Laura Muir is more than satisfied with her form after a disrupted winter despite falling short in her world-record bid at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix.
Muir stated on Friday she was “pretty confident” of breaking the 1000-metre record of two minutes, 30.94 seconds but she and her pacemaker slipped off target less than halfway round and she came home in 2:33.45.
Muir has been outshone by training partner Jemma Reekie this year – her fellow Scot added to her growing reputation with an impressive win in the 1500m at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena on Saturday.
But the 26-year-old feels there is plenty more to come from her after overcoming injury problems.
Muir returned from a torn calf to finish fifth in a very fast 1500m final at the World Championships in October but complications from the injury affected her pre-season.
“It was a solid run,” she said after finishing four seconds ahead of the field. “Considering the amount of training I have missed through the winter, I think it’s a really good place to be and I can build on that and get stronger and faster throughout the year.
“I have never had such a disrupted winter. Off of tearing my calf, there was quite a lot of atrophy in the muscle, and that meant my Achilles was taking the brunt of the force I was putting through that.
“My Achilles reacted to the extent that I had to cross-train for a couple of weeks in the pool, and then I started to run every second day.
“I was out of spikes for all of December and half of November. So it was only really the start of the year that I actually started to wear trainers.
“Even in the second week of January I was still in trainers, so I have only been in spikes for about five or six weeks.
“So to run that off the build-up I have had is really, really good and I can push on from there.”
After breaking three British indoor records this month, Reekie produced another impressive run to overtake former World indoor silver-medallist Dawit Seyaum on the home straight despite fearing she was boxed in at one stage.
“I think it just shows the shape I’m in and I have still got a lot more to give,” the 21-year-old said.
“Last year I panicked a few times in races so this year I am trying to stay calm and not panic and just focus the whole way.
“I did think this could be a great race and I could win it, and I think that’s the difference – I am not just coming to line up on the track any more, I am coming in to win.”
Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis caused the biggest stir when he broke the pole vault world record for the second time in a week to set a new mark of 6.18m.
Epsom-based primary school teacher Jessie Knight shocked a strong field to claim victory in the 400m while there was another British success in the 60m hurdles as Andrew Pozzi secured his fifth win out of five races this year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here