LAUNCESTON middle-distance athlete Jordan Tyler has returned from America running faster than ever.
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The 23-year-old spent six weeks at a high-altitude training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona, in May with Australian middle-distance guru Kim Green and leading sports scientist Philo Saunders.
A trip that Tyler said has done wonders for his Gold Coast Commonwealth Games ambitions.
The personal trainer said he learned invaluable lessons from training and living with Australian representatives Madeline Hills (Heiner), Josh Ralph and Linden Hall.
“The whole experience was amazing,” Tyler said.
“The training atmosphere, getting away from home, you can really knuckle down on the one per centers a bit more.
“Living with Olympians you soon pick up from things they do, not even on the track, but the way they operate off the track.
“Training at high altitude is definitely an adjustment, the first couple of weeks are really tough.
“We were all struggling because it is so much higher than anywhere in Australia.
“We were at 20,200 metres but when you adjust to that it is an amazing feeling coming back down to sea level.”
The former St Patrick’s College student and junior national 800m medalist run 3:54.85 at this year’s Canberra Grand Prix to finish ninth.
However, Tyler, coached by David Rae, clocked a four-second personal best time over 1500 metres while abroad to take him to 14th on Tasmania’s all-time records list.
“I ran a 3.46 which makes me the fastest Tasmanian this year,” he said.
“I raced three times with my first race in Boston a victory, my second race in Portland a PB and my last race in Portland was when I ran my 3.46.”
This year’s Latrobe Mile champion said he built a good rapport with Saunders, who has helped him with a strength program for his troublesome feet.
Two stress fractures in his feet during his short career have summonsed Tyler to lengthy breaks on the sidelines, but he is now confident and focused on booking a ticket to the Gold Coast next year.
“The next step now is Commonwealth Games trials in February, I’ve qualified to run in those, so the next step is to make the final and see how we go,” the University of Tasmania runner said.
“The rough plan is to head to Mount Perisher for another camp in November for a couple of weeks with a couple of the Canberra boys.
“I will comeback and hit Falls Creek again in January in the lead up to the Comm Games trials.”