British Olympic Medallist Josh Kerr On The Importance Of Lofty Goals
Article by Tait Hearps
In a recent conversation for the Sweat Elite Podcast we were joined by Scottish middle-distance talent Josh Kerr. The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist in the 1500m joined us on the podcast to discuss his life on and off the track, as well as the power of mindset for achieving big goals.
Currently in Albuquerque, NM, Josh is preparing for some upcoming indoor races before setting his sights on the major outdoor championships of the year. Two recent races with two PBs have been a great start to Kerr’s 2022 racing season – and to Brooks’ release of their new spikes for the team to race in. The team is based most of the year in Seattle, however Josh has come to appreciate the time training at altitude in ABQ, where he feels his training and preparation generally progress optimally.
Hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland, Josh started running at eight years old, signing up with Edinburgh Athletics Club, where he has been a member ever since. He engaged in many sports including rugby, rowing, and football, however eventually the running came to the fore (somewhat hastened by being dropped from the firsts team in rugby – a sport which his father and brother have played professionally).
Coming out of school at seventeen, a move to run in the States was a priority, and Josh made his way to New Mexico to compete in the collegiate system. The transition here was relatively smooth, according to Josh, with the main struggle being to stay accountable with balancing running and class. He went on to win the 1500m at the 2017 NCAA champs in his penultimate year, followed by breaking the NCAA record in his final year.
Off the back of these performances, going pro was inevitable. The Brooks Beasts attracted Josh for multiple reasons. Foremost amongst these was Coach Danny Mackey, Josh says it’s rare to find a coach who is so honest, hard working, and who loves working with their athletes so much. Josh saw the group was filled with happy athletes and had a great dynamic, and that all of this was built on the foundation of being backed by a supportive brand. Brooks and Mackey also had a firm belief in Josh’s ability to grow and become one of the best in the world. These factors combined made the choice a no-brainer.
Josh has seen some massive progression since joining the Beasts, cutting down his 1500m time from 3:35 to 3:29 (which won him the bronze in Tokyo). Some major changes Danny instigated as Josh transitioned into the team included increasing strength work in the weight room, gradually increasing mileage, and also incorporating some 5km work into the training regime. However, according to Josh, a massive factor in this improvement comes down to consistency. Fortunately, injury and illness have been a rarity for Josh in the past few years… “When you’re not missing days it’s very easy to get better.”
The team meets four to five times per week, five when on training camp in ABQ. The structure of Josh’s week will look approximately like this:
Monday – Longer easy run + drills, strides and footwork
Tuesday – Strength work: a longer tempo or interval work, fartlek or hills
Wednesday – Rest
Thursday – Long easy + plyometrics and body weight strength work
Friday – Track specific: eg 400s or a pyramid session
Saturday – Easy 7-8 mi
Sunday – Long run (15-16mi)
Total mileage = 65-70 miles per week
Josh says he never doubles, although this mainly happens because he forgets to go and do them in the afternoon. He’s come to the conclusion that he likes to get all his mileage done in the morning – the allocated portion of the day for focusing on running – so that he can switch off and recover for the rest of the day. Naps are a daily staple.
The group will do gym work twice per week and recently have been doing sessions with strength specialists, roughly 75 mins/session. This is an area of weakness for Josh, who sees it as a big opportunity to make some gains which will hopefully translate to faster racing.
His approach to competing has been to set big goals and focus on performances in key races. A reduction in racing frequency has allowed a greater emphasis on specific events and a longer term focus through the year, so as not to make compromises and decisions focussed on the short term. This adds pressure to perform on those big days, but this is something that Josh thrives off. He says he brings a lot of emotion to race day and so it becomes very taxing, another reason to space out events. Josh has been working with a mindfulness coach to cultivate an optimal mindset to help with training and racing at the level he wants to be at.
After a narrow miss in his heat, Josh made his way to the final in Tokyo. He said he received great advice from Coach Mackey and his mindfulness coach in the intervening time between these races. A huge vote of confidence from those in his corner, reassuring him that he had done the work and was fit enough, saw him come into the final with renewed focus, crossing in 3rd place in the fastest Olympic 1500m in history. Immediately his mind went to whether or not he had secured the British record and the concomitant bonus, but after a brief glimmer of frustration, the emotion of realising he had medalled at the Olympics set in.
Tokyo was a very special experience for Josh, who saw it as a celebration for everyone involved in his career thus far. He took the opportunity to visit his coaches and communities that have had an influence in his journey, including Edinburgh AC and his family. An extended period of down-time came after the Olympics, allowing Josh to refresh and take some time away from the myopic focus required for the build to the Olympics. Incorporating periods of rest into his yearly schedule, as well as having a day off from running every week, has always been a priority.
One of the other Brooks Beasts team members – David Ribich – has joined forces with Josh off the track to create the Sit & Kick Podcast. Josh says this has been a fun project and a great way to connect with many other athletes. His dream guests? Nick Willis and Des Linden. Following Tokyo Dave interviews Josh about the experience in an episode titled “How to win and Olympic Medal” which gives great insight into his time at the games.
Continuous progression is at the heart of what Josh does. “If I’m introduced on a start line with an achievement that’s over a year old, I’ve done something wrong.” Some audacious goals are what drives Josh forward, including a gold come Paris 2024. “If you believe in something for long enough, you can’t see any other possible outcome… I don’t see me finishing my career without a gold medal, I genuinely have no idea what that reality looks like because that’s always what I’ve believed is possible and what I’ve been striving towards for my whole career.”
2022 is a big championship year, Josh’s focus is on Worlds – with a medal above the bronze being the goal – as well as the Commonwealth Games which should have a very strong field this year. We are grateful for Josh giving the time to discuss his journey with us and wish him all the best for the years ahead.
