Wednesday was a day like so many others for Jamie Bowie.
One of those wintry sojourns where athletes separate themselves from mere mortals and push themselves to the limit, no matter how unappealing it might feel. "I was training at Saughton and it was pouring down," he reflects. "I got soaking wet. That's where that hard graft comes into its own . . . some sunshine would be nice."
That comes as standard for Lottery-funded performers, which is why he intends to spend a little more time in warmer climes in the months to come. The 24-year-old from Inverness was one of the more intriguing inclusions this week on the list of those deemed worthy of financial support by UK Athletics, a reward for his performances as a member of the British 4x400m relay squad which made it through to the final of the world championships in Moscow.
Winning a medal in the event at the 2016 Olympics in Rio has been designated as a realistic target, which is why Bowie, like compatriot Eilidh Child, will benefit from the funds ring-fenced for those who can run and carry a baton at the same time. It is expected to alter the Scot's life following season after season of funnelling the salary accrued from his other role as East Lothian's development officer into budget flights and far-flung circuits, just to preserve his hopes of a breakthrough.
The upgrade in status - when established names like Jenny Meadows and Andy Turner were being cast adrift - remains a surprise, however. "I got an email saying: 'congratulations'. It said it was off the back of my performances," he explains. "It was like my numbers had come up. This was quite a tough year so this was a shock and also a relief, because I can prepare as well as I can with the funding."
It is an investment. Returns are expected. Two relay medals on the women's side in Moscow were, perhaps, more by chance than design but Rana Reider, the UKA sprints coach, has adopted a more strategic approach to the foursomes, with additional training sessions and a heavier schedule of competitive relay outings than in the past.
One early outing might come in Glasgow, when the annual Indoor International Match takes place at the Emirates Arena on January 25. Others will follow with plans to head Stateside to enter the fabled Penn Relays as a means to hone collective technique and confidence ahead of next summer's European Championships in Zurich.
Bowie has reason to covet a strong role there. He was omitted for the world final despite a formidable semi-final showing. "But we did well as a team," he adds. "And the biggest thing is British Athletics has seen enough potential in us as a group to back us going forward."
Like most, he must juggle twin targets in 2014, with the Europeans following the Commonwealth Games, with little respite in between. Some will prioritise one, some the other. As a Scot, the one-lap specialist does not want to be watching the Commonwealth Games from the outside. "You're putting on a different vest but it would be a huge experience."
Despite his Lottery listing, Bowie's name was not included in Scotland's first wave of selections for the Commonwealths. His personal best of 46.06 seconds, set last summer, is a shade outside the qualifying mark. Yet he maintains it is achievable. Which is why he will take an extended trip across the Atlantic in the springtime to find meetings where the fields are strong enough to drag him to the required time.
"I showed that in Moscow with my relay split that if you can tuck in behind someone, and put your heart into it, you never know what the end result will be," he says. "I feel I'm in striking distance of the individual standard for Glasgow."
Pre-register for tickets for the British Athletics International Match by visiting www.britishathletics.org.uk
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