Scrimping and saving has been a necessity to preserve Jamie Bowie's athletic ambitions from extinction.
Cheap flights have been booked in advance in order to compete in European towns far off the beaten track. "It's been a struggle," he admitted. All the more satisfying, then, that he has earned the reward of a trip to Moscow for his first world championships.
At the age of 24, the Inverness Harrier feared such heights were beyond him. He is in line to debut this afternoon for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the heats of the 4x400 metres relay, having been a surprise choice for the team. Fifth at the trials last month, there is no absolute guarantee that he will be utilised, even in the opening round.
"It may be I come home from Moscow without a run which would be disappointing but when I was selected, I knew it was a possibility," he acknowledged. "Really, coming here is about gaining experience, being in a big team and seeing how people interact, how they deal with the pressure."
Highly-touted as a junior, and a European relay medallist at under-23 level, his hopes were hampered by the realities of working to repay debts and foot bills when he came out of university. "It was difficult to balance finances with competing at a high level and getting competition opportunities." A part-time, flexible, job as development officer in East Lothian has proved a godsend.
It affords him time to go abroad in search of races while finding time to work with his coach Piotr Haczek, himself a former relay world champion. He is based in Poland, meaning Bowie and his Pitreavie-based training partners Gemma Nicol and Greg Louden must frequently fend for themselves. "We've been coached remotely and that obviously has its difficulties," he confirmed. "We'll sit and do video analysis, videoing sessions and sending it back to Piotr."
Now, it is payback time. Bowie is relishing his Russian sojourn, whether he is participant or cheerleader. "Having experience of a major championship will be something I can take away so in the future it won't be as daunting."
Meanwhile, Laura Muir believes the experience gained over the past 12 months will ensure she does not look out of place when the 800 metres begins with this morning's heats. The 20-year-old, a veterinary student at Glasgow University, has had a stellar ascent and claimed bronze at the recent European under-23 Championships. And although she has been taken to Moscow with an eye on the future, the Scottish prospect will take the baptism in her stride.
"I had a really good winter indoors and that boosted my confidence an awful lot," she said. "Last year, I didn't feel that confident. I was knocking out really good times but I was getting bumped about a bit and it dented my confidence. But this summer, I knew I could race."
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