What I have always done is set targets for the season. These are normally two things: first, what time I would be happy with and second, which meeting to target.
As this season I am dropping down to the 100m and 200m for the first time in 16 years it’s all a bit difficult as I don’t have a recent form guide so prediction is not easy. However it is a really good thing to have goals so I have set my sights on the following – I am being quite realistic with these, so I hope I will have to adjust them during the season.
TIME TARGETS
100m – Sub 12.0sec.
200m – Sub 24.0sec.
As for championship races, I have chosen two main meetings with a few other meetings around them. And the aim will be, as always, medals. Throughout my career me and my coaches have always targeted medals as I am the kind of athlete that gets up for the major meeting, I love the big races. The race day nerves, the registration, the warm up area – where your meters away from the people you’re competing against and where the mind needs to be kept in check, the call room – the scariest place ever, normally the smallest room they can find with 8 chairs round the side where you sit inches away from the other 7 athlete in your race – lots of athletes lose races in these places. Then the walk out into the stadium trying to stay focussed with the noise of the crowd, and that moment when you standing staring down the track waiting to be called to the blocks. It’s such a major buzz I truly love that part and I think the bit I have missed the most. So the two big meetings I have chosen are as follows.
RACE TARGETS
Northern Maters Championships – 11th May – Leigh Sports Village.
British Masters Championships – 9th/10th August – Birmingham Alexander Stadium.
Will update you again soon.