Johnson hopes for tough marathon

Tag : rolled bronze
Johnson hopes for tough marathon AAP - July 25, 2008, 2:15 pm
The way Benita Johnson sees it, the tougher the conditions in theOlympic marathon in Beijing, the better it is for her.
The searing heat definitely won't be a problem for Johnson who grewup in the Queensland city of Mackay.
And she holds no concerns either for the pollution in the Chinesecapital.
After contesting the 5,000m on Olympic debut at the Sydney 2000Games and the 10,000m four years ago in Athens, Johnson will stepup to the marathon in Beijing.
"The marathon is where my passion is now," she said in ateleconference ahead of Sunday's New York half-marathon.
"I love running on the road, I love competing in events thatare mass participation and that everyone can enjoy.
"My motivation is the highest it's ever been, for training andfor everything in the sport.
"Leading up the Olympics I feel relaxed and a sense ofexcitement, whereas before Athens and Sydney I was feeling morelike dread and worry."
It has been a tough year for Johnson, 29, who has had to deal withthe death of her father Tony Willis after a battle with adegenerative disease.
"With all that I've gone through in the last eight or ninemonths it has maybe put everything into perspective, to work outwhat's really important and what my passions are," she said.
Johnson said Sunday's half-marathon was scheduled perfectly forher, three weeks before the Beijing women's marathon on August 17.
She was a close second to Kenyan superstar Catherine Ndereba theprevious time she competed in the New York race in 2006, threeweeks before breaking Lisa Ondieki's Australian marathon record inChicago.
"I can afford to go pretty hard on Sunday," said Johnson.
"You don't want to take it to the tank and go all-out but I'llcertainly be racing pretty hard because there's plenty of time torecover."
She will return to her London base on Monday before flying to HongKong on August 4 for two weeks of heat acclimatisation.
Johnson plans to arrive in Beijing only two days before themarathon.
And she can draw strength from the fact that her first-ever worldchampionships medal, a bronze at the 2003 half-marathon titles,came in searing heat in Portugal when she ran over the top of thefield in the final 10km.
"I feel that my best performances come in adverse weather andtough conditions and with tough fields and Beijing is going to haveall those things rolled into one," she said.
"I'm glad it's tough conditions because there's more chance ofit being a full-on race rather than a time trial, and I'm moreabout racing than time trialling."