Introduction:
If you are interested and intrigued into the subject of physical peaks and athletic declines in sport and fitness, whether that’s at professional and elite level, amateur competitive level or even at a fun recreational level, then you may enjoy my insight into this subject from a personal perspective in this blog I’ve written.
This blog is exactly what it says on the tin, I have admitted to myself that I am now a ‘has been’ in sports and certain types of fitness, particularly in competitive open age sport. When I say a has been, I mean from an athletic stand point, from an experience point and knowing my body, I guess that this can always improve and will continue to do so in some ways.
I am more referring to open age sport, so senior levels from ages 16 to 35, which is open age competitive sport. I feel that in the ‘veteran’ categories (35 and over) I am quite fresh as I am a relatively young veteran competitor and even compared with younger sports people, I can still out pace and out endure many young 20 year olds when I play football, but in reality I do have a lot of hard miles on the old body clock. You will find out why as we delve into my passionate blog that I have put a lot of effort into over a period of time. I’ve written this as much for myself than anything but also as many amateur sports people can relate to this in their veteran years.
Before I really analyse this subject and we get into the nitty gritty of my sports blog, I have to say, in regard to my football atleast, for a 4 or 5 month period at the back end of 2019 and early 2020 (ages 34-35) I actually got myself as match fit as I had been since I was probably 32 years old, an age when the initial natural athletic and physical decline really started hitting my legs. The difference is that back then, I needed to adapt my style of play and training methods to accommodate the decline on my physical attributes. However, at 34 years old I had by then adapted my style and methods of training along with my style of play on the pitch and I hit a really good level of fitness and in the 6 a side competitive leagues down at Goals, apart from the odd off game, I was playing very effective and well, scoring a decent amount of goals and making many assists. I wasn’t all over the pitch with relentless energy like I was a few years earlier but I was effective and more position minded. I knew when to use my energy and when to conserve it for the right ‘moments’. In two seasons in the 6 a side league open age my stats finished as below:
15 games
26 goals
22 assists
5 hat-tricks
1 Honours (promotion)
Sadly the third season was cut short due to Covid hitting the world and my last ever game was a coming from behind victory against one of the top sides in the league and I managed to score 4 goals in the second half and probably played my best game since my prime years - I guess it was a fitting way to bow out - even if I didn’t realise I wouldn’t not play competitive football for another 2 years.
Pandemic Disruption in fitness and sport due to lockdowns:
To tell you the truth, as much as I began to feel the natural physical decline that you do naturally experience in your 30s, I firmly believe the global pandemic and lockdowns did effect my body a lot. The long lay offs and inactivity for a year and a half to two years, probably eating and drinking more junk type foods, sitting indoors, working from home, it effects you when you are in your mid 30s going into your late 30s, no doubt about it. It’s a crucial age if you want to keep some good momentum going in sport, fitness or training because you really do naturally decline rapidly from an athleticism standpoint point when approaching your 40s. It’s alright me doing a bit of running, home workouts and weight training but it’s all sporadic and it certainly doesn’t compare to being out there competing with other competitors, or even in a recreational sense.
You cannot beat the gains you get from regular competitive sport and fitness in my personal opinion and experience. Another issue that really took hold of me during lockdown is weight gain and body fat. Not eating as well, a rapidly slowing metabolism and I have to admit that I have an unhealthy addiction to Diet Coke that developed during the lockdowns, often due to boredom and drinking cans of Coke whilst working from home, sat down all day working and drinking one after the other all day. It’s a hard habit to break as well given my addictive personality. The frightening thing with Diet Coke and diet pop, is that there is now scientific evidence that the sweetener in Diet Coke called aspartame effects your physical health and can even, promote weight gain, ironically.
For me personally, my optimal weight for my fitness and performance in cardio or explosive sports is around 9 to 9.5 stone and consistently throughout lockdown I have been 11.2 to 11.10 stone, which is way too high for me, who is 5ft5. This effects performance and also oxygen getting to your muscles and Co2 performance in lungs. There is no question that weight and body fat in your mid to late 30s definitely effects your sporting and athletic performance and especially in cardio and endurance sports such as running and football etc.
I just felt that before I get into the nit and gritty of my blog and why I am now a ‘has been’ in open age competitive sport, that the effects of lockdown needed to be expressed as this has definitely caused an impact to my sports and fitness at this stage of my sporting and personal fitness journey.
Having said all the above, I did make my competitive football comeback in 2022 last year at 37 years old and made a marathon comeback with my first full marathon distance planned for May this year in the Leeds Marathon at 38 years old.
And with the two sporting comebacks, although I am way past my best and I can admit that, I’ve been performing well and improving both in my football for Bramhope MFC Vets and in my running, all my official race times since I started marathon training have improved and I have ran 8 half marathons and one 20 miles virtual run for my training build up to the marathon.
So far my football statistics for Bramhope MFC Vets 11 a side team over three seasons between ages 37 and 38 look like this:
13 games
5 goals
3 assists
2 influential assists
*3 of my goals were scored with my weaker left foot and 2 from my stronger right foot. I’ve played predominantly on the left wing but a couple of games on the right wing.
When my boy is a bit older I’m really looking forward to introducing him to sports and fitness and would love to have a kick-about with him and help train him, that will become a real passion of mine.
If you want to massively improve your physical fitness or achieve personal goals in competitive sport to hit a certain level - there is always going to be pain barriers that you have to breach - nothing comes easy as they say and as we do naturally decline athletically - beating the pain barrier is as important as ever in my opinion.
Don’t get my wrong, I am still very very fit and certainly for my age I am very fit and I’m always one of the fastest, if not the fastest player on the pitch most games in the veterans football league for the team I play for - Bramhope Vets, but I have to admit that my legs aren’t what they once were. They definitely don’t have anywhere near the same intensity and relentlessness they had when I was younger. Every time I play football, run (whether it’s training or a race), jump rope, skipping, explosive plyometric training, rowing machine and anything that requires me to use my legs in an explosive or endurance manner I have had to go through the pain barrier at times with my achilles and ankle pain, particularly in my early to mid 30s. Both of my achilles have never really truly been the same since I injured both of them - my right one in 2013 playing football a week after the London Marathon and my left achilles was injured in 2017 from overuse in plyometric gym training and football. It’s a pain in both achilles that does come and go but when it’s bad, it’s very painful but it’s a pain barrier that I always battle through, especially when the adrenaline kicks in. The on and off problems with my achilles these last few years have also caused some issues with my calf muscles as well, which has meant I have frustratingly torn them on several occasions this last few years when playing football, which in reality suggests my legs are shot to bits.
I have to admit however that despite pushing through these pain barriers every time I play sport or run, it effects my performance quite considerably - no question and I feel that it takes away that natural bounce and spring in my step that I’ve always naturally had. I still have a bounce to my energy naturally but it causes me pain at times when competing in sport - which a few years back it never entered my mind. To help me make my training even harder I do like to wear weight hand gloves to make it feel harder training on my feet so that in theory on race day or match day, I feel lighter on my feet because it’s easier.
Despite all of the negatives I have mentioned, in terms of my fitness levels for my age, I am happy and certainly not worried. Without sounding cocky, I compete against many 20 something year olds in football and I am faster and more explosive than most of them, most of the time and although these moments seem to come in glimpses now where as during my peak years, it felt like it was at will and I had this relentless energy all game long, especially when I was 100% fit and the hard ‘partying’ was not taking effect on me physically. The explosiveness and energy is probably just something that’s natural to me anyway, a natural attribute but compared with what my own speed, intensity, pace, endurance, explosiveness, power, quick feet, athleticism and agility once was years ago, I am now a ‘shadow of my former self’.
Aside from my achilles issues, I also have to admit that my legs just don’t have the intensity levels and same energy levels in them like they once did. My legs just aren’t fresh anymore, they are tired legs and even giving them longer rest days doesn’t rejuvenate them as I would like, sometimes you have to admit to yourself and listen to your body. Sadly, all the miles and punishments I’ve endured through 1,000s of competitive games of football since I was 8 years old, all the hard road running, long distance running, cross-country running when I was younger, other competitive sports such as rugby league and field hockey from my teenage years, as well as years of wear and tear in the gym and other forms of explosive leg training has all finally taken its toll on my legs.
As my blog continues, if you are interested in this subject, it will probably become more intriguing and interesting in how my legs and body has hit its peak and then worn down the other side gradually, there are always many interesting theories on this subject.
I don’t want to go too much into this but I can give several examples as to why and what is making my feel this way. Football for example, I have always been a player who loves to dribble, use quick feet, create scoring chances, score creative goals and use my natural physical attributes and in glimpses, I still have that explosive speed and turn of pace with quick feet. Those attributes are natural and will always be there to an extent.
However, for me, it’s not those infrequent glimpses of attributes that has confirmed my ‘has been’ status, it’s my energy levels in my legs and the well known relentlessness that I have always possessed, particularly in football, race sprint finishes and distance running.
Mental and Physical Peak references...
I must also mention that when I refer to my peak and my physical attributes at their best - this is when I was 100% fit and my outside of fitness problems (life and problems away from sport and fitness) were not effecting me physically, which I went through many periods of during my 20s when I was not in a good place mentally or physically.
I have always taken pride in the fact people I played sport against were amazed at my fitness levels and how my legs were so full of energy and in football, any loose balls I would always beat players to the ball with ease, close down opposition players and force errors in the opposition with my ferocious and relentless running. I have felt I have struggled to be like that since I turned 32 years old and I did begin to notice a prevalent tiredness in my legs at 31 years old, when I was still running Good For Age marathon times and jumping ridiculously high box jumps. However, in football for example and in half marathon races, in stages I still have this relentless ability and my legs could power through and keep it up for so long.
Now, since turning 38 years old and approaching 40 in my late 30s, my legs are just a bit knackered to be honest. My legs are still energetic for my age group but not what they were. You know, it’s not all about your age, although this can play a part in reaching or passing your physical peak, it’s all about punishment to your body and miles on the clock. When I look at miles on the clock and punishment, it’s not just from races or competing, when I train I train hard and push myself to limits, I don’t mess about - I run and train my heart out!
I felt like I gave my legs a bit of a rest in periods during my mid to late 30s but I do feel that my marathon comeback in 2023, aged 38 when I came out of full marathon distance retirement after 5 years retired - it could be the final nail in the coffin. Although I’m having a mini revival, an Indian Summer if you like and feel generally fit and strong - the truth is - and I can vouch for this over the years - a full marathon distance is a different kettle of fish and no matter how fast or slow you run them - every marathon takes something out of your body both mentally and physically - a piece of you is taken. At the end of the day, the marathon is an extreme level of running and the fact that naturally our bodies only store carbohydrates up to around 14 or 15 miles kind of says it all really that we are not designed to run 26.2 or more miles but that’s where the power of the mind comes in and our mental strength and focus gets us to the finish line. It’s not just the marathon itself either that takes pieces of you - it’s all the training camps and hard training sessions to build to that.
One thing and reason that I do feel I’m not running anywhere near as fast as I was a few years back is definitely due to weight. My optimal race weight and my peak race weight for me performing at my best is between 9 stone and 9.5 stone. Over the last few years, although I am very fit and keep myself fit, fluctuate between 10 stone 5 and just under 11 stone. It doesn’t sound like much but in running a stone and a half to 2 stone makes a big difference in levels of performance. If I trained and specialised in my running again at some point maybe I can shed a stone and get back to optimal running performance one day? I’m certainly not ruling it out. It’s no coincidence that I weighed bang on 9 stone for two years when I ran my two sub 3 hour marathon times aged 29 and 30.
As I said, although I have has always kept much of my natural style of play, as I have gotten older, the energy and explosiveness required for the way I play is hard to keep up. I’ve always prided myself on being able to run at pace or play with energy, even if I look dead on my feet. Now I am older and a veteran player, I have adapted my style a lot. I slow the game down some times to buy some time or to look for the right pass, rather than taking someone on or wasting my energy. When I was young and during my prime years I could do stuff like that at will, but now I like to be selective with my dribbling and my runs. I know that if I do this, I will still be able to inflict and play my natural style of football in more than just glimpses but for large periods during a match, I like to think I have a great blend of the style of a young speedster and an accomplished veteran.
I have compiled a list that has led to my legs finally losing their energy and becoming tired.
- 30 years of competitive sport from the age of 8
- Over 900 games of competitive senior age level football by the age of 32 (ranging from 5 a side to 11 a side)
- Running half marathon races since 22 years old (35 half marathons)
- Years of intense regular training runs ranging from 5K distance to 15 miles
- 6 London Marathons
- Over 1,000 games of competitive football since the age of 8
- 18 years of hard road running
- Over 2 years in the football sport of Futsal playing on hard indoor courts
- 8 marathon races
- 2 sub 3-hour marathon race times
- 5 Good For Age’ marathon race times
- 100s of explosive box jumps in my late 20s
- All the years of plyometric workouts in the gym
- 8 years of regular fitness boxing sessions (movement of legs - in & out leg movement)
- Years of hard strength & conditioning training exercises
- 18 years playing indoor football on hard sports halls
- Hard treadmill running in the gym over the years
- 3 seasons of veterans 11 a side football (from ages 35 to 39)
- Cross-country running and trail running
- Years of intense football training matches
- 3 Peaks hiking, hundreds of hiking miles
- 2x Tough Mudder 12 mile assault courses
- Running marathons with Achilles injury and calf tear injury
- Running half marathons with painful injuries and niggles
- 4 years of regular intensity skipping / jump rope
- 6x 20 mile road races
- 9 years of intense gym sessions
- Years of weight training on and off since teenage years
- Rowing machines, bike machines
- Years of circuit training
- Over 100 competitive rugby league matches during childhood
- Hundreds of recreational football and street football matches in teenage years
- Years of football and rugby training as a kid
- Competitive field hockey games in my teenage years
- Hundreds of games of football playing hungover or on comedowns
- Running half marathons on no sleep
- Running races with hangovers
- Playing competitive sport with serious addictions, not being hydrated or in fit physical states to even compete
---------
My body clock mileage from all marathon races, half marathon races and twenty mile races:
786.9 miles run
(Training runs not considered - only official races and virtual runs)
Ages: 27,28,29,30,31
(5 years at my physical peak)
As you can see from the above list, my legs have taken a lot of punishment and miles on the clock, which has lead to my legs finally taken too many miles and it’s only natural that my legs are tired and have lost that same relentless energy they once had.
I am content with all I have achieved in sports and fitness and although I still want to challenge myself in the future and achieve more, I can now take some of that pressure I have always put on myself to maintain my previous levels of fitness and performance and just enjoy growing old gracefully in sports.
Happy sports and fitness times people and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself physically to achieve your sporting goals - it’s definitely worth the pain and as the saying goes - NO PAIN NO GAIN !!
In regards to injuries I have been very lucky really, I mean in over 900 games of competitive football from 17 years old until now I have had 18 minor injuries and no major injuries. Many of them have been impact injuries which some of them may have been painful at the time for a few days but these types of injuries are part and parcel of the game and there is also an element of luck to these types of injuries. The worst impact injury I had which seemed trivial at the time was my turf toe injury from a kick during football. It is basically a sprain of the metatarsal bone joint at the big toe, I was out on and off for 6 months with that injury and it has still never really fully recovered.
Aside from impact injuries I never suffered from any muscle or tendon injuries until I started running the full marathon distance. I was not letting my legs recover in time and several days or a week later after running marathons and half marathons I was stupidly playing intense competitive games of football. In my late 20s to 31, my peak years I suffered calf tears to both calves, Achilles injuries (which have never fully recovered), IT band injury to my right knee, a hip flexor injury and a couple of other minor tears including a twinge of my right hamstring. Although I recovered from these injuries fairly fast, I do think these types of injuries do take a little bit from your legs every time, particularly when you start hitting your 30s. But as I say, I have been lucky I have never had any major injuries and touch wood I never will. This is what has kept me playing football to a decent level for so long I think.
If there is one mistake I made with injuries when I was younger, particularly in my late 20s and peak years was running through injuries and quite bad ones such as calf tears which meant I made them worse, but I guess that was my addictive personality bringing stupidity out of myself, however I just love proving to myself that I have the heart to go through that pain barrier whether it’s in a marathon or a tough game of physical football. This is why I often wear calf socks now to help prevent injuries to my Achilles and calf muscles, they help blood pump around your muscles so that they keep warm.
I ran the Edinburgh Marathon one year with a recovering grade 1/2 calf tear and it re-tore when I was running the marathon, ridiculous pain and such a risky thing to do. I managed to finish the race with my first ‘Good For Age’ time in 3:04:56, which earned me my London Marathon Good For Age Qualification, however I was out of action for 3 months after that. I have no doubt that I would have ran a sub-3 your marathon that day if it wasn’t for my painful injury. I also ran the Edinburgh Marathon 2013 with an Achilles injury which when I look back was stupid really but in unbearable pain I completed the marathon. Again, I was out for 2-3 months after that and the pain was so bad at one point I wondered if I would ever run properly again. Another painful injury I raced on was my IT band injury on my knee, I actually ran my half marathon PB of 1:22:00 that race at Leeds Half Marathon, finishing in 35th position. I am convinced that if it wasn’t for my painful injury I would have ran under 1:20:00 that day, I was on fire. Sadly, running with painful injuries doesn’t do you any good in the long run though, pardon the pun haha. More recently, I also ran a half marathon race with a sprained ankle, back in 2018, another moment of stupidity caused by my addiction to sports and competing no matter what.
I am happy with how my legs have kept me going to a good level for so long and proud of all I have managed to do in amateur sport and there’s more to come yet, just no where near my previous standards and I am happy to accept that at 39 to 40 years old. I am enjoying playing veterans football and I feel that my game management is good and I reserve my energy to use my spurts of pace and energy in more effective moments, something you learn as you get older and more experienced. Using my experience and football IQ brain learned over the years means I can still play some of my natural style of football in bursts in games with my dribbling and explosive running up and down the wing without having to adapt my style of play too much.
I had a lot of athletic natural ability and promise but lacked confidence and struggled to perform anywhere near my best in competitive sport, I was a very nervous kid. However, I had my moments, winning many races in athletics, winning the man of the match on my debut for an 11 a side football team when I was 15 and winning the player of the week award at a football camp when I was 11.
Early adult years (early to mid 20s):
After a 2 year break from competitive sport, from age 20 I developed a new level of confidence and fearlessness which continued to develop. When I was fit and my binge drinking was under control, I was a good amateur competitor and generally consistent although sometimes I still had the odd performances in sport where I bottled it but these moments were few and far between.
Ages 27 to 31 my physical peak years:
I was naturally at my peak and very dedicated to training and sport. When I was 100% fit and wasn’t bad on alcohol and drugs, I was a very good amateur competitor and very consistent. During this period I was scouted by a semi professional football team and earned 16 running PB’s as well as running 5 Good For Age marathon times, being in the top 3% fastest marathon runners in the UK. I have to admit though, when my addictions did take over and I was going through bad times, I didn’t perform but thankfully I used my sport and training as a focus so never stayed in this state mentally or physically for long. Any injuries that I had during my peak years, I recovered from them very quickly and continued to play competitive sport through niggles and pains, would this add miles into the clock in later sporting years?
At this stage I took 2 years off the full marathon distance and a whole year off running at the crucial age of 32 and lost all my momentum. As my energy levels, speed and explosiveness began to naturally decline, I struggled to adapt the way I approached not only training but my sport, especially football and found it hard mentally to accept I was past my physical best from an athleticism point of view and needed to adapt the way I competed in my competitive sports. This was an important transitional period for me both physically and mentally. However, in glimpses I did perform very well competitively but I was the most inconsistent I had been for years.
Mid 30s Indian Summer / Twilight years as a young veteran:
I had a real revival in my mid 30s and competitively in football I was playing my best football since I was 31 years old and this was despite some periods of inactivity during this time, particularly when Covid hit. I had adapted my training to suit my age and I made huge adaptions to my style of football in particular and when I was 34 and 35, when I was fit and training regularly, I was still a good impactful footballer at competitive senior open age level. In running I was rapidly declining - but overall in other sports I was using my extra natural weight as I got older to my advantage and felt very strong overall.
Despite my best efforts in training several days every week, pushing myself hard, I am struggling to get my body to perform to how I could even a couple of years ago but I am way way off my peak years so that is not surprising. However, at 38 now and approaching 40 and onward, I am able to perform at a good level in competitive veterans 11 a side football. I mainly play on the wings, right or left but mainly left wing and I score a couple of goals in every season and I also make several assists every season, so I am definitely able to perform to a good standard at amateur veterans football. In running I am way off from my PB times I used to run but although I have lost my endurance speed and intensity levels as a veteran runner, my endurance is very very good and I am able to tick off milestones after milestones. I expect to hit 50 official half marathon’s in a few years and reach 20 Leeds Half Marathon’s. I’m not sure deep down what’s left in the tank but I do feel consistent but the day I feel like I struggle to outpace a defender in football or players are outpacing me - that’s the day I will 100% retire !
I guess time will tell - maybe these thoughts and this blog is slightly premature but I do feel I’m becoming a has been compared with how I felt a few years back. It’s just natural I guess and I have had a lot of miles on the clock over the years. As the saying goes in sport = ''don’t always go by just age or chronologically but go by how many miles are on the body clock.''
At times I do feel very fit but I also at times feel like a Ferrari no engine, or a Ferrari with a Fiesta engine. Haha. I’m currently looking to continue to play veterans football as I’m enjoying it and keeping relatively fit so let’s see how I get on once I get on and how long I can ride this wave but one thing I know is that my running performances really have gone down the pan compared with years ago, even if I do run very consistently.
Let’s be brutally honest - no matter who you are, in sport, once the legs have gone, they have gone and they aren’t coming back, that’s for sure !!
*I am now over 2 years alcohol free
Firstly, before I go into detail on this subject and some of my thoughts and insights around this, I do want to point out that thankfully I don't drink alcohol anymore. I have been sober for over two years now and I feel so much better physically, mentally and spiritually since I stopped drinking and becoming alcohol free. If only I had stopped when I was younger and maybe I could have really reached my true potential in running and maybe my peak years would have lasted longer? I guess we will never know?
But here's my thoughts on the effects of my previous self destructive lifestyles and mental health problems have effected my body, my sports and my fitness over the years and this is really only the tip of the iceberg in all honesty.
So, in my mind, it’s not only the wear and tear or mileage on the legs that has played a part in my athletic decline, and a side from losing some of the desire to push my body through to the same limits and pain barriers that I consistently managed for many, many years and not just the fact of not having the same free time to prioritise my fitness, it’s also other effects on my body as well.
For example, the marathon distance and the dehydration effects that a marathon has on your body and the famous 'hitting the wall' and pain barriers that your body has to go through during long distance running but particularly the marathon, it must take it out on your organs and your body, surely? Look at how many runners, fit runners have had heart attacks during marathons, it is a tough sport physically as much as mentally and must put a strain on your body? The marathon is an extreme level of exercise, it's an extreme sport, to the point where it may start out as a race against other runners around you or a battle to beat your PB or a goal to hit a particular time, but in the end it turns out to be a battle between you and the marathon distance. The marathon strips away all of your ego and really is a distance that humbles you in many ways but I do think tit can take a lot out of you both physically and mentally but especially physically. In my opinion, every marathon race takes something from you, it takes a piece of you due to the extremities of the challenge.
It may sound mad mentioning my organs but when you carry out intense exercise, your organs work harder. Let’s be honest, playing hundreds of matches of football on barely any sleep after partying and with hangovers from binge drinking will eventually start effecting your body in the long run, it can’t be good for you and as I got older, playing sport with hangovers was tough. Don’t get me wrong, it was all so easy when I was younger but eventually you can’t do it anymore.
I’ve ran half marathons on no sleep after partying all night, problems with serious addiction, I mean that’s got to be bad for your body in the long run? But at that age in your early to mid 20s you just think you’re invincible. I’ve even ran the London Marathon in a ‘Good For Age’ time after only 3 hours sleep the night before, it’s just crazy really but I had that much self belief when I was younger and in my prime that I believed I could do anything even on no sleep. When you have not had much sleep or are hungover etc and you run races or play intense football matches, your body has to work harder and will dehydrate much faster, your cardiovascular system is put under much more strain.
You don’t realise it at the time but putting your body through stuff like that, it’s going to catch up with you one day and I feel like it has a bit with me. I also did the Tough Mudder 2015 with a bad hangover, silly really, jumping in ice tanks and jumping from heights etc, but again, I could get away with it back then but it can’t be good for you.
Funnily enough though, that game of football when I was 24 and I had chest pains after (it felt like a cold burning sensation at the top of my chest and shoulders), I actually scored one of the best long range goals at South Leeds Stadium that I have ever scored. I was absolutely knackered and I had just lost the ball, I was embarrassed about it as I wasn’t playing that great and I tracked back just after the half way line into my own half (this was a Sunday 5 a side league game) and won the ball back. Then, instead of dribbling into their half which I would have usually done, I was that knackered, I just decided to make a rash decision and shoot from the half way line and boom, it turned out I hit it so sweet and sudden it stunned the keeper and flew in. Everyone was applauding it but deep down I knew I only did it because I was so knackered and that wasn’t me, I was lucky it came off but I was not healthy at the time and away from my sport and fitness I had let my partying take control of my life. The worst thing is, due to the fact I scored that goal, I let things get even worse because I got away it with, it didn’t scare me enough at the time to sort myself out. Eventually it did, not through being scared but being embarrassed that I had become a shadow of my former self I was a mess and needed to find that determination from within to sort my self out and I can honestly say that sport and fitness has saved me at times in my life. Sport has always got me out of my holes that I fell deep into. The discipline and the commitment that fitness training and sport required has always given me a sense of structure in my life when I have needed it most and I am so thankful for that, this is why I love sport so much, it is my life passion.
Throughout my early to late 20s in particular, I had some serious personal problems that definitely both held me back in a dedication sense but also helped me push myself to limits as sports and fitness was an escapism and a way out for me, as much as a sense of achievement, sport and fitness has always given me a sense of control in life when I have really needed that.
Positivity from the hard times and raising money for charities to help others....
After some difficult times and having effected my own physical and mental health, I began to once again appreciate the natural fitness that I have been blessed with. So during my physical peak years I wanted to do something good and positive using my natural fitness and I decided to raise money running marathons for charity. This was perfect for me as I could challenge myself physically to attempt a sub 3 hour marathon, the holy grail for amateur marathon runners and I was able to raise thousands of pounds for charities close to my heart and people I care about so that I could help others in need of help and support. I am very proud to have been involved in raising money for charities to help other people.
Marathon: 2:57:29 (London Marathon 2014)
Aged 29
Twenty Miles: 2:14:13 (East Hull 20 2016)
Aged 31
Half Marathon: 1:22:45 (Leeds Half Marathon 2014)
Aged 29
Ten Miles: 1:04:36 (Eccup 10 2012)
Aged 27
10K: 36:11 (Abbey Dash 10K 2013)
Aged 28
5K: 17:43 (John Carr 5k Race Series 2015)
Aged 30
One Mile: 5:02 (Leeds Golden Mile Track Event 2013)
Aged 28
*You can view full stats on my Football Stats page
All-time competitive Football statistics @ senior level (aged 17 to 38 present)
Senior age to Veteran age
All forms of football including:
APPEARANCES = 936
GOALS = 1,161
ASSISTS = 891
GOALS TO GAMES RATIO:
AFTER 500 GOALS (in 454 games) = 1.1 GOAL PER GAME
Aged 25 in June 2010
BETWEEN 500 & 1,000 GOALS (in 360 games) = 1.3 GOAL PER GAME
June 2010 to August 2014
AFTER 1,000 GOALS (in 814 games) = 1.2 GOAL PER GAME
Aged 29 in August 2014
FROM 1,000 GOALS TO DATE: 1,161 GOALS (161 goals in 122 games) = 1.3 GOAL PER GAME
August 2014 to February 2023
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OTHER MILESTONES:
I reached 500 games by age 26
(Average of 55 games per year)
I reached 900 games by age 32
(Average of 60 games per year)
ESTIMATED ALL-TIME COMPETITIVE GAMES:
*1,016
*Approximate figure since Junior Football Age Group (8 years old) through Open Age Group to Veterans Football Age Group (38 years old) = 30 Years
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‘’One thing that I am very proud to be able to say is that I have played competitive full 13 a side rugby league at Leeds Rhinos’ Headingley Stadium, competitive 11 a side football at Leeds United’s Elland Road Stadium, raced in the Leeds Championships at the South Leeds Stadium track - the home of Leeds City AC and I have won a race on the elite Carnegie Athletics Track at Leeds Beckett University campus.
Not many people can say they have played competitive sport at the four major sporting stadiums and venues in our great sporting city of Leeds and I am very proud of that.’’
FOLLOW MY SPORTS, FITNESS & SPIRITUAL JOURNEY:
INSTAGRAM: @joycinho
TWITTER: @rjsports1 @joycinho @rjrugbyleague
SPIRITUAL TWITTER: @JoyceParanormal