Radcliffe steps up training ahead of European defence

Published on Thursday 25 May 2006 01:20

PAULA Radcliffe expects to be back in full training by the end of the month and is setting her sights on defending her 10,000 metres crown at the Europeans in Gothenburg in August.

The 32-year-old, who missed the Commonwealth Games and the London Marathon because of a foot injury, said she was "much happier" this week now she was able to go on short runs again, and expected to be back to full training in about ten days.

Radcliffe, who is in the United States to introduce New York Marathon race director Mary Wittenberg at a Women of the Year luncheon, said she would probably be ready to race again in five or six weeks, but did not know yet when she would next compete.

"With my foot I have just been cross-training twice a day every day, so my iPod has been getting me through that and the boring times on the bike," she said. "It was frustrating to begin with, but now that I'm running twice a day it's fast from here. I'm quite lucky that I'm already qualified for the Europeans so I don't have to rush."

Radcliffe added: "I'm just so much happier this week than I was two or three weeks ago when I was just on the bike every day."

She said she would race again when she was ready. "That might be in a couple of weeks, but it's more likely it'll probably be in five or six weeks."