I have officially become part of the Commonwealth Games team since I wrote to you last. To my delight I will represent Australia in Delhi as part of the women’s 4x400m relay team.

I have had a fantastic season. I can’t say that it has gone exactly to plan but I am definitely very proud of what I have achieved thus far this season.

After commencing my season with a PB performance of 52.81, I was left feeling very about the season ahead. I was also very optimistic about achieving an A qualifier to earn my own individual 400m spot for the Commonwealth Games.

Due to a few personal reasons, the lead up to Nationals was a real battle and this showed in many of my lead-in races. However, together with my coach, Tony Fairweather, we managed to pull things together and perform when it mattered most.

I was absolutely over the moon with my performance at Nationals. I felt I performed under pressure and produced a new PB of 52.78 taking home the silver medal.

Right now I am back into heavy training and racing the odd 400m here and there to work on my race plan in preparation for the Commonwealth Games and beyond. After an annual performance assessment with my coach we are set to prepare for the upcoming season with plenty to work on in training. The fact that my coach and myself believe that I have a lot to work on is a real confidence boost, as it makes me hopeful of significant improvements J

Although there is still so much athletics to be raced in 2010, I can’t help but be excited for the following season. I am looking forward to breaking up the typical athletic season with a highly anticipated trip overseas. I look forward to experiencing the overseas athletic scene and competition in hopes of inspiration, personal growth and development as an athlete.

I am also busy seeking a financial sponsor for myself so I can afford to be a full time athlete and ensure that I give myself every opportunity to be at my best for the lead up to the London Olympic Games and beyond.

I guess I can say that the experiences both good and bad that I have encountered during my athletic career thus far have served me very well. The Olympic Games is only 2 years away and together with my coach, Tony Fairweather, I intend to prepare myself to the best of my ability during this time. Thanks to all the up’s and down’s from the past I feel I have a pretty clear picture about what exactly I need to do so that I am the best possible athlete that I can be, come the 2012 Olympic Games.

Pirrenee Steinert

2010 NSW CHAMPS WOMEN'S 400M FINAL

By Daniel Wallis

Few top athletics performances from New Zealander’s make headlines in their own country, or get the credit they are worthy of. Kiwis are largely disenfranchised with running -- they are uneducated, and thus uninterested. Such has been the case in the past decade or so. It appears simple enough however; gone are the days of multiple Olympic medals and world record shattering performances, so there seems little reason for the media or public to pay attention. However, that seemed to change, at least for a brief period around the Olympics in Beijing last year. There was of course Willis' soon to be silver medal, but few may remember that the headlines were first about Adrian Blincoe.

A few weeks before Beijing in the small municipality of Heusden-Zolder in Belgium, Adrian Blincoe took down the NZ 5000m record which had stood for 31-years. It was made all the more prominent because of who the record had formerly belonged too: Dick Quax. Quax’s name is all too familiar throughout New Zealand, carrying images of the golden era of Kiwi distance running, so Blincoe taking two seconds off the record to clock 13.10.19 was considerable news. Although Blincoe failed to advance beyond the heats in Beijing, his record a few weeks earlier cemented his reputation as New Zealand’s finest ever 5000m runner.

Before heading to the states in 2001, Blincoe had an impressive junior career in New Zealand, being the prodigious talent of his generation. One of the earliest accounts of Blincoe’s exceptional ability was illustrated when as a 5^th former he lead from the gun to win the NZ Secondary Schools 3000m in a time of 8.27, while that same year capturing the senior boy’s cross-country title. Outside of high school it was quickly apparent that Blincoe was going to have little trouble dominating on the track. After running 3.42.78 and winning a national 1500m title, it was clear that a move to the states was needed for quality competition.

The choice to move to Villanova came after assurances he would not be over raced, while being confident that Marcus O’Sullivan, head coach and former 3-time world champion would have the knowledge and experience to maintain long-term development as a key component within the training plan. The results have been impressive: not only did Blincoe shine over cross and track in the NCAA; he has continued to get faster and stronger outside of college, something many athletes in the NCAA struggle with post-collegiately.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of Blincoe’s time in college was his efforts, along with Nick Willis, to qualify for the Athens Olympics in the 1500m. Blincoe ran close to the A-standard (3.36.20) on two occasions: 3.36.53 & 3.36.57 but was unable to clinch selection. Blincoe himself commented on his disappointment at not reaching Athens:

“I got too hung up with trying to be on pace, rather than just racing”

With a change of tactics, Blincoe was in 2005 able to run 3.35, the time that had eluded him in the crucial Olympic year.

“I was going better in training in 2004 than 2005, but my mentality was different in 2005 – I just tried to race well, finish high up in these races in Europe. The approach was a lot more conducive to performing well, and consequently I ran faster”.

In 2006, Blincoe went into the Melbourne Commonwealth Games as one of New Zealand’s best track hopes. The final result was however, described by Blincoe himself as ‘a disaster’. Blincoe, along with other athletes in the Nic Bideau stable; Andrew Baddely and Craig Mottram, had attempted to alternate laps as race strategy – unfortunately Blincoe faded to 10^th place while Nick Willis took the gold.

Blincoe had joined the Bideau group after graduating from Villanova and signing with New Balance. The move created an interesting combination: Adrian Blincoe – the NCAA champion and stud on the US scene, running in the group which had been built around Craig Mottram – the World Championships Bronze medallist over 5000m and 12.55 5000m runner. It appeared from the outside as if the two were bound to clash in a battle for the alpha-male spot, that Melbourne Track Club wasn’t big enough for the both of them. Blincoe is however quick to calm any talk of confrontation:

“There wasn’t really any friction. I just wanted to run fast. Buster did too but it was also pretty apparent that he wanted to be the best guy in the group. That’s understandable as the guy wanted to be the best in the world as well, I mean he’s one of the few guys around who has beaten (Keninesa) Bekele”… “Things didn’t pan out for Buster in Beijing so he decided to take a different path. He’ll be back running well pretty soon”.

Although officially coached by Marcus O’Sullivan, Nic Bideau oversees Blincoe’s training while in Europe. With the group being based in London for a couple of months each year, Bideau actually writes his workouts.

“I talk to Marcus regularly as well, but Marcus trusts Nic, so for the most part I am doing the same stuff that Collis (Birmingham) is doing”.

Unfortunately Blincoe was unable to compete in the Berlin World Champ’s after an injury blighted 2009. First there was an adductor strain that knocked out him out for May, while the month of June is described by Blincoe as ‘really good training’ with Aussies Collis Birmingham and David McNeill, where he started to approach the fitness level he had before the Olympics. However, after cooling down from a session before what was to be his first race at Crystal Palace, Blincoe was running past a pedestrian, and ran straight into his elbow.

“It knocked me on my arse, hurt pretty bad, but got up and kept running… a week later I had an intense stabbing feeling in my chest every time I took a breath. I had a cracked rib and I guess it was only once the swelling went down that it became a problem. Season over”.

After running 13.10 last year, the questions immediately began regarding what it would take for Blincoe to become only the second man from down under to break the 13min barrier. The small changes appear to be an increase in mileage, where Blincoe states that he is more around the 80-90 mile range per week, as opposed to 70-80 in 2008, as well as more drills, strides, and 1500m paced sessions. However, fitness may not necessarily be the main issue regarding a move into sub-13.00 territory.

“When I ran 13.10 I backed off with 1000m to go, just a lapse in concentration. I then made up for it with a 57sec last lap, so there was a part of me that was disappointed for not just toughing it out and going with the lead group, most of which ran 13.02-13.05… But for now the focus is just getting back under 13.20, and once there I’ll address what is needed to make the jump to 13.00”.

As well as running professionally for New Balance, Blincoe is also the assistant cross-country and track coach at Villanova, where he has been instrumental in establishing an ANZAC running outpost in Philadelphia, there are currently three kiwis and one Aussie.

“We’d like to get another Aussie over here to even things out a bit”.

A push for another Australian is made all the more understandable with Blincoe commenting that he prefers Vegemite to Marmite, perhaps a symptom of his Australian training partners. He is also a newly married man, claiming that he ‘cooks pretty much every night’, a testament to his sturdy, cosmopolitan up-bringing on Auckland’s North Shore.

The future for Adrian Blincoe is undoubtedly bright. At 28 years old he is coming into his prime for a distance runner. With the Commonwealth Games next year, Blincoe has his sights on reversing his performance in Melbourne.

“I’ll be shooting to finish pretty high up in the 5k. I’ll rely a lot on Nic and Marcus to have me ready to go in Delhi, as it’ll be new territory peaking in October”.

Heading into next years games Blincoe will have the experience of Melbourne as well as that of being an Olympian, a very different situation than when he toed the line in the 1500m four years ago. Hopefully New Delhi will be one championship where Adrian Blincoe is fighting for a spot on the podium.

“I’ll be shooting to finish pretty high up in the 5k. I’ll rely a lot on Nic and Marcus to have me ready to go in Delhi, as it’ll be new territory peaking in October”.
Adrian Blincoe

  Xmas Cracker 5km

By Daniel Wallis

For a country as small as New Zealand, its amazing how rarely the top domestic athletes organise to consistently race each other for quality competition -- with the Northerners usually sticking to their Island, and the Southerners to theirs. Aside from the National Championships, there is usually one meet that athletes make a concerted effort to get too, in good shape. For recent history it has been the Capital Classic in Wellington, where the 3000m has been the blue-ribbon event, producing consistently fast times across the board. However, the shift is now moving south – to the New Balance x-mas cracker 5000m.

December 19^th may be hardly the ideal time to be in peak shape, with Nationals (except the 10000m) not until March -- yet for most it will be the only real chance to post a PB over 5km, and likely the only chance all year that multiple kiwis dip under 14.10. However, the early date will suit those using the meet as over distance, as well as a solid tune up for the National 10000m a little over two weeks later, as well as the World Cross Trial at the end of January.

Over the past three years the meet has seen a consistent decline in the quality of the winning times, slowing at a rate of around 10 seconds per year since 2006. That year Max Smith took out the race in 14.03, followed in 2007 by Luke Hurring in 14.13, and last years’ winner Andrew Davidson in 14.22.

This year however looks to be a trend breaker, with several athletes coming off successful cross and road seasons lining up. Race organiser Craig Motley of Canterbury University has made it clear that the pace will be on for sub -14.00 race, while he believes there will be at least 6 runners under 14.30, with hopefully a few juniors there or there about.  

With the International Track Meet in Christchurch placing 14.15 as the standard for entry into the 5km, this could be one of the few chances athletes have to break that barrier and ensure that there is a decent showing of kiwis to support at the ITM (Ed: Christchurch International Track Meet).

The Top 3 contenders:

This year there are three athletes that stand above the rest. All have impressive resumes over cross-country and have personal bests over 3000m of 8.05 or faster – making for what could potentially be one of the best 5000m races in New Zealand in the last couple of years.  

Andrew Davidson:

Last year was a breakthrough season on the track for Dr. Davidson, posting an impressive 3000m of 8.05 at the International Track Meet in Christchurch. This winter was nothing short of absolute dominance over cross for Davidson, taking the treble of North Island, South Island, and National Championship crowns. Although the road season was much quieter for the Cantabrian -- managing only 6^th in the NZ Road Champs, his class is undeniable and he rarely shows up out of shape. While he does not top the fastest times list, he tops the form list and is the clear favourite for this one.

Kim Hogarth:

In 2006 Kim Hogarth was running for Western State College in Colorado, where he ran personal bests of 13.44 for the 5km and 8.29 for the steeple. Although Hogarth has yet to get back to the sort of times that he was posting in the States, he has had a tremendous domestic season. This year Hogarth won 5 National titles: 3000m, 5000m, Steeple, Half-Marathon, and 10km Road – as well as his 3^rd place at the National Cross-Country Champs. The guy is probably one of the toughest racers in the country and has plenty of experience over the 5000m. He will push Davidson all the way, and unless he has a shocker - will be a guaranteed a podium spot.

Rees Buck:

Rees Buck is currently one of New Zealand’s best and most experienced distance runners. Buck has been national champion over multiple distances, including a three year streak from 2003-2005 when he won the 3000m title. Buck is also a 4-time NZ representative at the World Cross Champs, most recently at Edinburgh in 2008. With PBs from 800m-5km of 1.49, 3.41,13.49 and 29.12 for 10km; recorded at the 2007 Zatopek Classic where he was 3^rd place -- Buck has the gears to be a threat at any stage of the race, with his kick still very much in tact at the ripe age of 32. However, with the World Cross Trial at the end of January his primary focus, Buck may not be the threat now that he will be then – but he remains one of the favourites for a Top 3 finish. If he’s there with a lap to go, he’ll be hard to beat.

Best of the Rest:

Richy Olsen:

Although not his specialty distance, Olsen is a 4.00 miler and has had a string of solid performances over 10km on the road. Even if can’t match the strength that Davidson, Buck or Hogarth bring to the table – he will be a massive threat off of a slower pace and will surely shatter his PB of 14.34 if he can hold it together in the latter parts of the race.

Brett Tingay:

Always a consistent performer on the domestic scene, Brett Tingay is coming off a 3^rd place finish at the NZ 10km Road Champs and a 1:07:40 half-marathon in Southland last month. His current strength is impressive, especially when you consider that last season he ran 3.44 for the 1500m. Dangerous off any pace, Tingay is definitely an outside chance for a medal.

The Dark Horse:

Stefan Smith:

Labelled as one of the breakthrough athletes over the NZ cross-country season this year, the young Wellingtonian has the tools to be a real threat over anything from the 800 to the 10km. Although targeting the NZ Cross Trial and a spot on the Team to Poland next year -- Smith will be a legitimate danger for the more experienced athletes in the field, as well as to Christchurch’s 17 year old girls.

Daniel Wallis for The Runner’s Tribe

After missing the entire XC season, im back into it, ripping out some kms, pumping some weights, lining up a few local races trying to get into some race fitness.

Cameron is sponsored by The Runner's Tribe. Made possible by    

 

After missing the entire XC season, im back into it, ripping out some kms, pumping some weights, lining up a few local races trying to get into some race fitness. Training has been going pretty well, doing some solid session's including some tough sand hill reps in boudi national park. Winter training was pretty light , trying to get a toe injury better and stay injury free, during this time I did a fair bit of cross training including swimming, gym and underwater rock running which is a real lungbuster. I've also become a lot more serious in stretching and icing and getting on top of little injuries before it becomes a major problem. Most of my sessions are run in Bouddi National Park including beach running with 1 or 2 track sessions, a fair bit of swimming with a couple of gym session's a week and some recovery icing session's. One of the greatest things about living/training on the Central Coast is the national parks and the beaches, Bouddi has magnificent views, reefs, shipwrecks, pounding surf, beaches, scenic coastal tracks, its just a wonderful environment to run in, its spiritually uplifting, so when you're running along one of the many beaches in Bouddi and you�re hit with a spray from the surf you can just breathe the salt air and you can feel your chest expand and you can feel the muscles in your leg tingle, its just makes you want to run. A usual daily discussion of Steve Prefontaines "Without Limits" passes the time. I'm stoked on running after any sort of session in Bouddi. Most hard session's are usually done in the arvo with easier ones in the morning so recovery is maximised. After any sort of hard sess it's recovery time which usually consists of a dive in the ocean, some gentle kicking in the water, a good surf, and laying on the beach with some beverages.



However the price to pay for Bouddi's breathtaking beauty is the difficulty of the terrain, lets just say I'd take 'The hill' at Nowra any day over a run in bouddi, it has some hectic hills, best summed up by the infamous 'Goat Track', forged on a steep mountainous climb that could have only originated in hell itself. When your toes bleed, that's running, when everything bleeds, that bouddi national park! Bouddi is also home of Trevor the bush turkey, a likeable young bush turkey, who we found injured one morning and nursed back to health, he usually joins for a couple kms before dropping us. Another great thing is having a very supportive coach- Kevin Wills who has come up with some unique principles of training to follow which keeps it interesting. Also having a great group of central coast runner�s notably the BMDB- Bringing middle distance back guys including Geoff Arnold, Cale Bowd, david Mainwaring, Tim Page, Dom an Ed Perry and Ben Guest.

Hopefully in the next few months I'll have a lot more time to train and get serious, with distraction�s such as the HSC etc out the way. Training now is starting to get more race specific including more fast track workout's and shorter, faster runs in general. I'm hoping to race well in the NSW 3km champs and run a fast time there and race consistently well throughout the season, hopefully clocking some world junior qualifier's and focus on that as a main goal in the long term.

Cam

 

'Most hard session's are usually done in the arvo with easier ones in the morning so recovery is maximised'
Cameron Page

By Brenton Rowe : It's a good feeling to be well into spring, knowing that the cooler months are behind us now and that the warmer months lie ahead..............

 Brenton is sponsored by The Runner's Tribe. Made possible by    

 � 2009 The Runner's Tribe, all rights reserved

Thursday October 15, 2009 

It's a good feeling to be well into spring, knowing that the cooler months are behind us now and that the warmer months lie ahead. As for the training it will be refreshing entering this transition period from 'general preparation' to 'specific preparation'. The past six months has been very productive in terms of getting a decent 'winter base' under my belt. My training has been the best it has ever been for this time of the year and I'm looking forward to building upon this over the next few months with more specific training in preparation for the main 'competition phase'.

The winter has been fairly quiet on the competition front, with a few cross country races and relays for the Geelong Region Cross Country Team in the AV series. The main focus over the winter period has been to complete some decent training and compete in a handful of cross country/road races whilst remaining injury free. I believe staying injury free has been as a result of introducing some simple techniques which have become habit. These include icing, stretching and regular massage, the basics really, as well as getting on to any niggles as they arise. The consistency in undertaking these activities has been the difference between this year and past years.

In terms of the next few months, training will become more race specific, i.e. 1500m orientated, and once university is finished at the end of this month, it will allow for more emphasis and professionalism in my approach to athletics. As part of this I plan to undertake a three week training altitude camp during the January/February period with my coach, and hope that this will prepare me well for the remainder of the track season.

 

'I believe staying injury free has been as a result of introducing some simple techniques which have become habit.'
Brenton Rowe

One of the best things about being a Marathon runner is that you have enforced breaks after each Marathon. In the past 12 months I have run more kilometres than ever before, but have had more days of no running than I have had in a long time. In the past if I was not running it usually meant I was injured. Still after week of no real running I was keen to get back out on the road and back into top shape as soon as possible.

Berlin was my 6th and I consider my best marathon. Immediately after finishing I was hit with two pieces of news – before I had even changed out of my racing shoes! The first news was that I finished 21st which although a very pleasing result, meant I had missed Commonwealth Games pre-selection by just one place. While frustrated at missing a top 20 finish, 20th place was 25 seconds ahead of me so it was not as though I had missed it by a sprint to the line. The second news was from my wife (by phone), she told me we were expecting twins in late February. I had left Australia knowing she was pregnant, but when Kathie found out the double result three days before I was to race she decided to wait until after the race to tell me. She wasn’t sure how I would react and didn’t want to divert my focus away from the marathon. It was certainly exciting and scary news – which I am still coming to terms with! Three children under two (our son Elye is now 16 months old) will keep us very busy.

Now back in Australia, I have resumed training after four weeks of taking it pretty easy. A couple of weeks in I am feeling OK. However, I am getting sore from doing sessions again despite my mileage being a fraction of what I was doing a couple of months ago. I'll start some second daily runs next week and I don't expect to have a rest day for 6 months. This build up will probably be a little slower than prior to my last two marathons as I have a bit more time. My next race is Noosa Bolt at the end of October, then probably the Great Australian Run in November and maybe my first major track race for a while at Zatopek in December. With the fast times the Australian boys have been running in the last year and no pressure on me to run fast, it will be good to race and try to be competitive against them. Following Zatopek, I plan to get into marathon training including a couple of weeks at Falls Creek in the New Year. If everything goes to plan, I hope to be on the start line in the Beppu-Oita Marathon on 7 February 2010. Hopefully the twins will time their arrival until after I get back from Japan!



Then I will be waiting until May to find out if I have done enough to be selected to head to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in October. I expect it will be tough conditions in Delhi, but that may slow down the pace a bit at the very front and give us Australians a chance to compete for the medals.

So this weekend it is 10km tempo, 25km long run and probably some shopping for twin prams, car seats, etc, etc. Back into the routine again!

Marty


 

Runnerstribe.com is sponsored by New balance, as is Martin Dent.

 
 

Runnerstribe: How have you been travelling so far? You've been very constent, what are your thoughts leading up to the championships?

Sally McLellan: My times are really fast at the moment, I'm the fastest qualifier, so it's looking good. Plus training has been going very well.

RT: You've had to race all the top girls very often over the European season, has that been an advantage or a disadvantage?

SM: How could it be a disadvantage? You're racing the best in the world all the time. It's really good and it's really exciting to go in knowing you can beat them, so it's a total advantage.

RT: Are you the favourite going in?

SM: Well I'm the fastest qualifier! So yeah, I'll be the favourite.

RT: What would you be happy with in terms of outcome for you?

SM:My goal is to make the final, and anything on top of that is a bonus.

RT: Do you think you've got a faster run in you than the Aussie record you hold at the moment?

SM: Oh yeah, of course I do! But championships are all about places, and the results. It's all about getting across the line, so who cares about times. It's a matter of getting into the final and doing the job.

RT: How do you feel with the added expectation after last year?

SM: I don't think about it! I focus on what I want to get out of this, what I can do, and what my abilities are. I don't listen to what anyone else says.

RT: Thanks Sally, best of luck!

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'Hills are speedword in diguise '
Frank Shorter