I’ve always struggled with the 200 metres. Technically I really shouldn’t as I have a very good 100m time for my age but it just hasn’t fully transferred to the 200. Hence I decided not to train for it this year but focus on the 100 instead. Therefore I wasn’t expecting great things at these Championships. There maybe an outside chance of a semi final place however.
Immediately after my 100 semi final, I went back to the flat, had another 15 minute ice bath and moved my attention to the 200. I was feeling strong, and nothing hurt so there was no reason not to give it my best shot tomorrow.
The heats were at 14.00 in the afternoon of the following day. I was glad of a lie in after yet another fitful night’s sleep, and had a small breakfast of precisely one banana and an espresso.
I was drawn in the 4th heat this time and running against one of the other GB athletes, Paul, who was faster on paper and declared times. He was also the U.K. 200 silver medalist.
I was completely relaxed as I went through my warmup. I made a decision not to spend so long on it and waste energy, so instead I focused on the dynamic drills and stretches of the major leg muscles. I felt good and mostly really confident.
I think being in Italy just made it feel different for me. Like being at home with my mum and nonna in the old days when I used to visit Rome as a child. So many similar smells and the language of course. I had also made good friends with one of the Italian sprinters called Luca and we met for a quick espresso after the warmup.
He was in a different heat to me and was very happy having come 5th in a hotly contested and exciting 100m final the previous evening.
Anyway, cutting the story short, I beat Paul and came 2nd to a quick Czech athlete in a fairly decent time. This meant that I automatically qualified for the semi finals!
Oh my! I’m in another semi final! I dashed back to the flat and, yes, you’ve guessed it, jumped into an ice bath. Dare I dream? Could I make the final?
Paul, and Ronnie, the other GB athlete, both qualified too, but my time was faster than both of them. Stu, the final GB sprinter was injured and withdrew from his heat after just a few metres.
The semi final was at 10.15 the following morning. The finals had been scheduled for 2.30pm on the same day leaving very little time for recovery if I was to be lucky enough to make the final. “Well, I can dream”, I told myself. “In the meantime, there’s always time for my new found love of ice baths.”
It’s not that I thought I’d ever make the final but, looking at the best times of the heats, I stood a fairly good chance if I could just run to my early season form. A fairly big ask. No time to waste, I dashed back to my bath, showered, ate a very light lunch and headed straight back to the track.
And so it was that I was about to run my 4th race in three days. This is all new territory for me but I felt good and really up for it.
Strangely, I don’t remember all that much about the semi final to be perfectly honest. I was so in the zone that I literally blocked everything out once the gun went off and gave it my all. I knew I had to beat the German, Ted Spitzer in the outside lane to be in with a chance of a place in the final but, most of all, my time had to be around the low 27 second mark to stand even a remote chance of the final, a time I’d only managed once before this season.
I was in the second of three semi finals with the first two of each qualifying automatically and then just two fastest losers.
The race was a bit of a blur, but I finished third in the end and, despite losing to the German, I managed a 27.1 so there was a fair chance of a qualification place but it would be tight!
I waited at the side of the track anxiously for the final semi to complete and then the wait for the official results began. Had I made it?
To my utter delight, I qualified for the final as one of fastest losers! I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I was. I made it to a European final! I jumped for joy! Ronnie had also qualified. There would be two Brits in the final.
I went straight back for my ice bath. This was becoming more than just a routine for me now. This was a ritual and good luck charm! I spent a couple of hours in bed and ate a light lunch.
I headed back to the track and had another physio session. These were also becoming part of my routine.
It was during the physio that the weather took an awful turn for the worse. Torrential rain meant the event was postponed in its entirety for over an hour as everyone ran for shelter. This made warming up for the final very tricky as there was virtually no space and what there was, was packed with athletes.
Ronnie and I did the minimum we needed and hoped it would be enough. There was nothing else we could do as there just wasn’t enough room. It was far too slippy underfoot for any fast run outs so we hung around chatting as we didn’t want to get to the call room too early and get psyched out by all that nervous energy in there.
We kept an eye on the time and went to the call room with just minutes to spare to find that our race had been moved forward 10 minutes and now we were late! All the other 6 athletes were changed and ready to race sitting on their bench. We had no idea they were moving events forward to make up lost time. Luckily we were allowed in and didn’t get yellow carded. We would have appealed if we did.
Of course this meant that we were both rather stressed out as we rushed to get out of our warmup gear and ready to race. Not ideal preparation for a European final.
Oh my God the tension in the air was palpable. Literally the hairs on my arms were standing upright but I still felt pretty ok as I took my place on the bench. Super charged and super excited, I was soaking it all up and enjoying the moment. My new friend Luca was on the bench and he said a brief hello to me but looked really focused of course and anyway this was no time for small talk.
We were lined up in lane order and followed the marshal out onto the track.
I was in lane 2 a pretty bad lane as the bend is tight. Ronnie had lane 1, the worst. This is because we were the two slowest qualifiers. The choice lanes are given to the fastest.
So it’s Ronnie in lane 1, me in lane 2, Jorgen Aberg (SWE) lane 3, Patrice Carnier (FRA) lane 4, Ylo Randaru (EST) lane 5, Luca Tassani (ITA) lane 6, Pavel Fleishmann (CZE) lane 7, Ted Spitzer (GER) lane 8.
There was a good crowd in to watch the finals this afternoon and evening and it really made for a great atmosphere. Of course the cheers went up when Luca’s name was called. I was very proud to hear my name and gave a quick wave. Bizarrely I remembered to start my Garmin so I could record the stats from the race. I had the current European Champion Jorgen Aberg outside me and directly outside him was Patrice the new 100m European Champion having just beaten Jorgen the previous evening. Theirs was a race within a race and, quite frankly, the top two positions would be decided between them. I’d already decided I wasn’t going to try and stay with them, I was just going to try and not come last!
So here we go. It’s time for the race. My 5th in 3 days and none more important than this. I focus on my mantra “PB PB PB”!
I angle my blocks slightly towards the apex of the bend so that I’m running in a straight line as I leave the blocks. I won’t bore you with the the technical details of running a 200 but the start and bend are vital components and not all bends are equal. Pescara has a 120m bend which is about as big as they come meaning the home straight is just 80m. This is really helpful for us guys on the inside lanes as the curve is not as steep it could be. Good news for me as I just don’t like tight bends; a major reason for my slow(ish) 200m times.
So, here we go. It’s the final you never thought you’d be in so relax, and just enjoy it Brian. Oh, and don’t come last!
As were called to our marks I take a deep breath and look up to the sky. It’s still cloudy and I can feel the rain in the air. The track ahead of me is still wet.
I settle in and wait. My hands are bridged and I drop my head and focus on the line. “Leave it all out there, Brian”, “No regrets.” Silence falls in the stadium.
“SET”. The gun fires, and we’re off. I blast out of my blocks and give it full beans for the first 30 metres. It’s hard to know exactly how I’m doing but it seems ok.
Then I hit the so called “cruise” section of the run, where the idea is to just maintain speed before a final push of the bend into the straight. Well, I must have relaxed a little too much, as a rather big gap suddenly appeared from me to the other runners, and Ronnie was at my shoulder, and pushing past me. I was in last position.
I have a habit of speaking to myself during races. Sometimes it’s out loud too. “Not good enough, Brian”, “No regrets!” I dug deep and reached for that extra speed that I knew was in there. I dropped my head slightly and focused on the track immediately ahead of me. Before I knew it I was hauling Ronnie back in and got past him. I could also sense the German in lane 8 and he was in reaching distance too. I could hear lots of shouting and cheering from the stands. Just 20 metres to go and my legs stayed strong as I hit the line with a lunge and dip of my head. Did I get the German?
We gathered together at the end shook hands and had our photo taken while we waited for the results.
When they came through I saw that I had just pipped the German and finished in 6th place. I really can’t describe the feeling but you can guess how I felt. 6th place in a European Championship. Oh my!
Just the relay left to go and I’m on cloud 9!
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