How Nick Goolab broke the British 5k record in Monaco
In early October 2019, Nick Goolab was into his sixth week of no running and out of breath on a light cycle to the shops. Just over four months later he ran 13:27 for 5k in Monaco to break Mo Farah’s British record.
How did he do it? We spoke to Nick after he’d had a few days to reflect on his achievement.
How did you end up racing in Monaco?
I remember watching it last year and, having won Ipswich 5k in 2018 in 13:50, thinking to myself "how am I not in that race?"
Then, after going back to Ipswich in 2019 and running 13:34, I was adamant I would be in Monaco the next year, I didn't care what it took. Unfortunately the Monaco event couldn't help me with travel or hotel, so I sorted it myself. I wasn't going to let little things like logistics or money get in the way. I wanted to be on that startline, so I made it happen.
Did you have a target time in mind? Did you have an eye on the British record?
After the 13:34 in Ipswich I was running my mouth saying I wanted to get the British Record. I said to [GB teammate] Marc Scott in the summer, "let's go to Monaco and get after it" - as he’d also expressed an interest in chasing the record. But when the time came and I actually had to do it, my confidence was a fraction of what it was after Ipswich. I wasn't psyching myself out or anything, I just felt like I hadn't done the work to run fast.
It's a simple sport, you work hard then you get results, and I felt like I hadn't done enough work. I hadn't been lazy, but there weren’t consistent signs that I was better than the guy who ran Ipswich. In the end my objective was to get the most out of myself. As long as I could honestly say I'd run as hard as I could for 5k then I'd done enough.
Talk us through the race and how it unfolded.
I set off as intended, with the intention of being exhausted by the end. I wanted to settle into that sweet spot of running fast without too much fatigue slowing me down. Within 400m I found myself behind a group of 4 or 5 with the pace feeling fast, but not overwhelming. That first kilometre was make or break for me mentally. If I saw 2:45-2:50 at the first kilometre I would've been devastated because I felt like a pickup wasn't possible. Fortunately I went through in sub-2:40 and I thought, "OK, we're on for something here."
I settled into a good rhythm and was growing in confidence. I even spent that second kilometre with Jimmy Gressier not far ahead thinking I could be patient and get him later in the race, however after 2k he put in a big surge and crushed my dreams! But there were still a few Frenchmen ahead of me to target and with the course being out-and-back I was waiting for the back portion to get after them.
We had a nasty U-turn at roughly 2.5k and it was by 3k that I caught that little group ahead. I went straight round and cracked on but it unfortunately left me in no-mans-land because Gressier had a big gap on me by that point. Joshua Cheptegai was so far ahead I couldn't see the clock so had no idea after that first kilometre of splits, my aim now was just to stay focused and maintain a high intensity to the finish.
The legs were tired and it was all about telling them to keep turning over and not let up. I had another Frenchman come round me with about 600 to go and I latched onto him, all of a sudden going from feeling dead on my feet to feeling great again. I sat on him until the finishing straight then gave everything to sprint by him and pull away. He ended up being a blessing because without that surge at the end I may not have got the record.
Can you describe the shape and progress of your training since your break after the summer?
My summer track season was a shambles. After Highgate [Night of the 10k PBs] I seemed to be constantly fatigued, and I ran races I'm still embarrassed about. I think about those races and I cringe. So I took six weeks off to recover physically and also reset my mind because those poor performances really killed my motivation.
Well it turns out six weeks wasn't enough time because I still didn't want to get back running. Even so, I started getting out for runs at the beginning of October, but there weren't many of them and it was hard getting out the door.
Early November saw a big change as I went to Portugal for two weeks with training partners Dan Cheeseman, Ben Bradley, Rebecca Murray and also Ricky Harvey and Richard Goodman. A combination of great weather and having company helped me enjoy running again. Out there I started proper training again and I ran everyday for two weeks, which was a big deal to me because I think the most I'd done before that trip was 4 or 5 days in a row.
Coming back to the colder temperatures was tough but I now had more drive. I was really happy with the sessions I was able to do and was surprised myself with what I was capable of doing. Getting out the door was still difficult but this new drive was what got me out there. Throughout December I could see myself getting fitter but there was nothing astonishing.
January I got back into racing and they didn't completely go my way. The two cross country races I did [Middlesex county champs and Surrey League], both times I went out hard and got caught.
I still ended up winning but that wasn't typical; usually when I get a gap it only ever extends, never gets closed. I've had long breaks from running before but always come back from them and even improved. But prior to Portugal and in these races I was thinking there's only so many times I can come back from nothing and be what I was - maybe this is the time where I don't reach the heights I previously attained and the natural decline of my body begins. Not having those races go the way I would usually expect only reinforced that, maybe I'm not what I was.
It was a similar story at the Chichester 10k. I was more patient in that race and this time got a gap after 5k, but I didn't feel as dominant and invincible as I did in Brighton 10k or Ipswich. I felt like I was flying that second half of Chichester, but it wasn't actually that quick.
So I didn't feel like I was ready for Monaco or as well prepared as I should be. But clearly, like many times in my life, I underestimated myself. I thought I wasn't going to be the runner I was last year and it could be the start of a regression, but it appears I may have performed my greatest trick yet.
What has the reaction been like from the running community?
It's been really positive! I've had lots of congratulatory messages and no one has said a bad word to me. I don't run for the status or look to satisfy my ego, but I must say I do enjoy and appreciate the things people have said to me since the race.
Did you have a key session going into the 5k?
Funnily enough I didn't do any 5k specific sessions for this race. There wasn't anything particularly great, but the best one I did going into this race was 11 days before, which was 20x400 off a minute with an average of 62, slowest was 68 and quickest 58. And for all the shoe skeptics out there, it wasn't done in Vaporflys but in Pegasus Turbos. Then five days out from the race we did 16x300 with the first 10 off 45s and the last 6 off a minute, all pretty much in 45s. Again, that was in Turbos.
What are your goals now for the next few months?
Simple: beat that time in a track 5000m.
Have the Vaporfly Police been in touch?
Not yet but I'm sure they're working hard to build a case and charge me with something.
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