I like the heat. Which is fine, because as I pen these words it’s 35 degrees outside, the hottest July day on record by all accounts. Now I realise that to those of you residing outside of the UK the mid-thirties might not sound like a particularly vertiginous climb for the mercury bar. But for us brits, since we never experience extremes in temperature (or any meteorological manifestation), anything above 30C and below minus 5 has a knack of bringing the country to its knees. I’ll take the heat every day though. Inside, outside, relaxing, running: I embrace that brief respite from our perennially mundane climate. Plus, as everyone knows, you shouldn’t mow the lawn when it’s hot. (Or when it’s frosty. Or if the grass is wet. I think strong winds are out too).
Anyway, there are plenty of withered bodies slumped over desks, traipsing the high street like the undead, or else fleeing for their cars – those lucky enough to have air conditioning fitted, at least. They might not agree that the heat is a good thing, but thankfully I’m not the only one who appreciates it. And in case you’re thinking, ‘Yes but you’re sat in a cool room with the window open typing a few words’, our #RoadtoRio subject is also a fan of warm weather. And her work is anything but sedentary.
“The weather was superb!” Esther enthuses when I ask how she fared in Geneva. “33 degrees Celsius, sunny, and no wind.”
It’s not just about hot conditions though. After a quick update, I am pleased to hear that Esther is turning up the heat on what were already some fairly scorching performances.
“Geneva was amazing! It felt so good to get on that plane, and to get out in a place where I have good memories! It’s so different racing a tournament far from home. It’s another vibe really! I felt nervous and excited in the morning of the race. I was placed 12th, according to my personal best. In the heats I ran 11.96 and I was quite disappointed with that time. Luckily I made it into the finals (as 16th, out of 16!). So I had another chance.
In the finals my race was good and I finished 4th in my heat. In total I was 8th, so that was really nice. But 11.91 on the clock was not what I was hoping for.
I felt disappointed, and when I feel that way I feel like I don’t want to race another race. But I ordered an espresso, grabbed my e-reader and just read a few chapters of an easy to read Nicci French novel to get my mind off racing. After an hour or so I felt quite relaxed (and really sweaty, because the temperature felt like 50 degrees Celsius). So I started my warm-up for the 200m. A bit nervous, a bit tired, but also calm and focused. I was in a really fast race, so I knew some of the girls would get to me really quickly. I just focused on my own race. And that went really well: I ran 24.08! I was only faster once in my life. So I was out of my mind!”
Seven days later and a change of climate would serve to dampen Esther’s enthusiasm though.
“A week later I raced in Leiden. It was cold and rainy and I didn’t feel like racing at all. I tried to force myself into focussing and loving racing. But that backfired – if I use the term correctly. What I mean to say is that by trying too hard, I couldn’t focus anymore. So after twenty metres my body locked. I ran 11.95. I felt terrible. I cried a little and talked with my coach. It just felt like a waste of energy, but it was good practice. The 200 was good practice as well, but 24.69 was a really bad time.”
Bad it may have been, but there was worse to come.
“I had good hopes for Bottrop, but Mother Nature showed her strength that day – nothing you can do about that…After leaving the callroom it started to rain so bad, the track was full of water within seconds (and so were my spikes and underwear). I also had a headwind of -2.9. I did race the heats in 12.33, but unsubscribed for the finals and the 200 metres.”
What a difference a week makes though, because seven days later the sun began to shine on Esther’s fortunes.
“Last weekend was amazing!” she announces. “I raced in my hometown, Eindhoven. The weather was good, the competition was good and the atmosphere in the stadium was good. My friends and family were there to cheer for me. It felt like a good day to race! In the heats I clocked 11.88. I was so happy with my season’s best! (And finally below .90). But we had headwind, so I knew I could do better in the finals. And I did! 11.78, a second place, a new SB and a club record on our own track. Awesome!
Yesterday I raced in Lier, Belgium. I ran 11.81 with a dramatic start, so I felt happy about that time, a little less knowing that I might have gone even faster with a good start. And 24.19 in the 200! Headwind and rain…it didn’t bother me. I was happy with that time! My legs were (and still are) so tired because of this good race weekend! So the plan is to train the next two weeks and give my body some rest. On the 15th of July I’ll be racing again in Liege (Belgium). Really looking forward to that race!”
So we’re progressing nicely on our #RoadtoRio (note the liberal use of the first-person plural – apologies Esther, but we’re all right behind you and I feel like we’re in it together!) And if you want to know exactly what Esther must do to book her place on the Olympic team, take a look at Part II for a quick guide.
But what about the less tangible input required for qualification to the greatest sporting event on earth? How does an athlete deal with such sustained pressure?
“Some days I feel more pressure than others,” Esther replies. “My clients often ask me when I know if I’m in the team. So those are moments you wish you could tell them your place is guaranteed. But other times I just focus on here and now. I know that if I want to have a shot of being in the team I need to be fit. So all I can do right now is sleep well, eat well and train hard. And of course race fast in competition. I feel less pressure than four years ago, because I don’t feel like I have to prove myself to the rest of the world. I do it because I love to race and do my sport with passion.”
Dealing with her inner pressures is one thing, but what about friends and family? Does she feel any responsibility towards them?
“I don’t anymore. I did feel like I had to four years ago. Don’t get me wrong, my family never forced me into running. They never told me that they would be disappointed if I wouldn’t win or something. They’re proud of me, even if I finish last in a terrible time. They love me whether I’m injured, winning, quitting or whatever. But that doesn’t mean you can’t feel like you want to prove to the world you can be good. I felt like I had something to prove to the world a few years ago. But that actually comes from insecurity about your own qualities. And maybe also insecurity about yourself or searching for who you are or something like that. But now I know that I sprint because I simply love to run. I love being on the track after having a bad day. I love to focus on racing, hearing my footsteps on the track.”
And in a happy irony, forgoing the need to prove herself to others it seems Esther has found greater satisfaction from the support of her loved ones:
“I love it even more now when my friends and family come and cheer for me. I can show them that thing I love doing most, with a smile, and hopefully give that smile to the rest of the world!”
You might think that an athlete’s focus on training means they don’t experience the same magic the rest of us do when we marvel at the Olympic opening ceremony, or watch the first tears shed on the medals podium. So is Rio just another competition, or is the hallowed Olympic arena still the stuff of dreams?
“Of course I dream about Rio! I never stop dreaming! And when I dream about Rio I sometimes think back about London. It gives me a weird feeling. Pride, happiness, sadness, nerves – the whole package. It was so incredibly intense, I can still feel that when I think back about it!”
By the time you read this I imagine the cycle of the UK weather system will have moved along and maybe, just perhaps, some freak condition will occur in which I am necessitated to mow the lawn, but here’s hoping Esther’s race fortunes remain bright, because we’re far from done. I’ll be following Esther right up to and – let’s hope, including – the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, so stay tuned for Part 5.
Oh and for all your literary types (and yes I know there’s a proliferation of you out there!) don’t think I’ve overlooked the reference to Nicci French, author of the best-selling Frieda Klein novels. Esther’s fun fact for all you crime thriller fans:
“When I was reading Blue Monday by Nicci French in Geneva, one passage was about the construction of the Olympic Village. While reading that I was like: I’ve been there…during the Olympics! They built that for me!”
Moral of the story: pay attention to the world around you – one day you might be surprised at where you fit in.
For more updates follow Esther @EstherAkihary and head to her website at www.estherakihary.com
All images copyright Peter van Nobelen www.petervannobelen.com