by RBR AdminThis will be a weekly column on UK athletes, written by Paul Halford, a long time observer of the athletic scene. You get two of Paul’s columns today because I missed his second last week. I was at the Highgate 10k in May, where Beth Potter showed her stuff. Here is Paul’s commentary on Beth Potter’s rise from her challenges.
Potter moulds World Champs bid
As one of the first British athletes to secure selection for the IAAF World Championships, Beth Potter enjoyed the chance to compete in the historic NYRR New York Mini 10k last weekend and believes a recent Achilles injury will not hinder her chances in London.
The 2016 Olympian, who gained her place on the team when winning the 10,000m trial inside the Worlds standard with 32:04.63, was reminded of the tough competition she can expect as she placed 14th in the world-class field in the Big Apple.
After clocking 34:00 to cross the line two minutes 40 seconds behind winner Mary Keitany, she said: “I felt really good until mile four. I think I paced it a bit badly, went off too hard. But it was a good experience.”
Nevertheless, at Britain’s national trial at the Highgate Harriers Night of the 10,000m PBs just three weeks earlier, Potter gave notice of the positive impact of the additional cross-training which now forms part of her preparation for triathlons.
“I’m pretty confident I can run well in London,” said Potter, who was 34th in the Olympic 25-lap race after suffering stomach issues in the build-up. “I’ve had a bit of an Achilles injury since the trials and I’m just managing that at the moment. I’m just managing things at the moment, taking it day by day to see how it goes.”
After the Olympics, Potter made the bold move to give up her teaching job, switch her focus to triathlon for a year and move into the home of Jonathan Brownlee, the Rio Olympic silver medallist in that sport, to train with some of the best triathletes in the country.
“It was a tough decision,” she said. “I got dropped by sponsors. People didn’t believe in me, but I know it’s going to work for me. I know it’s the best thing for me at this stage of my life.
“It was always something I wanted to do. I used to be a swimmer when I was younger and I know I would have regretted it had I not tried it. I’m getting a lot of support from the coaches and all of the athletes in Leeds I’m training with. It’s going to be a matter of time, but hopefully the results will speak for themselves.”
Potter believes the multi-pronged approach is paying off for her and says other athletes could also benefit from not relying solely on running big miles.
“I know I was always so fixated on the mileage and making sure I do every single run, but I think you can run well off a low mileage if you put the work in other areas,” she said. “So I might only be running 50 miles tops a week, but I’m doing a lot of work in the pool and on the bike and getting my fitness in other areas. I don’t think people should be fixated on running lots of miles. It’s about making sure it’s quality and that’s what I’ve adopted.
“When I joined the [triathlon] squad, I made sure I didn’t overcook it in the early days and I just did what I could handle week on week. It’s a bit trial-and-error. You just have to see what works for you.
“It definitely works for me. I don’t know how it would work for other athletes. I just found I was quite injury-prone so I had to offload (cross-train) a lot of time anyway. Now I’m doing triathlon it means that cross-training is relevant to my sport.”
Potter is leading a strong British charge on the women’s side in the longest track event as one of six athletes in possession of the London standard (32:15) from either 2016 or 2017. She also praised the revolutionary Highgate Harriers 10,000 event, where thousands of hardcore distance fans created a wall of sound around the athletes in lane four and outwards at the north London venue.
She said: “I think everyone really raised their game in Olympic year. It’s great having the Highgate race, it’s a lot of fun and that’s appealing to a lot of people. I love that track and love racing there. There’s a great atmosphere. I think if you’ve got all that you’re going to run well.”
>> With just a few weeks to go until the British trials for London, the country’s top runners are continuing to put in impressive early-season performances.
Last weekend Jake Wightman ran a winning PB 1:45.82 in Gothenburg to secure another London qualifier alongside his mark in the 1500m. However, the UK rankings leader is Andrew Osagie, a finalist in the great 2012 Olympic final who is showing good form after years struggling with injuries with a recent 1:45.75.
As most Runblogrun readers will know, the NCAA Championships saw a British triple via Charlotte Taylor and Marc Scott in the 10,000m and Josh Kerr in the 1500m.
Laura Weightman led a trio of British 1500m qualifiers in Hengelo. She was fourth in 4:01.95 ahead of Sarah McDonald (4:05.83) and Melissa Courtney (4:06.00).
However, there was disappointment for former European 10,000m silver medallist Andy Vernon, who with 28:33.65 in Hengelo failed to make the London mark.
