I CAN'T PLAY GOLF!
At the beginning of the year I posted an article about the possibility of 'retiring' in 2025 and a lot of you took that very literally. Well six months on the 'retirement plan' is coming along nicely thank you.
The plan is fairly simple and it's about (me) doing less to achieve more. Over the last six months or so the development of the TEAM BTR group has proven invaluable. I originally posted an article at the beginning of the year about creating a group that could contribute in some way to the ongoing development of the BTR events. Ultimately the group should have a degree of ownership which the longer term aim.
This is how I originally got involved back in 1994 and it has had exactly the same effect.
Now we have a behind the scenes structure that assists with the planning and delivery of the events and I have to say it's going well. Since the group started we have had a number of regulars who got it from the start and the initial enthusiasm has turned into understanding - we have built on that to create a stable support team who are able share the workload particularly on race days. So now I am starting to do less and in that respect my 'retirement plan' really is beginning to work.
On the face of it I will still be at the events in 2025 and beyond so there will be no difference there. The changes are all about shared responsibility and behind the scenes planning that enhances the overall event delivery process. I'm pretty sure there will be ongoing changes once we get to 2025 and the new calendar year of events that stands before us... but I will still be at the helm as normal. I'm not actually going anywhere as my my plan is to become time rich so I can do stuff I've been looking forward to doing for many years beyond hosting events.
I have to thank TEAM BTR for their input over the last six months and acknowledge their ability to learn on the job. After all how hard can it be to put a tent up... mmmm... you'd be surprised. Suffice to say I'm really happy with the progress over the last six months and I'm sure that steep learning curve we've all been on will start to flatten out over the coming months.
As good as the current team is we are always looking for additional involvement so if you think you can make a difference on race days then email alan@btrliverpool.com and I'll let you know when our next event planning meeting is. You never know, you might like it!
Hope this explains a bit more about my 'retirement plan' and for those of you who know... I really can't play golf. It's not that kind of retirement I have in mind, more like building a legacy that the running community can enjoy for many years to come.
As ever I'll keep you posted on any developments.
Yours,
Alan Rothwell
Race Director, BTR