Mottram splits with coach

Mottram needs to get back to what he was doing when he ran 12:55.

Bruised not busted, mottram plans to run for fun

CRAIG Mottram knows his reputation has taken a hammering. He knows there are people who have written him off.

He knows he will continue to think about Beijing every time he goes for a run but, more importantly, the 28-year-old knows he's not finished.

"It frustrates me that it has been so long since I have really run quickly," Mottram said.

"I still feel I can run and I wouldn't go another four years if I didn't think I could.

"I am not that kind of person, I am very persistent but only because I know that I can still improve. I know there are areas I can improve on, they are the ones I am changing and I'm looking forward to it."

Mottram has been unsighted since his shock failure at the Beijing Olympics where he didn't make the final of the 5000m after a tactical blunder in the heat.

He was back home at his house in Albert Park by the time the Olympic final was run.

"It was a long couple of weeks," he said

"You assess it, analyse it, but once you spend a week or two doing that you realise it doesn't actually get you anywhere. I know what I did wrong and I know what mistakes were made.

"It was great coming home because I love being in Australia. I went down to my normal coffee shop, saw the same people I see every day when I'm here and I haven't had one person say anything bad about it.

"In fact most people think it's great that you even go there (to the Olympics). It is really only me who puts the expectation on myself to get a medal there."

Mottram failed to finish in the top four automatic qualifying spots in his heat and didn't run fast enough to make it through to the final on times - which still frustrates him.

"If I had that exact same race again I'd go and run the time, but I didn't know what the time was," he said.

"No one told me of the time . . . and that's the error.

"It's cost me four years of work and a bit of a headache, but that's life. I should have been able to finish in the first four anyway."

Mottram understands the impact the failure has had on his reputation.

"It took a hit there (in Beijing)," he said. "It took a hit in Osaka (world championships last year) and it has been taking hits for the last 18 months to be honest.

"This was just the last big hit before I realised that I needed to make some changes."

After a decade together, Mottram has decided to part ways with his coach Nic Bideau as he searches for his love of running again.

"I am going to go back and start running like I did six or seven years ago," he said.

"Just start competing because I enjoyed competing and try and forget about everything else that comes along with it.

"I ran 13min 10sec when I was 21 years old through training in Geelong, hanging out with my mates and just enjoying it.

"Then all of a sudden it got lost a little bit. I ran 12.55 in 2004 and I haven't got any quicker. Why? I don't know but there is no reason why I can't go back to running the same trials I used to and get better again.

"I want to take the emphasis off those big races and just enjoy things, enjoy training and not spend every day thinking about one race which can so easily be messed up, as I found out."

Mottram will run a marathon at some stage before the 2012 London Olympics, more out of curiosity than anything, but he is driven to fulfil his potential in the 5000m at major championships.

"I just haven't got it right at the right time," Mottram said.

"Sure, it might make London in four years a bit tougher to stand there and actually really think I can medal in it but I know the ability is still there."

The world championships bronze medallist will focus more on the 1500m this summer as he tries to improve his speed but has returned to training focused on taking on marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie in the inaugural Great Australian Run through the streets of Melbourne on November 30.

Mottram hopes the Melbourne public jumps at the chance to run alongside the legendary Gebrselassie, who broke his own marathon world record last month.

surprised this hasn't received more attention.. everyone will want to know about it when buster runs 3.49 at Wanamaker

Its much more difficult to get synthetic EPO..

Time to move to Arizona and Flagstaff in particular.

What about John Cook?

Could he join Schaumacher's group? It makes sense.

http://www.usdistancerunner.com/2008/10/mottram-split-with-coach.html

I think this is a good move for Mottram. It doesn't mean Bedeau isn't a good coach. There is no doubt that the duo had a great run as shown by his 2005 bronze.

Far too many people think that the end of a relatinship is a bad thing. In reality, it is a part of nature. All relationships must come to an end. Think about it. All marriages must end - either with death or separation. Therefore people shouldn't think of a separation as an abnormal thing. It's just a matter of when

In that light, I hope Alan Webb is paying close attention. He might want to do a similar thing.

I think they'll be a lot of coaching changes over the next few months. This is a time for athletes to shift focus, try new training setups and setting goals for the next four years.

Btw, who is coaching Manzano now that Vig is out in Virginia?

RUS wrote:

I think they'll be a lot of coaching changes over the next few months. This is a time for athletes to shift focus, try new training setups and setting goals for the next four years.

Btw, who is coaching Manzano now that Vig is out in Virginia?

It´s got to be an american coach. they are the world´s best in unsuccess.

Webb should follow Mottram's lead and do the same.

He obviously needs to take a balls enlargement supplement.

so who are the actual contenders to take over coaching him?

My thoughts are Salazar

I'm going with Steve Ovett.

Hi-ho, Kermit the Frog here.

Webb should work with Bideau. Mottram should work with John Kellogg.

That is in the negotiation stages right now. Grand plan is to have Mottram join the group as the first male, to be soon followed by Webb.

quite obvious wrote:

Mottram needs to get back to what he was doing when he ran 12:55.

I really think he was in better shape than that! u will find he never really ran any races which where really fast paced Iaaf meets...over the past few years. i remember in Ostrava last year he toyed with the field and lead the last 3 laps and closed in 53 seconds to out kick young Bekele and the rest.

He was surely in better shape than 12.55 then, and this was sortly after the Pre meet where he won in 8.02. If he really wanted to run a fast time he would have gone to Heausden in Belgium or any of those other meets that produce fast times.

In saying this he did screw up in the past few majors where he could have been a contender! The Hammy last year was an excuse but this year was a f*** up on his behalf.

Bideau seems ok with the out come. I guess he wants best for teh guy too. Its very easy to get sour grapes in times like this.

Letswaitandsee wrote:

Its much more difficult to get synthetic EPO..

He should speak with Rosa or Hermens about that and about Repoxygen. They're the experts.