Speeding back from injury
A look ahead to the ninth round of the ActiveGsy Track & Field Series on Sunday
A FAMILIAR name makes a return to racing on the track on Sunday, but over an unfamiliar distance.
It is the ninth round of the Guernsey Athletics’ ActiveGsy Track & Field Series, with plenty to live up to after the record breaking performances last time out.
But for Chris Bain, the island’s top middle distance runner, it is a chance to simply get out and race again after a frustrating start to the year with injury.
The 19-year-old now has screws in both his feet to help overcome stress fractures, and having been concentrating on speed work as a result of losing a big block of training, he will be on the start line for the 200m, which closes out the event.
‘It’s been difficult, because the initial injury was the stress fracture, and then I came back from that, took it easy, started building into a different university training setup, which was very endurance based, and off the back of that then elicited new injuries,’ said Chris.
‘Each time there’s nothing I can really do about it, so it’s trying to progress and control the areas that I can, like gym work, and trying not to worry too much about what I can’t control.’
Last July he took a second off his 800m best with a 1:52.49 run in Stretford.
It is fair to say opening the summer track season late and with a 200m is not where he expected to be.
‘I realised probably at the end of May that realistically I wasn’t going to have the training background, the aerobic endurance, that I normally would have built over the winter to be able to see me through the summer season if I wanted to race 800m,’ he said.
‘I just thought rather than having a very lacklustre season at 800m, trying to desperately force something that probably wouldn’t even be there, maybe it would be better just to transition through the summer, do more speed work, try something else. Really it’s quite useful, I think, looking forward to next year. Having had a few months of pure speed training is hopefully going to be an asset.’
The goal for next season is the Guernsey Island Games, but beyond that Chris has one eye on qualifying for the Commonwealth Games in four years time.
Chris has been in action at Footes Lane this season, settling into pace making duties despite a long running joke that it might not be his strongest asset.
His race is at 2pm, in a field that also includes the likes of Joe Yeaman, Ben Stevens, Lucas Rive and Dale Garland.
Following that, it will be the turn of a talented bunch of female 200m runners to close the meeting, with Aimee Lilley, Emily Pike, Edie Dorrian, Isabelle Lowe and Amelia Hart in action.
The meeting begins in the field at 12pm with the javelin with the first track event a 1200m for the U13 athletes who are part of the Compete Against Yourself initiative, where they are awarded points for bettering previous bests in different disciplines.
Many of the sprinters are doubling up with three rounds of 100m being held from 1pm.
For full start lists, visit here.
Timetable
12pm Javelin
12.10pm 1200m (U13)
12.15pm High Jump
12.20pm 1500m
12.55pm 100m (U13)
1pm Shot putt
1pm 100m
1.20pm 70m hurdles (U13G)
1.25pm 75m hurdles (U15G)
1.25pm 80m hurdles (U17W)
1.30pm Triple jump
1.35pm 150m (U13)
1.40pm Hammer
1.45pm 600m
1.55pm 200m
