The races since my last blog went really well. On both occasions I had to contend with tough fluctuations in pace, providing welcome practice for the unpredictability of summer racing.

I raced the 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, running 7.47.09. The promised early pace never materialised, and as the leading four African athletes pushed on to run their last mile in 4 minutes, I was left in no mans land leading a second group – until the last 200m when I was punished for my generous pacemaking! The crowd were amazing, and the atmosphere was incredible for a relatively small number of people. It feels like they’re right on top of you! It was also a new experience for me to run in an arena with huge posters of myself everywhere! Very surreal. And thank goodness for photoshop.

For the next few days, I stayed in Boston to meet with various New Balance departments about new products. The meeting with the shoe team was the most exciting – so much hard work and technical expertise has gone into the latest range of New Balance shoes – they’re incredible. It feels like as athletes we’ve really had (and continue to get) an opportunity to give our input during development directly to the designers, and the choices of shoes we have available to us for all the different elements of our training are fantastic. In fact, I now have in my possession a pair of racing flats lighter than my spikes!

From there it was a return to New York for the historic Millrose Games, taking place for the first time at the Armory. I raced in the 5000m, which prompted several people to ask me if I was the pacemaker! The race itself was set up for Bernard Lagat to set a new American record of 13.07, so needless to say the race was tough from the start. The pace fluctuated early on, and a few 62s 400s took their toll on my legs later on! I passed 3km in 7.57 after a few steadier laps, and glanced up to see 10 laps remaining. Obviously I knew how many laps were involved in an indoor 5000m, but nothing prepares you for the constant turning! I was pushing hard, and finished 6th in 13.22.44, putting me 4th on the UK all-time list, and making me dizzy.

On Sunday I had a bit of time after my run in Central Park, and had been told about the Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien, a cult “secret” hidden in the lobby of one of NYs luxury hotels. Despite the burger in the lobby bar being over $20, the Burger Joint serves (allegedly) the best burger in midtown for around $6. Its menu consists of burger, cheeseburger, fries and drinks. It’s hidden behind a dull brown curtain in the lobby, and has bare wooden floors and basic diner-style booths. The only way you would know it was there is if you peer down a narrow corridor next to the reception desk and see a neon burger. There are no other signs, but the queue at lunchtime tells you something is going on! I really felt like I had ‘discovered’ something, despite it being all over the internet, and the burger was fantastic! Well worth a visit, and the perfect end to my US sojourn.

Milrose 5000m field looking good. 3 US national records could fall in one race.

The trails in Tally are fantastic, and we have hardly had to repeat a run since we’ve been here, with the option of running on gravel trails, grassy “greenways”, pine forest tracks, clay roads or tarmac cycle paths. We’ve also had the good fortune to be able to use the track at Maclay High School, which is in the middle of a beautiful forest, with miles of trails right outside lane 6.

This training, whilst continuing to build my winter base, is also aimed at achieving the best possible results in a series of US indoor races. I am writing this after having just arrived back in Tally after the first of these – the New Balance Games mile in New York. The whole trip to New York was fantastic, as it also served as the launch for a new documentary initiative from New Balance and Kimbia – The British Miler (click on the link to see the full website and the trailer premiered in New York). Make sure you tune in to see how I’m doing!

As an added bonus, I got my season off to a winning start, running 3.57.22 to take the victory (and for the moment at least, the world lead!). The New Balance Games is always a fantastic event, with a handful of elite races taking place in the middle of a high school meet – so the atmosphere is unbelievable! This win was my third, having also won in 2008 and 2010. The toughest part of the day was waking up to 3 inches of snow, and subsequently having to “warm up” for the race in sub zero temperatures! Thankfully, on my return to Tally it was 26 degrees, so just a pair of shorts for the morning run!

Whilst Christmas involves training as usual, it also involves games, and toys that come out once a year. So imagine my excitement when I discovered a “rapid-fire foam disc shooter” at my parents house. After populating every corner of the living room with said foam discs, and having sent my family running for cover, I turned my attention to the reindeer atop the fireplace. There would be no escape from my sniping… that is until one of the discs whizzed down the ventilation grill of the gas fire. It was a great shot, but one that ultimately led to the fire being dismantled – apparently a foam disc is “a potential fire hazard”. Oops.

From toys, to more grown up pursuits – in the form of burlesque dancing. Thankfully it wasn’t me in a corset and feather boa. Amazingly a group of friends and I had managed to persuade our lovely wives and girlfriends that the ideal way to see in the new year would be by watching already scantily clad ladies disrobe even further. I still don’t know how we managed that one. Still, we had a great night at the Naked Turtle (yes, really) jazz restaurant, where the fantastic (and fully dressed) waitresses sang amazingly throughout the evening. The only bad thing during the whole evening was that one of my friends had misinterpreted the dress code of “bohemian splendour” and somehow came dressed as someone from Miami Vice. I won’t mention any names though, Richard Jones.