New: Martyn Rooney

Welcome to Martyn Rooney’s new blog at thetalkofsport.com. Martyn finished 6th in the Beijing 400m final and will be hoping medal in 2012. This year he’s the fastest man to run his distance in Europe.

Things have been going alright for me recently. I’ve had a busy month or so with lots going on but I’ve enjoyed it and I’m happy with how everything is going.

I’m going in the right direction with two 44-second performances. I suppose a 44.9 is a 45 really, but it’s nice to have the 44 next to it! I do still need to knock a big chunk out of that time though and I feel like there’s more to come. I’ve been running well recently but there are still some little things to work on and I’m excited about what’s coming up.

If I get the next two races sorted I’ll be set up well for the Europeans at the end of the month. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. The worst thing you can do is get complacent and cocky because that’s when you start making mistakes.

Every race I go into I go into win and the Euros are no different. I know I can run 44 seconds and beat people. I need to remember to relax in my last 100 metres rather than trying to work harder and tense up. I was dead relaxed at the weekend and I need to take that forward. I know that’s what I need to do. All you can think of is trying to sprint harder, but then you lose your rhythm.

It comes with experience. It’s difficult to explain unless you’ve done it. It’s less about instinct and more about focusing on key points during the race. I’m not the fastest out of the blocks, but it’s my pickup that helps me run 400 metres. At the weekend Michael (Bingham) ran out hard but then faded. I go out fast but he went out too fast and it cost him.

You need to run your own race. A lot of people on the inside lanes watch whoever is on the outside and then go chasing. You’ve got to focus on yourself. I’m actually quite a good chaser; I had that situation in the Olympic final but I made the mistake of tensing up.

If you want to compete in 2012 you need to have some experience of winning big, important races. The Euros is a stepping stone to the Worlds, which is then another stepping stone towards the Olympics. Last year I would’ve said it was too far away but it’s coming around quickly now and you need to have the experience.

The commonwealth games are at an awkward time of year. It’s a good title to have and it’s a big competition, but I’d rather have a solid winter. I want to go into 2011 with maximum confidence. I’m trying not to be a diva but not taking part! A lot of athletes are missing it and I think that just goes to show.

Martyn Rooney