Just got back yesterday from New York, and I’m feeling rather tired still. I know I’m getting older as I don’t seem to travel like I did a few years back and it takes me much more time to recover.

I do though think you always recover faster when you race well, and I didn’t have that luxury after the New Balance Mile on Saturday. Since I last blogged, I knew something was not quite right, my pre race session on Wednesday went badly, and every run into the race was a struggle. My heart rates on these runs were also creeping up, and my resting heart rate on race day was 55 not the usual 37. I kept it quite because if you tell people it gives you an easy way out, and makes it ‘real’, so I kept telling myself I would be fine. I did have thoughts that I felt just like I did New Years Eve and ran 15:47 for 5km, and if that happened in the mile I could run 4:10 or not even finish, that was a scary thought. So I paced myself and ran a solid 4:02.94 for 6^th place. Neil ran a great race to take 2^nd in 4:00.3. But I know I could have not asked anything more from my body that day, to run a time like that with how I felt is more pleasing than running a great race when 100%. Why? Because getting through the bad days are hard, everything’s a struggle, and the easy days you don’t have to think. This day I was leading myself out to battle knowing I was not even 80% ready and that’s a hard thing to do, especially when New York and the Armory are your second home. But I know when I do get back to myself then to run 5-6 faster than that, will not be that impossible, and mentally I feel stronger after the weekend and ready for some good times again!

Also running 4:02 made the few beers I had on Saturday at ‘Coogans’ feel better with Peter Walsh, Walt Murphy, Ian Brooks and many many more. As a DNF runner isn’t even allowed in the bar!

To know I’ve aged I will tell you a good story of my racing past when ‘Once upon a time’ I use to be able to fly transatlantic through the night, get off the flight and race the other end. My best example of that was in 2004, when I raced at 9pm New York time in the famous Wannamaker mile, at Madison Square Gardens. In the race I took 2nd and a load off much needed cash, then headed straight for JFK airport. I only had time for a quick track side TV interview with NBC, and was still in racing gear (minus spikes) when I was in the back of the yellow cab. I got changed in the back of the cab and once at the airport managed to blag a seat in business based on the need for a bed for a somewhat needed few hours sleep. A few glasses of champagne later I was fast asleep, and was soon waking as we touched down in London. I had an hour more to rest before catching a flight up to Manchester, where I was met by girlfriend to drive me across to Sheffield. The race was the trials for the World champs indoors and I was sure we would have heats and I could chill 24 hours before a hard race. No such luck, I get there 1hour before and they have cancelled the heats, and normally the final would be at final time, Sunday. Yeh, I said normally! This time it was in 45minutes (yes after losing it for 15 minutes!). I was so annoyed warming up I must been running at 5:30 milling! I towed the line 16hours after the New York race, and held on to take 2nd behind Mike East and booked my place in the World team. Reporters loved the story and got more attention than either of the two winners of the races that I had finished 2nd, but as I said then 'finish 2nd and have a good story to tell or no one will care'!

Well got to go and have another sleep, dam jet lag!

Be good

James