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