Cross-country is not, admits Jenny Selman, her first love.
Nor is it her second, or even her third.
But having had a remarkable year on the track in 2022, Selman is in the shape of her life and so despite being far from a natural in the mud and rain that so often accompanies the cross-country season, she goes into today’s Scottish Short Course Cross Country Championships in Kirkcaldy as one of the athletes tipped to be battling for the win.
This time last year, Selman was a very good club runner, but she was far from a regular internationalist having not worn a Scottish international vest for close to a decade.
However, in one of the most remarkable breakthroughs of the year, Selman not only established herself as one of the best 800m runners in Scotland, but also won a GB vest and made her Commonwealth Games debut.
It is, then, little surprise that she has pushed on in terms of fitness since she returned to training this winter and while she is not someone who’d describe themselves as a cross-country aficionado, she goes into today’s meet knowing that cross-country forms a vital part of her winter.
“In terms of my endurance, I’m probably in the best place I’ve been in. I’m not a natural cross-country runner – even if I’m super-fit, it’s never my strong point and as soon as I get into the mud, I find it really tough but the cross-country races are always good fun with a really good atmosphere,” the 31-year-old says.
“I use the XC as part of my winter training – I’m doing so much endurance work at the moment it’s a good idea to stick a few XC races in there too. I try not to get too caught up in the results and more than anything, it’s a good way to build on the endurance work I’ve been doing in training and hope that it pays off when the track season comes around and that the extra strength gives me an edge.”
Selman may be attempting to play down her chances today but having finished second the last time these championships were in Kirkcaldy, in 2019, she is underselling herself.
However, with several cross-country specialists in the field, including Mhairi MacLennan, Megan Keith and Morag Miller – Andy Butchart is the star attraction in the men’s field - who will all be hoping for as tough conditions as possible, Selman is praying for a slightly more forgiving day weather-wise.
“I’m definitely not one of those people who’s praying for wind and rain and mud,” she says.
“I feel like I’m in much better shape now than I was in 2019 but I also feel like the competition has really upped their game.
“It’d be lovely to get back on the podium again but there’s so many other strong girls who are running so well.
“I’ve got myself into good shape and so I’ll just have to see how far that takes me.”
Selman’s explosion onto the international scene this year has been hugely impressive.
In her younger years, she was always marked as someone who had plenty of potential but despite junior GB vests, and a few Scotland appearances early in her senior career, her predicted progression failed to materialise.
Which is why this year, which saw her become British Indoor champion at 800m and compete at both the World Indoor Championships and Commonwealth Games came as a surprise to her as much as anyone else.
“It’s been a really exciting year for me and this time last year, I wouldn’t ever have predicted the opportunities I’ve had over the summer. It’s been such a step up from where I was before and it was really cool to do all this stuff that I’d been working towards for a long time but had never materialised,” she says.
“Doing everything I’ve done this season was not something I’d contemplated and I assumed I was one of these people who’d never get to this level. So that’s why it was especially exciting this season - all of a sudden I was running alongside girls I’d only seen on television previously. To know I was at that level and could make teams was incredible and it’s very exciting to think that doing things like qualifying for the World Championships isn’t outwith my reach anymore.”
The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham was shaping up to be the highlight of Selman’s season but in what was an almighty stroke of bad luck, she tore her hamstring just days before she travelled to the Midlands, which resulted in her being eliminated in the heats at the Games.
However, rather than being disheartened at misfortune, she instead is focusing on what her potential could be next season.
With the World Championships in August, Selman admits she now has her sights firmly set on getting as close as possible to what would be her first-ever GB selection for a major outdoor championship.
And if this season has taught her anything, it’s that if you go for it, you never know where you’ll end up.
“This year, I’d assumed that the Worlds wasn’t a target for me but in the end, I actually got quite close,” she says.
“So this year has given me confidence that I can aim for things I never thought were possible. If I get there, fab and if I don’t, it’s not the end of the world. This coming year, it’s definitely a case of being a bit more ambitious and see what I can do.”
