SMacPix , Daniel Morris , Ilma Stockton & courtesy Cian Oldknow , Seville Marathon , Durban International Marathon , Hollywood Bets Durban 10K , World Athletics |
knowing that it could be something that would happen , that could trigger me . It ’ s having those safety nets in place , and knowing what can I do to make sure that I get through that space okay . That ’ s what we did for my shoulder surgery as well .
SF : Thank you for being so open about that side of your story , Cian . Now , let ’ s now look ahead ... What ’ s next for you in your running career ?
CO : On a related note , one of my safety nets for coming off of the Olympics was having goal races in place , so that the Olympics would not be my be-all and end-all . There ’ s going to be a lot more going forward , and I have a few races lined up . The SA Cross Country Champs was first , which was my first time doing these SA Champs in two years , and the first time I raced the 10km . Then I ’ m doing the Gun Run in Cape Town after that , and I am running the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in October .
After that I might target another international marathon in December , if I ’ m feeling good and moving nicely .
I think that because I came out of the Olympics still a little bit early in my preparations , because of my Durban injury and lay-off , I was just getting into marathon training , so I ’ ve come out really motivated for
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the races coming up . I think it ’ s because I realised if that ’ s what I could do off of limited training , then there ’ s a lot more to come . So , I ’ m in a really good , motivated space in my training at the moment , and everything ’ s going well , and I want to really go for these races now .
SF : Apologies for putting you on the spot , but do you think that an SA Record in the marathon is on the cards for you ?
CO : I would like to go for it ... but keep in mind that the qualifying time for next year ’ s World Champs marathon is 2:23:30 , so I would like to go for the qualifying time for World Champs , and if a record comes with it , then that ’ s the bonus .
SF : You sound quite motivated for the World Champs , which will be next September in Tokyo , Japan .
CO : I am , yeah , and the faster qualifying time than for Paris motivates me , because I want to improve my time anyway , so that part of it is exciting for me . Also , I know some people think the World Champs is not as big as the Olympics , and perhaps not worth it to run the marathon there , but I am always proud to represent South Africa . Similarly , I went to the African Games earlier this year in Ghana , even though some people said it would be a waste of time and energy , but I got to represent my country again . I think there ’ s space for both the big city marathons and the international champs … I did Seville and I did the Olympics this year . So even if I go to World Champs next year for the marathon , it doesn ’ t mean I won ’ t have space for another big city marathon . End of the day , though , I take a lot of pride in being selected for national teams , and I think it gives you something to work towards as well .
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SF : When your competitive racing days are over , do you see yourself going into the fields that you studied at varsity , sports psychology and sports science ?
CO : Definitely ! I already do some online run coaching , and really enjoy that , so I think I will continue to move forward with that , but I would also love to move into the life coaching space , and really help people through the mental aspects of their journey . I ’ ve gained so much from my coaches , my life coach , and my other mentors , and I think I ’ d be more interested in that dynamic . I know how much I gained myself by studying sports psychology and applying what I learnt , and it ’ s a space I ’ m really interested in .
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Cian racing in a local 15km race in the colours of Hollywood Athletics Club |
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