Runnerslife

Meet The Guest

Hannah England

In 2005 Hannah England joined Birmingham University to study Biochemistry. Winning the national junior title in the 1500m and competing at the World Junior Championships. For the 2008 Olympics World Junior Champion Stephanie Twell was selected ahead of Hannah, so although Hannah attended as a reserve she did not compete.

The following season she competed in the 1500m at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships, but did not progress beyond the heats after a below-par performance. She set a personal best of 4:05.87 at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games in Hengelo, finishing seventh and beating Olympic champion Nancy Lagat. England set an 800m personal best of 1:59.94 at the 2009 European Team Championships and managed fourth place in both 800m and 1500m events, helping the Great Britain team to a third place finish.

Qualification for the World Championships in the 1500m last year was going to be hard, as four British athletes had achieved the time required, but only three entrants per event were allowed. As Stephanie Twell had a faster time that season, as well as higher youth achievement, she was selected over Hannah.

2009 ended on a high though at the IAAF World Athletics Final, England qualified for 1500m as one of the top twelve athletes of the season. She finished second in the race, behind only Olympic Champion Nancy Jebet Lagat and beating among others reigning World Champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal.

Personal Bests

800m -   1.59.94

1500m - 4.04.48

3000m - 8.56


Questions

Have you been running long?

I started running when I was 13...which make's it 10 years this year.

How did you get in to running?

I finished 3rd in a cross country race for my middle school and was approached by a coach from Oxford City Athletics Club who suggested I started going to their training nights. I was already one of those children who had 101 hobbies, my parents told me I could only join if I gave something else up, and it was cricket that got the chop. I didn't mind this too much, I really wasn't very good, my older brother and younger sister have both captained Oxfordshire for cricket so I was glad to move to a sport where I was better than them!

You seemed to make a big breakthrough in 2008, was this expected?

I increased the intensity of my training when I moved to America, FSU was involved in an intense team cross country battle which I fully embraced and was rewarded with a really strong base. I didn't have a massive increase in mileage; it was more the intensity of sessions and lots of cross country races. I was really surprised when I ran 4.06, if I'd looked closely at my training times I probably would have realised I was in that sort of shape, instead I was caught up in being competitive, I was driven by trying to finish as high up as I could at NCAAs and times didn't really come into it.

You then chose to go to USA University....

I had considered heading over to the states straight from school, but with Bud (Baldaro) as my coach and the set up at Birmingham it wasn't really logical to go miles away when there was a perfect set up there. I decided to give FSU a go because my boyfriend, Luke Gunn, was having such a good time out there and I was sick of hearing about it! Also on my course (Biochemistry) it's common for people to take a year out to work in industry or abroad and I jumped at the chance of adapting this to give me a year at FSU. I did approach some other schools like Oregon and Stanford but they weren't really interested and FSU just seemed pretty perfect anyway. Incidentally I chose to go to FSU before they appointed Karen Harvey as the women's coach - someone who I think played a massive role in my improvement.

You won the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA title in 2008...was one more important than the other?

I gained a massive confidence boost winning indoors but outdoors was ultimately more important. It was great to win both and topped off a fun year.

How did 2009 go for you?

I was really pleased with most of my races this year and felt I learnt how to cope with travelling and competing and lots of different types of races. I also graduated from Birmingham and was pleased with how I managed to balance my academics and training. It was nice to put another good year on the end of 2008, I had perfect training conditions in the states and it was a huge relief that I could continue to run PBs here.

You qualified for the euro indoors but didn't quite perform as you probably wanted to, any reason for this?

The European indoors were disappointing, I raced more than I had planned in the lead up, chasing the qualification time and felt flat when I got there. It was my senior GB debut and I wanted it to go much better than that!

In the summer you didn't quite make the World Champs, How did you feel about that?

Not making the World Champs was harder than not making the Olympics as it had been my main aim for the year, it was pretty hard to deal with but I think having to get my head down and carry on training for the rest of the season will have made me a stronger athlete mentally.

Did you feel you could have performed at the Championships?

I feel like a would have peaked at the World Champs as my training was all geared towards running well at that time, but the rounds are very difficult so I have no idea how far I would have progressed.

You went on to place 2nd at the World Athletics final though; did that make up for missing the World Champs?

Yes it did a little bit, but it did leave me wondering what I could have done if I'd gone to Berlin!


How did that race pan out?

I had mentally prepared for the race to be very fast as there were so many good runners in the field and it took me totally by surprise when we went through 800m around 2.28, I don't think I've done that since I was in school! I remember being excited that I was quite high up the field as I usually hang around the back. The race really picked up with 600m to go and luckily the girl in front of me went with the move letting me latch on to the leaders too. I think we split about 91s for the last 600m and somehow I ended up having a totally clear path in lane one letting me move through the field easily.

What was the best moment of 2009 for you?

Running 4.05 in Hengelo at the start of the season. I was already having a pretty good week having finished exams and being at my first big race in Europe, I think I only came 9th but it was exciting to line up with a load of fast runners. Its always nerve racking coming out as you never now quite what your training will translate to in a race and it was great to open with a PB.

I read somewhere you are pretty good at ballet? Do you think this helps with your running?

I did ballet form 3-17 and then for a year at university as well. I think it has helped by making me be aware of my body, I find I can pick up drills pretty well and credit this to ballet. I'm looking for a class in Birmingham at the moment but the only one I've found so far is on Tuesday evenings and I'm not sure it's a suitable substitute for a session!

How is 2010 going so far?

Good, I've spent all but 6 days of it in America. Mostly at FSU with 2 races in New York and Boston. I won a mile in New York and ran a PB over 3k in Boston, so I'm excited with where I am at the moment and looking forward to building on my fitness back in Birmingham.

What's the main target for the year?

Running well and the British Champs.

Any race's coming up?

I'm not racing now until May; I'm hoping to open up with a 1500m in Stanford, CA.

Easy runs

Most of my runs are probably classed as easy, at 7.30-8.00 per mile. I do think they're important and I will do a total recovery run (just above a walk) if I'm feeling tired from sessions.

 

Steady runs

I try and do one steady run a week during the winter, the Monday night run at Birmingham is typically a fast one - its usually about seeing how many of us girls can hang on to the boys...while pretending we're hardly breaking a sweat.

 

Interval work

I think doing hills and tempo type sessions during the winter is the best way for me to get fit.

I sometimes just do 2 or 3 200s but I wouldn't really call that a session! I guess the shortest structured one I do is 2x300m off 1min, 8 minutes rest and then 1x300m.

Do you change surface dependant on time of year?

I try and do all my training on grass until I get to the summer and start doing more specific sessions on the track.

On your own or in a group?

I'll always try and train with a group, I'd rather change my session slightly to give me company than grind through it on my own.

Hardest session?

One with a mixture of short hills and tempo reps always leaves me wiped out for the rest of the day!

 

Mileage

What is your mileage are you doing in training phases?

50-55 miles during winter training, with the odd week up at 60. 40-45 during the summer but down to 35-40 for race weeks

What is your longest run of the week?

10-12 miles on a Sunday

Do you run big mileage when racing?

I'll reduce my mileage if it's an important race or a busy racing period.

What's your opinion on mileage in general?

Personally I don't respond to particularly high mileage, I just tend to get injured or ill, so I prefer to aim for consistent training at a lower mileage.


Can you give a typical week in full training and race week?

Monday am easy run and weights pm steady or easy run

Tuesday pm interval session

Wednesday 2 easy runs and circuits *replace circuits with weights on race weeks

Thursday tempo session * easy running on race weeks

Friday weights * rest on race weeks

Saturday am interval session *RACE

Sunday am long run pm drills

 

General

 Do you do any weights or circuit training?

Yes I do circuits once a week and then weights twice a week.

Do you ever use massage?

I get physio about every 10 - 14 days, which helps me keep on top of any niggles or build up of tight muscles. I'm also a fan of self treatment, I like to foam roll and stretch - anything to make massage less painful!

Do you follow any special diet?

I don't follow a strict diet, I like a lot of healthy foods so find it pretty easy to eat well, that said I do have a big sweet tooth which I try to keep under control during the track season!


What's your own training group like?

I've got a great group at Birmingham, its quite fluid with people dropping in and out depending on stuff like their fitness or non-athletic commitments--which means every warm up is just a big catch up! I like having a range of training partners because that's what it's like when you race....if you only trained with one type of runner maybe you'd only learn how to race one type of person. A range of people allows exposure to people who like to go off hard and those who save it all for the end of a rep.

I think it's really important, both physically and mentally, but only if the group affects you positively. Training always goes better when I'm looking forward to it or enjoy it:  Which comes a lot easier when I'm in a group. However if there's someone in a negative frame of mind or someone being too competitive group training can be detrimental.

Would you take a break at all?

I take a break at the end of the track season, usually about 2 weeks and then another week or so after cross country and indoors. I think the break after the track season is most important for me, by then I'm pretty emotionally and physically exhausted and love switching off from all things athletic! And I believe you have to get out of shape to get back into shape again, so unfortunately have to eat a load of crap and sit on my arse.

Hannah

Comments On "Hannah England "

Is it actually possible not to like this girl?! See if you can get her as RL's 2nd female athlete.

Interesting to read that so much of the volume is at an easy pace, and also the fact the odd 200 is thrown in, but not as a proper session.

Al Posted on February 19th, 2010

Get interview. Miss you heaps!

Lids Posted on February 19th, 2010

Loved it Hannah....so interesting to read!

pshine Posted on February 18th, 2010

such a lovely read

123run Posted on February 18th, 2010

Great to read a down to earth interview with a top drawer middle distance athlete - lots to ponder and learn from, especially the comment about training on soft surfaces as much as possible - recommending that both my daughters read it!

Liked the end of track season logic - as p/t driver and agent, I do that throughout most of the athletic year.

Athletics Taxi driver and agent (ie parent of two middle distance runners) Posted on February 17th, 2010