Jenny Nesbitt played a crucial role in securing a team gold in Dublin, and her outstanding performance has sparked an intriguing conversation with Dr. Matt Long.
Dr. Long caught up with the talented athlete, who is based in Cardiff, shortly after her impressive showing at the European cross country championships. Nesbitt finished as the second scorer behind Jessica Judd, contributing to a fantastic team victory for GB & NI.
Nesbitt is understandably excited to discuss her individual performance and expresses her delight, saying, “I am really pleased, to be honest. I aimed for a top 15 finish or possibly even a top 12 on a good day. So to place 10th was a great achievement for me and a significant improvement from my last Euro Cross.”
In the previous edition held in Lisbon in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, Nesbitt finished 29th. Her determination to consistently improve her performance is deeply ingrained in her, and she affirms, “As a competitive individual, I now aspire to do even better.”
Consistency is Key
Nesbitt has demonstrated her consistency by finishing as the runner-up in consecutive British Athletics Cross challenges in Cardiff, Milton Keynes, and at the trials in Liverpool this winter. Her confidence was undoubtedly high before the European championships, but she admits that the course turned out to be more challenging than anticipated.
Laughingly, she describes the course as “brutal!” She recalls previous tough courses she has conquered, such as the World XC in 2019 where she finished 34th in Denmark, but this one was even tougher. The steep uphill climb on the second half of the course felt like a mountain by the final lap.
The last 800m of the race was incredibly painful, but Nesbitt also found enjoyment in certain aspects of the course. Compared to some continental courses, this one resembled a typical cross country course in the UK, complete with mud.
Festive Fun
Nesbitt, a graduate of Bath University who is now guided by Chris Jones, plans to continue her hard winter training focused on building aerobic base and strength endurance. However, she also intends to find time for recreational running during the festive season.
She states, “Over Christmas, I will stick to my regular training schedule and probably participate in the parkrun on Christmas Day to have a run with my family.” Taking time off to allow the body to recover and experience the super-compensation effect of training and racing is a wise decision.
Photo: JHM Sport
Winter Boards
After performing well on the track last summer, particularly at the Muller British Athletics 10,000m championships and the European 10,000m Cup at Birmingham University, Nesbitt plans to frequently compete on indoor tracks this winter.
The tight bends may work to her advantage considering her racing style and experience. She eagerly mentions, “I am moving indoors to race now – so will be getting on the indoor track for a few sessions, which I am really looking forward to. I will mainly focus on the 3000m (where I achieved a personal best of 9m09s last January at Sport City), but I will also participate in a 5000m race in Glasgow early in January to assess my progress.”
Birmingham 2022
Looking ahead to spring, Jenny Nesbitt has her sights set on representing Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games next year. To achieve this, she aims to improve her personal best of 15m30s, set in 2019 at a BMC Regional race in Tipton. Her passion for racing is evident, and she playfully comments, “I couldn’t resist participating in the Christmas Classic this weekend at the NIAC, and I’m excited to remind myself how painful track racing can be!”
In addition to that, she plans to compete in the British Indoors, Welsh Indoors, and possibly BUCS early in 2022.
As the conversation comes to a close, it’s evident that this Welsh Dragon is poised to continue her impressive performance well into 2022.
Matt Long, an experienced England Team Manager and Coach, offers coaching support. Contact him at [email protected].