An Unexpected Turn of Walking

Well since I last put my road to Rio down on paper a lot more has happened, with more records, wins and surprises! 

Holy shit! Phewwww. I've finally taken down the 28year old 20km race walk record that I've been hunting for the last few seasons. I knew when I would finally do it, I'd do it with some style and bypass it on my way to a big step up in 20km performance... I did just that. 

But first I had the British Indoor Championships back in Sheffield to contend first, and had to defend my title from 2015. It was the end of February and after another massive block of training through February I felt tired and ready to move onto the outdoor season as I aproached the indoor champs. Stepping down a distance from Bratilsava where I set the 5km British record, this time competing over the 3km distance at the British indoors. I knew it was going to be rapid, after setting the British record for that distance back in January. What I achieved, however, was a big surprise to me.

The Friday before I helped to launch the championships with a few other athletes. A big complement to where race walking is currently, to be included in such media events. So a big thanks goes to British Athletics! 

As I set off I went straight onto 11:00min pace. After 100m I was comfortable, when to my shock, 19 year old Callum Wilkinson tore past me and second placed athlete Cameron Corbishley. 

By the end of the second lap I had my lead back and settled back down after Callum was unable to hold any where near the pace he set off at. 

I cleared the first k in around 3:41, and the next was also just under 3:41. All going to plan I pushed on through the last kilometre. I picked up 1 red card in the final laps, however, did not see I had it until after the race. I strolled the last 1000m in 3:37, and smashed my own British 3km record by 17seconds!!! 

Finishing with 10:58, a world lead and of course my signature dance as I crossed the line.

In the final few laps the three men (two I mentioned earlier) all received the maximum of 3 red cards from the judges and were all Disqualified meaning I ended up winning the race by a much further distance than I should have. Nearly 3minutes on 2nd place. This shows just how brutal race walking can be, and if you have a bad day, you may not finish the race. 

You can see all my adventures before during and after the British indoor championships on my YouTube Channel, "Tom Walks TV". Make sure you like and subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3NIjCE5xAQlet5Jfw2LdOHT3ZIqizyRT

My season moved swiftly on after the British indoor championships. I was setting quite a challenge to my self to see how long I could keep up my win and record streak for in 2016. 

The next challenge was to be the England 10km race walk championships in Coventry which I had to pull out from before the race due to illness. So my attention turned to 20km, Finally!

This was the one I'd been waiting for, 20km is the Olympic Distance and the one every one wants to impress early over. I would be once again representing England Athletics in the great New Balance strip. 

The race we were attending was the 35th annual IAAF race walk challenge in Dudince, Slovakia. I am very fond of Slovakia after this years win in Bratilsava, so I hoped it would bring me good luck once again. 

A large England team attended, joined by a couple of senior women representing Wales. Bethan Davies and Heather Lewis. 

The terrible trio of Guy Thomas, Callum Wilkinson and Cameron Corbishely made up the England Boys 10km team, and Dominic King was wearing the England vest in the 50km which also doubled up as the British Athletics Olympic 50km Trial! So a top two finish for Dominic would see him confirm an automatic place on Team GB in Rio as he already had the qualifying time. I was the sole 20km representative for England.  

The morning saw a mixed bunch of results, with Dominic crossing the line 32nd overall, but importantly first British man and so confirmed his place on the GB team this summer in the 50km walk! Horay!! 

In the junior boys 10km, Callum Wilkinson backed up his win in Coventry with a win over a small, but strong, international field in 41:36. Both Guy Thomas and Cameron Corbishley were on for big times but again saw the red paddle from the chief judge and were Disqualfied as they were at the indoors. A lot of talent on offer but progression on technique is needed to move on for them. Knowing them well, I have no doubt they will put the hard work in on the training ground and come back stronger. 

It was then time for the men's and women's 20km. Finally! I was so nervous as I wanted to keep my 100% win and record going. Will it be 4 from 4? 

After sitting at the back of the lead pack for the first 4km I made a risky move and took the lead, over taking some big names that usually I wouldn't dare over take. After this winters progression I felt unstoppable and over the next few k pulled about a 10 second gap at 10km, clocking 39:58. I knew this was a very fast first half and thought I must take it one lap (kilometre) at a time. It could either all fall to pieces now or I could come back with a massive performance. How much did I truly want this?

I gritted my teeth and pushed, I gave every ounce of strength, I slowed a tiny bit over the next few laps but pulled it back over the last 5km to take victory and destroy the previous 20km British record by 82 seconds, it had stood since 1988!!! Not only did I set the record but I took yet another victory! I love Slovakia! 

Photos: Pavol Uhrin. 

The most exciting thing, I still have lots to work on, so can only get faster!

Watch my highlights from Dudince on my YouTube channel... https://youtu.be/0sqK_HWlcg8

I received so many messages so thank you all for sending them! Means so much! 

So moving on from this big breakthrough and an epic first 3months competing in my 2016 season, it takes me to some downtime with my partner and his family for the Easter break, before cracking on with another week of training. 

A few days before Easter, I had the pleasure of walking with Jeff Stelling as he walked 10 marathons in 10days for Prostate Cancer UK, a charity very close to my heart. As he finished off day two I joined him for the last few miles of his mammoth second day journey. We finished up in Elland Road, Leeds United Football ground. 

I also bumped into a few other famous faces of Football...

In this time, the news broke that the head coach of the Russian Race Walking school received a life ban for his involvement and mostly leadership of the doping scandals involved with Russian Race walking for many many years! 

Many of his athletes have been given bans in the past and still competed in Russian champs, despite being on bans. This continued discraceful behaviour, but failing to deceive the IAAF and their international rivals has eventually, after investigations and then re investigations led to many Russian athletes being stripped of Olympic and World medals leading to some great athletes, role models and it's an honour to say friends of mine have been rightly awarded medals. 

Ireland received a Bronze Olympic and World Gold, as well as Jared Tallent was finally awarded his Gold medal from the 2012 Olympics in the 50km walk. 

He was one of the main athletes who spearheaded the campaign to the IAAF to investigate and bring down those involved in the years of doping in Russian race walking and as we have seen, throughout all of Russian Athletics. 

This was news we have all longed for, justice was done. 

So this brings us up to date, and almost into April! Next week I head out to the Czech Republic to compete over 20km at the EAA Race walking permit meet in Podebrady. Where I hope to back up my 20km performance from last week. 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and use #TomWalksFast to keep up to date with how I get on in this race and the rest of my season! 

Hope you had a lovely Easter and get walking, it's good for you after all and a great way to stay fit! 

#tomwalksfast 

www.tombosworth.com

Pushing the Boundaries

I'm picking up where I left of in my previous blog, as I'm trying to put as much of my road to Rio onto paper as possible. It's the 16th February 2016.

Here we go! I was heading to the indoor meet in Bratislava racing for England over 5000m. Feeling pretty fatigued and not expecting too much from the race I used the opportunity to go through the race process for good practice. 

So I got my self organised with my usual race routine and plenty of support from the England medical staff. The team atmosphere was awesome. A mix of athletes making international debuts to some with many years of competing. The staff as well were brilliant in creating a professional environment with no external pressure applied. Thanks England Atheltics and New Balance! 

So it was pretty cold but me and my fellow race walk team mates walked over to the stadium as we were racing early in schedule. It was great to see some of the other athletes there already, wanting to support the walkers as well as the rest of the team. This really meant a lot to us as the walkers aren't often involved in full track and field teams at competitions, especially at indoor champs. I really hope and am proud of the English walkers performances for demonstrating world class walking. 

Emma Achurch raced first in the 3000m walk for England. She set a really great seasons best and a clear step up, with a 30second improvement on her performance from a few weeks ago in Sheffield over the same distance. 

It was then the men's turn to race over 5000m. The race included some top names including the current and the previous world 50k champions, drawing in a lot of media attention in Slovakia. The race was geared up around Matej Toth (2015 World Champion) vs Robert Heffernan (2013 World Champion). Toth I would say was the favourite, especially as it was on home turf for him. 

The stadium wasn't big, but as often happens with indoor races the atmosphere felt great with the enclosed space and I felt nervous for the first time as we made our way onto the track. I gathered my self and focused, took a step back and postitioned my self on the second row on the start line. I didn't want to go off too fast, with so many strong walkers in the race. Grzegorz Sudol from Poland (European Silver medalist 2010) was also a strong favourite along with two more Irishmen, Boyce and Wright they made a strong Irish trio including Heffernan. 

Toth took the early lead and most of us filed in behind expecting a relatively quick start, but to my surprise any way, we set off at just under 4min/k pace. Slower than I expected. I had a bit of a clash of elbows and a bit of shoving with a couple of athletes as I fought my way into the racing line on the first lap. Very early I thought I had to take this on, I didn't want to leave it down to the a sprint at the end as I knew how strong the walkers around me were. I had a couple of targets for the race. The British indoor record which stood at 19:22, having walked 19:00 outside in 2015, I was confident of smashing this. My other target was to get on the podium. So I moved out and passed the leaders and took the lead and gave my self a bit of space at the front. 

I thought to my self, what the f*** are you doing, you're going to throw this away. Don't do anything stupid in this first k. So I settled to a pace that I was comfortable with, but with something left for when one or more of them would make their move. The first two kilometres flew round and I clocked 3:45, 3:45 for the two kilometres. I knew it was fast, but I felt comfortable and just told my self to keep going. But I felt awful and my stomach wanted to cramp, the previous month of training was catching up with me. I walked 3:50 for the next kilometre. I had no idea I'd gained a few seconds over 2nd place that I thought was Heffernan from Ireland breathing down my neck. 

I haven't watched the race back properly, I don't want to, as I have great memories from it, so I have no idea how the battle behind me panned out. (View it here under "Cast 2" from 29mins in. http://tveso.sk/zaznam-miting-elan-31-1-2016/ )

But in the 4th kilomtetre I felt 2nd place make a move. I clocked another 3:50k, and then pushed and I felt unstoppable, I felt easy like I still had another gear but never let up knowing the pressure from the others. I came round with 4 laps to go (800m) but the officials hadn't moved the lap counter down and I shouted at them, as the adrenaline was really flowing at that point, to notice their mistake which they did immidately. When the adrenaline is pumping sometimes even the tiny things can pump you up. 

I flew round and I knew that I could actually win this race, but didn't stop until the finish line came. 

The final lap was a sensational feeling, knowing I had won this race. A race that I hoped just to spin the legs round. 

I did my dance across the finish line which I've got into a bad habit of doing so but some think it's funny! The team manager handed me an England flag and I enjoyed the attention that followed, and made the most of it in the days after. 

I clocked a finishing time of 18:54 for 5000m. A new indoor British Record, an overal 5k PB and unifies the indoor and outdoor records under my name. It was a massive relief for me as I've been bugged by walking 19:00 outdoors last summer as I was desperate to walk under 19minutes. 

Sudol from Poland was second and Heffernan was 3rd across the line, a nice boost for him also to take a victory over the man who took over his world title reign last summer, Toth, who finished 4th. 

I enjoyed the rest of the day bonding with the other athletes, cheering them on as they did me. Everyone's performances inspired each other. 

The one thing I learned is that anything is possible and I can't doubt my ability much longer. Winning that race was a real transition, but it is still a long way from what I really want to achieve. 

Those guys behind me would have trained just as hard as me this winter, they are all world class walkers and over the longer distances I still have a lot to learn from many of them. But winning races felt good and winning from being the underdog was even better! All this race proved was that I'm fit and healthy and what I'm doing in training is working, more of the same is needed! 

I had an English team mate also in that race, someone who I always seem to be mentioning in my blogs. Callum Wilkinson. The junior walker was also representing England in a race that he didn't let overwhelm him and one he grabbed and destroyed. He walked 19:39, the first ever British junior boy to walk under 20minutes for 5000m indoors or outdoors. What a great way to start his final year as a junior before he steps up to 20k next year. Many forget that, in race walking the transition is so hard, going from 10k as a junior to racing 20k internationally as a senior athlete. 

After feeling very flat the following week after the race I cracked on with my next training block starting with a strong weekend of training followed by another massive week of mileage. Since being back from Spain I've been sleeping in an altitude tent, every thing I can do is being done. That's my motto for 2016. 

I've got some exciting things off the track lined up in February along side another block of training before the British indoor championships in Sheffield at the end of the month. I'm involved with "Jeff's March" with the brilliant team at Prostate Cancer UK. You can hear me monthly on BBC Radio 5 and I'm doing some TV bits with Sky. You can follow all my adventures off the track in my new YouTube channel "Tom Walks TV". Episode 1 is now live. http://youtu.be/zj0znywPGX0

Last weekend I also had the pleasure of being an England Athletic's embassador at the Age Group Indoor Championships in Sheffield chatting with junior athletes, handing out medals and commentating with the VincoSport team on some of the action. Vinco do a brilliant job of getting live Athletic's coverage out to the country to watch. Such an important role as our sport lacks much television airtime. So log on and create an account and never miss any Athletic's action! You will be able to see the British Indoor championships live courtesy of Vinco. http://www.runjumpthrow.com/news/1686-british-athletics-to-stream-indoor-british-championships

It will soon be March, my indoor season will be over and it will be time to face my first 20k of the seaso - My favourite distance as it is the one with the most meaning. 

There is currently a junior athletes and coaches race walk camp on here in Leeds with a range of workshops and training sessions at Leeds Beckett Univeristy for them all to get involved with. 

Till my next race, I leave you with the knowledge that I'm putting my body through hell in training each day and living to make the most of every moment, all in the dream of making my country proud when I compete each season in the British colours. 

Please continue to support me and follow me all over social media, I love hearing from you all. 

#tomwalksfast

www.tombosworth.com

@tombosworth