Its the 12th of february, my last run up at altitude in Falls Creek of another two week block, the clouds are black, its lashing rain and it's cold. From an aerial view we look as if we're performing some sort of military exercise, the location: the right aquaduct just beyond Langfords Gap, the time 09:00 hours, our weapons: nike pegasus, the mission: to prepare for Beijing. By coincidence and necessity, all seven of us are decked out in full black water gear, we're paired off and on the parrallel paths and trailed by bikeman Gary Henry. Buster, Sonia, Nic, Simba, Badders and myself march our way through the puddles, the beating rain and the mist means we're working on short range visibility, and we can't see down into the valley below from the cliff edge. Theres a quality to these conditions that give me a heightened sense of excitement regarding the challenges ahead...
February 16th,
At the crack of dawn, Blincoe, 'The Flying Samoan, Aunese Curreen' and myself find oursleves at Auckland Airport, we're flying to a sleepy little town called Wanganui bang in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand to duel it out to be 'The Mayoral Mile Champ' at 21.00. We go through the relaxed domestic security and then we see our plane. Its a 20 seater, and its stormy out, yep it was a bumpy flight, our stomachs were in our mouths a few times but the view of the lakes peppered throughout the jagged green hills through the odd gap in the clouds we were graced with was pretty spectacular.
We chill out at 'The Kingsgate', the meet hotel and take a look at the impressive list of past sub four minute milers at 'Cooks Garden'. Snell, Kip Keino, Quax, Flynn, Walker, Mottram, Willis to name but a few. Another addittion to the motivational tank as if the promise of my first sub 4 wasn't enough! The meet organisers are a bit nervous about the the gusting winds, they want sub 4s, they demand it, and they've employed the services of a couple of pacemakers including Olympian Jason Stewart to all but guarantee it. Of the 16 men toeing the line only Mark Tucker and Adrian Blincoe have ducked the magical barrier before tonight. The prayers of the organisers are answered as the wind drops to a breeze only minutes before the race, now can we do our job?
The gun goes and I slot in behind the pace, theres no clocks so we're running off feel/sensation, relying on the pacers to do there job. They get us to the home straight for the penultimate time, and I find myself at the front of the field, an education having never had clear air in front of me at the bell of a mile. I assume we're on schedule as nobodys had a crack yet and I begin to wind it with 200 to go holding something for the home straight, but tonight it wasn't enough. Blincoe shows his metal to get past me to win in 3.57.65, I'm 3 steps back in second 3.58.19 and The Flying Samoan becomes the first Pacific Islander to dip 4minutes to run 3.59.93, Tucker finished fourth in a tick over 4 minutes. Runnings a funny game, I guess I should have been happy with my first sub 4 but when you get beaten it definitely takes the gloss off it!
So, how to celebrate, a few pints, paint he town red?...in short, eh no! Myself and Blincoe warm down under the watchful eyes of the drug testers, drink a few bottles of water so we can slash. By the time we produce our samples its 23.30, restaurants are closed, not even a subway is open and we end up grabbing a couple of microwave meals from the local supermarket. We had to plead our case as it was shutting up but kindly they let us in even though we're decked out in tights. We heat up the meals back at 'The Kingsgate' for dinner. Who said athletics wasn't a glamour sport!
Check out profile for video of race.
21st February
Time for the Melbourne GP, there's a massive buzz of anticipation around 'Olympic Park,'its a sport crazy city and they have been waiting patiently to see Powell in the 100, Wariner in the 400, Mottram in the 5k. The big 3 don't disappoint and win their respective events to standing ovations from the packed stadium. The Aussies selection criteria for Beijing is very different from Irelands and makes me very grateful to be an Irishman. Their athletes are expected to run the Olympic 'A' Standard now and win their nationals next weekend to guarantee their selection, that means peaking now and peaking again in 6 months time. In contrast I have to run the standard before the Irish Nationals the end of July, which leaves me free to concentrate on more pressing issues, like winter strength work, while for the athletes down under its a matter of urgency to be ready to rock right now. The contrast in seasons and priorities was particularly evident in the 800 tonight where I ran a strong rather than a snappy race to finish fifth in 1.48.3, a race won in a massive new pb for Aussie Lachlan Renshaw in 1.45.79. That was my last race until the summer and it was good to get out there and keep in touch with what I need to do during the summer. For me it's another month in Australia, where I can keep the head down and get some solid work done consolidate my fitness and get ready for the net phase of training when I return home the end of March.
