AS a former footballer, Grant Plenderleith knows all about difficult selection dilemmas and how to issue a timely reminder about what you have to offer. So it was for this 27-year-old in Birmingham on Saturday when, not only did he pick up a bronze medal for his efforts in the 400m, but he did so in a new personal best of 47.27. The Scot, who used to utilise his pace for League One side Stenhousemuir, went off into the night wondering if he might just have done enough to get the nod for the unlikeliest of World Indoors relay spots.
“I am running a second quicker than I went indoors at 2014, when I went around 46.6 outdoors,” said Plenderleith. “So it is a good sign for my outdoors this year. I have put a marker down and you never know what will happen in terms of relay selections for the world indoors. It is wide open this year with none of the big guys running, so I just need to keep my fingers crossed and see what happens. I never even gave it much thought at all until I was speaking to some of the guys coming off and they were saying there are claims to be staked for the 4x400m team. So we will see what happens, eh?”
I say former footballer. Plenderleith was almost a current footballer. So miffed was this veteran of Glasgow 2014 by the injuries during 2017 which put paid to his hopes of qualifying for the Gold Coast that he put a call into some of his old football contacts and had a few offers on the table from junior clubs interested in persuading him back to his past life.
Instead, everything – health, training, diet and lifestyle – all clicked suddenly into place. He is engaged to be married, he has a job maintaining homes for a social housing firm which pays the bills and allows him to train twice a day Monday to Friday. Having decided to bulk down – he has shed almost a stone - there is plenty of life in Plenderleith yet.
“Am I gutted to miss the Commonwealths?” he asked. “Aye and naw. I don’t think anything could top Glasgow. Okay so you Australia for the weather but you are not going to top a home games. It would have been nice but who cares. There are other opportunities out there.
“When I got injured, I lost all interest,” he added. “It was pub, with my mates, takeaways. But I had a good training session in November and I just thought ‘I am back’. Everything right from my training, to my diet, to a good sleep, it has been on point.
“Before then, I did think about doing something different, I am not going to lie. Football came back into mind. I have still got a few contacts out there from the professional game who have always said ‘phone us’. So I was very close to phoning an ex manager, and there were a few offers which came in at junior level. You get paid every week to do that, while you don’t get paid to run. But one week’s good training and everything was back in play.
“I am probably the oldest in the field, mind you. The commentator said it is good to see fresh talent coming through, but I am 27! So I have not got youth on my side but I still feel young if I am running PBs.”
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