One of the enduring images of last weekend's Aviva World Trials is sure to be that of the beaming smile on Lewis Moses' face after crossing the finish line to win the men's 1500m title. It was a moment that represented a massive amount of hard work coming to fruition and the fulfilment of a dream. Moses could not have asked for much more from the start of 2012; a personal best and national title, which combined mean that he will represent Great Britain for the first time at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.
Moses was under intense pressure as he lined up in Sheffield with a red number attached to his New Marske vest, a number that symbolises the fastest man in the field, but after running the perfect race he could relax knowing that his seat on the plane to Istanbul was surely booked. As he passed James Brewer in the home straight, lifted his arms aloft and let out a scream of joy he was both delighted and relieved.
He said: "I guess my face said it all when I crossed the line. I'm not usually one for celebrations but to be honest it was relief more than anything. When I achieved the qualifying standard in Vienna I then put pressure on myself to make the Great Britain team and when I crossed the line it was such a great feeling knowing that I had booked my place."
"When I got into the sport seriously at around age sixteen all I ever wanted to do was run for my country and now I finally have that chance. As for being the UK indoor champion, I'm not going to kid myself and say I'm the best 1500m runner in the country as I'm realistic enough to know I'm not, but I feel that I took my opportunity on the day to have my chance to say I am a national champion."
It was no mean feat to triumph over the likes of James Brewer, a Great Britain representative at the outdoor World Championships in Berlin, and sub four minute miler Kris Gauson. This only added to the satisfaction of victory for Moses: "Before the trials I looked at the field and it looked strong. I knew getting through the heats would be tough so I had to treat my heat as a final. The respect I have for those guys is massive and I had to get the balance right to respect them enough but also not to be scared of mixing it with them."
"I have to be honest, I have looked up to James (Brewer) for a long time. Watching him at the Worlds in Berlin was very inspiring. Its sometimes difficult to get inspired by people in the same event but for me that just proved that young guys could mix it on the world stage. To battle it out with James was a great feeling and I'm glad I came out on top, but I know and hope its only the start of a few more interesting races on the track."
The New Marske Harrier's real breakthrough came during an appearance for the England team at an event in Vienna, Austria. He lowered his indoor best, and indeed his overall personal best, to a time of 3:41.33 but most significantly it was a time inside the qualifying mark set by UK Athletics for the World Indoor Championships. After a frustrating 2011 season, when Moses failed to better his time over the metric mile, he was better prepared this time round and it meant a lot for him to come out and smash his previous best at the start of 2012.
Reflecting on his trip to the Austrian capital, he said: "I knew I was in shape to run a PB but to be totally honest my confidence was so low after the summer. Sessions were going really well before Vienna, helped a lot by Adam Cotton who was home over christmas after spending his first term out in the States. So it was a real test for me to try and go out and run what I truly believed I could. My old coach at home, Paul Harker, and my coach now, John Nuttall, always say 'beat the men and the time will take care of itself', so I went to Vienna with every intention of trying to win the race. Unfortunately I came up against a guy who was in a league of his own that day but second place proved good enough for the time."
"The race was quick from the outset and it felt great to be running relaxed in a group and before I knew it I had a lap to go. I could see that I was on for the World Indoor qualifying time so I just tried to smash my last lap and hope that it was good enough."
2011 can be summed up as a year of unfulfilled potential for Moses as a series of problems resulted in forcing his season to a premature end. He explained: "Last year I was in good shape but a few things happened which meant that my season came to a sudden end. I had problems with allergies and I also took too much work on when I was working as an unqualified teacher. It was a hard pill to swallow knowing that I was in shape to run quick, but not having anything to show for it. I was pretty down for a long time."
A change to his working situation has allowed more time and focus to be applied to his running and it is already starting to pay dividends: "I decided to start a new job as a teaching assistant at a local Special Educational Needs School and this had a massive influence on training. It has given me more free time to get training in and, although I miss my old school Baginton Fields, the move has had a really positive effect on my training. The free time has allowed me to do a lot more morning running at a reasonable time of the day."
They say that success breeds success and Moses believes he can also partly put his recent improvements down to the accomplishments of the people around him: "One thing that does stand out is the effect of the success others around you have on you. For instance, Thommo (Chris Thompson) starting to fulfill his potential and Ryan McLeod running really well; training with these guys gives you a massive boost. This year my girlfriend, Gemma, has started to improve massively and that has had a huge effect on me as it makes you happier and gives you that motivational buzz all of the time."
Another factor in Moses' success is certainly the setup that he enjoys in Loughborough working with his coach, John Nuttall. He does not underestimate the effect that Nuttall has had on his running career: "John has been great from the day that I met him. He has taken me from 3:58 to 3:41 (for 1500m) since I came to Loughborough, which is a time that I actually never thought I would achieve. His knowledge of the sport is incredible, but what I like about him is his willingness to learn from other people. He continues to learn as we do as athletes and over the last year I have really seen the benefits of minor adaptations to our training programme."
The town of Loughborough has been the base of top athletes for many years but it is increasingly becoming the case that athletes are basing themselves there to tackle the challenge of taking the next step in athletics. This in itself is indicative of its merits but for Moses in particular it is the pefect place to reach his potential, along with help from the sport's governing body.
"John is a big believer in conditioning, that part of the programme is starting to shine through now and the setup at Loughborough only helps with that due to the excellent facilities. UKA have also been a massive help. Sometimes I read about the endurance programme getting stick but I have been so lucky with the opportunities provided through training camps etc. The London Marathon altitude camps are incredible and have only helped with my training, I will be forever grateful for such great opportunities which I would have never have got if it wasn't for UKA. People may read this and think I'm just saying this to please people, but I'm not. Have a think about it... people at my standard would have never got those opportunities before so I personally think they are doing a great job!"
With his place in the Great Britain team for Istanbul all but confirmed, Moses now has the task of preparing himself to be in optimum shape for his heat on Friday the ninth of March. He will start his preparations with another run out over 1500m at the Aviva Grand Prix event in Birmingham this weekend, where he will aim to lower his best time even further.
He said: "John and I sat down Monday and decided to do the Grand Prix this weekend. We actually have three weeks after Birmingham until Istanbul, which gives us the chance to get another good stint of training in after the Grand Prix. Therefore it makes sense to go to Birmingham and just see how fast I can run. I understand that I might be slightly off the pace knowing the standard of the guys who are racing, but I see every place as a bonus and I'm going there to hang on and try to pick up a few scalps. After that, John will put a programme together ready for the Worlds and if I'm happy with that then we will crack on from there."
In 2000, two Leeds United fans were murdered in the Turkish city following violence before a UEFA Cup semi-final tie with Galatasaray. As a big fan of the club, Lewis Moses therefore hopes that his experience of Istanbul is markedly improved. "As a Leeds United fan I'm hoping for a better experience than my current impression of Istanbul! It's not a happy place for many Leeds fans but I personally can't wait to get out there" he said.
He continued: "I want to enjoy the experience as much as I can but I also want to go there and come back with my head held high. I had a quick look at past results and a time of around 3:40 can usually make a final, albeit with a very fast finish, but I see no reason why we can't challenge for final positions. I am always realistic going into races as I sometimes think that if you aim too high it will come crashing down so I'm going there to do myself proud, give it my all and if I do that I can have no complaints!"
With an Olympic Games on home soil just around the corner it is tempting to look beyond the present, but Moses is not allowing himself to get carried away and insists that the World Indoor Championships have always been the main aim. He explained: "My target this year was World Indoors. I saw the standard and I spoke to John and we both agreed to go for it. Doing that has also given me the opportunity to have a crack at some of the outdoor standards such as the Europeans. Everyone is talking about the Olympics, and rightly so, but I have trained with and know some of the best guys in the country who have yet to make an Olympics."
"Everything needs to go right for you to make any championships and with the Olympics you are up against every man and his dog! Personally my aim is to run as quick as I can and if I happen to make an outdoor Great Britain team then that is another step in the right direction. If I don't then it is certainly not a failure, I just think you must always take the positives and look to move forward."
Anybody who has met Lewis Moses knows that he is the personification of humility, and he has characteristically paid tribute to the family and friends that have aided him in his pursuits that have allowed him to get to this position: "I must say a massive thank you to my family who have been more supportive than ever over the last year. They have followed me everywhere with my running and would do anything for me, but when I struggled this summer I did massively doubt myself and if it wasn't for friends, family and my girlfriend Gemma, who has a massive positive influence one me, then I could have found myself working a lot more than training this year. So if they read this, which I'm sure they will, thank you!"
By Craig Gundersen
Moses was under intense pressure as he lined up in Sheffield with a red number attached to his New Marske vest, a number that symbolises the fastest man in the field, but after running the perfect race he could relax knowing that his seat on the plane to Istanbul was surely booked. As he passed James Brewer in the home straight, lifted his arms aloft and let out a scream of joy he was both delighted and relieved.
He said: "I guess my face said it all when I crossed the line. I'm not usually one for celebrations but to be honest it was relief more than anything. When I achieved the qualifying standard in Vienna I then put pressure on myself to make the Great Britain team and when I crossed the line it was such a great feeling knowing that I had booked my place."
"When I got into the sport seriously at around age sixteen all I ever wanted to do was run for my country and now I finally have that chance. As for being the UK indoor champion, I'm not going to kid myself and say I'm the best 1500m runner in the country as I'm realistic enough to know I'm not, but I feel that I took my opportunity on the day to have my chance to say I am a national champion."
It was no mean feat to triumph over the likes of James Brewer, a Great Britain representative at the outdoor World Championships in Berlin, and sub four minute miler Kris Gauson. This only added to the satisfaction of victory for Moses: "Before the trials I looked at the field and it looked strong. I knew getting through the heats would be tough so I had to treat my heat as a final. The respect I have for those guys is massive and I had to get the balance right to respect them enough but also not to be scared of mixing it with them."
"I have to be honest, I have looked up to James (Brewer) for a long time. Watching him at the Worlds in Berlin was very inspiring. Its sometimes difficult to get inspired by people in the same event but for me that just proved that young guys could mix it on the world stage. To battle it out with James was a great feeling and I'm glad I came out on top, but I know and hope its only the start of a few more interesting races on the track."
The New Marske Harrier's real breakthrough came during an appearance for the England team at an event in Vienna, Austria. He lowered his indoor best, and indeed his overall personal best, to a time of 3:41.33 but most significantly it was a time inside the qualifying mark set by UK Athletics for the World Indoor Championships. After a frustrating 2011 season, when Moses failed to better his time over the metric mile, he was better prepared this time round and it meant a lot for him to come out and smash his previous best at the start of 2012.
Reflecting on his trip to the Austrian capital, he said: "I knew I was in shape to run a PB but to be totally honest my confidence was so low after the summer. Sessions were going really well before Vienna, helped a lot by Adam Cotton who was home over christmas after spending his first term out in the States. So it was a real test for me to try and go out and run what I truly believed I could. My old coach at home, Paul Harker, and my coach now, John Nuttall, always say 'beat the men and the time will take care of itself', so I went to Vienna with every intention of trying to win the race. Unfortunately I came up against a guy who was in a league of his own that day but second place proved good enough for the time."
"The race was quick from the outset and it felt great to be running relaxed in a group and before I knew it I had a lap to go. I could see that I was on for the World Indoor qualifying time so I just tried to smash my last lap and hope that it was good enough."
2011 can be summed up as a year of unfulfilled potential for Moses as a series of problems resulted in forcing his season to a premature end. He explained: "Last year I was in good shape but a few things happened which meant that my season came to a sudden end. I had problems with allergies and I also took too much work on when I was working as an unqualified teacher. It was a hard pill to swallow knowing that I was in shape to run quick, but not having anything to show for it. I was pretty down for a long time."
A change to his working situation has allowed more time and focus to be applied to his running and it is already starting to pay dividends: "I decided to start a new job as a teaching assistant at a local Special Educational Needs School and this had a massive influence on training. It has given me more free time to get training in and, although I miss my old school Baginton Fields, the move has had a really positive effect on my training. The free time has allowed me to do a lot more morning running at a reasonable time of the day."
They say that success breeds success and Moses believes he can also partly put his recent improvements down to the accomplishments of the people around him: "One thing that does stand out is the effect of the success others around you have on you. For instance, Thommo (Chris Thompson) starting to fulfill his potential and Ryan McLeod running really well; training with these guys gives you a massive boost. This year my girlfriend, Gemma, has started to improve massively and that has had a huge effect on me as it makes you happier and gives you that motivational buzz all of the time."
Another factor in Moses' success is certainly the setup that he enjoys in Loughborough working with his coach, John Nuttall. He does not underestimate the effect that Nuttall has had on his running career: "John has been great from the day that I met him. He has taken me from 3:58 to 3:41 (for 1500m) since I came to Loughborough, which is a time that I actually never thought I would achieve. His knowledge of the sport is incredible, but what I like about him is his willingness to learn from other people. He continues to learn as we do as athletes and over the last year I have really seen the benefits of minor adaptations to our training programme."
The town of Loughborough has been the base of top athletes for many years but it is increasingly becoming the case that athletes are basing themselves there to tackle the challenge of taking the next step in athletics. This in itself is indicative of its merits but for Moses in particular it is the pefect place to reach his potential, along with help from the sport's governing body.
"John is a big believer in conditioning, that part of the programme is starting to shine through now and the setup at Loughborough only helps with that due to the excellent facilities. UKA have also been a massive help. Sometimes I read about the endurance programme getting stick but I have been so lucky with the opportunities provided through training camps etc. The London Marathon altitude camps are incredible and have only helped with my training, I will be forever grateful for such great opportunities which I would have never have got if it wasn't for UKA. People may read this and think I'm just saying this to please people, but I'm not. Have a think about it... people at my standard would have never got those opportunities before so I personally think they are doing a great job!"
With his place in the Great Britain team for Istanbul all but confirmed, Moses now has the task of preparing himself to be in optimum shape for his heat on Friday the ninth of March. He will start his preparations with another run out over 1500m at the Aviva Grand Prix event in Birmingham this weekend, where he will aim to lower his best time even further.
He said: "John and I sat down Monday and decided to do the Grand Prix this weekend. We actually have three weeks after Birmingham until Istanbul, which gives us the chance to get another good stint of training in after the Grand Prix. Therefore it makes sense to go to Birmingham and just see how fast I can run. I understand that I might be slightly off the pace knowing the standard of the guys who are racing, but I see every place as a bonus and I'm going there to hang on and try to pick up a few scalps. After that, John will put a programme together ready for the Worlds and if I'm happy with that then we will crack on from there."
In 2000, two Leeds United fans were murdered in the Turkish city following violence before a UEFA Cup semi-final tie with Galatasaray. As a big fan of the club, Lewis Moses therefore hopes that his experience of Istanbul is markedly improved. "As a Leeds United fan I'm hoping for a better experience than my current impression of Istanbul! It's not a happy place for many Leeds fans but I personally can't wait to get out there" he said.
He continued: "I want to enjoy the experience as much as I can but I also want to go there and come back with my head held high. I had a quick look at past results and a time of around 3:40 can usually make a final, albeit with a very fast finish, but I see no reason why we can't challenge for final positions. I am always realistic going into races as I sometimes think that if you aim too high it will come crashing down so I'm going there to do myself proud, give it my all and if I do that I can have no complaints!"
With an Olympic Games on home soil just around the corner it is tempting to look beyond the present, but Moses is not allowing himself to get carried away and insists that the World Indoor Championships have always been the main aim. He explained: "My target this year was World Indoors. I saw the standard and I spoke to John and we both agreed to go for it. Doing that has also given me the opportunity to have a crack at some of the outdoor standards such as the Europeans. Everyone is talking about the Olympics, and rightly so, but I have trained with and know some of the best guys in the country who have yet to make an Olympics."
"Everything needs to go right for you to make any championships and with the Olympics you are up against every man and his dog! Personally my aim is to run as quick as I can and if I happen to make an outdoor Great Britain team then that is another step in the right direction. If I don't then it is certainly not a failure, I just think you must always take the positives and look to move forward."
Anybody who has met Lewis Moses knows that he is the personification of humility, and he has characteristically paid tribute to the family and friends that have aided him in his pursuits that have allowed him to get to this position: "I must say a massive thank you to my family who have been more supportive than ever over the last year. They have followed me everywhere with my running and would do anything for me, but when I struggled this summer I did massively doubt myself and if it wasn't for friends, family and my girlfriend Gemma, who has a massive positive influence one me, then I could have found myself working a lot more than training this year. So if they read this, which I'm sure they will, thank you!"
By Craig Gundersen
