to deal with, but I think every runner who has even just had a really bad day knows the power of the run to provide that ease. But also occurs to me &ndash; though I don&rsquo;t pretend it&rsquo;s anything other than purely anecdotal &ndash; that all the nurse athletes I know are marathon runners or even ultra-runners. Does doing a job so pressured and so physically and mentally exhausting simply require a very large amount of stress relief? Of course I&rsquo;m sure there are sprinting nurses or doctors who can, and will, disprove my theory, but perhaps it&rsquo;s only endurance running &ndash; or training for it &ndash; that can really work the magic required; that slow process of unwinding stiff legs into a steady rhythm, letting the miles slowly, safely, disperse the pressure that&rsquo;s built up. If sprinting is about unleashing the adrenaline, perhaps the grind of the long miles is about dispersing it, like a slow release safety valve?</p>
<p>Far better than expounding on my own theories, though, is to ask an actual nurse runner. Tracy Barlow represented Great Britain in the marathon at the 2017 World Championships and 2018 European Championships. She&rsquo;s also a nurse &ndash; and a friend.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I have often thought about it,&rdquo; she says, &ldquo;and there are huge similarities for me. The job itself challenges you in different ways. Each shift can sometimes push you to the edge of your coping abilities. The high intensity of working in critical care gives you an adrenaline boost &ndash; and the high pace of things keeps you on your feet for the whole of your shift. You have to think on your feet constantly and consider everyone else around you. The fact that people's health and sometimes life is in your hands is really tough.&rdquo;<br /><br /></p>
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<p><br />Interestingly, she thinks that perhaps there is indeed a personality type that is drawn to both nursing, and to marathons: &ldquo;I think we do it [nursing] because we like the challenge &ndash; along with wanting to help others. And the marathon presents very similar challenges. Some sessions can push you to the edge. The marathon gives me the biggest challenge and when I can overcome it, it&rsquo;s the biggest reward you can have. Helping others in nursing does the same.&nbsp; And yes we probably do walk a marathon each shift, too!&rdquo;</p>
<p>Cat Simpson is another runner and friend, and someone whose training on Strava usually makes my jaw drop in disbelief. She competed at the IAU World 24 Hours Championships and does races so long I&rsquo;d consider them a bit far in a car. She&rsquo;s also an ICU nurse.&nbsp;<br /><br /></p>
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<p><br />Cat has always used running as a form of stress relief and for the whole of the pandemic has been run-commuting to work &ndash; but even though she kept running, she did find her attitude changing. <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.runultra.co.uk/Articles/May-2021/Interview-with-Cat-Simpson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As she told RunUltra&rsquo;s Kate Allen</a></span></strong>: &ldquo;I think it would be accurate to say I experienced something not far from an existential crisis during the Covid peaks where we were inundated with sick patients at work, I wasn&rsquo;t sleeping, and actually training seriously felt selfish and futile. Running has always provided headspace and time to reflect on life and work for me, but putting in any specific sessions felt pointless and I was too knackered, so I just went with the flow and dialled things back.&rdquo;</p>
<p>I can&rsquo;t be alone in thinking that of all the adjectives to apply to an ICU nurse after the past year, &lsquo;selfish&rsquo; wouldn&rsquo;t be on the list. Hell, it wouldn't even be in the dictionary. I can only imagine the shift in perspective that Cat's experiences bought, but I&rsquo;m very glad that, as with so many of us, keeping on running has brought her that headspace. May it always do so.</p>
<p>A joint thanks today, then: to running for keeping us sane, but most of all to nurses, for everything they do.</p>

For many of us in the past year, running has become less the pursuit of fitness, and more a coping mechanism.