The road mile world record holder talks about his year of marked ups and downs, and how he managed to stay ready for anything.
“This summer has been a rollercoaster,” says Elliott Giles. “We ticked a few boxes but I didn’t make an impression on the top guys because I didn’t perform when it mattered.”
Such a critical assessment has become the criterion of Giles’ athlete. After all, the 30-year-old Birchfield Harrier represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the European Championships in Rome. he reached the semi-finals of the Paris Olympic 800m run; and beat US Olympic bronze medalist Jared Nuguse in 3:51.3 on Sept. 1 in Dusseldorf.
By his own admission, Giles underperformed at the British Athletics Championships, perhaps when it mattered most. He had a good start to the summer but came back from Rome with Covid and later revealed he was also battling a chest infection. It took a demoralizing 3:40.72 1500m in Monaco to finally reveal the fact that he was ill and needed treatment.
“It was really good to say the least,” said the John Bigg-trained athlete. “I couldn’t breathe for a long time, but I tried to fight it. I thought because I was so consistent that maybe I was going through a little slump and would come back from it, but four weeks went by and the slump wasn’t going anywhere, then six weeks went by and it still wasn’t gone.’
Elliot Giles and Josh Kerr fall (Getty)
Monaco was the turning point, but dedication to preparation also played a part in Giles’ impressive turnaround.
After the Olympic Trials, initially missing out, he drove a camper van from St. Mawr for a training camp masterfully disguised as a family vacation (with wife Maggie and kids Erin and Seb). As the team’s backup GB, his plan was to stay ready. to be ready for anything, but to expect nothing. At least he knew he was aiming for the Diamond League Finals, so he needed and wanted to keep working.
“If you talk to people at the top, it’s not just about their talent, not about who’s the most naturally gifted or physically the fastest or the strongest, it’s about what you can pile up and put on top like a cake laying down while being healthy and staying healthy. consistent,” he says. “Consistency trumps all, I think that’s the truth.
“There’s definitely skill and beauty in navigating illness and injury (and staying consistent). None of us “deserve” to have things go our way, we all just practice and if it works out, it works out. If it doesn’t, the cookie falls apart. There’s a good chance it will happen, there’s a good chance it won’t. As long as you’re comfortable knowing that you can get both sides of the coin and be ready to take the opportunity when it comes, and if you know you’ve done all the training, then when the opportunity comes, you’re ready to go into business.”
For Giles, this summer was a case in point. It may have been a twitch, but most importantly he didn’t jump.
“After the Olympics, I could have given up very easily, but it’s not in my nature,” he says. “I stayed ready and we managed to set a world record.”
Elliot Giles (CALL US)
Regular academic week (winter academic block)
Over the past 12-18 months, Giles has increased his running and reduced his cross training. He used to run around 25 miles a week with a significant cross training load. He now runs closer to 45-50 miles per week.
“I think I’m actually a really late bloomer,” he says of his training progress. “I worry now about the young people who run a lot of kilometers, a lot of speed, until they reach their 20s. Two years later, I was down to 1:45, but my body had developed so late that my tendons weren’t ready.
“I can only describe it as directed exposure. John trains us all so differently. he asks us how we feel and how our body reacts to determine what we do. Two years ago I only ran on session days, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, so the shift was crazy. It’s like two different athletes.”
- Monday. (am) speed training; (pm) either a 4 mile run or a 40-60 minute bike/cross train (“I’ve been running more lately, so it’ll usually be a 4 mile run, but depending on how tired I am, it might also to be: intersection”)
- Tuesday. (morning) running-based session eg 5-6 sets (1km/300m) of 1 minute 1km to 300m, then 3 minutes between sets, followed by gym; (pm) 4 mile shake or 30 minute cross train
- Wednesday: Steady run (about 7 miles); (pm) easy 3 mile jog or 30 minute cross train
- Thursday. (am) tempo session (mainly track) 4-6 miles eg 5 x 1 mile followed by circuits; (pm) run or cross train
- Friday: rest
- Saturday. (morning) hill training eg 600m-400m-300m-200m off 1 minute (x 3-4 sets) plus gym (‘We have a road hill nearby that’s too long and takes forever to climb. Recovery from sets between is long because it takes us a long time to retreat.”); (pm) easy 3 mile jog or 30 minute cross train
- Sunday: 10-12 mile run or 2 hour cycle
Elliot Giles (Getty)
Favorite session: “It depends if I’m looking for a boost or if I’m enjoying it. If I’m looking for speed (for 800m) then maybe 3 x (400m-200m) off 1 minute with 6 minutes between sets.”
Least favorite session. “It’s a really difficult thing. I love running so much that I don’t have sessions I don’t like. I have sessions that I’m a little bit afraid of, but I don’t really have sessions that I don’t want to do.”
» This article first appeared in the October issue of AW magazine. Subscribe to AW Magazine herecheck out our new podcast! here or subscribe to our digital archive of back issues from 1945 to the present day here
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