A new training programme with more mileage but less intensity seems to be working for the British 1500m runner ahead of the World Indoors in Glasgow

Revée Walcott-Nolan takes to the track for heats of the womens 1500m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow on Friday (March 1) fighting fit and full of confidence. Im in the best shape Ive ever been at this time of year, she says. In previous years Ive always had injuries and illness but this winter Ive had none of that.

Part of the reason is joining the On Athletics Club (OAC) Europe squad where a new training routine under coach Thomas Dreissigacker seems to be getting the best out of her.

The 28-year-old reached the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and has a 1500m best of 4:03.84 but this winter she has almost beaten that mark indoors with 4:03.93 in Dortmund last month, where she finished close behind Georgia Bell, who joins her in the GB team in Glasgow this week.

Originally from Luton, Walcott-Nolan is now based largely in St Moritz in Switzerland or Dullstroom in South Africa where the OAC squad have training bases. She has fellow Brits such as George Mills, Cari Hughes and Aimee Pratt for company but the squad is quite cosmopolitan with athletes from Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and elsewhere.

Walcott-Nolan is even trying to improve her language skills at the training camps. Weve got some Spanish athletes and I feel its a bit easier to learn than German! she says.

Im training more but my intensity is a bit lower, Walcott-Nolan continues. Thomas is a great coach and everything has been really consistent.

Before I was doing higher intensity stuff and less volume and was maybe averaging 65-70 miles a week. Now Im on 80-85 but the intensity is lower. I actually prefer it. When youve got a high intensity schedule its quite demanding on your body. It maybe didnt suit me much as I kept getting injured but this kind of training seems to suit me better.

On the problems that usually beset her in the winter, she adds: Ive had quite a few. I feel this time of year something always hits me. Ive had stress responses, long Covid, thing after thing but I feel Ive come through the other end, at last.

See the March issue of AW magazine for an interview with Thomas Dreissigacker

Check out our Glasgow 2024 coverage here