Out of order... & Running My Life, Sebastian Coe

When I first started this blog it was always intended to be about my three favourite pastimes; running, reading and eating. I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't been making the time to read for pleasure over the last 12 months. I have bought books but never seemed to get going with them. And, whilst having a bit of business travel to do in the U.S. this week proved to be limiting for my running it did give me the opportunity to finally read Seb Coe's autobiography (up until the end of the 2012 Olympics anyway) on the flights.

Hotel treadmill in Syracuse, NY. Fortunately there was another one, but I only managed 5k

The book was really in four parts - the early years and family history, his running career, his political career and finally the bid and delivery of the Olympics. It was actually incredible to think of his three careers, which, apart from the political one perhaps, have been extraordinary. With the recent news of his appointment to the top job in the IAAF the story doesn't quite come up to date but it was at least a topical read.

I have to say I was surprised a bit by his background, but I felt that he was, throughout the book, trying to present himself as more of a down-to-earth adopted Yorkshireman. I can see it must have been frustrating to have been portrayed as something other than his working class roots (East end of London, via Warwickshire to Sheffield) but I did sometimes think that the point was rather laboured. Still I enjoyed reading about his family background and his early life especially once we were on familiar territory in Sheffield, where I went to University.

Reading back over his running feats was really amazing. I think the first time I really paid attention to athletics was the Seoul Olympics (I would have been 9 years old then), so although I do remember being aware of Coe and Ovett, I really can't recall watching a specific race of his and I hadn't realised quite how much of a legend he'd been, not only in winning medals but also setting world records. 

From a runner's perspective the insight into some of what it took to achieve that was fascinating, especially to see some of the application of sports science (getting under the bonnet as he described it) and the strength work that he did too. Pre-race build up and controlling the variables all featured strongly and if I was to take anything from that into my running it would be that even an elite runner can have a bad day if they don't get a decent meal and a good night's sleep before a big race. It seems pretty obvious I guess, but some things bear repeating! 

The Coe/Ovett rivalry is interesting viewed through the lens of history. This type of rivalry is part of sport and our enjoyment of sport. Much as we may have all got carried away with the "good vs evil" story that built up around Bolt and Gatlin going head to head in the recent world championships, it adds a frisson to watching a sporting event when there is a true competition and the characters become more of a caricature, often fuelled by the media's representation of them as much as anything else.

I was less aware of Coe's political career, knowing no more than that he had been a Tory MP. I hadn't realised how closely he had worked with William Hague, a rare example of a politician who garners respect across the political spectrum and who I personally have a lot of time for. The seeds of his future success in the Olympic bid were sowed here, but, in spite of usually finding politics fascinating I found this section a little bit dull in places (perhaps because I was waiting for a connecting flight reading that part and just struggling to stay awake).

Reading back over some of the highlights of the Olympic bid and the games themselves was a joy. To imagine the sheer amount of work and dedication too - just phenomenal. I genuinely believe there is no one else that could have done what he did - his background, personality and interests coming together at a perfect moment in time. To hear it from his perspective though also gave a sense of the others involved and he was generous in his praise, particularly giving credit where it was due to those whose political affiliation didn't match his own, such as Tessa Jowell and Tony Blair. 

I still feel that I am left with an uncertainty about what kind of leader he will be at the IAAF. He has recently been very quick to defend the federation against the accusations that they have not tackled doping in the sport as well as they might. He was disparaging in his remarks regarding the scientists and journalists involved, seeking to dismiss them quickly rather than examining their allegations. I therefore read his comments on doping with great interest in the book, but even more so, given the recent FIFA scandal, I found his regard for a certain Mr Blatter curious too. I'm left with many questions about whether he will genuinely seek to deal with problems such as doping or corruption. One thing is for certain I'll look forward to seeing what happens next and reading his side of it in any future chapters or a sequel.

I really hope that I will also now start to read a bit more, especially autobiographies of runners and other sporting figures. Among my favourites have been Charlie Spedding, Chrissie Wellington and Paula Radcliffe. I'd love to hear some other recommendations too!