Australian distance-running star Pat Tiernan is taking the glass half-full approach from his mixed performance at the August world championships.
Entering the London world titles full of confidence after a sparkling run of form, Tiernan blew up in the 10,000m and trailed home in last place.
But rather than drop his bundle, the US-based Queenslander hit back hard five days later in the 5000m, powering home to finish fourth in his heat.
He then hung tough to claim 12th spot in a 5000m final better remembered as Mo Farah's major-event swan song.
Tiernan wants to double up again in April at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and can guarantee his spot in the longer event with victory in the 10,000m national championships race on Thursday night at the Zatopek:10 meet in Melbourne.
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"London was a tough experience and it would be very easy to say that it means the 10K is not my thing," said Tiernan, whose 10,000m PB of 27 minutes 29.81 seconds made him the third-best Australian over the distance.
"But I've only ever run three 10Ks and the two before that went very well.
"My effort in the 5K showed that I really can compete at that level.
"I definitely think I'm still going to be very competitive over 10K and in the 5K as well."
Multiple Olympian and world championships team member Dave McNeill is the only other runner in the Zatopek field to have already bettered the Commonwealth Games A qualifying mark of 27:54.00.
Defending champ Tiernan also expects to encounter stiff competition from Brett Robinson, Stewart McSweyn and Harry Summers, who'll run his second 10,000m in less than three weeks after an impressive showing in late November in Japan.
Tiernan, 23, has spent the past few months training in the US with coach Marcus O'Sullivan, whom he first linked up with during his time at Villanova University.
"I'm in pretty good shape, but you don't want to be in the best shape you can be so early in the season when you're really trying to peak for the Commonwealth Games," he said.
Four-time champ Eloise Wellings is the only entrant in the women's 10,000m at Lakeside Stadium who already has a Commonwealth Games A qualifier under her belt.
The field also includes the much-improved Celia Sullohern, who is coming down in distance after her breakthrough win in October at the Melbourne marathon.
