Author: Lisa Thomas
Lisa describes her season as being a great one, with improved times and particularly in the Steeplechase with her New British Record W50 SC
In Lisa’s words, “I wasn’t aware of Jane Pidgeon’s W50 record until she told me herself that I should try to break it. I was close in 2018, at less than a second to go but the season came to an end. I didn’t have the confidence to enter the World’s in Malaga. Looking back, I definitely should have gone. This year I switched from the endurance group to the sprint group at Hercules Wimbledon AC and I think the strength training from my coach, Geoff Walcott, has paid off. It’s also undeniable that my hurdles training with Dermot Dunne has translated well to steeplechase. I’m doing 300 m hurdles in Jesolo as well as the chase, but I have a lot of work still to do with my technique.
I am stronger at the 400 m hurdles but 300m will be a challenge. With the steeplechase, I think a number of people are hoping that I can run a world record time in Venice, but it will be a very different race to the regional events that have given me the British record, where there are only a few competitors in each race.
There will be 12 women in Jesolo, with 5 in the W45 age group. The times for all 12 of us are quite close which will make the race a bit of a scrum, at least initially. It could be dangerous if anyone runs it recklessly. Of course I’m hoping to win, but I’m also already focusing on Toronto in 2020 when I graduate to the W55 category. Happy days.Photos enclosed. They’re all fairly average. (or maybe it’s just my technique!) Tooting 2019 photos Mark White; Photos from 2018 Anna Garnier. There was a professional photographer at The British Masters in Birmingham but I cannot recall his name. He took some good chase photos.
