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Heading into the World Championships this year is a new Craig Mottram. He’s engaged to be married, has a new coach, and a new passion for both life and running.

 Getting Back To Europe

This summer marks the first full European track season since 2008 for Craig Mottram as he attempts to qualify for this year’s World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Before heading to the Athletics Australia base in Cologne, Germany a few weeks ago the Bronze medallist from 2005 in the 5,000m had been based at altitude in Boulder, Colorado for five weeks. It was the second time Mottram had trained on the famed Front Range of Colorado – the first being after the Commonwealth Games in 2006. “To be honest the first time I trained in Boulder I didn’t really like it, going half way across the world for a training camp then having to drive everywhere for training was annoying, but I thought I’d give it another go and this time around I am loving it – I want to find out what works for me, I don’t want to still be guessing this time next year”.

Like many athletes, Mottram is a creature of habit, so days in Boulder were simple. Five weeks of running twice day, plenty of coffee from the local Starbucks, and three hours of the CBS TV series ‘Criminal Minds’ to end each evening with a little excitement. Usually Mottram likes to break up the monotony of training camps with a race. This time around the plan was a 5,000m at the Diamond League in New York, but a couple of days missed on the track forced a slight change of plans. “It wasn’t worth going to New York to run 13:25 – it was more important to just get the work done. There will be plenty of opportunities in Europe to run fast”. This is part of a strategy to stick to the basics in training, and let the races in Europe bring him along – the biggest of which will be the Diamond League Meets in Birmingham on July 10^th and Monaco on twelve days later. “Birmingham will be to just get the time for the World Champs, then Monaco will be about having a stab”.

Although Mottram now handles all his own management in regards to sponsorship and his ambassador roles, he has been working with James Templeton (agent to David Rudisha) to finalise his European racing schedule.

 Too Much Running, Not Enough Rest

After the Beijing Olympics, Mottram needed a break. Since the end of 2006 he had been battling chronic achilles pain, and it finally got the better of him. “The problem with achilles is that they creep up on you. For me, the Olympics were around the corner, I didn’t feel like I could afford to take a break, so I kept pushing. The Olympics is a trap in that regard, you don’t listen to your body. Eventually my achilles just couldn’t take anymore. It was too much running and not enough rest”.

The straw that broke the camels back came one night not long after the Olympics. Mottram’s dog Miles (born on the day of his semi-final in Beijing) needed to go outside. However, at this stage Mottram had to sleep in boots to keep his feet at 90degrees and keep strain off of his achilles. “I couldn’t get the boots off in time. I couldn’t even get out of bed to keep my dog from having to go on the carpet – I had to stop. I wasn’t enjoying running anymore”.

From there Mottram saw the best tendon specialists on the planet. They all said the same thing – they won’t get better unless you stop. Almost eighteen months later Mottram is back at work and getting close to his best. “It’s still more than twelve months until London. I’m going alright, I’m not flying – but twelve months is a long time. Maybe in 2007 I was going too well before Beijing and the only place I could go was down. Either way, I’ve had my rest and I’m ready to go”.

Changes For The Better

Arguably the biggest change Mottram has made is the switch in coaches to Chris Wardlaw; a move that Mottram believes is what will take him to the next stage of his career. “Chris and I speak regularly each week. The program is pretty basic; I don’t need someone standing over me at the track. With Chris it is a very different scenario to what I’ve had in the past. It’s refreshing. I decide a lot of the sessions I do. Chris will give me suggestions, I’ll give him feedback and then we agree on what is required – more of a sounding board. I’m really enjoying the relationship”.

Many have suggested that Mottram wouldn’t change much from what he had done in the past – but the reality is quite the opposite. “I’d be lying if I said it was the same. The whole point of changing was to change everything. In saying that, its still running. There is still bread and butter type stuff that I’ll always do”.

Heading into a full European track season is new territory for Mottram and Wardlaw as they embark on the fine-tuning that comes with racing frequently. “It will be interesting to see how that unfolds. The sessions are not as long as what I was used too. I’m 30 now – I don’t think I need to be doing 10km sessions on the track”.

Some of the changes were simple and began with running less.  “I don’t run 180kms a week now, I run 150. I have more rest now – I took two weeks off after World Cross-Country, and I took a week off after National’s. As you get older you have to listen to your body and accept that you can’t run that much without ramifications”.

“He’s Back” – World Cross Country

The World Cross Country Championships in Spain was the first real test for Mottram back on the world stage. Although things had been going well – his preparation was limited compared to years past. After September’s Great North City Games in Newcastle he had a long rest, then endeavoured on two months of base training at Falls Creek over January and February. This was followed by a 6^th place finish (2^nd Australian) at the Melbourne Track Classic in March in a time of 13:25 that Mottram described as ‘not a bad result’. “Leading into World Cross I thought top 40 would be solid, top 30 would be fantastic – If I got around 20^th that would be a hell of a run. I worked my way through – was conservative the first 5k and then ran them down that second half. I really enjoyed it. I’ve been to World Cross before and gone out through the first kilometre in under 2:30 and then come unstuck. This time I knew my fitness wasn’t where it has been, but I ran to my level and I ran really well”.

There’s More To Life Than Just Running

During his break from the sport, Mottram undertook new challenges – including finishing his University Degree. “I needed the challenge, I needed to get it done. Balance in life is crucial to performance in anything. You don’t realise how single minded you have been until something goes wrong and how much of the other aspects of your life you’ve let go”.

Being away from athletics allowed Mottram to get back to his roots. He spent time catching up with friends, family, and doing the things he says that he should have always been doing. “Running at an international level shouldn’t stop you from being a good person, friend, or family member. I may have been lacking it, but now I think I’m in a good spot. Running is going ok – it takes time. This time around I have other things that I enjoy doing that take me away from worrying about how my running is going all the time".

For a while it seemed that all Mottram had was running, which meant when running wasn’t going well, nothing was going well. “That’s what happened after Beijing. It was disappointing. I didn’t perform how I wanted and how other people wanted me too. That’s why I was proactive in making changes and trusting in those changes that I have made".

Mottram is now a balanced person as well as an athlete. He is an Education Ambassador for the Australian Olympic Committee, a member of the IAAF athletes commission, and also works for and is the face of the Adidas school’s Fun-Run. A school based program in Australia and New Zealand that promotes a healthy lifestyle and outdoor activities instead of selling chocolate and junk food for fundraisers. “That’s what I spend my time doing. When I’m in Aussie, I am working until around 4 or 4:30, then back home to run again. Its something I would have never done before. Its good for the sport and its good for the kids – encouraging them to do something healthy instead of sitting in front of the computer all day”.

The Next Generation

Mottram understands what is needed to get to the highest level in the sport of athletics, but makes no secrets about that fact that his rise was different to most. “If I had the chance I would encourage young aspiring Australian track and field athletes to go to school in America. The system that is in place in America whereby athletes study via their participation in college athletics has a lot going for it and creates opportunities that are often harder to come by on your own. I’m lucky that I was quite good at a young age - but not as many athletes are necessarily going to be at the level I was at that stage. They might get to that point eventually, but may just need a few more years to get there, and the states allows for that. The economy is hard at the moment; some of the best athletes in the world are struggling to get the support required. I think the college system is fantastic”.

Athletics is not the most lucrative sport, and many throw in the towel well before their peak, particularly when they leave university - something which Mottram believes needs addressing. “I would encourage people to continue if they enjoy it - that’s the most important thing.  It’s about consistency. If someone can run in the 13:20’s for 5k at University, there is no reason they can’t run in the 13-low range a couple of years later. It’s just figuring out what you do in between. You can get a job – I did it. I worked as a lifeguard, a swim instructor, even in a bar because I wasn’t good enough at first to get paid to just run. The thing is though, John Landy, Herb Elliot, John Walker – they all worked and they ran bloody well”.

 What Does The Future Hold For Craig Mottram?

Mottram has run world class times from the mile to the 10,000m, but is adamant what is in store for him come London 2012. “I want to run the 5k in London – I want to improve on my 8^th from 2004. I can do better than that”.

He does however plan to approach next years Olympics differently than the last. The plan is to make the team, then the final, and then reassess. Simply put, he will be breaking it down into steps that are more achievable. “I want to take it more relaxed and have fun. It won’t be all about the Olympics for me next year – it will be about running the best I can every time I step on the line, and see where that places me”.

After the London Olympics Mottram will then decide whether to stay on the track or head to the roads. “I want to run a marathon – I’ve never made a big secret about that. I want to get to 30k and see what all the fuss is about. I watch them all the time and it fascinates me seeing someone looking so good to so bad in ten minutes!”

As for what really matters – Mottram just wants to focus on keeping his life balanced, getting some good performances out of running, and seeing where he ends up.

"Like" this article on the Facebook button below as well as our fan page here to go into the draw to win an official race singlet signed by Craig Mottram!

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This Friday in Nancy, France will mark the return to the European Circuit of the real Big Mazungo – World Bronze and Commonwealth Silver Medallist Craig Mottram.  

For almost two years Mottram has been on the sidelines, and despite a couple of flirtations with the track that included a 13:25 performance at the Melbourne Track Classic in March, this is a new beginning for the Australian Record-Holder as he endeavours on his first full track season under the guidance of coach Chris Wardlaw as they seek to build upon his 21^st place at the World Cross Country in Spain earlier this year.

As runner up to Ben St.Lawrence in the Australian 5,000m champ’s which were run as part of the Melbourne Track Classic, Mottram will need to run 13:20 to gain automatic selection for the World Titles that begin on August 27 in Daegu, South Korea.

Mottram has spent the last five weeks training hard at altitude in Boulder, Colorado and heads to the Australian base in Germany today before opening up with a 1500m in France.

 

Mottram’s first crack at the A Standard over 5,000m will be at the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix on July 10^th.

 

Stay tuned to The Runner’s Tribe for an exclusive feature interview with Craig Mottram as well as results from this season.

 

 

 

Daniel Wallis for The Runner’s Tribe

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 It’s been a while since I’ve raced and one in which the pre race routine didn’t involve strapping tape to hold my foot together and ice directly after to stop it from blowing up. Followed by a night spent in a night splint so I could continue to train the next day. It’s great to know that those days are well behind me.

 

I ventured to Hobart for my first race since tearing my plantar at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. I’d come down from two weeks at falls creek on Friday and flew out to Hobart on Saturday afternoon. I’d only been on the track once since December so it was a welcome sight. I was actually pretty nervous, I hadn’t done anything in training that indicated what shape I was in and it had been a long time since I’d raced last. However id done things at falls creek that I’d never been able to do before. Things like 15.40 for quarters and 6x1k running 3.04’s with a 2.53 and 2.52 thrown in for the 4^th and 6^th rep. Nothing spectacular, but great for me.

 

Saturday night in Hobart was like the calm before the storm, I said to a few guys that we need to be running tonight because Sunday was going to be 40km winds. I knew once I got to the track with the wind that the opening few laps were going to be slow and I’d have to get to the front by at least 400m and wined it up because a number of the athletes had done a few races and with Symmonds in the race I didn’t want to leave it to a sprint finish. I got to the front at 400m feeling great and surprised myself with the way I was able to finish considering the work I’d done. It was a great way to start the season and my return to the track off with a win and gave me great confidence knowing that I can still do it after the surgery and a horrible year.

 

Hobart was merely a tune up for Melbourne so I didn’t go in completely blind as I knew Kiprop was just waiting for his VISA and Nic had said to me it could be a great opportunity to run fast if the race went right. Nic was not wrong as Kiprop had planned to run 1.52 through 800m and 2.50 through 1200m – he didn’t come to Melbourne to muck around after stumbling last year.

 

 

Training had continued to go well and being down from falls allowed us to do the same type of training but just a bit faster as we were down from altitude and back on the track. Training was still geared towards the longer 5k/cross country training, however at the end of Saturday’s session Nic lined us up for a 400m handicap. A group of us were all set off at different intervals chasing each other down and were told to just run strong. I didn’t look at my watch through 200m and ended up running 48.6 just rolling along. It was at this point that I was confident that I was fit enough to keep up and fast enough to finish strong if the pace slowed.

 

I remember lining up in some of the biggest meets in Europe in 2009 and being really nervous and questioning whether I can do it. That feeling is probably only natural but having sat out the whole year in 2010 I got on the start line in Melbourne against a quality field and just wanted to get amongst it. It might have been because of the absence, or because I was racing in my hometown or maybe because I’d done it the year before. But I know that I need to carry that feeling into the European season later this year.

 

The race at Melbourne pretty much went as I expected early on, I knew the pace would be on but I knew that they wouldn’t go 1.52 because its March and were in Melbourne not Rome in June. As soon as the starters gun went off I knew I just had to find Kiprop's back and go with whatever I had left in the last 100m. Thankfully I had enough and the race turned out exactly as I had hoped. It was good to get my third straight win over 1500m in Olympic Parks final year, the track has been great to me and it will be missed but I’m sure we’ll create our own history down at Albert Park.

 

However more importantly I got another win over the Olympic Champion. I know that come July & August he will be a different athlete, but it’s given me the confidence that I know I can do it. For me its back to those long miles, ticking them of and writing them in the training diary each week, so that come July & August I’m a better athlete and can replicate what I did in Melbourne a week ago! There is still a long time to go but these two races have shown that I can still do it, the body can handle it and now its time for some more training.

 

The year could not have started off any better for me and I have a great feeling that it will continue throughout the year.

Check out Jeff's website HERE

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The mind is a wonderful thing – when it’s up and running smoothly, that is.

About 70 percent of the audience at Friday’s John Landy Lunch Club were reminded of this when film of Charlene Rendina’s 1:59.0 national record at the Victorian championships went up on the big screens.

I saw that race. So did many others at the lunch. Unprovable assertion warning here - I’d guess that most people there thought that Judy Pollock had led that race before Rendina pulled away in the last 150 metres. I’ve written it that way several times, the most recent just a few days before the lunch in material supplied to The Sunday Age highlighting five performances at the Victorian championships.

Cut the lights. Cue the film. Guess what? Charlene Rendina led at the bell, Pollock clinging to her heels until the final bend.

Even Pollock, who along with Rendina was at the lunch, was surprised. “I’ve always told (Charlene) I led that race,” she said.

Rendina wasn’t. “That was my race,” she said of the record, which still stands.

Pollock, and many of the rest of us, were misled by two facts. One was general - Pollock did lead most of their races; the other was specific – in the national championships three weeks later, also at Olympic Park, Pollock scorched the first lap in 56 seconds, leading by a long way before fading in the last 200.

Rendina won then in 2:00.1 with Pollock running 2:02.1.

This year’s Landy lunch, which also served as the launch for Thursday night’s Melbourne Track Classic, took as its main theme Olympic Park history. I wonder how many other memories were revised by the archive footage.

Still, it was nice to know that there was a huge crowd watching the mile at the 1956 Australian titles when John Landy went back to check on the fallen Ron Clarke before resuming the race, chasing down a 40 yards’ deficit, and winning.

A lesser, though still substantial, crowd attended the 1964 twilight meeting when Clarke took down world record holder Murray Halberg of New Zealand, and the world record, over three miles. Notable on this occasion was the presence of Herb Elliott – in his work suit, no less – crouched on the infield waving Clarke on with 200 metres to go.

Ron Casey and Merv Lincoln did the commentary. Casey was Channel Seven’s head of sport, a great caller and commentator in his own right. Lincoln was the man whose destiny it was to be the second-best Australian behind Landy and then Elliott, which pretty much meant second-best in Victoria, Australia, the Commonwealth and the world.

Clarke also told how he had got the New Zealanders – not only Halberg, but also Olympic 800 and 1500 champion Snell and John Davies – to Melbourne in return for him racing in New Zealand. He had convinced Seven to televise the meeting and the network was to take the unprecedented step of running the athletics into its nightly news service.

The timing was almost scuttled by several false starts in the 100 yards. Casey was almost beside himself. Clarke ran down to the start to tell Olympic starter Judy Patching: “For God’s sake, just fire the gun and don’t call them back, otherwise they’ll pull the coverage.”

Of course, all these stories are only as reliable as someone’s memory, too.

It made me wonder whether some of my other recollections of Victorian championships were in need of ‘revision’. Like over 100 athletes running the heats of the men’s 5000 metres, like heats of the men’s 10,000 metres, like Marian Fisher (now O’Shaughnessy) winning four individual titles one year.

As a journalist, I always made it a rule not to use a statistic unless I’d looked it up. Every time I broke this rule, it seemed, I made an error.

So I checked these memories against the Athletics Victoria results archive. In 1972, there were 61 entrants in the 10,000. Three heats were run on 19 January, with the final on 31 January. In 1980, there were 107 entrants in the 5000 metres heats and five heats were run a week before the final.

Finally, yes, Marian O’Shaughnessy, a prolific winner of titles back then, won the women’s 100, 200 and 400 metres at the main titles in 1978, having won the 400 metres hurdles a week earlier. Cathy Freeman was another who amassed titles in clumps, taking the 100/200/400 treble four years on the trot from 1992 before restricting herself to a mere double in 1996.

Regularly, there were four rounds of the men’s sprints. In 1985, amazingly, there were four rounds of the men’s 800 metres, too – heats on 1 March, quarter-finals on 2 March, semi-final and final on 3 March. At the end of it all, Mike Hillardt won in a very smart 1:46.04 (his career best was 1:45.74). Understandably, he did not double, leaving the 1500 to Peter Bourke.

Where did they all go? These days, there is an almost total disconnect between the club athlete and state, much less national, titles. Sometimes we see this situation reversed, such as the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run on the MCG in the 2006 Victorian titles.

Well, 2011 is the last chance to run at Olympic Park. It’s a different appeal – whereas no-one had ever run on the MCG before, everyone has run at Olympic Park. But it’s going to be very interesting how many people jump (run and throw) at the last chance to run at the Park on 4-6 March.

By Chris Wainwright.

In 2006 Alex Rowe needed to make a big decision - was he going to continue playing Australian Rules Football or was he going to try his luck in the tough world of athletics?
At that point Rowe was only 14 years of age and had just lowered his 800m personal best to 1.54.80. This was achieved after only 9 months of specific training, and with such a quality performance at such a young age he knew that he had the potential to make it over the two laps.

Two years later he had made the decision, no more football, a decision that was not made lightly. The decision was a brave one, considering the financial apsect, although a wise one especially considering Rowe's recent performances at the Melbourne Track Classic. On that particular night Rowe moved to no.8 on the Australian All-Time Junior ranking list, with a very special 1.47.56 - and he has yet to turn 18 (see list below)

1. 1.45.91 - Paul Byrne, Lindau, 1995
2. 1.47.00 - Lachlan Renshaw, Beijing, 2006
3. 1.47.26 - Brendan Hanigan, Seoul, 1992
4. 1.47.37 - Grant Cremer, Canberra, 1997
5. 1.47.38 - Ryan Gregson, Rieti, 2009
6. 1.47.4h - Paul Cleary, Canberra, 1995
7. 1.47.5h - Mike Hillardt, Brisbane, 1980
8. 1.47.56 - Alex Rowe, Melbourne, 2010

With such a quality time it was expected Rowe would travel over to Canda for the 2010 World Junior Championships, but another difficult decision was made - year 12 was more important and a mark left at senior level was more important than a mark left at a junior level.

We talk to Rowe about his tough decisions made over the past four years and that special night at Olympic Park when he ran against one of the worlds very best over two laps - David Rudisha of Kenya.

Runners Tribe
Firstly, thank-you for taking this opportunity to speak with RunnersTribe.
Before we talk about your sensational 2010 track season, tell us a little about when you started athletics and what made you become interested in the sport? When did you know that the 800m was going to be your “pet” event?

Alex Rowe
No worries, thank you for this opportunity. I started off with some general running in the winter of 2006 (14) to improve fitness for football. I then continued and began athletics training with school. I chose to run the 800m as it was similar to the running I had been doing in football. As the school athletics season commenced, I ran a 2:14, 2:13 and then a 2:03. It was at this point when I ran a 10 second PB that I knew that the 800m was for me. A passion for athletics grew as I strove to break the illusive 2:00.00 barrier and things just progressed from there.
 
RT
I once read that you were running 2.13 as a 13 year-old, but after 9 months of specific training you had lowered your personal best to 1.54.8? Was this when you knew you were better than the average junior 800m runner? Was it easy to make the decision to concentrate on athletics, or were there other sports that you were interested in at this point in your life?
 
Alex Rowe
I was 14 at that time and lowered my personal best to 1:54.8. This time happened to be the Victorian age record and it was a surreal feeling. After only 9 months of athletics I had transformed from an average runner to running the fastest time a Victorian 14 year old ever has. So it became quite clear that I did have some potential in the sport. Following this time I continued playing football, completing my best season and believing that I may also have a future in football too. In 2008 I gave football away, which was one of the hardest decisions of my life. Although I believe it was the right one, I still miss the game. I loved the camaraderie of playing a team sport with my mates.

RT
By 2007 (aged 15) you had lowered your personal best down to 1.53.40, but it was in 2008 that you really started to make your mark as a serious 800m runner with a 1.50.63 when second at the Australian Junior Championships on the Gold Coast. What was it like to be running such good times at such a young age? What was your training like at this stage of your career?

Alex Rowe
Before the Australian Junior Championships I was fairly disappointed I had only improved 1.4 seconds from the 2006/07 season. I knew that this was the last opportunity I would have to better this mark and it proved successful. What made the time and race even more pleasing was the fact that there was a point in the final straight where I realised I was not far off James Kaan (eventual winner of the race). Knowing that he came 6th at the previous years World Youths, I really began believing in myself.

At that time my training wasn’t too heavy. It consisted of two track sessions, one speed session, a couple of slow jogs (20-30 minutes) and a pool session. This period was after I changed coaches to Justin Rinaldi, whose focus was on the enjoyment of training and racing, rather than taking things too seriously too early.

RT
A year later you went one better at the Australian Junior Championships, when you won the U/20 800m final and in the process you broke 1.50.00 for the first time (1.49.64). Were you expecting to break 1.50.00 on that particular day? You ended up winning the race by 1.52 seconds – did it feel like an easy victory?

Alex Rowe
Again I left it up to the last race of the season to run a personal best. For the whole season I had the goal of breaking 1:50.00 and in hindsight it was probably the wrong attitude to have. Every race where the 400m split was under 55 seconds, I would become excited and believe it was an opportunity to break through, rather than to win the race. I was putting too much pressure on myself. So when I came into the final my sole aim was to win the race as I honestly thought that I wasn’t capable of breaking the barrier. I ended up going through the bell at around 54.50 seconds and sat on Adrian Plummer until 700m to go where I went to the front. I knew by this stage that I was going to win and it was only when I was 30m from the line I noticed that the time on the clock was surprisingly low. Needless to say, I really went for it. I didn’t know how far in front I was. When I saw the video after the race, I was pretty surprised at how well I finished.

RT
With the victory at the Australian Junior Championships you were then selected for the World Youth Championships in Italy. How exciting was it to be selected for your first Australian team for a major championships? What was it like going to Italy knowing that you were a realistic chance of coming back to Australia with a medal?

Alex Rowe
There is much prestige in representing your country which is an opportunity very few get to experience, so I knew that it was special. I was more than excited, it is every athlete’s dream to represent their country. I really didn’t think about medaling. My focus was to get myself in the best possible shape and whether I would medal or not would be determined by the quality of my competitors. I’m a big believer that you should only focus on what you can control and that there is no point in worrying in your competitors.

RT
Although you didn’t quite medal in Bressanone, Italy (finishing 5th in 1.52.13), what was it like to mix it with the very best 800m runners in the world? What lessons did you learn from your first major final – can you take us through the final, how were you feeling entering the race?

Alex Rowe
It was a very humbling experience. Even though I was not in the best shape at the competition, I was still able to finish 5th. This was a result that I knew would have been better if I was in my 1:49.64 shape I produced 4 months earlier, however it still is one of my greatest achievements to date. The best lesson I learnt from this race was obvious when I looked at the video. At 300m to go I was perhaps in the best position of the race however when the French runner kicked clear (who eventually placed 4th), I did not have enough belief within myself to go with him. As the rest of the field went with him, I sat back. I still say to myself if only I had gone with him I probably would have captured 4th. From this, I now enter races unwilling to give my competitors too much space, as it is something you cannot do when racing at this level. Even though it was a harsh lesson I learnt, it has been the best lesson I’ve learnt in my short career.
Going into the race I was amazed at my nerves. They were exactly the same they usually are for any local or club race. Despite the crowd and massive occasion of the event, I was surprised at how I handled myself.

RT
You’re currently coached by Justin Rinaldi (who is himself a 1.47.62 800m runner). How long have you been with Justin? Do you train by yourself or do you train with a group? What’s your normal training week?

Alex Rowe
I have now been with Justin for nearly two and a half years. At the moment I am training with the school twice a week in my winter preparation, with many good cross country runners such as Anthony Aloisio and Timas Harik who are far fitter than me. However during this summer season I will train with Justin and Simon Fitzpatrick, whilst also jumping in and out of other group sessions.

At the moment I am slowly increasing my training so that hopefully a winter week will look as followed:

Monday – Gym
Tuesday – Minute repetitions e.g. 6x3minute efforts
Wednesday – 20minute run and gym
Thursday – Minute repetitions
Friday – Rest
Saturday – Cross country race
Sunday – 40 minute run

Whilst having no specific speed work, quick strides will be completed approximately once every two weeks.

RT
You’re currently completing year 12 at St Kevins. Being such an important school year, was this a major reason for your decision to miss this year’s World Junior Championships in Canada? Was it a difficult decision to make, especially considering that you had lowered your personal best to 1.47.56 when you were 6th at the Melbourne Track Classic (a time that ranks you as one of the fastest juniors in the world over 800m in 2010)? When did you actually make the decision to miss the World Juniors?

Alex Rowe
It was yet again another difficult decision, however there are more important things in life than athletics. Firstly I have to complete year 12 which is a very important year. Secondly, Justin and I realised the championships would again disrupt my winter preparations for the 2010/11 season and would perhaps be more beneficial for my development if I had a solid winters training.
The decision was 90% made at the start of the year however it was cemented once I ran my 1:47.56. After running this time, I know that I have the potential to forge a career in this sport. I therefore genuinely felt it is more important to prepare for the long-term. Running well as a junior means little. Running well as an adult is the important thing. This is not to say that the Juniors don’t have a place for others. Just that for me, at this time, it isn’t the “be all and end all”.

RT
Take us through that race in Melbourne? How did you feel when you saw a 1.47 next to your name on the scoreboard at Olympic Park? What was it like being dragged along in such a fast race – eventually won by David Rudisha in the quickest time ever seen in Australia (1.43.15)?


Alex Rowe
It was a perfect summer’s night, warm and balmy without a breath of wind. The warm up went well and I made my way to the call room feeling confident about what I was able to produce. It was there I realised I was actually going to race the 4th fastest man in history. I’ve seen many videos of him on the internet and to be actually one of his competitors was surreal. However this time Rudisha evened the ledger as I technically beat him in the 400m he was disqualified in, at Aberfeldie athletics track a couple of weeks earlier. I went through the bell in 8th in 52.50 seconds which was the second fastest time I’ve been through 400m and at that stage I remember thinking to myself that I would begin to feel the lactic acid any second but it never came. I made a strong move towards the front at 300m to go and at one stage was in 4th, however I was still able to finish strongly with a 1.98 second personal best.
I can easily say that it was the best moment of my athletics career. I was interviewed after the race and anyone who has seen it, can see how excited and pumped I was. It was an amazing experience for so many reasons:
1. To stand on the line against the 4th fastest man in history is something I will never forget.
2. To get a run in the Melbourne Track Classic had been an ambition of mine for a couple of years.
3. I had all my school mates come down and provide fantastic support.
4. I was a part of history as it was the fastest 800m race ever in Australia.
Seeing the 1:47.56 up on the board was simply amazing. The adrenalin and elation I felt is something I will remember forever.

RT
You backed up your sensational 1.47.56 with a win at the Australian Junior Championships in Sydney (in 1.49.31) and then you came 2nd at the Victorian Championships. You have now run under 1.50.00 five times in your career and you’re still only 17 years-old. With this in mind what’s your next big goal in your athletic career? Do you feel like 2011 will be a consolidation year for you or do you feel as though you can keep on improving on your personal best? You actually only have an official PB over 400m of 48.79 seconds, is this an area where you believe you will need to improve to make the next step?

Alex Rowe
I feel as though I can continue to improve my times as I continue to develop physically and slowly begin to train like an adult, which will improve my times. Having said that, it is difficult to speculate what I am going to run, however breaking 1:47.00 is definitely something I want to do next season. I know that to improve my 800m I need to improve my aerobic conditioning. Justin and I both know that my 400m personal best is not a true reflection of my actual speed, as we have used these races simply as training with time trials in training near peaks suggesting a faster personal best. Conversely, my aerobic capacity at the moment is my Achilles’ heel. It is an area that we have not intensely focused on which was one of the essential reasons behind my decision not to compete in Canada at the World Junior Championships.



RT
Well thanks again for taking the time to have a quick chat with Runnerstribe.com. We wish you all the very best in 2010 and beyond. Good luck!

Alex Rowe
Thanks once again for this opportunity, it is greatly appreciated.

1500m - Weltklasse Zurich