Training for the 1500m has been going well but we felt I needed a bit more sharpness to make any real improvements over the distance so opted to take a risk and increase the intensity again. The plan is to squeeze in a couple of 800's before attempting to break my longstanding 1500m pb which has stood since 2001.
I was pleasantly suprised at how much 800m speed I still had when I re attempted the speed work. The most encouraging session I did was 600m/300m/200m/150m obviously the shorter reps were way below 2 minute 800m pace but the 600m in 1:29.3 was what really gave me confidence.
The watford open meetings are great for running times. Athletes travel from all over the country to run in a race seeded in such a way that everyone has similar targets and ability which means they are able to work together and push eachother whilst also racing each other.
A couple of days before the race I was feeling great, confident that I'm in the best shape over the distance I have been since my comback. This quickly changed though as I started to suffer some quite severe withdrawal symptoms after I stopped taking the antidepressants I've been on for 6 years. I was extremely dizzy on Monday and Tuesday and I couldn't sleep on Tuesday night suffering what I now know are described as "head shocks". They were making my whole body jolt causing me to wake up. This along with a horrible anxious feeling, lethargy and a general feeling that everything was a bit pointless including running were not ideal while preparing for a race.
I decided if I was going to race I would have to take a tablet so at about 1 o clock on Wednesday I took one with the intention of trying again after the track season. Things didn't improve as quickly as I had hoped I nearly pulled out but felt it was important to try and push through it. I was still suffering symptoms whilst doing my strides in the final moments leading up to the race. never the less I still found myself on the start line and attempted to focus on what was about to come.
12 of us lined up on the bend at the start finish line. I found myself on the inside and knowing I'm a pretty slow starter I knew I had to get out hard, The gun went and I did just that, I ran hard for 20 or 30 metres before settling into my rythm and found myself at the front. my dramatic slowing in pace caused others to que up and to push and stumble behind me and I felt an arm on my back causing me to stumble forwards. I was in an unexpected position a position I didn't want to be in and I kept looking behind me hoping someone would come past me. Eventually at 200m I moved out to lane 2 to let someone through on my inside, he darted into the lead but no one followed. In hindsight I shold have gone too but I was almost in a state of confusion, I had expected to be at the back of a strung out field getting ready to use my strength and make my move at the bell.
We ambled through 400m in 62/63 two or 3 seconds down on what I had hoped for. Everyone woke up and began to push on at the same time. Just after the bell people started to trickle past me, I hung on to the back of a group of three or four others and waited. I didn't make another move until I was 100m from the line where I took one and finished within a couple of tenths of 2 others in 7th place. I had left it way to late and hadn't trusted in my strength to kick 300m out and continue to the line. Many decisions I made in the race were influenced by the negativity of the last couple of days events. I didn't run the last lap with the agression I needed and was overly cautious throughout the race.
I still managed to clock 2.05.63 and within 15 mins of finishing I ran 2 x 400's in trainers the first of which was at the pace I should have run the first lap of the 800m in.
Obviously I was disappointed knowing I can run faster, realising the mistakes I made and knowing I had saved too much and not left it all on the track, however I have to take from it the fact that I got myself there in the first place. I'm pleased that I was determined enough not to be beaten by negativity even if it didn't quite work out on the track. I am also optomistic ahead of Sundays race knowing I have tasted 800m running again. I also take confidence from the fact that I had so much left at the finish!
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