‘‘ IN THE 2008 Beijing Olympic marathon, where I finished sixth, my goal had been to just make the GB team and reach the Olympics. But as I improved, I found myself moving the goalposts and demanding more of myself. I should have been over the moon with my position after only aiming to make the team. But the tantalisingly close bronze medal – just 22 seconds ahead of me at the finish line – made me hungry for more and somehow dissatisfied with a performance that I should have been thrilled about.
Mara Yamauchi: says she rushed back into training after her sixth place in Beijing in 2008
MARK SHEARMAN
That hunger made me rest for far too short a time afterwards, and I pressed on with two more marathons in quick succession. These were both good runs, but they left me with an injury that led to a downward trend in performances and eventually retirement. Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing, but looking back now, I wish I had been more patient and willing to reflect on my Beijing performance. So here, for the benefit of all distance runners out there, is what I learned from my mistakes: