Motivation is always good

Without doubt, training is a must for most officials and with players getting fitter, stronger and faster, that inevitably means referees have to increase an up their training too.
If you don't, it's fair to say that progression up the ranks will either slow, or stop. But it helps to have some form of motivation, a goal - some light at the end of the tunnel - always helps provide the impetus to get out there and train.
I am not a gym monkey, although I try to get down there twice a week, but the last thing I want to do is spend time on the treadmills or rowers, etc - they bore me senseless.
So, a couple of seasons ago someone encouraged me to have a go at 5km race that was run locally and not being one to back down from a challenge, I had a go. Shock horror - I actually enjoyed it.
Maybe it was my competitive nature, but running along side 100 or so others sparked something in me, and three years later I have knocked more than one minute of my personal best.
On Wednesday I went round the course in 26 minutes - OK, so not the fastest and I won't win any medals, but to learn that I beat my last time (run last November) by more than a minute really made my week.
My game plan was simple - find someone of a similar pace and sit behind them. And it worked!
While 5km races won't do anything for my speed work, it's the variety in training that I enjoy and setting a new personal best time has now enthused me to do even better in the next race in the Winter Series next month.
Somehow, though, I doubt I'll be knocking chunks off my time like last week.