Runner-up Eckstein keen to get fitness back on track

SHANNON Eckstein says he will continue to push his running ability in a bid to be at full fitness for a tilt at the one ironman title that still eludes him.

Eckstein finished second to Ali Day in the Coolangatta Gold yesterday, broken on the opening run leg over Miami Hill.

Despite successful surgery on his calves to correct the popliteal artery entrapment syndrome that was causing cramping in his lower legs during long runs, Eckstein did not yet have the miles in his legs to compete with endurance maestro Day, who won a recordequalling fifth title yesterday.

But he was far from “embarrassing”, a term he used to describe how he felt after finishing in 3 hr 58 min 54 sec, just over six minutes behind Day.

“It’s a little embarrassing. You have standards you want to keep,” Eckstein said.

“But that’s how I thought it’d play out – I am a realist.

“I put my foot on the line hoping to jag something today and second place is the best I’ve done in the race, so that’s OK.”

Day rejected the notion Eckstein should be at all embarrassed, saying Shannon and brother Caine, who jointly holds the race-title record with Day, were among his great inspirations in the sport.

“When I heard he was thinking about doing the race almost 12 months ago, I honestly got nervous,” Day said. “I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to race this guy in this event’.

“Out of anyone in our sport, (Shannon’s) arguably the greatest and he didn’t have to put his hand up for that today and he did.

“He’s obviously gone through a lot with his calves and I really admire him and I respect what he did today.”

Eckstein led Day out of the opening ski leg but Day had caught him before the pair entered the water at Burleigh for the swim leg and extended his lead to 90 seconds by the time Eckstein hit the board.

“I had … plans to run the stairs at Miami, run the sand (before the race) and I never got around to that because (of) a few setbacks,” Eckstein said.