"Trails free of snow offer us the best possible training facilities here [in Flagstaff]. Even I am surprised at how well things are going. If someone had said three months ago, when I was only running 100km a week, that I would be running as well as I am at the moment, I would not have believed them," he added cheerfully.
"The only area which I feel is lacking at the moment is my speed training. My training partner, the current German Cross Country champion Christian Glatting, is giving me a hard time, but it's getting better. Everything is still going to plan."