RT Journals: Collis Birmingham - 27:29.23

Hello Runnerstribe

I have just returned from the States, where I have been since the World Cross Country in Jordan, training and racing, as you have heard from other journals on runnerstribe, there were 10 including myself.

The training camp was up at Mt Laguna, which is one of my favourite places to train and continues to produce positive results for us. It is 6000 feet and about 60min from San Diego, and great for distance training with endless trails (one trail actually goes from Mexico to Canada) and some great hills. But I think a lot of the good results come down to the people you're travelling with, we had a great atmosphere up there and I put that down as the greatest contributor to the good results.

5 of my Favourite Training Locations (no order)

Falls Creek, Victoria (1600m)
Mt Laguna, CA (1750m)
Ballarat, Victoria (430m)
St Moritz, Switzerland (1800m)
Eugene, Oregon
 

Berkeley 10 000m

Berkeley is a college town outside San Francisco and the race this year was revamped by the NYRR (New York Road Runners), who among other things organised the pace of the race to go through at 13.43. The run was fairly late so I spent the day in town checking it out, lunch, a coffee or two, and we went and watched "Crank" at the movies.

Bloody cold night, Lara said she had 8 layers on! And a little bit of wind that dropped a little by the time I was on. I actually delayed warming up to watch Bobby and Ben in the men's 5000m which they both did well in (1st and 2nd) and Ben's run I think was as good as the one in Mt SAC, the race was a bit slower to 3000m and then got tactical with 3 to go, he gave himself every shot at winning it but was beaten by the guy he'd spent the last 3 weeks training with (we made bobby walk back to the hotel for this betrayel). Not so bad because I think bobby will be there in August too.

Nic and I had talked about the my race and the time I should be able to do, I knew the "A" standard was within me, but it wasn't really until Nic said he thought 27.30 was possible if everything goes well, that I'd even thought about it.

We ended up going through 5000m in 13.46 (just slower than my time in Beijing) and I was feeling comfortable sitting in about 5th, I have this thing in 10's were I try not to look at the clock or lap counter till after halfway, otherwise it can be a long way. With about 8 laps to go I could feel the pace slowing slightly so I went around into 2nd and then a couple of laps later into the lead. This was something that wasn't in the plans if the race was going on schedule, but I think knowing that the AR was a chance that I didn't want to miss. I had Garry, Bobby, Ben, Lara and the Hoff yelling from the sidelines and with a couple to go when Chelanga had gapped me I was lucky they were there, because it definitely helped me chase him back down in the final 500m and sneak under the record.

Training leading into Berkeley;

Sunday 5th April: Carlsbad 5000m, 5th 13.27... A little annoyed to drop off leaders with 800m to go.

Monday 6th April: 1 hour 45min, Mt Laguna PCT trail includes 30min hill.

Tuesday 7th April: Lap of Meadow 11km @ hr. 36min. Awesome run 5 of us sharing the pace in on single file track. 40min evening

Wednesday: 60min am, 40min pm

Thursday: Track. 11x 700m alternating 69sec laps, 64sec laps 40min evening

Friday: 60min am ,40min pm

Saturday: 6x800m Hills. Solid session, one of my favourites! Each hill hurts, but you know it helps!  40min in the pm.

Sunday: 2 hours

Monday: 60min, 40min

Tuesday: Track. 4x2km (alternating laps 68,62,68,62,68) First spot on 2nd not as good, did not do final 2 instead 3x 1600m (69,69,63,69) Original session is something I have done before but a little tired today so changed.( a mistake I have made and lots of others is pushing through this, sometimes there is no need)

Wednesday: 60min, 30min

Thursday: Lap of meadow 11km @hr 34.30 (1.30 quicker than L/W) 40min

Friday: 60min, 40min

Saturday: 6x 800m hills (took a bit easier than previous week) 40min

Sunday: 90min run

Monday: 60min, 40min

Tuesday
Track. 2km (68's) 1km (63's) 5x200m (30sec) 30min

Wednesday: 50min, 30min

Thursday: 30min - travel

Friday: 15min Race

I am back in Australia for the next month, and will start my prep for the European season and world champs. For the moment I am not sure what I will do at the World Championships. I hope the selectors give me the ok to decide which event I would like to do there, at the moment the 10,000m probably rates as my best event but I think I can improve a lot over the 5000m and even 1500m.

' It wasn't really until Nic said he thought 27.30 was possible if everything goes well, that I'd even thought about it.” '
Collis Birmingham