Golden Start in Bislett

By Paul Hession I have finally started my summer race season. It’s been a long time coming! I did a few low-key indoor races but it’s really been over 9 months since my last meaningful race outdoors. I started with a 100m race in Malmo on June 3rd. I had a decent field but nothing crazy and was probably slight favourite to win it. Unfortunately, the wind played a little bit of havoc with most of the events and I ran into a very strong headwind of -3.7. I won the race though and my time of 10.82 wasn’t too significant because of the wind. I am never too much of a fan of running into strong winds because of my running style. The most important thing about the race though was just the fact that I went through my race warm-up and got the feeling of racing again. You can train so hard for months on end but when you go out to compete again it can all feel very different. I suppose that’s one of the reasons that I like it too much…there are so many factors that come to play for race day.

After getting in the 100m in Malmo it was then onto Oslo for a very different prospect! My first 200m of the year was a tough one, at the famous Bislett Games. This was the fourth time I have ran at a Golden League and the fact that I used such a race for my first 200m shows how far I have come in the last 12 months. I had just the right field for what I needed it for. It was a very good standard but none of the Americans or Bolt were there, which was probably for the best. The main guy in the race was Brendan Christian who was 9th at last year’s World Championships and had ran some great times so far this year, including a big personal best of 20.12.

I was in the lane inside Christian and he got out fast and hard, as expected. I came into the straight in the pack a bit but finished very strong up the home straight. I came 2nd and was only 9 hundredths of a second behind the winner. I was very happy with the performance and couldn’t help getting excited about the year ahead. The best thing about the race was probably my last 50m. This time last year I was dying in my races and I worked really hard in the winter on my strength work for this very reason. It’s quite satisfying to see a little bit of proof that the hard work is paying off. My time of 20.48 was, by far, the best I have ever opened with (I didn’t run that quickly till July last year) and the following wind of +0.5 was negligible. To come 2nd in a Golden League race is definitely up there with all my career highlights and the Bislett Games is really a special night.

I am now sitting in my hotel room in Ostrava, Czech Republic. I am running tomorrow (Thursday) at the IAAF Grand Prix here. This meet has a different feel to it as I am running a 300m. This is something different for me and I am interested to see how it goes. There is no pressure on me and I can focus on trying to get the Irish record of 33.36 set by Gordon Kennedy back in 2000. David Gillick had a go at it a few weeks ago and missed out so won’t be easy. I have quite elite company as well. Jeremy Wariner, the 400m World and Olympic Champion, is trying to get Michael Johnson’s World Record of 30.85. It’s my first time running against Wariner and I am looking forward to it. I plan on getting out hard and trying to hang on as best I can!! It’s going to be painful but I should get a lot from it. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is for a cold, wet, windy day so that could affect the times. Doing a 300m helps me mentally on keeping June as a preparatory month. I will use July to focus in on more 200m races. Hopefully this approach will help me to be a bit fresher for the Olympics than I was for Osaka.

I also have my training partner, Paul McKee, to race tomorrow. I know he is running well so it will be a test for both of us and he will have an eye on the Irish Record also. Overall, the training group is doing well. Paul started out slow but has taken quite a chunk off his time in recent races. Brian has opened with one of his quickest 200m and 400m races ever. Allan almost got his Olympic Standard in Zaragoza but crashed badly into the last hurdle, while Nick is also looking good. The season is now well and truly underway and time is flying. Not long now till the Olympics are really upon us and, as it stands, I am really looking forward to getting in there!
Unfortunately, the wind played a little bit of havoc with most of the events and I ran into a very strong headwind of -3.7. I won the race though and my time of 10.82 wasn’t too significant because of the wind. I am never too much of a fan of running into strong winds because of my running style. The most important thing about the race though was just the fact that I went through my race warm-up and got the feeling of racing again. You can train so hard for months on end but when you go out to compete again it can all feel very different. I suppose that’s one of the reasons that I like it too much…there are so many factors that come to play for race day.

After getting in the 100m in Malmo it was then onto Oslo for a very different prospect! My first 200m of the year was a tough one, at the famous Bislett Games. This was the fourth time I have ran at a Golden League and the fact that I used such a race for my first 200m shows how far I have come in the last 12 months. I had just the right field for what I needed it for. It was a very good standard but none of the Americans or Bolt were there, which was probably for the best. The main guy in the race was Brendan Christian who was 9th at last year’s World Championships and had ran some great times so far this year, including a big personal best of 20.12.

I was in the lane inside Christian and he got out fast and hard, as expected. I came into the straight in the pack a bit but finished very strong up the home straight. I came 2nd and was only 9 hundredths of a second behind the winner. I was very happy with the performance and couldn’t help getting excited about the year ahead. The best thing about the race was probably my last 50m. This time last year I was dying in my races and I worked really hard in the winter on my strength work for this very reason. It’s quite satisfying to see a little bit of proof that the hard work is paying off. My time of 20.48 was, by far, the best I have ever opened with (I didn’t run that quickly till July last year) and the following wind of +0.5 was negligible. To come 2nd in a Golden League race is definitely up there with all my career highlights and the Bislett Games is really a special night.

I am now sitting in my hotel room in Ostrava, Czech Republic. I am running tomorrow (Thursday) at the IAAF Grand Prix here. This meet has a different feel to it as I am running a 300m. This is something different for me and I am interested to see how it goes. There is no pressure on me and I can focus on trying to get the Irish record of 33.36 set by Gordon Kennedy back in 2000. David Gillick had a go at it a few weeks ago and missed out so won’t be easy. I have quite elite company as well. Jeremy Wariner, the 400m World and Olympic Champion, is trying to get Michael Johnson’s World Record of 30.85. It’s my first time running against Wariner and I am looking forward to it. I plan on getting out hard and trying to hang on as best I can!! It’s going to be painful but I should get a lot from it. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is for a cold, wet, windy day so that could affect the times. Doing a 300m helps me mentally on keeping June as a preparatory month. I will use July to focus in on more 200m races. Hopefully this approach will help me to be a bit fresher for the Olympics than I was for Osaka.

I also have my training partner, Paul McKee, to race tomorrow. I know he is running well so it will be a test for both of us and he will have an eye on the Irish Record also. Overall, the training group is doing well. Paul started out slow but has taken quite a chunk off his time in recent races. Brian has opened with one of his quickest 200m and 400m races ever. Allan almost got his Olympic Standard in Zaragoza but crashed badly into the last hurdle, while Nick is also looking good. The season is now well and truly underway and time is flying. Not long now till the Olympics are really upon us and, as it stands, I am really looking forward to getting in there!