Back in the UK

Getting settled back to life in the UK now, and so time to start up the blog again as I said I would. With only two weeks between returning from Eldoret and the UK Indoor Championships, the plan has been to get some sharpening work in following all the strength, stamina and speed work done in Kenya. This sharpening work started on the day after returning when I competed in the Welsh Indoor 3000m Championships (as a non-Welsh athlete). I decided to see how I felt following the journey, and as I felt good on waking up I decided to compete. This ended up being a great decision, as I felt great when warming up, and during the race. The first 2km felt very easy and so I decided to put in a strong final kilometre and test just what shape I was in. I pulled away from the field except for GB international Chris Warburton (one of my main rivals in the upcoming UK Indoors), who stuck with me and then managed to get ahead in the final 200m. However, without even considering the time and a comfy first first 2km, I ran a new PB, and felt fantastic just one day after a well over 24 hour journey. Just a bit of sharpening in the next two weeks and I will be exactly where I want to be.

And so in the week following I did a couple of speed sessions, including a visit to indoor 200m track with my coach Keith and fellow athlete Chris Dodd, mixed in with easy recovery runs. By the end of Tuesday I felt like I was flying, but then in the 2nd half of the week the reality of life back in the UK set in, as I had two PhD intervals, a formal one on Wednesday, and an informal interview with another potential supervisor who was visiting Bristol on Friday. These left me feeling mentally drained (even two interviews was a complete contrast compared to the complete relaxation following training in Kenya the previous month) and by the time the Birmingham Indoor Games game around on Saturday 5th February, my first 1500m of the season, I was feeling tired both mentally and physically. However I managed to pull myself around, and using front running tactics with an eye on the time as well as the position, managed to pull out the win and run 3.49.01mins, a respectable time, even if I was disappointed with it! However overall I was pleased. To have stayed confident beforehand, to have raced in the manner I wanted, and to get the win (including beating two potential rivals for next week) when feeling as I did beforehand was a good confidence boost before the big one next week. I also have a very relaxing, stress free week lined up next week (when not training), which should prove perfect preparation!