Summer 2008

Since finishing my first year at university and moving back to Cheltenham my training has improved massively. I’ve been much more relaxed with more time to focus on the little things that make a big difference to how I’m running – taking ice baths regularly, spending more time stretching and making sure I’m eating well and staying hydrated.

My second 800m race of the season was in Watford in a very strong race with many of Britain’s top distance runners as well as other foreign athletes. Having been left at the back of the pack in my previous race I was determined not to make the same mistake again and went off very hard from the gun. Coming down the back straight of the second lap I felt really strong and I knew we were running very fast if I could just hold on for the last 200m. Unfortunately the fast early pace took it’s toll in the end and I was hurting down the home straight. A lack of race fitness allowed other athletes to come past me and I was frustrated to finish 6th in the end.

I believe I’m in better shape than that though and have lined up two more races within the next two weeks to get me back into racing.

May - June 2008

The last month has been non-stop with exams at university and trying to get into shape for the start of the outdoor season.

My first 800m race since August last year was the Loughborough International. Having come from running the longer 1500m indoors, the fast pace took me a bit by surprise. I was given the outside lane and so was unable to see the other athletes to help me judge the pace. By the time we broke after the first 100m I was at the back of the pack. I had to work hard in the middle of the race to try and get into a better position but as I moved past five athletes down the back straight the leaders managed to open up a gap. Although I finished strongly there was too much ground to be made up and the positions stayed the same for the last 200m with me coming in 3rd in 1:49.5. It wasn’t the best start to my outdoor campaign but gives plenty of room for improvement.

Next race is on the 14th June and with a bit more race specific training I should be running much quicker and with much more confidence.

April 2008

March has been a frustrating month for me. Injury and illness has led to a lot of missed training however I suppose that if it had to happen at any point it’s better to get these problems out of the way now while there is still time to get fit before the outdoor season.

With a three week holiday from university the plan was to get in some quality training, however a problem with my feet led to a week of inactivity and was later diagnosed as tendinopathy. The remainder of the holiday has been spent between Bath and Cheltenham getting treatment and doing lots of dull rehab in the gym.

April looks set to improve and be a better month though. I’m currently looking forward to being allowed to train on the track again this weekend, with (fingers crossed!) pain-free running. I’m also just heading off to Loughborough for a 4 day training camp led by double Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes. It should be a great opportunity to learn from such a successful athlete and pick up a few pointers.

March 2008

After returning home from competing in Austria an old back injury returned and hampered my preparation for the World Trials. Physiotherapy and acupuncture relieved the symptoms and I travelled to Sheffield relatively confident that I could perform.

On day one, the heats went according to plan and I qualified as the second fastest to the final.

In the final the race was taken on early by James McIlroy who I had beaten in Austria the other week. I was happy to sit behind him and bide my time. As we approached the midpoint of the race the pace began to slow and I decided that it was time to push on and take the lead. With 300m to go I kicked for home however I didn’t open up a gap. As soon as I started to work hard my back tightened up and my stride shortened meaning I couldn’t sprint as hard as a normally could.

In the end I was disappointed to finish third and this threw doubts over whether I would be selected for the World Champs. I was told that to prove my fitness I would have to run the following weekend in Birmingham and so I returned home with the intention of trying to sort my back out as best I could.

The following week after much more physio and feeling like the acupuncturist personal pin cushion, I lined up in the strongest field I’d ever been in, including double world champion Bernard Lagat, and many other top international athletes.

The race did not start too well, taking an elbow to the face in the first stride! I recovered though and settled into my running. My back tightened up again however and I was unable to hold the pace I needed. It now looks unlikely that I will be running in the World Championships.

I have decided to take the extra time I now have before the outdoor season to make sure my back is fixed properly. Looking back over the indoors I’m actually very happy with how it went. I have proved that I can run 1500m as well as 800m and I know that if I didn’t have any injury I would be running in a world championship. In my first year as a senior this is a big achievement and gives me great confidence in my ability to run internationally in the future.

Feb 2008

Moving to Bath to start university has had it's ups and downs as far as my athletics is concerned. A completely new lifestyle and commitments have provided many challenges, but now into my second semester, it's all starting to come together.

I decided not to compete over 800mk this indoor season as I wanted to find out what I was capable of over 1500m. I realised at the end of the summer season that my endurance was not as good as it should be and competing over the longer distance is providing good motivation to improve this.

Having only raced competitively over 1500m once before and never indoors, I really was stepping into the unknown for my season opener on the 5th January in Cardif. Richard Hill, one of my rivals over 800m was also stepping up for the day and provided good competition, however when the pace maker dropped out half way through I was left to lead the race and try to push the pace on. I held off a challenge from Hill and was pleased to finish first in 3:47. With that bench mark set I returned to Bath for three more weeks hard training before heading to Austria for my first taste of the European circuit.

Selected to run for the Englans in Vienna on 29th January I was keen to improve on my time from Cardiff and was looking to at least get close to the World Indoor qualifying time of 3:43.0. With twelve people competing on a four lane track, and starting in the second row, it was never going to be easy and as expected the start was quite physical. I managed to find my way through into a decent position however the pace wasn't quite as fast as Iexpected and taking constant knocks from other runners had an effect. I was therefore pleased with the final time of 3:43.21, but also a bit disappointed to have missed the qualifying time by such a small margin. It was then a case of recovering as best as I could with a massage, warm down and food as quickly as possible in preparation for the next race in Linz two days later.

A new city, new hotel and a new track and my legs were feeling fresh. I still had a few nagging worries however: I had managed to pick up a nasty blister in Vienna and as a result had been planting my foot differently. This had caused my achilles to start twinging - I just hoped it would hold out the the next race and tried to put it to the back of my mind.

This race was completely different to any other I have ever run in. The organisers had booked 'The Temptations' to play during the event and so while I was trying to focus and get psyched up they were playing 'My Girl' and having the complete opposite effect. It was a great atmosphere though and it kept me really relaxed which was a good thing.

The race itself wasn't as fast as I'd expected and I found myseld at the front quite easily. Running fast with noone ahead of you is hard to maintain, especially when you can hear other people breathing down your neck. I managed to hold it together though and with a bit of a kick finish in the closing laps held on for victory, stopping the clock in 3:41.89, a full second inside the world qualifying mark. I was over the moon! All in all it was a very good trip, I did exactly what I wanted to do and put myself in a great position for the rest of the season.

At the moment I am top of the British rankings and second in the world so selection for the World Indoors is highly likely and I'm making this my main focus. The trials are next weekend and a win there would confirm my selection. Coming into 2008 I had no idea how well I would do over 1500m and I'm delighted with how I've performed so far. I still feel like there is more in the tank though and am looking forward to competing over the distance the next few months.