I’ve completed the first of my two assaults on the world championships where I came away with a silver medal. It was not the colour of medal I was hoping for and in all honesty, I felt very disappointed with missing out on the gold. It is of course still a good achievement for me, considering I have never competed in the 10,000m in a world championship before and wasn’t even ranked in the world’s top ten last year; however it would have been amazing to finish on top of the world at the 10,000m this year.

Going into the 10,000m final, I felt very confident following some good races and holding the world leading time at the distance. I’d raced and beaten the best in the world this year and my training going into the championships had gone perfectly. Having become familiar with my rival’s tactics and discovered what all their strengths and weaknesses were, I had decided what my tactics would be prior to the race and committed to them. As an athlete, you have to do this. Whilst I knew I was fully capable of winning the gold, I never took it for granted and was aware that anything could happen on the day as often happens in a major championship.

The conditions during the race were just fine for me – not too hot or windy, which can hinder a race where long distance is concerned. Having seen (and been close too) a few trips and falls during previous races, I tried to stay out of trouble as much as possible by either staying further to the back of the pack or running wide. The pace was not too demanding and I felt good throughout.

With four laps to go, I had plenty left in the tank and so took a glance around the remaining guys in the lead group and thought to myself, ‘I can do this’. I knew that come the last lap, I have what it takes to out-kick these guys having done it a number of times this year already, so I just waited.

With 500m remaining, I went for the kick as decided before the race. It wasn’t an all-out kick until the final bell with 400m to go when I went full steam ahead. I had won many races this year using that same tactic and was confident that a last lap of 53 seconds would be enough to secure the win. I could feel a gap between myself and the next athlete growing and just had to focus on maintaining my speed. It wasn’t until 150m to go that I realised someone was closing in on me as the crowd were going crazy! All I could do was dig deep and fight to the line…

The last 50m were agonising for me, both physically and mentally. Watching another athlete overtake me so close to the finish line was soul destroying and just like that, the dream was ended.

The winner, Jeilan from Ethiopia ran a brilliant race and was the better man on the day so congratulations to him. Had I known prior to the race that he was a fast finisher, I probably would have used slightly different tactics. Having never raced or seen him on the world circuit, I had no idea what to expect from him and in fact he was the only athlete in the final that I had no knowledge of. Therefore I do not regret using the tactics that I used.

Anyway, onwards and upwards! I spent the next couple of days relaxing with my wife and daughter who helped take my mind off the result of the 10,000m race. With the blisters on my feet from the 10,000m, my coach and I along with the team doctors had to decide whether or not I could race in the 5000m.

We decided that I was fit and ready to go again for the 5000m, the heats of which were this morning. Of the two heats, only the top five from each heat could qualify for the final automatically and so I had to make sure I was in that top five. This time, instead of racing in the evening when the sun has gone down, I raced in mid morning when the heat from the sun was almost at its peak! I had to conserve as much energy as possible whilst ensuring a place in the final, something which wasn’t easy considering the unbearable heat and the fact that most athletes hadn’t already run 10,000m.

Thankfully I finished in the top five and felt comfortable. It was great to see my good friend and training partner Galen Rupp also finish in the top five in his heat, meaning our coach Alberto will have two athletes in the final.

The final of the 5000m will be on this Sunday at 11.40 UK time where I will give it 110% and hope to deliver a good performance to make Britain proud.

I think I have some explaining to do!

The last few months have been crazy for me so I haven’t had much time to write a blog. Apologies to those who have been waiting.  Here’s the update:

To begin with, my family and I successfully moved across the pond to the USA in Portland, Oregon. Obviously a big change for us although it didn’t take long at all to settle in to life there.  Portland is genuinely one of the nicest parts of America for families to live, with everyone being so welcoming to us ‘new comers’.Our house is within a few miles of the Nike World Headquarters, where I train with my coach and group ‘The Oregon Project’ – so it’s a perfect set up.

I immediately starting taking advantage of Nike’s world class training facilities and adapted to Alberto’s training methods which were quite different from what I was used to.

My first race since moving Stateside was the BUPA London 10k. A race which I have taken part in for the last three years, so I was very familiar with the course and looked forward to racing in front of the home crowd. I didn’t break the British record in the event this year as I had done in the previous two years, but my main aim was to win the race and that’s just what I did. It was also nice to see a familiar face and friend at the finish line, Rags Martel from London Tonight!

After the London race, I flew straight back to Portland to prepare for my next race. The Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon was four days after the BUPA 10k and is known as one of the most prestigious race meetings with all the high profile athletes taking part in a variety of events.

The meet is named after Steve Prefontaine who himself was a great athlete and it was an honour for me to race. I was to run in the 10,000m and the line up for that race included the very best in the world with absolutely no one missing. World Champions, previous world record holders and the cream of distance running were all included.

Training had been going well for me and I felt in great shape going into the race so was ready for the challenge. My goal was to finish the race in under 27 minutes which had never been done by a British man before. I sat at the back of the pack for the most part, slowly working my way through the field and three laps from the finish I felt good and ready to strike. The last lap was painful but I ended up winning the race whilst clocking this year’s world leading time of 26 minutes and 46 seconds!  Beating such a high class field was for me, one of my biggest achievements to date and my confidence was at an all time high!

I then continued on my winning streak at the 5000m at the Birmingham Diamond  League and then at the UK Championships following some time spent at the UKA training camp in Font Romeu. My training partner Galen Rupp and coach, Alberto also came over to Font Romeu which worked really well as we got some key training sessions done with the next big race in mind.

The Monaco Diamond League was to be the setting for fast races where I was hoping to repeat some of the success I’d achieved in previous races. Again, the line up for my race included the world’s best, although this time over 5000m. My finishing speed had become one of my strengths and was something I needed to use if I wanted to be in with a chance of beating renowned fast-finisher Bernard Lagat who has been, and still is one of the greatest 5000m runners out there, not to mention a double world champion. It was close towards the end although I managed to hold off Lagat to take the victory whilst breaking my own British record in 12 minutes 53 seconds! I didn’t realise until later on that I had also clocked the world’s fastest time this year in the 5000m as well.

My last race before the up and coming world championships was the London Diamond League in Crystal Palace where I ran in the 3000m. Crystal Palace has to be one of my favourite stadiums to race in, purely because of the crowd.

The atmosphere whenever I step onto the track there is like something I’ve never experienced anywhere else so I had to deliver a good performance. I wanted to try a new tactic and test my finishing speed over a shorter distance than usual so left my final kick for the last 200m. I felt great coming down the home straight to a loud reception and so much support. It was a great way to finish my last race until ‘the big one’.

2011 has been a great year for me so far and I’m currently ranked number 1 in the world for the 5000m and 10000m -although I don’t take any of it for granted.

I know I have to keep working hard and stay focused for the world championships which are just days away. If I can improve on my performances at the last two world championships this time around, it would be an amazing feeling.

I’ll be heading to Daegu tomorrow, where the World Championships are taking place and will spend the days leading up to it in the GB team holding camp. The 10,000m final is on the 28^th of August so not too long to go now…I’m excited and looking forward to it!

Wish me luck -Go Hard or Go Home!

-With special thanks to John Nepolitan and Ricky Simms for the use of their excellent photographs in this blog.

Hi all and sorry it’s been a few weeks since I last checked in with you as I have been super busy with a variety of things!

The last time I posted my blog was when I had just returned to the UK after retaining my European 3000m title in Paris. The plan thereafter was to prepare for my next race, which was two weeks away  – The New York Half Marathon. I also had the task of packing all of mine and my family’s things ready for our move to USA and to top it all off had to take part a number of media commitments i.e. photo shoots, interviews etc. Normally I would be ok with the first and last task however I’m sure anyone would agree that moving home has got to be one of the most stressful things to do….ever!

So anyway, I returned back to London from New York on Friday which wasn’t the original plan. My wife and I thought it was realistic to have everything ready so that we could go onto Portland, Oregon (our new home) straight after the NYC Half Marathon. Obviously we weren’t realistic enough. It just wasn’t physically possible to prepare for a big race whilst moving your whole life abroad in the space of two weeks! The plan now is to head to Oregon in a week or so once everything is ready.

 In case you hadn’t heard, I attempted my first ever half Marathon last week! I decided to make my debut at the NYC Half Marathon which is a famous course and has had many of the World’s best athletes take it on over half Marathon and full Marathon. My coach Alberto suggested my training partner, Galen and I do it as we’d been putting in some high mileage over the past couple of months and he was interested to see how we’d adjust to racing over the longer distance. I honestly didn’t know what to expect in terms of my result however I was really looking forward to it. Galen and I had trained hard together so we both felt confident as well as excited to be part of the race.

Soon after arriving in New York, I was informed by the race organiser that this year’s line up in the men’s race was the toughest it had been since the event first started. The line up this year included last year’s winner of the NYC Marathon AND Half Marathon Gebre Gebremariam from Ethiopia as well as a handful of other top class guys so I knew the race would be tough! The first half of the race took us around Central Park which has lots of hills therefore the pace wasn’t very fast. A few guys took the pace on though and a couple of guys including Galen took a tumble, although luckily they both managed to get back on their feet and continue relatively unscathed. My aim was to stay with the leading group all the way and just give it all I had in the final stages.

Once we came out of the park, we were onto the roads which took us right through Time Square. I would have enjoyed the sights a little more if I hadn’t just run 8 miles up and over hills however I can’t complain as most of the main roads in New York had been closed just for us! The pace certainly increased over the last three miles and with a mile to go it was just three of us left at the front. Myself, Galen and Gebremariam were all playing a psychological game of cat and mouse and all tested the water a few times by going to the front. With 800m to go, it was clear that someone was about to go but it was a question of who, and then with 400m to go, Gebremariam answered by exploding like a sprinter in a track race! I had to respond by using the speed that I’ve managed to acquire over the last year but was still trailing by a few metres. I really wanted this one however for a moment it felt like I wouldn’t close the gap and Gebremariam tactically blocked me from running past him. I managed to find that little bit extra and manoeuvre past him in the last 150 metres which I held on to until the finish line!! The feeling was amazing, especially considering I was predicted to finish third and had just beaten one of the World’s best athletes. I also found out a few hours later that my winning time was the fastest ever by a British man for the half Marathon. You can watch the race on www.NYRR.org

Galen finished third which meant it was a great result all round for Alberto as not only had two of his male athletes finished in the top three, but another of our team mates from ‘Team Salazar’ – Kara Goucher finished third in the women’s race. What makes it that little more special is that our group has had running kit and shoes specially made for us as part of the ‘Oregon Project’ courtesy of Nike. Our all black kit is unique to just the seven of us athletes and easily recognisable. As mentioned in my previous blog, I did a photo shoot in the new kit the week before going to New York to help launch the range….here you get to have the first look.

So after taking almost a week off training, I’m now back running again and getting back into the routine. My wife and I have progressed nicely with the packing and should be ready to go next week so there’s lots going on again, as always. I’ll update you with the move and how I’m getting on in Oregon once I’m there!

I had two weeks in London to prepare both mentally and physically before travelling to Paris for the European Indoor Championships.  

Most of the work had been done so it was just a case of keeping the legs ticking with easy runs and a few track sessions closer to the time to sharpen up. It meant that as I didn’t need to spend as much time training as I normally would, I could afford to spend some time catching up with friends before jetting off to USA after Paris. I was also invited to appear on the show,  ‘A League of Their Own’ which was so much fun!

I took part in a running challenge against two of the panellists…I won’t give too much away as you’d have to see it for yourself when it’s aired during the next month or so but trust me, it’s so funny to watch!

Although I only took part in one part of the show, I got to watch the filming of the entire show in the studio and the banter between all the panellists was out of this world. James Corden and John Bishop in particular had me in stitches all the way through and everyone on the show was great to work with.

The Great Britain team travelled to Paris all together via Eurostar which was nice, not only because there was a good team spirit but also because it was a refreshing change from flying. As a frequent flyer, I’m used to the airport procedures however to not have to worry about checking luggage in, going through military style security checks or being able to carry a water bottle over 100ml is something I’d chose every time if it was an option. The whole team had a positive vibe and we were all looking forward to an exciting weekend ahead.

Once in Paris, I did the routine media interviews and then introduced myself to the track that I’d be racing on. Thankfully the stadium was literally a stone’s throw away from our hotel. So close that if it was an open top stadium I would’ve been able to lean out of my window and watch the competition from my room. Also staying in our hotel was the Spanish and French team so naturally there were elite athletes just about everywhere including my good friend Jesus Espana who you may remember from my 5000m race in Barcelona. Jesus and I go back a few years on the racing circuit so we became good friends and it’s always nice to see him.

Being the reigning European Champion at 10,000m, 5000m and 3000m it’s fair to say I was the favourite to win here and with that, came the complete expectation for a gold medal. Obviously I wanted to retain my title more than anyone however I knew it wouldn’t just be a case of turning up and having it handed to me. I can honestly say that the pressure I felt was more than any other Championship I’d competed in to date…I had to put that to the back of mind and focus.

My race final was at 4.50pm which meant I didn’t need to wake up too early and allowed me plenty of time eat, sleep and relax. As always on race day, I shaved my hair before going to the stadium which is like a ritual for me now. I knew the race would be very tactical and so was advised by my coach Alberto to run sub 4 minutes for the last mile.

The first half of the race wasn’t particularly fast, so I was able to put my foot down for the second half and make everyone feel the pain…including myself! I’m confident in my sprint finish and so was hoping that come the final lap, I’d be able to pull away from the group. For the first time ever in a major Championship, the big screen which us athletes on the track use to see what’s happening behind us, wasn’t showing our race and instead showed another event. Therefore I had no choice but to keep looking behind me to see what was going on. The last thing I wanted was for a surprise attack on the last lap. Ibrahimov, who also played a part in the 5000m in Barcelona was right on my shoulder and tried a few times to go past me, something which I fought very hard to prevent. The silver medal was not an option for me so I gave it everything I had to make sure I crossed the line first!

After the Championships came to a close, the European Athletics Federation put on a banquet in Disneyland Paris for all the athletes that took part. We got to go on all the rides and experience Disneyland in style! I was in my element and felt like a kid all over again.

What a way to finish the weekend.

This week I’ll be doing a photo shoot wearing my new Oregon kit which is exciting. It’s like the ‘Team Salazar’ uniform which is exclusive to just the seven of us athletes in his group. I might let you all have a look at the pictures once their done….

I arrived back in London from the USA just three days before my race in Birmingham. Three days is usually enough time to adjust before a race as I’d often be coming from Europe or Kenya, neither of which have a time difference of more than three hours from the UK. However this time I had the task of adjusting to an eight hour time difference which was much harder than I thought it was going to be, especially when my wife and I drove up to Birmingham just hours after arriving in London! I’d spent the last four weeks training with my new coach, Alberto Salazar and his group which included Galen Rupp who had also just arrived in Birmingham from a race in Dusseldorf. Alberto had instructed Galen and me to use the Birmingham NIA for our last few training sessions before the race to allow ourselves to get familiar with the track. After all, we were soon to run 25 consecutive laps around that very track!

My training in Oregon, USA was very different to what I’m used to in many ways. Firstly, it was more intense – not that I’m one to shy away from hard work. I’ve always put in the necessary miles and trained efficiently for my event however Alberto’s experience and expertise have opened up a whole new world of training for me. He has formed a great training group who have all accepted me and work very well together. Alberto is like the father figure of the group to us boys (his sons) and works very closely with us all of the time and even cycles next to us during a two-hour long run, occasionally passing a drink. Dedication! That’s one of the reasons I decided to join the Salazar group – his dedication as a coach is something I haven’t benefited from previously and hope that it is something which will take me to that next level on the world platform. Some may think it’s risky to change coaches within 18 months of the Olympics however I am confident it was the right move and have no regrets.
The announcement of my move to Oregon was made at a press conference on the Friday before the race so naturally there was lots of media interest and many questions were raised….the main question was ‘why’? As mentioned to my friends from London Tonight who I gave an interview to in the athletes’ hotel, it was not a decision I made over-night and I put a lot of thought into it, especially considering I’d be moving my family across the world. As an athlete it gets to a stage when you ask yourself how much further you can progress in the current circumstances and I got to a stage where I believed that something needed to change in order for me to achieve what I want in my career.
Following my training with Alberto and the group, I knew I was in good shape for Birmingham and had my sights set on the British record. Obviously I also wanted to win the race but knew that Galen was in good shape too so he wouldn’t make it easy for me! The pace was set for breaking the British record and the idea was not to go off to hard at the start but to come home strong. For those who didn’t see the race, there were a few British guys trying to achieve the European Championships qualifying standard for 3000m so holding back for the first half of the race was difficult as they went off hard; meaning Galen and I were trailing behind to begin with. I think it’s hard for any athlete to hold back when you see a number of guys racing on ahead of you. Nonetheless we picked it up and during the last 600m the race was on between just me and Galen. Galen passed me with 300m to go and at this point, I was hurting…something which was noticeable by the expression on my face! I really had to dig in deep and the home crowd, as always got behind me which lifted me that little bit extra. Thankfully, I was able to go up another gear with 100m to go and opened a gap which I maintained until the finish.

To break another British record was an awesome feeling. To break the British AND European record at the same time on home soil made it even more special. My friend and training partner Galen had also broken the American record in the same race. I think it’s safe to say it was a good day at the office for our coach Alberto!
So now I’m back to training, although in the UK for the next couple of weeks until I travel to Paris for the European Indoor Championships on the 5th and 6th of March where I will defend my title. I’m definitely looking forward to that and feel confident so hopefully the next time you’ll hear from me, it’ll be good news!

So I raced in Boston on the weekend. A race where I didn’t know what to expect as it was my first Indoor track race of the season and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to run fast.

I’d been doing some high mileage over the past few weeks, which was still in my legs. I always have high expectations of myself and had the race I ran at the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix at the beginning of 2009, in the back of my mind. Reason being, I had just returned from altitude training in Kenya then and was in great shape which showed when I broke the British record in the 3000m. I haven’t been at altitude since December and have instead been training at sea level in the USA. Therefore, this would be my first year starting the indoor season without the benefits of altitude training!

Nonetheless I took the decision to test myself, upon the advice of my coach and fly from Portland, Oregon to Boston. What I thought would be a two-hour flight at the most turned out to be a five and a half hour flight! I couldn’t quite get my head around it as I’d gone from one state to another within the USA which took longer than if I’d flown from the UK to Europe and back again…. I’d also flown through a time zone and the weather had drastically changed from around 12 degrees to -9 degrees with two feet of snow. I was glad to be racing indoors! It was nice to see some familiar faces there. One being Colin McCourt, my good friend from the Great Britain team who was also racing and shared a room with me.

The race was to be 3000m and I knew it would be fast as a few of the guys had clocked some quick times previously. The indoor track is only 200m per lap so there are sharper bends to compromise every 100m as opposed to the gradual bends every 200m on an outdoor track. After looking at the line up for the race, I knew it would probably come down to four of us; two Kenyan’s, an Ethiopian and myself. The gun went and I immediately scrambled to the front, behind the pacemaker who went off at the right pace. After just 600m, I had heard an announcement that the Ethiopian, Gebremeskel had lost a shoe just seconds after the start of the race. He was just behind me so I had to take their word for it! The pacemaker then dropped out after 1200m so I took the lead, hoping that if I made the race fast, my ‘one-shoe’ rival would struggle. The last 400m, it was down to a Kenyan, Chepseba, ‘one-shoe’ Gebremeskel and me. The bell for the final lap rang and it was a sprint for the finish just as I expected. Gebremeskel and myself were racing shoulder to shoulder and I put up the fight of my life…especially around the bend. He got the edge with 50m to go and crossed the line less than half a second before I did. I never enjoy coming second but looked up at the clock to see a time of 7.35.81! My second fastest time ever and just over a second outside of my own British record so not a bad race at all.

The atmosphere in the arena was electric and the crowd were very supporting considering I’m not an American athlete, which definitely helped during the race. I also came to find that there’s a big Somalian community in Boston and as a result, a group of around 40 Somalian kids an adults came out to watch me! It was nice to see so many kids showing me their support.

I’m back to training in Portland now for the next week, until I return to the UK for my next race which I’m really looking forward to – Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix on 19^th February. This is the race where I broke the British record in 2009 for 3000m with a time of 7.34.47. This time however, I am to run the 5000m where I hope to get close to the British record so watch this space.

Wish me luck! Go Hard or Go Home! 

Hi there! Sorry it’s been a while since my last blog post…I’ve been really busy since the Great Edinburgh Cross Country.
Firstly, for those of you who didn’t see the race, it was a good day for me! I won the men’s individual 8km course; which was a relief as I was GB team captain, although as a team we came third to Europe and USA. The European team was the strongest with the top five from last month’s European Cross Country Championships all in the team.
I’d raced at the Edinburgh Cross Country last year so I knew what conditions to expect however this year the conditions were tougher. Not only was I to race over a longer distance but also it was colder (-4 degrees) and just for fun, the organisers of the race decided to include an almost vertical hill for us to run up towards the end of the course. Most of the runners bunched up during the first two laps of the six-lap course and no one really tried to take the lead or make a break. At this point I didn’t feel as comfortable as I’d hoped but held on near the front of the pack and dug in mentally. I was always conscience of my main two competitors; Galen Rupp (USA) and Sergiy Lebid (Europe) so kept a close eye on them, as they’re both strong finishers.

With two laps to go, the breaking point was that hill. Myself, Galen and Sergiy all began the steep climb of the hill together however I reached the top first and managed to open a gap on them both. By the sixth and final lap the gap was pretty much the same and so when approaching the hill I had to give it 150% if I were to win the race, which I did. The pain I felt whilst climbing the hill was a killer but I blocked it out and pushed on over and down the hill on the other side. The gap increased which I maintained until the finish. It was great to win in such a high quality field!

So now I’ve joined the training group of Alberto Salazar: the famous and very successful American Marathon runner from the 1980’s. Galen Rupp who came second in the Edinburgh Cross Country is also part of the group along with some of the World’s best athletes. I first met Alberto on the circuit last year, in particular the Diamond League meetings where we got on really well. He is renowned for being a great coach and for being able to take his athletes to the ‘next level’. I’ve trained in the U.S a few times before so it’s not new to me although training with a group such as Alberto’s is. I flew out here last week to get a block of training done before my next race at the Birmingham Indoor on 19th Feb. Both Galen and I will race each other there again so should be interesting.
I’ve just about managed to adjust to driving here in the U.S…Driving with left hand side steering on the left side of the road feels like driving backwards! Very confusing! All good though…I treated myself to some pancakes at a local restaurant call ‘International House of Pancakes’. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it. The portions were out of this world and I struggled to finish just three pancakes!
The next four weeks of training will be quite different from what I’m used to. Certainly different from training in Kenya although not easier. I will keep you posted as to how it’s going and my pre-race thoughts before the Birmingham Indoor. Looking forward to racing on home soil! Shabba!

So I’m finally back home in the UK after six gruelling weeks of training in Kenya! However, not before making a detour to race at the ‘BOclassic’ 10km road race in Bolzano, Italy on New Year’s Eve for my first race in around five months. I competed in the same race last year which consisted of a World Class field so I knew it wouldn’t be easy however I was really excited to race again and blow away the cobwebs. Last year I took third place with Imane Merga of Ethiopia in second and Edwin Soi (Olympic bronze medallist of Kenya) in first place. Both guys are always strong and have had lots of experience racing at top level.

After arriving home on the 29^th of December, my wife and I packed our bags again to leave the next morning for Innsbruck, Austria which is the nearest airport to Bolzano. We were joined by Vivien Cheruiyot, the Kenyan 5000m World Champion who is based in Eldoret, near to where I train up in the mountains. Vivien was to compete in the women’s 4km race which also consisted of a World Class field although it was her first time racing there. Once arriving at Innsbruck, we had a two hour journey by car to Bolzano town centre where we met the other athletes taking part and were presented to a crowd. This is a formality however it’s also a good opportunity to have a catch up with the other athletes the night before the race. The line up for the men’s race was pretty much the same as last year with Edwin Soi, Imane Merga and Sergiy Lebid all in the mix. Lebid had recently won the European Cross Country Championships for the ninth time, Merga was crowned the Diamond League Champion of 2010 as well as clocking one of the fastest times in the World for 5000m and Soi had won this race in 2009, 2008 and 2007…so it was fair to say I needed to be in great shape to be in with a chance of beating any of those guys! Once the presentation was over, we all went back to the athletes’ hotel where a few of us went for a 30 minute run, after which we had a well balanced dinner followed by an early night. Very essential the night before a race.

Race day and I can’t say I was nervous, just excited! After running over 100 miles per week for six weeks it was time to see if it had paid off and all I could do was mentally rehearse my race tactics. After an early breakfast and a nap I got into ‘the zone’. All of the athletes got to the race course about an hour and a half before the start to warm up and familiarise ourselves with the course although I didn’t really need to do the latter as I was still familiar with it from the previous year. The women’s race was on first and I was pleased to see my friend Vivien Cheruiyot win, however by a small margin! After such a close race by the women, the crowd were fired up for the men’s race as we were up next…

The gun fired and off we went on our first lap around Bolzano town centre. To complete 10km we had to complete 8 laps around narrow streets and lots of tight corners so the winning time was not to be a fast one, just a stealthy one! Usually I’ll assess how I’m feeling after the first 2km and pace myself accordingly, so when it got to that stage and I felt great I knew I could push on. Half way through the race it was down to three of us at the front with a noticeable gap to the next pack of runners. As I thought it might be, Soi, Merga and myself broke away from the rest and it was now time to pick them off so I increased the pace yet again. The atmosphere was great and the crowd really got behind us which was a bit of a déjà vu experience for me. Two laps to go and Merga and I had opened a gap on Soi which was good progress however Merga showed no sign of slowing so it was him and me now. The final lap was very fast and with 600m to go Merga hit the turbo and starting flying like Usain Bolt! I had to quickly respond and managed to stay with him, only two metres behind but closing in. In the final 50m and with the finish line so close we were both at maximum speed and there was just the thickness of his shirt between him and me…We crossed the line at the same time, so fast that a photographer captured by the moment was standing on the finish line trying to get a good shot and forgot to move out of the way resulting in me crashing into him and us both falling to the ground in a big heap! Merga was given the gold and I the silver by 0.02 seconds which I was initially disappointed with however a good consolation considering I’d almost beat one of the World’s best athletes. It meant that I’m in good shape and is also a good start to 2011.

After such an exhausting race, my wife and I enjoyed watching the midnight fireworks in Bolzano town centre and welcomed in the New Year before flying home on New Year’s Day.

The next week for me will be back to normal training in my local park and preparing for the next race in Edinburgh on 8^th January when I will be running in the 8km cross country and captaining the Great Britain team against a USA and European team. The event will be televised so this time you’ll be able to view it live. Wish me luck!

Happy New Year!

Hello, Mo Farah here!

Welcome to my first ever blog for ITV London Tonight!

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m currently Great Britain’s no:1 long distance athlete and the double European Champion from Barcelona this year. I hold the British record for 5000m, 10K road and clocked the third fastest time in British history for 10,000m. Like every athlete, my main goal is to become the Olympic Champion. From now on you can join me in the build up to London 2012 and you’ll be getting a regular insight into my life no matter where I am in the world. I’ll be writing about everything including my general training, diet, race preparation, and personal affairs….within reason!

As you may already be aware from the four-part feature shown on London Tonight this week, I am currently in Iten, Kenya. After having such a good year this year I had to take a few weeks off before coming here to allow my body to recover from all the hard work it had endured. Typically I’d run on average 100 miles per week and so taking even one week off training can make a big difference. After taking a much-needed rest I made the decision to go to Kenya to regain my fitness. I’ve been training here for a month now and due to return home in two weeks. Why Kenya? Well, for a number of reasons but most importantly because of the high altitude which is most beneficial for long distance athletes. Iten is around 8,500 feet above sea level where the oxygen levels are much lower making the training a lot harder and more efficient.

I also get to train with some of the World’s best runners, for example Micah Kogo-Former world record holder for 10K, Joseph Ebuya-World Cross Country Champion and Moses Kipsiro-Double Commonwealth Champion but to name a few. Those guys are the best however; the standard of athletes here is so high that even the ‘average’ Kenyan runners are exceptional and so there’s never a shortage of good training partners. The good thing about training with the Kenyan’s is that they work very hard and never take anything for granted. Everyone is treated as equal no matter how good you are or where you come from.

My first week here was quite difficult as I had to not only adjust to the high altitude but also get back into the routine of running 100 miles per week…never easy. Now in week four it’s safe to say I’m well and truly back into the routine, running twice a day and doing a gym session every other day. Training at the local running track is a real ‘experience’ as not only are there at least thirty or so guys running around at any one time but thrown into that are cows and sheep acting as obstacles! Something you would never dream of in the UK. Not to mention the running track is merely a dirt track and not even comparable to the running tracks you see on TV. Still, despite the basic facilities, Kenya remains the strongest nation in the world for long distance athletes.

Last week my wife and daughter came to join me out here, which was a first for them both. It’s nice to have some company for a change even though it is eat, sleep and train for me…something the ITV guys witnessed during their filming here. As I spend around 4 months a year away from home I thought it’d be nice to have the girls here with me and also let them experience Kenya. My wife has been in Kenya before but only by default as we were stranded during transit in Nairobi back in April due to the Volcano ‘ash cloud’ which resulted in me leaving her at the airport to fly home alone while I went up to the mountains to train. It was a difficult decision to make but with the European Championships in mind, I had to make the sacrifice, which certainly paid off.

So with only two weeks left here, it’s safe to say that most of the hard work has been done and it’s just a case of listening to my body and not over training. My next race will be a 10k road race in Bolzano, Italy on 31^st December, which consists of some world-class athletes. I’m really looking forward to testing myself so soon after returning to sea level as when I usually come down from high altitude it feels like I’m not breathing at all and running feels easy!

That’s it from me until the next blog although in the meantime you can always follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Until next time ‘Go Hard or Go Home!’

Mo Farah - Watch Rags Martel’s report from Kenya on Mo Farah or visit www.itv.com/london