Tamika Williams set another personal best as her bright start to the year continued at the Stanford Open at the weekend.

The Bermudian middle distance runner clocked 55.78 in the 400 metres at the California track, her previous best being 56.32 set in Richmond in 2001.

Williams is more used to running the 800 metres, but coach Frank Gagliano allows the Nike Farm team athlete to run the lesser distance for a change every now and then.

Unlike most other runners, Williams does not use blocks when starting.

"I still start out of the blocks as if I was swimming," said the former sprint freestyler. "When a swimmer starts, well at least when I started, there is a bit of a catapulting action. I used to rock backwards and you can't afford to do that in track."

Despite this, Williams still left the rest of the competitors eating her dust.

"I had a great start and I was ahead from the beginning," said Williams. "I just stayed relaxed throughout the race, there wasn't anyone near me.

"I probably should have brought it in faster, but I guess my competitiveness did not kick in, knowing that there wasn't anyone around."

Williams said she expected her time to be fast.

"My 800m is about five seconds faster than it was in 2001, so every time I run I expect a PB," she said. "I don't think I'm being cocky. I just know how much work I put in every week. My entire lifestyle is built around bettering myself in every way possible."

Williams said, all in all, it had been a perfect outing.

"I got my break from the 800m, plus I can see that although I'm stronger endurance wise I have some speed work to do," she said. "That will come, I just have to be patient."

Williams' teammates headed to England yesterday (MON) for the World Indoor Championships. Unfortunately, though she had wanted to go, Williams was not put forward by Island athletics chiefs.

As a result she will be training in preparation for several top meets in California in the near future.

"It's going to be exciting," she said. "The next three meets at Stanford, the Stanford Invite, Cardinal Invite and US OPEN - are huge and fast."