It’s been a while since I updated this and this will be last last entry regarding the Commonwealth Games. The reason for not updating towards the end of my trip was due to the fact I was concentrating solely on my task at hand – racing well! Its nice to round off the blog being able to say I succeeded in meeting and actually exceeded my goals set pre Games.

The first round of the 800m was a seriously nervous affair. The bus trip and warm up routine was one of the hardest I’ve had to endure in terms of keeping in control of my nervous energy. This was not then helped by the extraordinary and at times farcical scenes in the call-up area. The Indian approach seemed to be lets throw as many people with as many raised voices as possible to the situation and things might just go right. Of course this was never going to work.. coupled with the officials trying to get last minute photographs of you as you were making your final mental preparations the whole call-up procedure was what only can be described as carnage! The actual race went well and I decided to go off at a hard pace to get in a qualifying position and then ease down while remaining in the top 3. It was quite a scrappy race once the pace had eased but I run a solid race comfortably advancing to the Semi-Finals the next day.

This is where the problems that had been there the last few days but not quite meriting full blown problems finally emerged. My back during the rest of the day locked up – this has been a problem in the past where randomly without anything necessarily triggering it can leave me with seriously limited movement. The previous few nights had been an uncomfortable affair in the bed’s that can only be described as concrete and I was already using sleep tablets to maintain sleep patterns. The focus of the next few days seemed to be a relentless circulation of ibuprofens, paracetamol, sleep medication and physiotherapy.

The Semi-Final was a much more relaxed affair considering the problems in the back of my mind – I think the relief of making it through the first round and not going home running just once kept me relaxed and feeling in control and also going through the whole call-up procedure the day before helped. It was a difficult heat to progress through with some really talented runners inevitably going to miss the cut. I set out positive but at 200m I realised there were big problems and was pretty certain my 800m campaign was over. With 300m to go a massive rift had developed from the leading pack and everyone back home knew it was all over. Out of nowhere my back and hamstrings seemed to loosen off and I was able to run feeling comfortable, the gap was big but there was no way I was going home without giving it a good go. I hit the gas and closed the gap pretty fast.. I was actually able to ease down once I got into the qualifying places – probably one of the best sprint finishes in my life considering the stiff opposition.

The emotional roller-coaster during the race from knowing it was all over to the glimpse of hope to the realization that I had in fact qualified was insane. I found it SO difficult to switch off during the night – this is probably the biggest lesson I learnt from my first major Games. The ability to harvest some emotional energy for the final but still being able to utilise enough emotional energy to actually get there and then being able to switch your mind and body off to get the best out of yourself the following day. I think this will just come with practice.

The Final did not go to plan. A case of the ‘Delhi Belly’ finally caught me out coupled with an exhausted body and mind left me running on empty and I finished 7^th. Initially I was disappointed but then I re-evaluated and realised the goal I set of making the final during my first taste of a major Games had been achieved and I could walk away happy but motivated to achieve so much more next time.

Next up was the relay.. no focus had been put on this until the 800m had been taken care of. The first round was to be my fourth day on the track competing but thankfully my stomach had cleared up with some fast acting antibiotics and mentally I was feeling quite fresh again – the legs were a whole different ball game. I was running 2^nd leg and we were struggling as a team with three out of the four runners being 800m guys.. not ideal. Some last minute practice with the baton between myself and the 3^rd leg runner was not very successful so we opted for the lets go with the flow and hope for the best approach to minimise nerves. We actually run really well and qualified for the final – yes that meant 5 days consecutively racing.. ouch! My relay leg went well, I went off quite conservatively compared to the 400m specialists I was up against but found myself comfortably matching their pace down the back straight but with no room go anywhere.. I decided to wait it out around the bend and then if no gap appeared make some room. However, the experienced guys in-front of me knew not to leave any room so a decision was made to make room regardless of the risk of disqualification. This make or break decision paid off and I managed to move the Australian enough to break through the inside handing the baton off in joint first (running a personnel best of 46.0s). We qualified in 3^rd after the next two legs were completed but an Australian protest was made due to my actions on the home straight but due to them also qualifying it was dropped and we proceeded to the final.

I was hurting so badly warming up for the final which was inevitable after four days of competition and the whole ordeal of warming-up/down. I told myself to make the most of the incredible atmosphere which was truly amazing. The Indian women’s 4x400m team competed just before we did and I have never heard noise like that in my life.. absolutely deafening – the vibrations could be felt throughout your whole body. I run an excellent relay leg really rounding off a positive Championships for debut - my split was 45.8 which worked out the 5^th fastest out of the 28 runners with most of them being 400m specialists and also the fastest relay split of my life.

I finished the 2010 Commonwealth Games (after a few hours in drug testing which was a pain as my first sample was void) spending most of the early hours of the night cruising around New Delhi in one of these crazy contraptions (see below) bleary eyed with a bottle of liqueur. Crazy drivers, no highway rules, no destination intended, no windows or doors and plenty of stray dog’s leading to an emotional night and a life experience I wont forget for a long time!

Arrived at the village a few days back and after the initial shock of everything being half finished, dirty and broken I’m now quite enjoying it here. The dragonflies here are the size of my head! Few small hiccups like quite frequent power-cuts and my toilet being blocked for a whole day (four men came first to fix it separately and just flushed it to check the situation and of course re-flooded the bathroom – clueless!). There is no WIFI here so Internet access is limited to the designated residential zones. The food hall is pretty cool but can get super busy at times so I’ve mostly ate in the casual diner which seems to be a lot quieter and has a solid selection of food available.

The overall atmosphere in the Village is really good and there is much more to do to keep your mind ticking over unlike the holding camp in Doha – but the apartments are a lot less homely. I’m training well which I think has been boosted by being more active throughout the day wandering around the Village etc. The facilities here are excellent - with everything you need and more! Especially impressed with the track facilities which are much better than anticipated.

The timetable for my races keep changing but the current situation is the first round of the 800M on Friday morning, the semi on the Sat evening with the final on the Sunday evening. The first round of the relay is then on the Monday evening with the final on the following evening. I’m excited and ready to race now, training seems to be going well, my body is adjusting to the different conditions and lifestyle here. Preparing in Doha with the immense heat has really helped with preparations here I feel, the heat is quite comfortable in comparison.

We passed the stadium on the way to the Village and it looked really nice. The poverty throughout the bus trip was unreal.. there were people lining the street just sat there struggling in the heat. Small motorbikes frequently passed housing two adults and a child with all them in cases being helmet-less or occasionally the Man sometimes had head protection only. We are in a bubble here but the immense amount of armed guards and the poverty on the bus ride to the Village makes you realize how different things are here!

06/05/10

Hey, it’s been a long time since the last update… and what felt like a long Winter, but I did manage to avoid the misery of another cross country which was my main concern towards the end of my last blog. But that didn’t mean I didn’t have to endure muddy field sessions most weekends, but at least it took the competitive element out of it, as I don’t seem to agree with mud much. I’m definitely a Summer athlete in terms that I much prefer a really hard lactic session on the track compared to a long run/fartleg session where short term gains can seem dubious, and the sun on my back rather than hailstones.

I had determination on my side after a disappointing Summer last year where illness resulted in me missing the majority of the season and only managing to get a few decent 800’s in at the tail end of the season to really push on this Winter, especially with my University studies coming to an end. This determination coupled with the positives from the fact that I ended up running close to my life-time best even with the disruptions got me through the boring mileage. It’s been the best Winter to date and except from the one race for GB at the Glasgow International that was used for a nice change of scenery I did avoid the Indoors as planned.

I’m currently in the transition to starting to run some 800m specific sessions, this is later than planned but I picked up a foot problem that kept me off my feet for 3 weeks and I must admit I feared the worst and thought this season was again going to be a write off! Typical after having no problems all Winter, but I’m slowly getting back to it, and the majority of the pain has shifted so I’m hoping I can now start my favourite race specific training and make up for last years frustrations!

25/10/09 

It’s that dreaded time of year again… WINTER! But the disappointing summer track season has really left me motivated, focused and quite angry to be honest! This anger has its positives, it’s really helped towards dragging me out of my warm bed for them miserable morning runs in the freezing cold and wet conditions for sure… I can only thank Wales for such a pleasant climate!
Continuing on from the last blog, I did race well in Gateshead, and finished 3^rd in a really strong field, and it was pleasing to finish the first Brit as we don’t often get chance to race each other! However, the weather was not kind in my pursuit of a PB and typical of Gateshead, threw a ferocious wind at us to deal with! I run a respectable 1.47 when taking the conditions into consideration but again left me frustrated.
This frustration was to be the story of my season! After having the winter of my life and seeing mark able improvement in the warm weather camp in Portugal and surpassing all targets during the indoor to outdoor transition the undiagnosed virus struck! And it struck hard! Post illness I still wanted salvage some sort of season after missing out on all the Major Champs and was on the hunt for a PB at least! This proved to be too optimistic as my fitness was seriously compromised after such a long time out of specific training and ended up running 1.46.3, just shy of a PB…
The decision to give indoors a miss this year found me in an unfamiliar place a few weeks back… Cross country, oh how I love it, NOT. My first cross country in 5 years was to be an emotional experience. I came 22^nd in a field of over 300, but was left feeling less than inspired and will not be returning back out of my own choice anytime soon!

23/08/09 

The frustration continued on from the last blog… Unfortunately after missing out on the European U23 Championships, which was my main target for this summer season I also missed the British Championships and World Trails in Birmingham. I was still not race fit, therefore did not feel I would do myself justice and instead opted for quality training to try and salvage something out of this so far disrupted summer season where I had hoped to carry on from my exciting finish to the previous summer.
Training started to click finally and I opened up this new form in the BMC in Watford where I front run a 1.47 feeling relatively comfortable, this got me back in the mind sight that I would still be able to PB this season after all. 
I was keen to try and get some quality races in and found a nice race out in Copenhagen, which was named after the 800m World Record Holder, Wilson Kipketer. The field was strong and I executed my race plan of getting out in front as early as possible to avoid any unnecessary mistakes. I ran well and won the race in 1.46.3, just shy of my PB and met Wilson who presented me with my prize money and flowers, it felt good to be back and was nice to meet the fastest man of all time. This would be my 2^nd ‘B’ standard for the upcoming World Champs, but was a bit too late to be considered.
I’m now hoping to continue this late form through an extended season throughout September. My next stop is the Gateshead Grand Prix where I hope to have another good race and break that 1.46 barrier! Then onto Europe..

17/06/09 

After a really successful and promising warm weather trip based in the Algarve in Portugal where I last blogged, I arrived home in high spirits about the upcoming track season, confident I could achieve the planned goals after a significantly better quality trip training wise compared to last year.

Unfortunately, after a few weeks back in the U.K. I spent 10 days in bed with an undiagnosed illness, possibly a virus, and lost three quarters of a stone in weight… not ideal. This obviously left me feeling frustrated and seriously weak. I was due to open up my 800m season with two races overseas in Holland and Germany on a weeklong trip in Europe. This would have been an ideal way to start my season in preparation for the trials for the U23 European Championships I was targeting shortly. Unfortunately, instead of getting my season underway I resorted to an unwelcomed lengthy period stuck between the bed sheets.

Once I shifted the majority of the symptoms I began my comeback, most definitely too intensely and was reluctant to listen to my body which was craving a more gradual introduction to training. The weight loss combined with the weak state my body was left in resulted in quite nice sessions feeling near enough impossible. This was a major mental blow; a confident outlook was quickly replaced with a panicky, angry mindset, leaving me frustrated after most sessions. I ran into my doctor at the track who told me the degree of the illness was bound to leave me feeling weak, especially because of the weight loss for a good 4-5 weeks.

Luckily I obtained a nice new car, a welcome upgrade from my KA and a nice little distraction from the eagerness associated with getting back with where I was pre illness. I managed to get a MG MGF Special Edition, a nice two seat convertible sports car, perfect timing for this unexpected period of hot weather, picture below. 

But since then I’ve cut back on the training and the quality has started to creep back into the track sessions, obviously I’ve embraced this with open arms and it has lifted my quite ‘down’ mood over the last few weeks. I’m looking forward to getting back in shape and hopefully posting some quality times towards the end of the track season.

Hoping to get a solid race behind me in Belgium on the 4^th of July, in build up to getting back in good shape for the Senior AAA’s.
My overplayed album of the last few weeks is - Memory Man by Aqualung.

UK Athletics have asked me to take part in a blog that will be published on their website over the next 12 month’s for some much welcomed $$$. Below is my first entry„

14/04/09 - Blog 1

Hi I’m Joe Thomas a Welsh 800m runner and I’ve been asked to blog my thoughts, feelings and emotions over the next few months. This first entry coming straight from the warm weather training base; located in Monte Gordo on the Portuguese Algarve.

Another airline, another series of unfortunate events! For the average person, check-in should be no more hassle than tying your running spikes. Two hours later, one athlete down, £100 short (running gear just isn’t light enough these days) and no toiletries and we are on the plane! Jonathon Butler ended up getting as far as the check-in desk before he got turned away after his passport was 11 days out of date, leaving him no option other than the walk of shame back to his car for the nice journey home - back to the tanning salon it is!  Declan Evans failed at his attempt of smuggling a savage pair of nail-scissors onboard and ended up losing most of his possessions!

Butler’s misfortune worked to my immense advantage, leaving me with a 3 person penthouse apartment - all to myself! While the youngest (and first-time Monte Gordo-er), Declan, struggled with the noises coming from his room-mate canoodling with his newfound and flat-out love interest which left him traumatised with his headphones blaring in a vain attempt to preserve his sanity.
24 hours after arrival and a few cheeky runs later, Arwyn - still as brutal as ever - left two WWT virgins to traverse the labyrinth that is the Monte Gordo trails, all for mishearing and subsequently being a few minutes out on the meeting time! And this foreign lark is starting to get to me; first off I don’t get this sun bathing business (cream, glasses, facing the sun and turning at the precise moment; ridiculous). The girls in the group claim to have it sussed but after the first day they all trooped back to the hotel looking not too dissimilar to a certain vegetable-fruit, I beg to differ. Secondly, the sinks in the cafe didn’t seem to work properly, although the boys later pointed that I was trying to wash my hands in what was an unusual looking urinal! BUZZING!

Two training sessions later: The trail sessions are much easier than 12 months ago, the values of an increased mileage clear for all to see. Harry proves to be an invaluable training partner, dogging out every run and giving every form of training maximum effort.

The quotes are flying round as well; during a well deserved recharge at the ice cream parlour, Tom “the genius” Philips decided that due to “sound” scientific knowledge (don’t believe everything you read on the internet) to wait for the ice cream to melt, to save a few cents - perhaps the warm weather had got to him. All I know is that he looked pretty “cool” sat with his straw.

2 days down, 10 to go, thunder storms predicted, training is about to get even more intense, hopefully Arwyn and his Babes can pull me through. At least we have some speed work on the track to look forward tomorrow after months of aerobic base work, all the rage during the bleak winter months (maybe next year I’ll have a go at cross country skiing!!)

Hopefully this has been a decent read; more will follow shortly, when I find the time to write another blog. For now, check out the sexy album that has been drowning my ears over the last few weeks - For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver