Winter Adventures

Its finally winter and I mean winter!
I am three months into training and in the real heart of winter training. Its cold, windy and wet out, but after the fabulous generosity of so many people last month in my "Talent Backer" campaign, I have a new type of motivation when it comes to training.

So much has changed in the last month, with a big thanks going to Tanya Arnold at BBC Look North for getting my story out there! From this publicity, came some very exciting turn of events.
Back in November I announced a new partnership with 17Management, who will represent me through to 2017. Working with the 17 team will open so many doors that on my own I would never have been able to, and am so excited to work with Ian Byers and the team. They already have got me a ticket to party with some of the biggest names in sport this Sunday at BBC Sports Personality of the Year in Glasgow.
The disappointing news that I would not be on Lottery Funding this coming season hit me hard, as I had hit every target I thought that was required of me. However, after some productive feedback from British Athletics I was able to move on and put all my efforts into winter training. From that news came the successful "Talent Backer" campaign, which brought in 17Management which has led to a Sports Personality of the Year ticket and a brand new website, www.tombosworth.com with more surprises just round the corner. I am so thankful to Ian and the 17 Team for everything so far!
I even have got some cool new Tees from new clothing line High Rise Club to try out, so keep an eye out for me wearing those and let me know what you think!

At the end of the day though, this time of the year is when the hard work in needed and racing is still a long way off. This can mean it can be hard to find motivation. Thanks to all those who donated last month to my "Talent Backer" campaign I have renewed motivation. I am starting to hit some great form in training, except a current small hiccup, of a cold, which is just part of working hard in training (especially when its freezing cold).

I will be tweeting and posting pictures on Instagram this weekend from Sports Personality and my adventure to Glasgow, so keep an eye on my social media.

The recent news "99% of Russian athletes were doping at London 2012" was horrific for athletics, however, not surprising. Race walking has been hindered by doping Russian walkers for over a decade now. This news is terrible for Athletics and I am slightly ashamed. However, I know many athletes who compete clean, train hard and deserve their rewards. I am proud to train and compete off my own physical ability and setting new personal bests is down to my hard work and nothing else!

Another possible concern for athletics, mainly triple jumpers and race walkers along with some swimming events is the news of the IOC changes from the 28 sports at the Olympic Games to 310 events, 10,500 athletes. Come Tokyo 2020, I hope to be there competing and in my prime, but with this news there is a small chance these events mentioned could make way due to the spread of events that could be on show with limited athlete space. Athletics takes up 47 events at the Olympic Games and over 2000 athletes taking part in athletics alone. Historic events such as race walking should not suffer from these rule changes. I say, stand proud IAAF, either we have all of athletics or none at all, there is no negotiation. There can't be an Olympics without Athletics! With sports included in the Olympics with other 'bigger' competitions, it is wrong that other events and sports should suffer. Football have age limitations and the World Cup, so should be the first to go if space is needed. Golf and Tennis also both have other competitions, which their athletes feel are bigger than the Olympic Games. So I hope the IOC do not punish hard working athletes who strive only for Olympic success, by allowing others to compete who have their main aims set away from the Olympics.

Thanks for reading, Its time for one last push before Christmas and new year, before my sights turn to racing in the spring! I can't wait for 2015.

Looking at the Positives

Yorkshire in Autumn/Winter is not always the nicest place to train. But to be honest, where is nice to train in winter in the UK?

Looking at it slightly differently, most of my routes in Leeds are pretty beautiful at the point of year.

I’ve been back at it properly for 3 weeks now, since my rest period after the European Championships. It is quite a struggle to get motivated again, when you’re fitness is down and the next race is months away.

When it’s cold and raining outside and all you want to do is stay in, put a comfy hoodie on and watch a good movie. But you’d achieve little doing that. After all you know your rivals are training hard.

For me, I find comfort and support in the small things. Knowing there’s a warm bed waiting for me to nap in after training. Looking forward to having a glass of wine at the weekend if training’s gone well, and knowing there’s no pressure to perform, yet. It’s all about getting out the front door.

When you make such big steps forward like I have this year, I guess you can do two things at this time of the year. Be happy with what you achieved last season and mellow on, or build on those successes.

However, 12th in Europe just isn’t enough. That’s what makes me work harder than ever before. I’m fitter than I ever have been at this point in the winter.

I’m starting from a much higher platform, so you have to take advantage of this situation. When you run a PB, reward your self, celebrate, then get back at it. You’re then, already, one step ahead.

Why not do the exact same as I did this time last year, it worked out pretty well, you wouldn’t want to fix something that isn’t broken?

Well I’m not. The changes that have been made in comparison to last year’s changes are tiny. I call it adapting. Minute changes are what is needed for me now, quality of my 20+ kilometre walks, getting stronger than before and maintaining the quality for as many weeks through winter as possible.

When I crossed the finishing line in Zurich, my mind went straight to the Beijing World Athletics Champs next summer. What possibly could I do there, after the season I have had?! If I were you I’d watch this space.

Thanks for reading, now is the time to take advantage of all your positives.

#TomWalksFast

Thanks for your Support

Before I describe my adventures at the European Athletics Champs in Zurich this summer, I have to thank my coaches in Leeds/Kent, my friends and family and anyone who has sent me good luck messages, for all your support.

I arrived three days before my race in Zurich, and met my room mate Lawrence Clarke, having met him originally for the first time at the Commonwealth Games in 2010!

Throughout the week in Zurich I met a load of athletes I’ve never met before and loved hearing their stories, especially Chris O’Hare, (O’Hairy).

The whole team worked together and the support for each other was awesome! One moment I will never forget is when Jo Pavey won Gold in the 10,000m. The whole team was cheering her on at dinner, and went crazy when she won! That really did set the tone for the entire championships.

Wednesday morning came around quickly, I couldn’t wait to race 20k. I knew I was in great shape, however, was a little nervous about the race course. A tight top bend and tram lines to work around meant it was going to be an interesting race, and I was right.

The pace started very slowly which threw me a little. All I had in my head was, this is a Championships, it’s all about taking positions, not the time.

I hit my 5k split perfectly, still just in the lead pack of about 20 athletes. At 8k, I decided to maintain my pace and not go with the leading pack.

I knew most of them would not be able to maintain the pace and so in the second half will come back to me. Again, I judged it correctly, at 9k I was 19th, over the next few kilometres I worked my way back up the field to about 15th.

However, the tight top turn played havoc with my right leg and my hip and ankle became tight and stuck, restricting my stride. I could see the chase pack ahead of me but over the next few kilometres to 16k I couldn’t close the gap.

The streets of Zurich were starting to get very busy now and there was plenty of support, I tried to use this but I couldn’t gain speed. So I reminded myself about my aim of just taking back positions, I knew I could sit in this position and just finish in an ok time and an ok position. But I wasn’t happy with OK.

So I pushed on, and gave my all for kilometre 17. Let’s see what happens, I pulled out a 4:09, 10 seconds faster than my previous few kilometres.

This spurred me on and I soon caught the next place, I moved on to the next one and then another two more. I guessed I was about 14th when I crossed the finish line, but was actually 12th. I was ecstatic, as I wasn’t ranked within the top 20 before the race.

This topped off any awesome season and now cannot wait to challenge a top 20 finish at the World Championships in Beijing next year.

After setting a new British record over 5k, the second fastest British time ever over 10k, and third fastest ever over 20k, I can really enjoy my holiday now before winter training begins.

My 12th place in Zurich was the highest place finish at the Europeans by a man in 32 years, but one of my favourite highlights of 2014 was commentating on the 50k walk in Zurich, two days after my 20k race for the BBC with Steve Cram.

Now it’s a few important weeks of rest, having some time with family and friends before it starts all over again. Seasons like these though, make all the sacrifices well worth it!

So for the 2014 season, that’s it from me!

#TomWalksFast

Thrilling Times!

On Tuesday my place in the British Team for the European Championships in Zurich was confirmed! Yay!

I will be the only British walker competing at the championships, but am currently training at altitude with the other GB Endurance athletes in Font-Romeu in preparation.

This will be my first European Athletics Championships and my second race for GB this season. I’m really looking forward to racing at a major championships which will be awesome prep for next years World champs and Rio Olympics in 2016!

I was confident of my selection for Zurich after getting the qualifying time (1:23:30) for the 20k twice this year. I hope to better my 1:22:20 from April in Zurich, or if the conditions are tough to put in a performance of that scale!

I also won the Trials for the Europeans in York in June which confirmed my place then and there. This one really means a lot to me.

After missing out on the London Olympics by 19 seconds in 2012 and being unsuccessful in selection for Moscow World Champs last year with only 3 ‘B’ standards, I was over the moon to get this year’s qualifying time done and dusted. It will also be counted toward next year’s World Championships in Beijing, so it was a meaningful progression forward.

In 2010, Johanna Atkinson (nee Jackson), current Commonwealth Games gold medalist gave me a few good words of advice. ‘Keep plugging away at those qualifying times, because as soon as you walk it, you will keep doing it’. It turns out she wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t feel like that back then!!

And so this season could not have been better so far. My new PB puts me 3rd on the British All-time list, I’m the first British man to ever walk under 1:23:00 more than once in a season, as well as reclaiming my 5k British record. But there is still space for one more big performance to top off 2014, and set me up nicely for 2015.

Training is entering its final stage of the season with only 4 weeks until race day.

Some strong miles here at altitude will set me up and that’s exactly what’s been happening. Training in such beautiful environments with the GB team has made it much easier and even enjoyable! I’m even getting a tan!

Great food, great coffee and great training! I even took a selfie after training it was that awesome!

Now I can’t wait to race in Zurich and make everyone who has supported me in Leeds and Kent over the years proud. My plan to make race walking big in the UK is still intact and stronger than ever!!

From a sunny mountain I sign off for now. #TomWalksFast

Bosworth was Buzzing!

It is the night before the British Champs in Birmingham, and man was I buzzing. I’d had a rough few weeks fighting a dip in form before my training completely turned round 8 days before the 5k in Birmingham. I had smashed out a 3k time trial a few weeks prior and walked it in 11:25, 1 second away from the current 3k British record.

So I knew I was in form. However, a small dip in form followed. In the days prior, however, things started to come together. I managed two of my best ever tempo sessions, one a shorter 10k tempo, the other a 16k race specific tempo.

This filled me with confidence to hit the 5k in great form. Although in the back of my mind was the fact that I had just done a massive 10days of training and actually may be fatigued going into the race. But all my focus was on smashing it from the gun, hence why I was so excited the night before the event.

I knew I would have some guest walkers in the event who can go faster than me. Dane Bird-Smith from Australia has a PB of sub 19minutes, so I knew the 19:27 British record target would be smashed if I could stick by him. Also my current training partner of the last two years, New Zealand walker, Quentin Rew was also racing, however, still recovering from the 50k he raced back at the Walking World Cup in China.

I managed to sleep well that evening. I woke up feeling fresh, my bag already packed and had my breakfast and slipped into my usual routine as if it was just a normal day of training. One of my coaches came and picked me up and we were off to Birmingham! It was then that I could get into race mode and focus with my music in and the splits of each kilometre going round in my head.

We arrived in plenty of time, I warmed up and then the nerves started. It was more excitement and I know how to channel these well to ensure I am buzzing when I’m stood on the start line. The camera panned along all of the competitors faces as we were individually introduced. I was the final one to be introduced to the crowd. I was ready to put on a Show. Me and Bird-Smith went off from the gun, equal for the first 3k, my target was to hit 3k in 11:30, knowing I would be on perfect pace to smash the 5k record. I hit 3k in 11:31, perfect!

All was going to plan, when suddenly at the beginning of the 4th kilometre, my legs tightened and my stride shortened. I was struggling to control my breathing and a small voice inside my head told me not to throw this away. I dropped 7 seconds on the 4th kilometre walking it in 3:58.

I knew I could still get the record and needed a strong last kilometre to do so. I felt my stride come back to me in going into the last 800m. I lungs were burning my feet were on fire but all I could thing about was setting a big PB and getting back my British record which I first broke in 2011. In 2013 Alex Wright (now of Ireland) broke my record by 2 seconds.

The commentator had wound the crowd up for a potential record breaking performance. With 400m to go I wanted to scream my feet hurt so much but again I channelled that aggression into every stride and completed the last kilometre in 3:46, the fastest of the race.

19:16! A new British record for the 5000m race walk! I smashed the previous record by 11 seconds and earned myself a nice bit of prize money at the same time. I wasn’t able to close Dane Bird-Smith down enough and so he took the British All-comers record with 19:14.

I bounced over the finish line in jubilation, throwing my arms in the air. I applauded the cheering crowd for their efforts in getting my round the last lap. I hugged and thanked Dane, for his help in the record, Quentin Rew was 3rd followed by the up and coming Jamie Higgins.

I walked over to where my Coach was sat, and we congratulated each other. A hard day’s work was successfully completed!

This overall was a massive confidence booster for me. I’m now 6 weeks out from the European Champs in Zurich and the training is still going very well, each week I’m taking big steps towards hitting the best form I’ve ever been in, just in time for Zurich. The 5k British record is evidence of that!

I’d just like to thank everyone for the continued support and all the messages of congratulations I have received. It has been hard to respond to everyone. So thank you! I couldn’t have done this without my support team, coaches, family or friends support!

#TomWalksFast

Looking toward Zurich

I survived the British race walking Grand Prix 20k in York at the beginning of June and am now looking to Zurich.

It was the European Champs race walk trials, so I knew all I had to do was finish in the top 2 Brit positions. I finished 5th overall but managed to finish 1st Brit.

It was a gruelling race, with the wind and temperature picking up as the race went on. The course had a subtle climb but it was the slight decline which gave me some back pains which caused me to slow. Thankfully it was nothing serious and am in full flow of training since an easy week of training after the race.

So now I have two European Champs qualifying times and have won the trial, which makes it inevitable I will be picked for the champs in Zurich in August. This will be my first major Championships since the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Exciting!

Watching the European Team champs was brilliant to get me back in the mood after two weeks of recovery from the problems suffered in the 20k in York.

I really enjoyed watching Greg Rutherford jump (in his Nike PJ’s) and the lads in the 4x100m relay. Kilty and Gemili started and anchored well, it got a little sticky in the middle but a great win for the guys.

Relay is a funded event, which it should be, the lads need to train together often to get the change overs perfected. Sometimes it feels like there is a psychological hurdle when it comes to British relays teams, like there is with the England football team taking penalties.

I’ve never been sure if the relay should be a separate funded event, surely anyone running in the relay should be of a certain quality that they are already on individual lottery funding? Just a thought.

Having said that, the group of sprinters we have are really showing some amazing potential and it rightfully should be a highlight of our team’s performance at championships.

For me personally struggling with a bit of lull in my season isn’t easy at such an important time of the season. Getting some strong training weeks in now is key to a great performance in Zurich.

Training over the last few days has felt like I’ve turned a point. I’m feeling more like myself and topped it off with a strong 20k this weekend.

The other night was spent relaxing and watching one of my favourite movies ‘We’re the Millers’, brilliant comedy. Another strong couple of weeks of training needs to follow and I’m feeling right up to smashing it! Watching movies is one of my favourite ways of forgetting about training and just chillaxing!

Next week is the European Champs trials in Birmingham where the other athletic events will be decided and trial winners will earn their place in the GB Team for Zurich.

Race walkers are included by racing a 5k on the Sunday morning. It is always an awesome race. Twice in the last 3 years has the British record been broken here, once in 2011, I broke it. It’s time I went out and got my 5k BR back!

For now I hope England’s early exit from the world cup isn’t too much of a downer, I can promise you that the athletics team will perform to a much higher standard this summer! Well, I’ll do my best at least.

My next blog will be sent from the top of a mountain at the British Athletics pre camp in France. 3 weeks of altitude training will help me peak again this season in Zurich!

#TomWalksFast

Setting Up for a Big Week

It’s race week again already! There’s nothing better than racing, it makes the winter training worth it.

Having already qualified twice for the European Championships, Zurich in August, I can enjoy racing the 20k trial this weekend in York.

I watched the boxing on Saturday night, it got me pumped up that’s for sure! Shows what experience does for an athlete. That’s exactly what will put me in a good position for Sunday’s race.

Another strong time will put me in contention for funding at the end of the year, but in the meantime it will show my continued development this year as one of the best walkers in the world.

This race is a little different. Usually there’s a long flight, staying in a hotel with different foods and cultures. My last race was the IAAF World Cup in Taicang, China. This one is 40 minutes up the road from Leeds in York.

I’m treating it as important as any other, because it is. For me it’s important to get my head into race mode in the days before. Focus on my strategy, kilometre splits and how to deal with different possibilities during the race.

If I finish in the top two Brits on Sunday, I would have ticked every box required for selection for Zurich in August. (1:23:00 Qualifying time and top 2 in the trial).

It will be my first major championship since the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Don’t get me started on this year’s Commonwealths in Glasgow.

They decided to include athletics but discriminate against walkers by not including the walks, despite race walking being an athletic event… and they go about talking about ‘inclusion’.

More importantly for me is the European Athletics champs and that has been the target since August last year when I missed out on making the team for the World Athletics Champs in Moscow.

That just made me stronger and more determined and I believe it had a huge hand in making this season such a success. Third fastest Brit in all time over 20k and fastest in over 20 years speaks for itself.

Some people may just give up, that’s not me and I love proving people wrong and most importantly the love of athletics keeps me going.

Training this week will be slightly less than usual but not by much due to the importance of getting a big block of work done over the next month.

I have some track races to look forward to and plenty of British records to target also. The 10,000m race walk in Bedford at the end of June, followed by the 5000m in Birmingham, which is also the European trials for the other athletic events. (Will be shown on BBC).

This has been such a great season so far, made possible by sponsors and England and British Athletics. All I need to do is continue to train hard!

The right man won the boxing… the right man will succeed in York on Sunday.

#TomWalksFast