COMMONWEALTH Games 1500m runner David Bishop struck a morale-boosting psychological blow against some of his main British track rivals in the mud at Sefton Park, Liverpool, on Saturday, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

On a pre-Christmas trip home from his American base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Bishop decided to race the trials for the European Cross Country Championships in Bulgaria.

As a track man, cross country is just a means to an end for Bishop and being his first competition since representing Scotland at the Commonwealths in Glasgow he was understandably rusty.

But when Bishop spotted leading British 1500m runners Ross Murray (2012 Olympics semi finallist) and Charlie Grice (seventh in Glasgow) just ahead of him in the final mile he put his foot down.

“Coming into the last 800 metres at Liverpool you can see the people ahead of you and I noticed that Ross and Charlie were just ahead,” said Bishop.

“So it felt really nice to reel them in and then kick past them down the home straight. I will try and remember that when we meet again over 1500m in the British Championships next summer. Hopefully it might stand me in good stead!

“Overall it was a tough race and a real baptism of fire having not raced since August. I wouldn’t say it was enjoyable but I got the job done.”

Before next summer comes around Bishop will be putting in the hard miles and also taking in the American indoor season with races planned for 1500m, the mile and maybe even 3000m.

“It will be good to do an indoor season as I missed it for the past two winters as I was injured,” added Bishop.

“In fact at this time last year I had been out for a month and had another three to go and I seemed to be spending most of my time with my foot in an ice bucket.”

Fortunately Bishop has been luckier this year and apart from a hamstring injury has been training well in the rarefied air of Albuquerque. If he can maintain that through the winter and come out next spring in top shape he is confident that he can improve on this summer.

“I don’t think 2014 was too bad at all considering I missed the indoor season and had that big injury problem and the summer is all about qualifying for the Commonwealths which I did and that was great,” said Bishop.