The 400m hurdler remembers the Commonwealth Games in 2018 when he placed fourth in 49.18
The Commonwealth Games were early in 2018 because of being on the Gold Coast. The year before, I was in the best shape that I’d ever been in and, quite frankly, I thought I was in shape to win the World Championships. However, in the heats in London, I destroyed a hurdle and that took that opportunity away.
I still wasn’t funded, still training on my own, but I had a little bit of a vendetta against the Commonwealth Games because that was the only championships I’d never competed in and I really wanted to perform well and prove something to myself.
I used what money I’d saved up to go out about two months earlier than needed, just to acclimatise and make sure I was prepared. I was very fortunate that someone I knew had an acquaintance out there who allowed me to live with them for half of that for free so I could train on the Gold Coast. I put everything, physically and emotionally, into performing at those Games.
I was coaching myself by then. I was very fortunate that I’d worked with Malcolm Arnold, and then with Loren Seagrave. I was always very keen on becoming a coach, and very curious as to the whys.
Malcolm taught me how to work hard because of how his programme works. It’s brutal, and you survive it, whereas Loren was Mr. Science, and he taught me how to work smart. The blend between them both, and then my own philosophies and understanding myself, allowed me to then coach myself, but the problem is there’s no other voice. It becomes very difficult to know more than you already know.
I was incredibly consistent when it comes to fitness, and not someone who started really slow and then suddenly comes out of nowhere. The strange thing, though, was preparing for a major championships without a season beforehand, not having that race experience.
Jack Green (Mark Shearman)
I did the Queensland Classic and another small meet, on the same track, against two other people. Normally, you’re looking at trying to get in 12-15 races before a championships. Now I was doing two that felt like my county championships, even if the athletes I was competing against were still of a decent standard.
I knew I needed to be prepared so it was also a case of having confidence – one in my training, but two in the fact that everyone else is in the same position for that time of year.
I was in phenomenal shape but the thing with the Commonwealths is that some events are…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at AW…