Athletics: Smith back on track after injury break

Kim Smith does not expect her athletics comeback to be a stroll in the park.

To the contrary, the world class New Zealand distance runner is bracing herself for a painful reintroduction to the competitive ranks when she contests the New York Road Runners Mini 10km event in the city's famed Central Park on Sunday (NZT).

It marks Smith's first race since a calf injury forced her withdrawal while leading the Boston marathon on April 18, and the Aucklander, domiciled in the United States for the best part of a decade, predicts her body will feel the strain in an event featuring 11 Olympians.

"It is going to be painful. It's a strong field and a hilly course so it is going to be tough. It could be ugly," Smith told NZPA from New York after an early evening training run timed to beat the heat of the day.

At this time of the year the mercury rises on the United States east coast, with temperatures forecast to hit 36degC in New York tomorrow before cooling for race day when the women's-only race starts at 8am (local time) to spare the runners the more taxing afternoon conditions.

Ninth in the 10,000m at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Smith is excited to be in competition mode again as she looks ahead to a probable tilt at next year's Olympic marathon in London.

The 29-year-old stepped up to the extra distance last year and showed an immediate aptitude for the task, setting a New Zealand best time of two hours 25 minutes 21 seconds in London, one of 12 New Zealand records held by Smith at distances ranging from the 1500m to the marathon.

She intends backing up from this weekend's 10km race with another event over the same distance at Boston towards the end of this month before putting her head down to prepare for the New York marathon in November, a race in which she finished fifth last year.

The injury setback was a new experience for Smith, one she did not particularly care for but at least her body appreciated the break.

After taking a two-week holiday at Aruba, a Caribbean island off the northern coast of Venezuela, Smith has been pleased at her recovery.

"I had always planned it after the Boston race but what I had hoped would be a celebration holiday became a recuperation holiday.

"The rehab has gone surprisingly well. Everything feels pretty good now. The calf gets a little tight at times but it's nothing too bad," she said.

She is still short of top conditioning but is now churning out 130km in training each week, which is about 50km under her regular workload when preparing for a full marathon.

"I'm definitely not as fit as I would be usually."

Hence, she has not lumbered herself with unrealistic expectations this weekend, when she will be happy to match her performance from 12 months ago in the same race.

"I don't really know how it will go but last year I ran just over 32 minutes. I'm not sure if I am quite there but if I am around about where I was last year I'd be pretty happy.

"I just want to do it to get back into racing again."

- NZPA