Athletics Exclusive
‍ Support Us
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • International
    • Local
    Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz to make comeback in Australia

    Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz to make comeback in Australia

    Montag finishes fourth in the 20km Race Walk

    Montag finishes fourth in the 20km Race Walk

    World Athletics and CIFP to recognise moment of fair play at World Athletics Championships Oregon22

    World Athletics and CIFP to recognise moment of fair play at World Athletics Championships Oregon22

    World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23 Test Event Announced

    World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23 Test Event Announced

    Melbourne set to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

    Melbourne set to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

    World Athletics Indoor Tour to expand in 2022

    World Athletics Indoor Tour to expand in 2022

    OneAthletics Unification Vote Fails to Pass

    OneAthletics Unification Vote Fails to Pass

    Thompson-Herah and Warholm named World Athletes of the Year

    Thompson-Herah and Warholm named World Athletes of the Year

    World Athletics Series events awarded to Glasgow and Lima

    World Athletics Series events awarded to Glasgow and Lima

  • Athletes
  • Schedule
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • International
    • Local
    Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz to make comeback in Australia

    Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz to make comeback in Australia

    Montag finishes fourth in the 20km Race Walk

    Montag finishes fourth in the 20km Race Walk

    World Athletics and CIFP to recognise moment of fair play at World Athletics Championships Oregon22

    World Athletics and CIFP to recognise moment of fair play at World Athletics Championships Oregon22

    World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23 Test Event Announced

    World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23 Test Event Announced

    Melbourne set to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

    Melbourne set to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

    World Athletics Indoor Tour to expand in 2022

    World Athletics Indoor Tour to expand in 2022

    OneAthletics Unification Vote Fails to Pass

    OneAthletics Unification Vote Fails to Pass

    Thompson-Herah and Warholm named World Athletes of the Year

    Thompson-Herah and Warholm named World Athletes of the Year

    World Athletics Series events awarded to Glasgow and Lima

    World Athletics Series events awarded to Glasgow and Lima

  • Athletes
  • Schedule
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
No Result
View All Result
Athletics Exclusive
No Result
View All Result

The Green and Gold International Experience

by Anthony Aloisio
November 29, 2013
in Blog
0 0
0
The Green and Gold International Experience
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

anthonyaloisio

Hello Athletics Exclusive readers

This is my first blog so I better introduce myself. I’m a 21 yr. old distance runner from Melbourne, Victoria, who began the sport of distance running as a youngster via the Marcellin College cross country team, who just so happened to be the dominant school in Victoria in this particular field. The groups Sunday runs were and still are led through the hilly terrain of Melbourne’s northern suburbs and I have to say I loved the openness of where we ran and was enthralled by the man doggedly leading us up every hill despite being in his mid 40’s.

Johnny Meagher, the teams coach, was this wiry man, freakishly fit, whose passion for the sport was infectious and made every training through what felt like mountainous terrain feel like a challenge,where pain was not something to be feared but something that should wet your appetite in anticipation and in a sadistic kind of way excite you.

Your values nearly always align with what you’ve been exposed to at an early age, so it’s no surprise that the runners I began to idolise and align myself with were of a similar ilk to Johnny. Over more fancied and faster names in Australia I channeled the story of Brad Camp, a nuggety marathoner who competed at the Seoul Olympics. As Johnny describes, he had limited speed or track ability but managed to run a 2.10 marathon on the Gold Coast in 1989, a course record which stood for over two decades. Of more well known runners, the achievements and character of Rob De Castella and Steve Moneghetti were always at the forefront of my mind. I didn’t want to be the fastest, I didn’t dream of outsprinting someone down the home straight, I saw the champion as the person who could break the other after a long and wearying battle across any terrain.

This background becomes relevant when I tell you I competed in the Chiba Ekiden relays in Japan this week past, representing Australia for the first time. With plenty of time in the days leading up to the competition to contemplate what this meant and how I should approach my leg (a lack of wi-fi certainly helped this), I found myself thinking a lot about how I wanted to perform in my first outing in the green and gold. I didn’t know the 10km course I was to run very well, and was told it was hilly and not conducive to a fast time, so specific performance goals went out the window.

What I kept thinking was that I wanted to create a mindset and attitude that I could use to approach any opportunity I would ever get in the green and gold, and be able to perform admirably in spite of any obstacle thrown my way. Rather than let my ‘gameplan’ become over complicated by the worry of the many unknowns that came with my first international race,  what I came up with is simple, because I’d been practising it since I first started running; be as determined and resilient at all times, whether the situation is good or bad, to fight as hard as I did when as a kid I desperately wanted to prove myself to be as tough as the man i saw as the ultimate ‘tough’ man, Johnny Meagher. Basically, I set myself the standard of trying to mirror the attitude so clearly visible on the faces of guys like De Castella or Moneghetti if ever you watch some good old grainy youtube footage of their triumphs in the 80’s and 90’s.

anthonya1

I managed to hold onto this mindset on a relay leg where I was marooned by myself, with know one visible in front of me and no sense of pressure behind, but where I still carried the responsibility of ensuring I completed my leg as swiftly as possible for the teams chances. My performance was solid rather than spectacular, but I was content in the knowledge that my effort was worthy of someone in an Australian singlet. If I keep this attitude moving forward, hopefully there will be more moments in the green and gold to be proud of.

ADVERTISEMENT
Anthony Aloisio

Anthony Aloisio

Born 1992, distance runner from Melbourne, Victoria, student at Monash

RELATED POSTS ‍ /

My Racing Experience; A look Into the Unseen

My Racing Experience; A look Into the Unseen
by Jaryd Clifford
March 21, 2016
0
0

As I toe the line, I can taste the tension. It ebbs through each runner, a unique force of adrenaline...

Read more

It’s Time Males and Females Run the Same Distances

It’s Time Males and Females Run the Same Distances
by Kara Gilbert
November 26, 2015
0
0

The governing body for international athletics (IAAF) will be equalising distances among the senior men and women at the world...

Read more

Sacrifice leads to strong Cross Country Season for Wightman

Sacrifice leads to strong Cross Country Season for Wightman
by Lachlan Rayner
October 6, 2015
0
0

Although I had a great season in 2014, in fact, just good enough to win the individual Athletics Victoria winter...

Read more
Next Post
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Ireland

A Hitchhiker's Guide to Ireland

#Zatopek – Ondieki Women’s 3000m Preview

#Zatopek - Ondieki Women's 3000m Preview

Athletes Exclusive with Victoria Mitchell

Athletes Exclusive with Victoria Mitchell

Please login to join discussion
ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Contact

© 2021 Athletics Exclusive IMAGE

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Athletes
  • Schedule
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Shop
  • Support

© 2021 Athletics Exclusive

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist