We caught up with Kate Axford after her stunning start to the cross country season which saw her take the win at the British Cross Challenge in Liverpool. That result bagged Kate her first GB & NI vest for this weekends European Cross Country Championships taking place in Antalya, Turkey.
Great run last weekend to take the senior women's title at Liverpool and secure your first GB vest! Just how excited are you?
KA - I'm really excited to have gained my first GB vest and off the back of a performance at Liverpool that I'm very proud of, it makes it 10x better. I'm really excited to go to Turkey and have my first experience of being part of the GB team there, alongside a great team of women.
You spoke pretty openly online about going for that vest, was that your big aim for the season?
KA - I think it has definitely been a goal for this winter, after spending a month at altitude in September I knew I was in good form and myself and my coach worked hard in those months to get my training to the next level. I'm not sure we thought a win at Liverpool was on the cards until I ran the Cardiff Cross Challenge, but after that I think we both knew it might be possible.
It looked like a tough race which was only amplified with the brutal conditions. How were you able to keep your head and really push yourself throughout?
KA - If I'm being totally honest, my main thought was 'stay on your feet'! The mud and rain were relentless but I knew I had to stay strong and be sensible, pick my running line carefully to avoid falling. I also think the weather is something you don't think about after the gun goes off, I tried to zone in on my stride and keep putting one foot in front of the other.....as fast as I could!
How did the race play out compared to what you expected/planned? Did the conditions cause a change up in tactics?
KA - The race was slightly different than what I had expected, but I tried to stay as close to my race plan as possible. One of the senior women went off quickly while the rest of us hung back for the first lap. we then started to close the gap to her in the second lap and I knew that my plan was to push hard from the start of the third lap. The conditions probably made the race a little slower than it would have been otherwise, but myself and my coach knew the weather would be poor so adapted my race plan accordingly.
You stepped up from the shorter distance last year at Liverpool to the traditional longer course. What was the thinking behind that?
KA - I think I have come a long way as an athlete since Liverpool last year, I chose the short course in 2023 as I wasn't confident over longer distances at that time. I also had a lot of changes happening outside of running so wasn't sure I could mentally attack an 8km cross country! This year was different, I was confident in my training leading up to the race and I had nothing to lose which was a nice spot to be in.
Taking things back slightly further, you have a pretty unique story in how you got into the sport - can you give us the lowdown on how the change in sport happened?
KA - So at the start of 2023 I decided to leave behind my professional hockey career after a series of consecutive long term injuries. I got to a point where I didn't want to stand on the sidelines much longer and I had advice from various people that my body probably couldn't handle the demands of a very multi-directional sport, particularly at a professional level. After I said goodbye to hockey I decided to fill the void and go for some runs, training alongside work to chip my 5k time down a bit. Once I started, I haven't looked back!
You're part of Belgrave Harriers, how important have they been in your success?
KA - They have been incredibly important, I trained with them every week and my training partners and club coach were just really dedicated to helping me be the best I could be. I run for the club whenever I can and have tons of really supportive friends within the club. The club running scene is and has been really pinnacle to the success of some great athletes, and they have been a big part of my success.
You were also one of the first British athletes to sign with Kiprun, do you mind discussing how that all came about and how it allowed you to kick on?
KA - Kiprun were keen for me to join their team at the beginning of this year and have enabled me to leave my corporate job to pursue my dream of being a professional runner. The amount of support I get from the brand is testament to how they look to support their athletes. They are a new brand in the running world and it made a lot of sense to me to partner with a new brand as someone who was new to the running scene. It has been an opportunity to develop together which has been a great experience so far.
You've also recently changed coach, has that seen any major changes to your running?
KA - Yes I started working with Andy Henderson in July and have seen some major changes to my performance and my training. He has started pushing me on in terms of my training and tapping into my potential more than I had done previously. He is also a very calming influence whenever I get stressed about training or racing, meaning that I don't have to question myself or my training in the way I did previously. I'm really excited for what the future holds!
What does an average week of training look like?
KA - On weeks when I'm not racing I'm running between 80-85 miles, which has been working well for me so far. I have 4 sessions a week, including hills and one session on grass, which has been great prep for the XC season. Strength and Conditioning is a big part of my training as well, I'll complete 2 sessions in the gym to ensure I stay robust and injury free. In between training is a lot of sleeping, eating and putting my feet up!
You've obviously got the Euro champs coming up very soon. What will the coming weeks look like and will there be any changes?
KA - No changes from my side, I just have to keep training and recovering as I have been over the last few weeks. Things have been going well so it isn't the time to change anything leading up to a big race.
What are the aims for Antalya and the rest of the season?
KA - I think we have a really strong women's senior team heading to Antalya! I know that if we all have good performances then a team medal is definitely on the cards. On an individual level I would love to finish in the top 10 and maybe have a look in at the medals if I have a great day! After Antalya I am going to head indoors and try to run the standard to hopefully be in with the chance of going to the European indoor champs.
As someone who has transitioned from competitive hockey, what advice would you give to other athletes who are starting out from a different sport?
KA - Be patient, it's cliché to say but nothing happens overnight. If you enjoy the process and work hard then there's no saying how far you can go.
You can watch Kate and the rest of the action on BBC Red Button, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Coverage starts at 07:55 GMT on Sunday, 8 December.
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