It isn’t often that a top-level athlete admits to losing years to a bad mistake. Avinash Sable has no qualms doing the same but is also in a hurry on making up for the lost years.
From a then-national record-breaking 8:29.80 in 2018 to aiming for a sub-eight minute time, Sable has come a long way in the four years since he first took up the event, breaking his own record seven times now. After an impressive 8:12.48 at the Diamond League in Rabat, he is now focusing on the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
“It is definitely not easy but I don’t think it is impossible or there is need to train any differently for a sub-eight timing. It is all about setting the right targets,” Sable said in a virtual interaction from Colorado Springs on Friday.
Mindset
“In India, we only think of winning a race, getting a medal and a job or promotion. When I started, even 8:45 sounded good and you could get a medal even with a time of nine minutes! There is also a mindset that foreign athletes are naturally or genetically gifted and we cannot compete with them but having done that here, I can say that is not true.
“ Agar 9 minute soch ke 8:12 tak aa sakte hain to yahan se sub-8 to kar hi sakte hain (if we can cut to 8:12 from nine minutes, we can definitely go sub-8 from here),” he explained.
For someone considered among a handful of genuinely world-class Indian track & field athletes, the national 3000m Steeplechase champion, this is his first-ever foreign training stint and he rues the fact that he delayed travelling abroad for training for so long.
Biggest mistake
“I was first asked by (Late) coach Nikolai (Snesarev) to train abroad after I broke the national record for the first time at the 2018 Open Nationals but I did not agree. The AFI, SAI everyone planed foreign training for me, last year also before Tokyo Olympics they planned to send me to Uganda but I could not decide and I believe that was the biggest mistake of my life as an athlete,” he admitted.
“In terms of facilities, I think we have the best in India. What the AFI or ministry or SAI provides us is unmatched. But I have to train alone. Here, I am training with Olympic and World champions, fast runners with lots of experience.
“Running in a pack, clearing hurdles in a crowd, managing the pace of the race – there are so many things I am learning now. I have also realized that you need to train and compete at the top level to be in that league and improve,” he was candid.
Gaining confidence
Training with the best has also helped the Armyman from Beed gain the confidence he so lacked in his early years. “I was told breaking the national record was easy and I decided to take risks to do it but it backfired. I did poorly at the Federation Cup, overtrained during Dharamsala camp and injured my ankle, missed the Asian Games.
“I never claimed I was the best but I was constantly taunted by many. Things are different now but that was a tough period. Training here has given me the confidence I belong in this league,” Sable quipped.
It has also given him an insight into what it takes to develop champions. “You have world-class training partners here and everyone pushes others to do better. Everyone trains together, workout together, share their experiences and training methods also. There is no insecurity or secrecy, no one treats you like a rival. When everyone pushes everyone else, everyone gets better,” he shrugged.
Immediately up next, though, is finding a good meet to participate in and go all out to test himself before the Worlds in July without bothering about results or targets. Given his battles, the chances of another national record are high.
