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Looking ahead towards London, Collis Birmingham is another contender that has chosen to focus on the 5000m rather than the 10,000m or the marathon. Birmingham says, "This year I'm focused on just getting fit because next year will be the biggest year you'll get in athletics." Looking to put his interrupted 2011 season behind him due to injury, Birmingham managed to finish off his 2011 season being the best placed Australian over the 5000m at the Daegu World championships. Birmingham already has one A Olympic qualifier under his belt having posted a 13.15.70. Hopefully we can see this 2008 Olympian continue again with his climb of improvements heading towards London.

Other athletes you need to keep your eyes open for over the 5000m and 10,000m this coming season is David McNeill and New Zealanders 2008 Olympic representative over the 5000m Adrian Blincoe and 2011 World championship finalist in the 5000m, Jake Robertson.

WOMEN

Two time 10,000m national title holder Eloise Welling’s sets her sights on making the London Olympics after her disappointing season ending in Daegu, which saw her withdraw from the women’s 10,000m due to injury. Welling’s, who has already run 31.41.31, achieving the Olympic A standard by 4 seconds. 

Other contenders looking to lower their personal bests to get closer to the Olympic 5000m (15:15.00) or 10,000m (31:45.00) A standard this season will be 2008 Zaptopek winner Lara Tamsett, 2011 open national cross country champion Emily Brichacek, Commonwealth games representative in the 5000m (2002) and 10,000m (2006) Anna Thompson, City to surf winners (2009) Melinda Vernon and Jess Trengrove (2011). 

 

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The Patching-Up Of My Sinking Ship 

By David McNeill

G’Day Everyone!

 

It’s been a while since the last blog, and as far as my performances go, not much changed over my Australian track season.  Last time I blogged, I closed out my US college career in far-from-ideal fashion (a stitch-hampered final cross country race), and followed it up with a below-par track season in Australia.  The transition from the US college running scene to the more independent “professional” running scene didn’t go as I had hoped, and so mistakes were made, and performances suffered.  But that is not what I will blog about today.  I’d rather fill you all in on the positive progress I have made since my last poor performance at the Melbourne 5k, and praise the handful of people who have stepped in and rescued me from the sinking ship that was my running career back in March.  The people who will be getting a well-deserved plug include Jason Antonelli, Craig Mottram, my new Coach, James Li, and my new training partner and friend (I still get goosebumps when I refer to him as that), Bernard Lagat.  I hope this early name-dropping will entice you all into a tantalizing read…well, I can’t promise the read will be as enticing and tantalizing as the above mentioned names…But anyway, here goes; the patching up of my sinking ship:

 

Jason Antonelli was probably the first person to stand in and get the ball rolling for me again. Jason and I both run for the Old Xaverians AC in Melbourne, and for 2 weeks in February, we trained entirely together down in Queenscliff (along the Victorian coast).  Over many a latté at Kelp Café, and over perhaps a few too many Tim Tams, Jase and I developed not only a great friendship, but a sense of common ground, when it came to our love for running, and our gratitude towards the people that make running possible.  Jason would make any Jesuit proud.  For those of you who don’t know who the Jesuits are, lets just say Jase is a very selfless and compassionate person.  He made me realize how important it is to have someone to share the ride with.  I’d taken for granted how hard it was to fly solo, and how when we fly solo, it is so easy to stress and get caught up and distracted by the little things we can’t control.  Had I not had Jase to train with, I probably would have spent an extra 30secs saying goodbye to the Olympic Park track during that 5k race at the start of March, and I would not have realized that what I needed most for my running to start improving again was a training partner/group, and a plan!

 

Craig Mottram helped me instigate the first part of my plan after that Melbourne race.  That plan was to start relaxing, and block out the extraneous issues I couldn’t control.  I was fortunate enough to room with Craig at the World Cross Country Champs in Spain.  Craig has clearly experienced the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows, and had a wealth of experience to share.  He had been humbled by a debilitating Achilles injury for a good two years, and had showed the world that he wasn’t afraid to start from the bottom, and work his way back to the top at his own pace and in his own way.  Most of the time, Craig was just good entertainment.  Between his unique morning alarm clock that got us out of bed each morning, to his animated mealtime discussions with one of the junior runners on the team, Joshua Johnson, Craig was relaxed and enjoying the team experience.  This was a leaf I definitely needed to take out of his book.  And so I did.  Don’t get the wrong idea when I say this, but my week on the Spanish coast leading up to the World Cross race was the holiday I needed!  My experience rooming and chatting with Craig taught me to relax, and allowed me to extract a better performance from myself than I had been able to all summer.  Craig was encouraging, and a good friend in Spain.  I managed a 42^nd place, which was my best result at World Cross, and allowed me to be the second Aussie across the line on the day.  I loved being amongst a team that week, and shooting the shit with Benny Saint, Liam, Clint, and Collis, and all the other guys and gals!  Running is a fun sport, if only we open the doors to that possibility.

 

I returned to the US after world cross with a better attitude and a better idea of what I needed to do to get myself back on track, and start running some PBs again.  I was fortunate enough to be contacted by Coach James Li of the University of Arizona over my time at home in Australia, with the offer of a helping hand if I needed it.  I hadn’t thought much of a new coach or a new training location, as I had figured Coach Heins and Flagstaff would continue to provide what I needed.  But if I had learnt anything from Jase and from Craig, I knew I couldn’t extract my best on my own.  I knew I would be somewhat on my own and left to my own devices in Flagstaff.  And with Coach Heins’ head coaching commitments, and his demanding travel schedule, it would have been unfair to expect as much from Coach Heins as I had when I was on the team.  I am incredibly grateful for where he had taken me, and even more grateful for the support he provided in my transition over to Coach Li.  Coach Heins was a selfless and supportive coach, and shared the excitement of new beginnings for me! I couldn’t ask for a better mentor or friend than that.  And so I started working with Coach Li, and haven’t looked back.  Coach Li has coached some of the best athletes in the world, and continues to coach the ageless champion, Bernard Lagat.  When Coach Li contacted me, my performances were dropping, and there was no prospect of a shoe contract or any money to be made.  The experience of being believed in by another human being – especially one who you have only just met - is such a humbling experience, and says a lot of my new Coach.  Coach Li is a quietly passionate coach, and one of the humblest I have met.  With his help, I have learnt to put a little more belief in myself, and have reaped the rewards of his expertise and guidance.  I am yet to race yet under his guidance, but when I finally do get that opportunity to race, I plan on making the most of it, and showing all my friends and family what he has guided me to.  I do hope my performance will match the appreciation of have for his coaching and support.

 

Last, but definitely not the least defining piece of the puzzle (that has been the patching up of my sinking ship) has been a guy by the name of Bernard Lagat.  Back in 2001, at the IAAF Grand Prix final in Melbourne, as a 14 year old, I staggered through the crowds to get this man’s autograph after he finished second behind Hicham El Guerrouj in the 1500m.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined 10 years later, I’d be his training partner and friend.  However, it is not the novelty of training with one of the greatest middle distance runners of all time that has affected me the most.  It is the man’s character and integrity, which most definitely exceeds his incredible athletic accomplishments.  Certainly, there aren’t many people I have met in my life with this man’s credentials, but there are also very few I have met with as big a heart, and as helpful a hand as his.  When we did 5 weeks of training up in Flagstaff, Bernard picked me up and drove me to training everyday, got me some new running shoes and clothes, got me into the 5k race at the New York Diamond League (which is this coming weekend), and provided me the stimulus and company as a training partner that I needed.  From Bernard, I have learnt new athletic limits – or a lack there of – within myself.  I have learnt what it means to train hard and to train smart.  In the lead up to my first race of the season, Bernard and his wife, Gladys have had me stay at their home for nearly three weeks, making me feel at home, and making me feel a part of their family.  In preparing to race while I make the transition from life in Flagstaff to life in Tucson, Bernard has helped give me the best chance to get the most out of the opportunity I have.  The man is a true champion, and has an amazing family.  My gratitude towards him exceeds my admiration for him as an athlete, which says a lot.  My only regret now is that it would be just plain awkward for me to ask him for his autograph! Oh well, I’ll take him as a training partner instead!

 

I’ll leave this blog here for now, and hope to give you a bit of a look at my training in the next installment.  Oh, one more plug: to my Mum and Dad – my coolest and favorite supporters!  Oh, and sorry for the American spelling of a few words in this blog.  I bought my computer in the US, and the auto correct is set to US English, and I couldn’t be bothered changing it all.

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Fresh off of arriving back to Australia after setting a new Australian record over 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford University – Ben St. Lawrence took time out to log into his Skype account and ‘live-chat’ with The Runner’s Tribe about racing and training overseas, hanging out with Gordon Ramsay, and how English coffee is shit.

 

The Runner’s Tribe: How is it being back in Aus?

Ben St Lawrence: All good, still waking up at 2:30 am- but getting better!

RT: Hope your parents have FoxTel then!

Ben St Lawrence: Yeah, we've got foxtel thankfully. I'm heading to Syd for the weekend to sort out some accom for the next 5 weeks.

RT: Don't you live in Sydney??

Ben St Lawrence: I did, but I rented my room out when I went overseas on my last trip- and since I'm heading back in 5-6 weeks I decided to leave the tenant in there and just find a temporary room.

RT: Where are you headed to next??

Ben St Lawrence: Will be heading to Teddington in Late June/Early July to race a few times before world champs. At the moment we're hoping that I'll do a 3000m, one or two 1500s and the London Diamond League 5000.Teddington is our London Base.

RT: When you say "we" are your referring to Nic Bideau?

Ben St Lawrence: No, I am referring to my coach- Sean Williams, Myself and Nic who manages me and helps with training and racing plans while overseas. It is a good system, Nic and Sean have a similar training philosophy.

RT: So what has changed since Stanford?? I'm guessing that if you're off again to Europe soon you won't be heading back to work and the daily grind?

Ben St Lawrence: That's right, while I was on this last trip I decided to take the plunge and resign from my full-time job to really focus on running in the lead-up to London 2012. I just felt that if I tried to split my energy between the two, I would end up under-achieving in both areas. I'll go back to work for a week or two to wrap things up, then I will have all my time to focus on all the little things that will hopefully help me to improve.

RT: So you're a full-time athlete now then!! Still with New Balance??

Ben St Lawrence: Yes I am, it feels great saying that! I am still with New Balance, I was lucky enough to meet a lot of the New Balance Management and Product team while I was in Boston, they have some great product and ideas at the moment so I'm excited to be working with them. I even did a photo-shoot while in LA, so my ankles may be on a billboard one day!

RT: Have they found you some shoes that aren't 2E width since you're an Aussie record holder now?? I heard you were stamping all over the guys in London.

Ben St Lawrence: Haha, they have!  I'm doing a lot of running in the Baddeley's (890) and the 1080s as well as the new Minimus. Touch-wood I seem to be pain-free with this shoe combination!

RT: You know when I met Gordon Ramsay he was cooking in New Balance's - you're pretty good mates with him right?? I heard you guys ran together and high-fived a lot?

Ben St Lawrence: Yeah we like to catch up at least once a year for a time trial in Richmond Park. We've done it every year since 2011, he definitely looked like he was 'cooking' while huffing his way up the hills in Richmond. High fiving him was a highlight at about the 80 min mark of a 2 hour long run while I was hanging onto Mike Aish, he hasn't been in touch yet to congratulate me on the Aussie record, but I suspect he will. Gordon that is, although neither has Mike...

RT: How was the boys’ cooking in London? Did you get any lessons from Gordon? 

Ben St Lawrence: I think we could all take some cooking lessons from Gordon. Although Bobby Curtis and Collis are both pretty handy in the kitchen. Mike [Aish] does some good 'Kiwi Burgers', which I found out don't actually contain any Kiwi's... That is one thing I am looking forward to about not rushing around so much with work and training- having time to cook proper meals, rather than eating take-away at 9pm at night as I'm too smashed from a session to cook!

RT: That’s pretty impressive that you can work, eat takeways at 9pm and run 13:10/27:24 - Are you confident you will have a lot more success now that you'll be full-time? Are you worried at all about becoming too consumed in training etc or is that what you're after??

Ben St Lawrence: That is definitely a concern, I will try to stay balanced and not change things too drastically- a few people suggested that if things were working so well- why change them, which is a valid piece of advice, but I decided to ignore the sensible advice and take a chance. Surely with more time to recover, do core-strength and drills, stretch, cook better meals etc I will be giving myself a better chance to improve. Only time will tell, but I am confident that there are some things that I can do that will see me improve. Consistent High Mileage is one thing that I found very hard to do while working full-time, so that is something I will aim for.

RT: Looking at your Australian Record - What was your mindset heading into Stanford?

Ben St Lawrence: After running 13:10 in Melbourne and deciding that Stanford would be my goal race of the trip, I definitely had my sights set on Collis' [Birmingham] National Record. The rough equation is your 5k time, doubled with a minute added on, putting me at 27:20- which sounded very tough but achievable. Between Melbourne and leaving for World Cross I had a bad flare up of an old back injury and got violently ill for a few days. This knocked my momentum a little bit, which wasn't helped by a pretty poor race in Spain at WXC. I then had 10 days in London and probably pushed it a bit too hard to make-up for lost time and ended up having a hopeless race when I got to the US at the Carlsbad 5k. I put in 2 weeks of solid mileage and had a slightly better 5k in Boston, then back to altitude for another 2 weeks before Stanford. Heading into Stanford, I hadn't had a good session or race since Melbourne, but I had been getting it all done and hitting higher mileage than ever before. I'll admit that my confidence in getting the record was gone, and I decided to play it safe and just aim for the Olympic A qualifier!

RT: At what point in the race at Stanford did it get rough?

Ben St Lawrence: Stanford was a different race than usual, as at no point early on did I feel that I was running beyond myself, so that dreaded pain didn't really kick in until the last few laps, at which stage it is easy enough to ignore for a few minutes. Usually when the pain kicks in, especially if it is early in a race, I just focus on getting to a certain point without stressing about the pain too much. For me (and probably most people) it is between laps 7-10  of a 5k and about 18-21 of a 10k. Those are the laps that usually take the most mental energy to get through, and I just make sure that I stay positive and get myself to within striking distance of the finish. In my worst races, it is at this point that the pain becomes too much and then it is a struggle all the way home. The Delhi 10k was an example of this!

RT: So do you have any specific time goals for Europe?? What are the goals for WC?

Ben St Lawrence: In Europe I'd like to run PBs in the 1500, 3000 and 5000- but the main goal is to get to Daegu in the best possible shape, so I don't want to hit top form too soon. In Daegu, if everything goes well in preparation- I'd like to get into the final and then be in the mix in the final few laps. The amount of talent out there is pretty daunting, but if I can focus on preparing myself as well as I can, and then executing the best race that I can- a place in the top hand full of guys is possible.

RT: Now that you have travelled around a bit - what is your fav spot? How did you like the states?

Ben St Lawrence: My favourite training location so far is probably Mt Laguna in California; my favourite race location is probably NYC. Travelling around for races is often a lot less glamorous than it sounds, as you may only see an airport, a hotel and then a track. For instance, I have been to the Czech Republic, arguably one of the most beautiful European destinations- and yet I only saw the track, hotel and airport. I'm not complaining though, sometimes we do get to enjoy a day or two of another culture and location. I really love to travel, so combining it with training and racing is a great lifestyle. I'd like to check out Boulder some day, but we keep getting such good results after Laguna that it's tempting to keep going back!

RT: Do you enjoy training in Teddington?

Ben St Lawrence: Yeah, Teddington is a good European base. There are three massive parks within running distance (Bushy, Richmond and Home) as well as the trail along the Thames. Then you have the track at St Mary's university, so training locations are superb. The house of Nic's that we stay in is within walking distance of the shops, railway, buses and physio/chiro etc. If only there were some Australian Coffee shops nearby we'd have everything we needed!

RT: Yes, English coffee is so shit.

Ben St Lawrence: Yep! That is one thing I really miss while away!

RT: Flat whites?

Ben St Lawrence: Yeah, or piccolo's (half the milk of a flat white)

RT: So who are you going to train with for the next month or so in Sydney?

Ben St Lawrence: I'll be jumping back in with my squad in Sydney for most of my sessions, then will do a fair few of my other runs just on my own. Sean has a very large squad of runners, from young up and comers to recreational guys, so it will be good to get in with them again and catch up. I have done a lot of my running over the last few years with Tim Rowe, who recently moved to Canberra to work with Rob De Castella's Indigenous Marathon Project, so unfortunately I've lost a good training partner there! There's also a group of corporate runners in Sydney called HURTS, who I will jump in with for a Wednesday run from time to time when at work.

 

At this point, Kitchen Nightmares had started, which meant Ben was forced to decline any further questions. Thanks for your time, Ben and good luck for your upcoming European campaign and the World Champs!

BY DANIEL WALLIS 

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An upset, a near-upset and a masterclass: that’s what the three big races at the Melbourne Track Classic provided.

Given that the upset – Jeff Riseley defeating Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop in the 1500 metres, and near-upset – Ben St Lawrence threatening to do the same to Bernard Lagat off the final bend of the 5000, both involved Australians, the two most competitive races of the night fulfilled the expectations loaded onto them in the build-up to the meeting.

Since the masterclass was given by 2010 male athlete of the year in the 800 metres, there weren’t too many complaints about that either. David Rudisha set up a mighty impressive season off his 1:43.15 in Melbourne last year, he’ll be hoping his 1:43.88 on Thursday night is a prelude to another one.

Predictably, given Melbourne’s history as the self-proclaimed ‘Oslo of the south’, middle and long-distance featured heavily on the schedule for the final international meeting at Olympic Park.

This, after all, is the track where John Landy set off in lonely pursuit of the first sub-four minute mile; where Herb Elliott first broke four minutes; where Ron Clarke set the first of almost 20 world records; where Charlene Rendina – a teammate of Greg and Carolyn Lewis back in the 1970s, set a national record for 800 metres which defies all comers, but chiefly their daughter, Tamsyn, to this day; and, where Craig Mottram emerged as a top-class 5000 runner with a 13:12.04 against Stephen Cherono in 2002.

Jeff Riseley evoked all that spirit, and more, when he sprinted past Kiprop up the final straight of the 1500. Sure enough it was a first-up race for the Olympic gold medallist, but it was just Riseley’s second outing since returning from the foot injury which put him out of the Commonwealth Games and here he was surging home ahead of Kiprop, Alan Webb and Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis – not a bad collection of scalps.

It was a race lost as well as won. Kiprop sat behind the erratic pacemaking of compatriot Gilbert Kipchoge who ran 53, 1:53, the old too fast then too slow trick. Riseley followed that, too, but critically got the sit on his rival.

The other thing it showed was just how difficult it is to run the world championships A-standard of 3:35.00 other than in the orchestrated races of the Diamond League. With the pace on from the start, Riseley still ran ‘only’ 3:36.71. He will surely get the time, but the result emphasised how difficult qualifying will be for so many athletes.

Ben St Lawrence raised hopes of a second upset when he loomed at Lagat’s shoulder on the final bend of the 5000. Already, he was travelling at a pace which would lead to a 15-second ‘pb’, and now it looked as if ‘Benny Saint’ might defeat Lagat, the 2007 world champion, 2009 silver medallist and second only to Kenenisa Bekele among 5k runners in recent history.

“S**t, I’m going to pass him,” St Lawrence thought. And so thought all of us, too, but it didn’t quite happen, Lagat sprinting decisively clear to win 13:08.43 to 13:10.08.

St Lawrence is now second on the Australian all-time list behind Craig Mottram, while Lagat has his first win in three starts over 11 years in this country. His first was in finishing third behind Noah Ngeny and Hicham El Geurrouj in the Sydney Olympic 1500, his second in finishing behind El Guerrouj in the 2001 IAAF grand prix final at Olympic Park the following year. Now, Lagat has closed Olympic Park with the fastest 5000 ever run at the track.

And what about Mottram? He finished sixth in 13:25.15 behind the first two, Chris Solinsky, Matt Tegenkamp and the surprising Andrew Bumbalough. It was an encouraging step back along the road after the latest of a long series of achilles tendon problems.

 Unlike Kiprop and Lagat, there were no rude shocks for David Rudisha in the 800. His 1:43.88 saw him home an unchallenged 10 metres ahead of Nick Symmonds.

It was another business-as-usual run for the world record holder, his preferred pacemaker taking him out in a tick over 50 seconds, his rivals racing for second from then on. Rudisha’s test will come at the world championships, when he attempts to add a major title to his world record performances.

Lachlan Renshaw continued to show that his move to the OTC Elite has been a good one, running a ‘pb’ 1:45.66 in third place and there was a huge run, too, from 18-year-old Alex Rowe whose 1:46.28 was within 0.37 of 1994 world junior champion Paul Byrne’s national U20 record.

All up, three great races with more than enough local content to keep the most demanding fan happy.

There was much else besides, including a sub-2 minutes 800 from Jamaica’s Kenia Sinclair ahead of Tamsyn Lewis and a stirring battle between Jemma Simpson and Kaila McKnight in the women’s 1500, won by Simpson, 4:08.49 to 4:08.94.

Note: both the IAAF (www.iaaf.org) and Athletics Australia (www.athletics.com.au) websites have full summary and results of the meeting.

One of the consequences of excellence is that the bar is set very high in terms of personal improvement.

Last year at the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic, David Rudisha ran his first 800m of what turned out to be an outstanding year, with hopes for a similar start to 2011 at the same meet this Thursday, March 3.

Clocking 1:43.15, Rudisha's run was not only the fastest ever run in Australia but the prelude for a season which saw him win the African championship and the Continental Cup and twice break the world record. The year ended with the 21-year-old acclaimed IAAF Male Athlete of the Year.

Rudisha hopes this year ends with acclaim of a slightly different sort - that which goes with winning a major title at the IAAF world championships in Daegu (KOR) this August.

"Having the world record and not a major title, it doesn't sound good," Rudisha stated at last Friday's John Landy Lunch.

Opposing Rudisha will be two sub 1:44 men in American Nick Symmonds (1:43.76) and Abraham Chepkirwok (1:43.72) of Uganda. Symmonds was sixth at the Berlin world championships in 2009, Chepkirwok fourth at the 2007 world championships and a semi-finalist at the Beijing Olympics.

Hoping to gatecrash this sort of company will be Lachlan Renshaw. The national champion, Renshaw will be looking to start 2011 strongly after being forced to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games final as a result of a hamstring injury.

Headed by the 2007 world champion, American Bernard Lagat, and a world championships medallist, Craig Mottram who won bronze in 2005, the 5000m contains a further three sub-13 minute men in Isaac Songok, Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky, as well as our own national champion in Ben St Lawrence, second-fastest ever in Collis Birmingham and Commonwealth Games representative David McNeill.

After two years battling with achilles tendon problems, Mottram on the track will be enough for most of Melbourne's passionate distance fans. If he is in there at the finish, the back-straight stand may well erupt.

Rounding out the excellent middle distance line up at this year's IAAF Melbourne Track Classic, an IAAF World Challenge Meet, is the men's 1500 metres, with the start list losing little to the 800m or 5000m in star quality.

Led by the Olympic gold and silver medallists Asbel Kiprop and Nick Willis, the field also contains last year's winner Jeff Riseley and American mile record holder Alan Webb. Kiprop will be eager to atone for last year's race when he tripped and fell after only 100 metres and, although quickly regaining his feet, could do no better than fourth place.

At the same time in the field, three world champions will take to the throwers circle.

Flame Dani Samuels in the discus, is one, while in the women's shot put Valerie Adams is Olympic champion to boot. Adams is in grand form, having thrown a New Zealand all-comers record 20.33m on the weekend in Auckland.

There is also one lurking in the men's shot put - if, at 133kg, Reese Hoffa could ever be described as lurking. The 2007 Osaka world champion is up against Dale Stevenson, who cracked the 20-metre mark in Hobart and is confident of achieving the 20.50m world championships qualifying standard.

Having headlined the first two meetings on the Australian Athletics Tour, Sally Pearson will no doubt be happy to have 'star' company in Melbourne, but she will also be just as determined to produce star performances in the women's 100m and 200m. The presence of American sprinter Mikele 'Miki' Barber, a member of the 2007 world championships gold medal 4x100m relay, could be the stimulus Pearson needs to push below 23 seconds in the 200m and closer to Melinda Gainsford-Taylor's national record of 11.12 in the 100m.

Mitchell Watt carries the rare distinction of bringing home a medal from every major competition he has entered, bronze at both the 2009 world championships and 2010 world indoor championships, but injury kept him out of the Commonwealth Games. He returned to the long jump with 8.13m in Brisbane last week and, given good conditions, could be up for something even better Thursday night.

Tamsyn Lewis may only be doing a two-lap event, but her endurance is not to be questioned. The 2008 world indoor champion at 800m is fronting up for her 14th consecutive IAAF Melbourne Track Classic. She will come up against Jamaican Kenia Sinclair, fifth in the Beijing Olympic final and second in last year's Continental Cup.

With Kelly Hetherington, who pushed Lewis in Hobart in Round 2 of the Australian Athletics Tour, national champion Katherine Katsanevakis and Erica Fountain also in the mix, something close to two minutes could be needed to win.

Finally, the men's 400m sees the return of John Steffensen, going up against Delhi silver medallist Sean Wroe, national champion Ben Offereins and Delhi relay gold medallist Kevin Moore. With all four men on the hunt for the 45.25 world championships qualifying standard this event looks set to be one hot lap.

A five-stop national tour, the 2011 Australian Athletics Tour boasts four divisions (sprints/hurdles, distance, throws, jumps) with male and female athletes in different events pitted against each other in the race for the largest prize purse in Australian athletics history.

The only IAAF World Challenge meet held in Australia, the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic doubles as Round 3 of the Australian Athletics Tour with many events providing an opportunity to score points in the race for their division title.

To view and download current start lists and the meet timetable for the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic, please click here<http://www.athletics.com.au/competition/events/australian_athletics_tour_-_me>

To view and download current leader boards of the Australian Athletics Tour, please click here<http://www.athletics.com.au/competition/events/201011_season_dates/aat_points>

With thanks to Len Johnson

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week

As we came to the end of 2010 and were looking forward to Christmas and the New Year, I was asked to take a look back on my running throughout the year and to discuss some of my travels and races to give other runners an insight into how the year panned out and what it’s like to race a full year around the world. So if you have (quite) a few spare minutes, here is a ‘run’-down of the year that I’ve had and a few of my thoughts along the way.

 

Part 1: From Falls Creek to Gateshead

The year started for me as it did for a lot of other Aussie distance runners, in the beautiful Falls Creek. The atmosphere, trails, altitude, company and isolation at Falls Creek combine to make it the perfect destination to kick off a year of running. Hitting the trails with a mass of like-minded people not only gets you fit, but also fires you up and reminds you that there are plenty of others out there chasing the same dreams. Despite all the advances in technology over the years, I doubt that we’re doing anything very different to what the pioneers of altitude running may have done back when they trained at Falls half a century ago.  I have personally had fun and learnt a lot each of the three years I’ve been there.

 

My first race after Falls was the Hunter Track Classic 3000m, a chance to hit the track for the first time since a 2^nd placing at Zatopek 09 and hopefully sharpen up for the 5000m at the Briggs Classic in Hobart shortly afterwards. I ran the race largely on my own and didn’t feel great, a win in 7:55 was reasonable and I hoped it was just what I needed to be ready for Hobart.

 

With my main goal of 2010 being to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, I saw Hobart as a good chance to post an early A qualifier- so that was the plan going in. I had been training quite well, we had some pacemakers for a few laps and everything seemed in place. Unfortunately I just had one of those slightly-off days and struggled a little to finish 2^nd in 13:38, just ahead of Shelley but a fair way off Collis. I put that bad result down to doing a lot of hard work through January and not freshening up enough, but I needed that hard work to get where I wanted to be later in the season.

 

After some more good training in Sydney with Coach Sean Williams, my next race was the 5000m at the Melbourne Track Classic. I desperately wanted the A qualifier of <13:29 and was rewarded with a 13:26- the second fastest 5000m time of my life. I was 4^th in the race, but first Australian in what would normally be the Australian Championship for 5000m. The race was won by the Englishman Andy Baddeley, who I barely knew at the time but who I was to go on and share plenty of tough training sessions with in the US and Europe later in the year.

 

Next up was a quick trip across the Tasman for the 5000m at the International Track Meet in Christchurch, where I won in 13:48 with a 54 second last lap. I wanted to test my finishing speed at this race as this is an attribute that essentially decides the results of so many races, I was happy with my kick in this race- but would I be able to produce something similar off a faster pace? Second in this race was another Englishman, Mark Draper, who would also be a frequent training partner and good mate in the months to come. One of the best things about travelling and training in sport is the people you meet along the way, I also think that sharing extreme physical challenges in both training and racing makes the bonds a lot stronger than just sharing a beer with someone down at the pub.

 

The Australian Championships in Perth in April were the major focus of my whole domestic season, and I knew that with a top 2 placing in the 5000m I would book my ticket to Delhi. With this additional importance came increased pressure and I was definitely more nervous for this race than most others. With Dave McNeil and Collis both in the race and both also having the A qualifier, I knew it would be a tough one. I thought that only the top two would be selected automatically for Delhi, and I was ready to fight tooth and nail to get my spot. After a slow first 3k, Collis really injected some pace and reeled off a couple of 60 second laps, I managed to hang on for these, but drifted back on the penultimate lap. I was flat out, running as hard as I could and I could see up ahead that Collis was too, but he wasn’t getting any further away. I maintained my pace on the last lap and was lucky to pass a tiring Collis in the home straight to win my first ever Australian Championship. My last five laps averaged less than 61 seconds each. Crossing the line in first place, knowing that this would book me a ticket to Delhi made all the hard work worth it- I was absolutely elated.

 

Shortly after Perth, I boarded a plane to the US for an intensive 3 week training camp at Mt Laguna, near San Diego in California- organised by my manager Nic Bideau with Gary Henry overseeing our training. Like Falls, this was to be an essential block of training to keep us going through a stint on the European Circuit, as well as getting me ready for a 10km road race in NYC. I joined a great group of guys from around the world and had some of the best training of my life up in the mountains. Even through freak blizzards we worked well as a group and put in some solid work. Normally having to work full-time, I find that my running usually improves when I get away and can focus solely on training and recovery.

 

I raced well in The Healthy Kidney 10k, with a 7^th place finish and a road PB of 28:36, I really felt the benefit of the altitude training and loved the experience of being hosted by the New York Road Runners in the Big Apple. Being put up in a nice Hotel in downtown Manhattan, having Central Park as a racing and training venue- that really is living the dream for me! After a couple of days catching up with old friends in NYC, I boarded a flight to London for my first ever European campaign.

 

Nic’s set-up in Teddington (40 min out of London) is very conducive to running well, with days structured around a morning session, plenty of time for recovery and strength work- with a second run in the early evening. It is also a beautiful place to train- with Bushy Park, Home Park (Hampton Court Palace), Richmond Park and the River Thames all within easy running distance, as well as the track at St Mary’s University.

 

My first race in Europe was a 3000m at The Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic. I was 10^th in 7:49, which was a 6 sec PB but not as fast as I had hoped to run. I went too fast early in the race and paid for it towards the end. The overall experience of the meet was awesome. Bernard Lagat was in my race, and I had a good chance to chat to him afterwards. My roommate was Boaz Lalang, who went on to win the 800m in Delhi and I was lucky enough to go for a jog with (now) 800m WR holder David Rudisha as well as meet Usain Bolt. Rubbing shoulders with the best!

 

My next race was a 5000m at Montrieul- just outside Paris. Bobby Curtis and I made the trip on the Eurostar with high hopes of bettering our equal PBs of 13:25. This was the goal race of the trip and I was hoping for a big result between 13:10 and 13:20. Unfortunately I had to withdraw from the race with a back problem at 2k, which was bitterly disappointing. Bobby ran well to post a new PB of 13:17 in average conditions- coming very close to winning. After some Physio and Chiro work, Bobby and I hit the Champs Elysee for dinner, and I tried not to let my disappointment dampen his high spirits.

 

After a week of Osteo and rest, I was doubtful that I’d be able to race the 1500m at the British Milers Club meet in Watford (UK) that I had planned on running. I decided to make the trip with Lara Tamsett and Mitch Kealey anyway (with Sonia O’Sullivan at the wheel). Once there I thought I may as well warm up and see how the back felt. After a few strides I still seemed to be able to run OK so made the call to line up for my first 1500m race in 3 years! I ended up 3^rd in 3:39, which was an 11 sec PB. This was just what I needed to help erase the lingering negativity from the DNF in France and is an example of how some of your best results can come when you least expect them.

 

I fell ill overnight, thought it was just the effects of the race so forced myself through a 90 min run the next morning which buried me and I ended up in bed sick for a week. This really knocked me around and when combined with the taper for the 5000m in France and my back injury- meant that I had barely trained in over two weeks. Luckily I had a couple of weeks to bounce back for my last two races in Europe, which were to be a 5000m in Sollentuna (Sweden) and a 3000m two days later in Cork (Ireland). Despite the poor preparation, I was able to win a tactical 5000m in Sweden in 13:39, with a 26 sec last 200m and then also won the 3000m in Ireland in 8:02 with a 54 sec last 400m. While these certainly weren’t Diamond League races, it felt great to taste victory on the circuit. The benefit of having months (or even years) of consistent training behind me was that I didn’t lose too much fitness with a couple of weeks off.

 

While I didn’t achieve the fast times that I’d hoped for, partly due to circumstances beyond my control, I was content with my first Euro-trip and learned a lot to take with me next time. I had fun along the way, saw some sights and met some cool people. The trip had gained me a 10k road PB, a 3000m PB and a 1500 PB, as well as two tactical wins. I flew home to Sydney the day after my race in Ireland.

  

Despite having just come off a track season in Europe, we decided that a good solid month of longer work would help me get ready for Delhi, so the City 2 Surf would fit in nicely- approximately a month after landing back in Sydney. It’s good to break-up a long year and have short-term goals to focus on, without losing sight of the bigger picture, which for me was always Delhi.

 

I have been a huge fan of the C2S since first running it as an 8 year old, and I really wanted to have a good crack at it this year. I’d come 4^th then 2^nd the previous two years, so wanted the win this time around. A few weekends in the Blue Mountains as well as some solid sessions back with Sean’s squad had me in good shape, and on race day I was ready to roll. The guys ran well, with Shelley putting in a series of savage surges shortly after Heartbreak Hill, leaving us all feeling the pinch at the 10km mark. I had a couple of rough patches during the race, but started to feel strong on the long downhill into Bondi. It’s not often that 3 guys are together with 1 km to go, making for an exhilarating finish. Jeff didn’t quite have the change of pace with about 800m to go and I was able to counter Shelley’s move in the home straight to edge ahead and take the win by a second. This will undoubtedly go down as a career highlight for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed everything that day! Having family and friends there to share the experience with was awesome.

 

While I was out celebrating the win, I found out that I had been selected to represent ‘Asia Pacific’ in the Continental Cup (formerly known as the World Cup) to be held in Split (Croatia) in approximately three weeks time. I now had to try to recover from the C2S, sharpen up a bit, fly to the other side of the world and be ready to take on the best runners from ‘Africa’, ‘Europe’ and ‘the Americas’ over 3000m, while still getting the work done for Delhi.

 

It turned out that I wasn’t quite ready for a fast track race, finishing 8^th in the field of 11 with a time of 7:58. Bernard Lagat won in 7:54 with a 2:24 final km to edge out Moses Kipsiro, who would go on to win the 5/10 double in Delhi. Tariku Bekele was 4^th. I was in 6^th with 150 to go but faded in the final straight. I ran my last km in 2:27, which is still quite fast, but not good enough. A good mate Adrian Blincoe (NZ) was 6^th, beating me by a small margin as he did in Melbourne earlier in the year.

 

As the race was really only one hard km, I did a 20 min threshold/tempo run afterwards to get more of a training effect. This type of thing can help to sustain fitness during a racing tour. I had another race only 5 days later in Milan so needed to keep the momentum going for Delhi. We were looked after well in Split, staying at Le Meridien with its own private beach- pity we couldn’t have stayed an extra day or two!

 

The race in Milan went really well and I slashed another 7 seconds from my 3000m PB and 3 seconds from the NSW record, with a time of 7:42. Andy Baddeley just edged me out, and he has a New Balance shoe named after him now, so ‘The Saint’ may be released one day if I can get a little faster. This was a stacked field and I felt that I wasn’t out of my league (other than the lone Ethiopian who ran a world leading 7:28). I can also claim to have beaten the current Olympic 1500m Champ, as Asbel Kiprop faded badly.

 

We headed back to Teddington to put in the final push to be ready for Delhi. The routine was in place and the training went well. As is always the case with me, some sessions were great and others were mediocre- but on average I felt that I was in or close to the best shape of my life, which is exactly where I wanted to be. We had a 2 mile road race in Gateshead as part of The Great North City Games, Eng vs AUS on the 18^th of September. It was a fun event, but fell right at a point where we needed to be training hard for Delhi, so we had to ‘train through’. I was fairly happy with an 8:36 for two miles under the circumstances. I was fourth behind Mottram, Thompson and Baddeley with Collis in 5^th. 


                                  Stay tuned for Part 2 next week

 By Heather Quinlan

Living up to his rating as Australia's form middle distance runner, NSW's Ben St Lawrence produced a commanding performance on his 29th birthday to win yesterday's 10km Rebel Sport Run4Fun, presented by The Sun-Herald.

Just weeks after competing in the stultifying heat of the Delhi Commonwealth Games 5000m and 10,000m, St Lawrence added some icing to his birthday cake with an easy 29 minute 46 second victory on the turf of ANZ Stadium, half a minute ahead of his nearest rival.

Thousands of people converged on Sydney Olympic Park for the Run4Fun and the combination of balmy weather and a relaxed atmosphere proved a winning one for all.




While St Lawrence and Coogee's Lara Tamsett - who were also this year's Sun-Herald City2Surf winners - claimed the trophies and first place cheques, 6776 mums and dads pushing prams, weekend joggers and wheelchair participants experienced their own "Olympic"moment finishing the 10km course inside the giant stadium.

Heroic Games marathon silver medallist, Michael Shelley, fired the starting gun and enthusiastically high-fived hundreds of participants as they passed by.

It was a day to savour for St Lawrence, who manages to combine his training and competition with a full-time job as a health and well-being consultant in the finance industry.

The Blue Mountains athlete began yesterday's event as if it was a sprint, burning off his competitors with a 8min 28s first three kilometres.

"It was a good win for me - I had 10 days off after Delhi and today I had to work hard to get out on my own," St Lawrence said.

"It's nice to come back like that and a great way to start my birthday.

"I'll be celebrating with breakfast with my family and then a barbecue tonight with some friends."

Surprise second placegetter, Queenslander Jonathon Peters and third-placed Victorian Mark Tucker finished in 30.22 and 30.46 respectively.

Well-performed Tucker was philosophical about the result."When I heard Ben was running I knew my chances [of winning] were extremely slim," he said.

"He's definitely one of the best runners in Australia now at this distance and frankly I'm just happy to be in the top three with him."

Diminutive Tamsett, who crossed the line in 33min 16s, recorded her second race success in a week, after her win in the 5km Noosa Bolt.

The promising 22-year-old finished more than a minute in advance of Queenslander Clare Geraghty in 34.33, while 36-year-old Sylvania mother-of-two Belinda Martin was third in 35.26. "I guess I'm out there showing that us older women can do well against the young ones and we have plenty to offer in running events," Martin said.

Tamsett appears well on track for a shot at the 10km national championship in Melbourne next month.

"I'm happy with that run today although I would like to have broken 33minutes," Tamsett said "I just really enjoyed the crowds and the atmosphere here and running into the stadium is pretty awesome."

The Run4Fun included a new wheelchair division and hand cyclist Todd Philpott was the first home in 21.47.

A charity fundraiser for NSW's leading children's hospitals at Westmead, Randwick and Newcastle, the event this year pledged more than $126,000 in donations.

I had mixed emotions leaving the tarmac for India at Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney. On the one hand I was really excited at the prospect of watching Ben St Lawrence from our squad race in the 5000m. On the other hand I was very disappointed at a genuine medal chance, Lara Tamsett, being left back in Sydney to train in Centennial Park.

 

The powerbrokers from AA had simply got the qualifying times for the Commonwealth Games wrong. The women's A standard for 5000m of 15.20 was way faster than the eventual winning time of over 15.50. A similar story in the 10000m with the Aussie A standard being 32.10 and the race being won in over 32.30- with only two runners sub 33.00. There were less than 10 girls in each of the races. In fact, only three girls in the entire Commonwealth who were entered in the 10000m had run the Aussie A standard within the qualifying period. Tamsett is a rare athlete who actually runs just as fast in heat and humidity. I also thought about the contingent of other strong Aussie females who would be watching the games back home. Nikki Chapple, Cassie Fien, Becky Lowe, Mel Vernon and Jess Trengrove, among others, are all up-and comers like Tamsett who have raced well in the last 12 months and any one of them could have proudly worn the green and gold alongside Eloise Wellings in the track events.

 

The distance races on the track were held in the early evening, a time in Delhi when it hasn't started to cool down much at all and temperatures still hover around the 30 degree mark. It actually cooled down to around 21 degrees but that didn't happen until around 6.00am each day (a very nice time to run had I bought my running gear!).

 

I had thought about whether it was possible for anyone to defeat the no.1 (Kipchoge) and no.3 (Kiptoo) runners on the planet over 5000m in 2010 in Delhi  in the men's edition of the race. It would take an awesome performance to beat the might of the Kenyans. Anyone who could handle the heat and humidity and who could run 13.30 pace in those tough conditions would have some kind of shot. If they could run a 4.00 final mile or a 53 second 400m off a slowish pace they could be in the medal mix. Could Ben do it? HIs City to Surf win, coupled with a fine 7.42 for 3000m weeks before Delhi, meant he had excellent endurance and speed and his great kick has never gone missing in action. But would "excellent" be good enough?

 

Delhi was very much like Mumbai and Pune had been when I was in India for the Commonwealth Youth Games two years ago. Hot, humid, incredibly crowded and dusty. I wasn't in the official Australian team but was lucky enough to be staying in quite a nice hotel in the market precinct of Karol Bagh, about 5km from the Delhi CBD. I hadn't packed my running gear due to government security warnings about terroists, etc. The media scare campaign in the final month leading up to the games would have been enough to put Rambo off packing his running gear. I knew I wouldn't be staying within the safety zone of the athlete's village and would have to fend for myself. Wandering the streets for my first meal in Delhi I realised that I probably should have taken my running gear. There was at least one soldier or policeman at grounmd level every hudered metres or so and they were often several stories up in surrounding buildings, overpasses and in trees. This was quite a way out of the main tourist hub in the city and also from the Games venues! If you were a terroist wanting to cause some damage you would have had Buckleys. Having said that,  I did jump high enough to win gold in the high jump when I heard a sharp bang whilst walking along a laneway one evening (well high enough to possibly win an u/9 Little As event anyway). When turning around a second later to check what it was, around 6 little Indian boys were laughing loudly- they had just let off a fire cracker.

 

I was lucky enough to get accreditation for access into the athlete's village and anywhere in the stadium/warm-up area for athletics. This place had to be more secure than Alcatraz. 3 security gate checks, all with full body searches, 7 metre high concrete walls with barbed wire on the top for the entire perimeter, plus soldiers on every corner. On visiting Ben in the village everything appeared to be in decent shape and working order. The Aussie runners were very relaxed and there was a harmonious vibe amongst them. They all came from different stables and most had different distances to cover but knew they were on a common mission- to race their best for Australia.

 

I still had to catch the Delhi Metro, riding on three trains, from the village to the stadium for the 5000m race. Being cramped like sardines in a little tin on the train closest to the CBD, one gentleman who was standing very close to me asked me,"what are you doing in Delhi?". I told him I was watching a guy I coach race in the 5000m in a few hours and he said he had no idea what 5000m involved. I explained that it was running 12 and half laps around the track. He said it sounded boring and too simple. I asked him if he liked cricket and he said he loved it. I said imagine Sachin Tendulkar running up and down the pitch around 200 times in 13 minutes- that's how fit and fast these guys are. He responded, " why would Sachin want to do that?"

 

It was hot and steamy on the warm up track an hour before the race as Collis, Ben, Dave and Adrian Blinco from NZ lazed around on the high jump mat. It was time to warm up around the time 15 or so Africans started running around the track in a pack- all in full track suits- something they always seem to do. The Aussies warmed up soon after then prceeded to put on their ice vests to try and cool down whilst they did their final stretches before going to the call room.

 

You would have all seen the race and know how it went. Fast lap (62), slow lap (70) and so it continued until 1200m to go when the Africans slotted into 60 sec pace. A sub 4 minute final mile including a 52 second last lap was just what it took for 24 year old Moses Kipsiro to knock off the powerhouses from Kenya and win gold. Bearing in mind that he also won the 10000m in an equally impressive performance, Kipsiro is one who will be hard to beat in major championships over the next few years. Collis, Ben and Dave were with the leaders until around 3 laps to go, with Collis being there right up until one lap to go- a very brave run. At the point when the push for home happened Adrian Blinco pretty much hit the wall. Ben and Dave were sitting on him at that point. By the time they realised what had happened it was game over- the lead pack established a 40 metre break and their tyre was punctured. They both fought on gamely and did well to come 7th and 8th, with Collis' gutsy effort earning him 6th in a field of 22. You had to be way better than "excellent" to win this race.

 

5 days later, the 10000m was a more even paced affair, although some surges including 64 second laps were still included in the first 5000m, covered in 14.03. This time Ben held on for longer than Collis and fought hard for another 7th place finish, doing well to outkick Chris Thompson, a 27.29 man from England, on the last lap.

 

Bearing in mind that the last time a Commonwealth Games was held in similar conditions- ie stinking hot; was in 1998 in KL. Mona came 3rd in the 10000m in a time over 29.00 and he didn't have to back up from a tough 5000m days earlier. Ben's double 7th place runs were something I reckon he should be very proud of. 28.49 is great work in shocking conditions. It was nothing the big newspapers, radio or TV stations would harp on about. The big stories were on the Sally 100m disqualificationand 400m relay leg agony dramas, plus of course her awesome win in the 100 hurdles. They were also on the copius amount of medals that our swimmers and cyclists won. Did I forget to mention the pages of articles written on Geoff Huegill losing his 40kg? A great job in anyone's books, although probably only as equally impressive as Ben St Lawrence's weight loss and subsequent ascendency to world class runner. A 25kg loss for a 85kg man is on a par with a 40kg loss for a 125kg man. Yes, I know where Ben has come from and where he has now reached and I for one am very impressed.

5000m - Mottram wins in Ostrava