time. Bermuda's Jennifer Fisher was no different yesterday as she prepared for today's Times Colonist International Track Meet.

Fisher, who has won three `B' stream 800 metre races since arriving in British Columbia two weeks ago, will run in the `A' race today as she seeks to meet the qualifying standard for Bermuda's Commonwealth Games team.

"Running a good time is more important than my finishing position,'' Fisher said. "Coming first is nothing if I run a 2:10.'' Fisher said yesterday she didn't know what standard the Bermuda Track and Field Association and Bermuda Olympic Association would demand for inclusion on the Games team. But she's hoping to run a 2:07 today. Her personal best, set 10 years ago in Virginia, is 2:07.2 and remains a Bermuda record.

Under the proposed Commonwealth Games qualifying standards released earlier this year the women's 800 metres time was set at 2:08, but so far no official release has been forthcoming from the BOA.

Today, the 33-year-old will face a field that likely will be tougher than the Commonwealth Games final. Russians Olga Kuznetsova and Olga Marjina, American Jasmine Jones, Canada's Rita Paulaviciene and Tamar Kupriyanovich of Belarus have all run times under 2:07 in the last week during their swing through B.C.

"We've been looking for an optimum situation since we came up here,'' said Eddie Fisher, Jennifer's husband and coach. "We've wanted the combination of good weather and good competition. It's been cold and wet since we got here, and Jennifer has been running in the `B' stream races.

"Here in Victoria the weather looks like it's picking up and Jennifer will get the chance to run against good competition. That's all we've been looking for.

"So far, Jennifer has run three races and won them all. That's no good. That wasn't what we wanted. We don't want to go back to Bermuda having won races and not met the standard. It would be much better to go home having run a 2:07 or 2:06. We don't mind coming last if we get a good time.

"We're trying to qualify for the Commonwealth Games, and we need a good time for that. You don't get any marks for winning races in slow times.'' In her three victories, Fisher has had little competition. She led wire-to-wire in Port Alberni on Wednesday night, and wasn't pushed over the final 300 metres at the pre-Jerome meet in Vancouver a week ago. Today the stronger field will force a change in strategy.

"In the `B' stream races, I had to get out to leads and force the pace myself,'' she said. "But here in Victoria, I'll try to stay in the middle of the pack, and hopefully that will push me to a good time.

"The one thing I'll have to avoid is getting boxed in at the back. If I can stay with the middle pack I should be okay.

"This race will be better than the finals of the Commonwealth Games -- I want to use the opportunity to get the time I'm looking for.'' While the standard remains unclear, Fisher says she'll simply push herself -- and check the clock later. "I don't want to just go for the qualifying time.

I want to strive for something a lot better. I'm going to go out there and run hard, and see what it feels like and hurts like. That way, I'll know what it will take to get to the finals at the Commonwealth Games.''