For the first time ever, the USA hosted the World Athletic Championships at Hayward Field. It was a great experience to have spectators and fans back in the stadium. After a few years of sparse competitions due to the pandemic, it was good to feel a buzz when standing on the starting line.
Sadly, my championship didn’t go as planned. From the outside, it looked as though I’d had a fantastic year as I have had some great performances so far. Smashing my PB’s and breaking the British and even European Records. But it’s actually been quite a challenging year. Behind the scenes, I’ve been riding a rollercoaster. From battling my way back to fitness after succumbing to Covid in March and more recently recovering from laryngitis. Nevertheless, I had a short but great spell of road races after recovery from Covid. I was proud to achieve a Scottish record-breaking 10,000m on the track before falling sick again. Having managed to stay illness free for almost two years, I could perhaps put this down to bad luck.
Heading into the World Championships it was a troublesome time though. I had dropped out of the Oslo Diamond League 5,000m and subsequently had to pull out of the British Championships the following weekend. I lost around two weeks of training at a crucial time. And although I was back fully training by the time the championships came around. I just didn’t feel quite the same as before.
On top of this, I picked up a hamstring injury and spent a few nights sleeping upright like some sort of vampire, coughing continuously. A few days later, we travelled long haul out to the USA. I honestly believe it was a combination of a few things, all happening at once that set off a nerve issue in my lower back which caused my hamstring pain.
I arrived in Eugene unable to run - far from ideal when preparing for not one, but two events at a World Championship! But I did everything I could to be on that start line. Without the help of the British medical team, I would not have made it and I certainly have them to thank for all their help.
Reflecting on things, I’m proud of what I achieved in Eugene. Despite all the stress and setbacks, I put my body on the line and finished in a respectable 30.34 mins in the 10,000m final which was only good enough for a 10th place finish. However, that time still ranks me second, behind the one and only Paula Radcliffe on the UK all-time lists - far from a disaster. My goal for the summer is to get into the top 5 and I’m confident I can do this when fully fit and healthy but I was disappointed to fall short last month.
Another big challenge in Eugene was the heat. The 10,000m final was scheduled for just after midday, and during the 5,000m qualifying round the temperatures ramped up to a sizzling 33 degrees! I made it through the rounds, taking my qualifying race by the scruff of the neck and setting the pace. In the final, I decided to try a different tactic and sit in. With such a disrupted build up, I felt it was important to use these races as hard training sessions too. The 5,000m final certainly served that purpose. After setting off at a pedestrian 3.16 minutes for the first kilometre, the pace really ramped up and I clocked my next kilometre in 2.52 minutes. It was a hard run race from there on in and I did my best to hang on. I tried to be more competitive and stay with the top group for as long as I could, before falling back to 11th place (15 seconds short of the medals). On paper, it was frustrating to see a 10th and 11th place. I didn’t feel it was a true reflection of my fitness. Or certainly not of my fitness from just six weeks ago.
If anything, I’m hoping these World Championships will be a good stepping stone for the rest of the summer. I covered 20,000m of Hayward Field in Eugene at a solid pace. That is training banked and I can feel my fitness starting to build again. Would I like another few weeks preparation? Of course. But sadly, sport doesn’t wait for anyone.
After Eugene, we had planned to head back to our altitude base in France. However, due to my hamstring injury, it became apparent we needed to change our plans and head back to the UK for some further scans and treatment. The good news is that the doctor feels he knows what the issue is and believes I can get back in time for my races at Commonwealth Games next week.
Mentally it has been tough. I’d love to have had a smooth ride to these championships but I am feeling positive about where I am at the moment. With any disruption, you start to question things. Am I fit enough? Will I feel strong? Have I missed too much work? But one thing my mum, Michael and even my dad are always reminding me of is that fitness is banked. You have an entire year of work behind you. That doesn’t just disappear overnight. My focus is to get my body back 100% healthy in order to give myself the best chance of competing well.
Competition will be tough at the Commonwealth Games, with the same Kenyan athletes who won medals in both the 5,000m and 10,000m competing in Birmingham 2022. Nevertheless, I’m excited to compete in another home games. I truly believe the crowd will really help me to raise my game.
Sport is all about timing. It’s rarely your day. But when you do get your turn, it’s worth the wait. And I can feel my time is coming.
