Heidi can see what needs to be done

Heidi See (NSW) has been the best 1500m runner in the country when it matters most in the last two years but the formality of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics disappointingly did not eventuate.

At the 2017 Australian Athletics Championships See will be aiming for the rare feat of three consecutive national 1500m titles, only previously achieved by two Australian women in 1972 Olympic finalist Jenny Orr and a decade ago by Australian record holder Sarah Jamieson.

Competition in Sydney will be strong with Linden Hall (Vic) one of the pre-race favourites after nearly making the final in Rio with Jenny Blundell (NSW) in good form following her Olympic semi-final appearance alongside Zoe Buckman (Vic).

See, the winner of the past two national crowns ended the 2016 season with injury and no Olympic Games, a tough reality to accept and she is only now just beginning to find her way back to a positive running mindset.

In June last year the 27-year-old suffered a stress fracture in her left fibula that ended any chance of running in Rio when all that was required of her as the reigning Australian champion was to achieve a qualifying time.

See's breakthrough race is still yet to come, something she was on track for last season before injury halted her effort to improve her personal best of 4:08.15 and briefly ended a lifelong dream.

“After my win at nationals I was the most confident I had been as an athlete in a very long time,” See explained.

“I headed straight to Flagstaff, Arizona for a month-long altitude training stint with my former training group and this gave me even more confidence going forward.

“I ended up pacing a 5000m in early May (3000m in 9:01) and had my first shot at the 1500m standard three weeks later.

“Two weeks before my race I had an injury flare up that I ended up finding out was a stress reaction, which later eventuated into a fracture – my season was over at this point.”

The qualifying standard for Rio was 4:07.00 a time well within See’s scope considering in that race in Los Angeles she ran a near best of 4:08.45 while nursing the early stages of a stress fracture.

In a piece she wrote for bodyandsoul, See describes the heartache of not only missing out on the Olympics, but being robbed of the chance to have a legitimate shot at qualification after getting in the shape of her life.

“Of course, not qualifying for the Olympics was hard, but also not having an opportunity to post a time that reflected my fitness was frustrating,” she added.

“I’m hoping this year I am able to finally break through that barrier, and be the type of runner I believe myself to be.”

That breakthrough will hopefully come for See after making the decision to join the Melbourne Track Club last October, to be coached by Nic Bideau and train with his squad for half the year.

Following seven years in the United States, which included her career at Iona College where she studied journalism and four years with pro squad Furman Elite, See decided to make a change.

“Training has been quite different from what I'm used to, which has been physically demanding at times, but generally very positive,” she said.

“After my injury last year it took me a while to get going, and I finally feel that I am starting to turn the corner and feel like myself again.

“Right now the biggest thing for me has been being happy with my runner self, enjoying training, and being excited to race again.

“These positive feelings and relaxed approach to getting back on the track have made the transition to MTC very encouraging, and have me looking ahead to some great opportunities this season.”

Most middle-distance runners reach something close to their potential in terms of running fast and then try to attain the rare skill of being able to run for the win in a race without pacemakers.

See is on the other side of the fence, more than capable of navigating herself through the pack in a tactical affair but is still waiting for that run where everything comes together for a quick time.

In the last three national 1500m championships See has placed second, first and first despite breaking 4:10 over the distance just four times during that period.

Following a successful outing for Team Australia at Coles Nitro Athletics Melbourne, a new personal best in the 800m this season of 2:03.51 in New Zealand is a promising sign, as was her victory at the national 5000m championships in 15:51.97 proving her fitness is there.

“As the season progresses post nationals, Aussie runners will follow their own racing schedules with different conditions and opportunities,” she considered.

“Nationals takes away those variables and presents every Aussie with the same opportunity to perform.

“This is why I hold a lot of pride with my consistency at nationals for the last three seasons. I also feel I race my best when I'm concentrating on positioning and winning instead of watching the clock.”

Typical training week

Monday - Double runs and strides

Tuesday - am: track session / pm: run and gym

Wednesday - Double runs

Thursday - am threshold session / pm: run and gym

Friday - off

Saturday - am: threshold or hills session

Sunday - Long run

The New South Wales runner has competed for Australia at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing and may have another avenue to becoming an Olympian in the future since her 5000m title.

A missed opportunity as significant as the Olympics often leads to an athlete taking a new perspective on the process, something that every runner including See tinkers with throughout their career.

“I think no matter how long you've been doing the sport, you are always learning how you can be the best version of yourself,” she said.

“What I find works best for me is having a methodical and practical approach to training, instead of trying to be a perfectionist.

“I think in the past when I've got too caught up in being 'perfect' in every area of training it has drained a lot of my energy and distracted me from moving forward and keeping things progressing.”

An ever-present support for See has been her husband Jeff, who has only recently retired from his running career that got him to the cusp of representing the United States at the world championships.

The pair met seven years ago at a ‘dodgy bar in Fayetteville, Arkansas’ after both running poorly at an indoor college championship meet and were married in 2014.

“With Jeff's experiences as an elite runner, there is always an unconditional understanding and patience,” See said.

“We both know the demands of the sport, so having this common ground is important.

“Jeff has retired from elite competition, but continues to be supportive of my role in the sport.”

HEID & SEEK has been launched! Check out my first four blog posts and have some fun exploring. (Follow link in bio) *Props to my clever hub who is the web man behind the glasses and behind the scenes. #heidandseek #staysassy

A post shared by Heidi See (@heidisee_) on Feb 28, 2017 at 10:15pm PST

Managing her own small business Heid and Seek - an online fashion, food, and fitness hub – is another element of See’s life outside of running that helps the process of reaching her potential as an athlete, providing an outlet to the daily grind of training.

Every elite athlete is obsessive on some level, it is a prerequisite for success at that level, making her work on heidandseek.com a much-needed release from the intensity of chasing an Olympic dream.

“It has been a great project for me, as I have been able to use my personal and professional experiences as an athlete and consolidate this with my other two loves of designing and writing,” See explained.

“My hope is that my readers leave feeling creatively and athletically inspired.”

Achieving her lifelong goal of running at the Olympics is a dream still alive for See but her philosophy on embracing the journey and enjoying the process has not waivered despite a big setback.

“Rather than emulating someone in particular I like to surround myself with runners that are both accomplished athletes and genuine people,” See said.

“Being in a training group with Olympic finalists keeps me humble and inspired.”