Ashley Couper's eyes will be firmly on the clock at next week's Bermuda International Race Weekend.

The distance runner is not content to simply try and repeat her double success of winning the Front Street Mile and the 10K among local women - she wants to achieve personal bests in both.

If she does so, the 27-year-old would eclipse her own Mile landmark set in 2003 and possibly also the current 10K record among local females.

However, the USA-based athlete knows a number of elements must combine if she is to be successful.

“In the Mile I would love to break my record again which I think is 4.57 minutes but it would have to be an absolutely perfect night for it; a perfect race and great weather. Last year the weather was so bad so I just went out and ran without worrying about my time,” said Couper who flies in from California next Thursday ahead of Friday evening's Mile races.

“In order to run a better time it would have to be the perfect situation. It is hard to go out and do it without somebody pushing me. The year that I ran the record Tamika (Williams) really helped me get that good time because she was pushing me for the first half of the race.

“In terms of the 10K, I definitely could see myself running a faster time because in the last couple years my longer distances have gotten a lot better. My best time in the 10K is 37.17 (minutes) and I'd love to go under 37 (minutes).”

While she is really gearing up for major results later in the year, the Bermudian champion explained that she is always keen to perform well in her homeland's premier running series.

“I told my coach that I just have to come back to Bermuda. I love the Mile because Front Street is packed with people and it's my home turf and I can hear people cheering for me.

“It's an awesome event. People ask me every year if I'm coming back and I say ‘Yes and I want to hear you on Front Street'.

“It's an amazing feeling to be running in front of so many people who you know and so many people who are excited to see this event. The whole experience is what makes it great for me.”

While obviously not at her peak, Couper is quietly confident that her diligent training will stand her in strong stead in successive races next Friday and Saturday.

“I have been doing a lot of training in the fall like longer intervals and tempo runs which are about four to five miles at just under six-minute pace.

“So I'm building a base but... I feel I'm in pretty good shape right now though my focus is to peak in May.

“I think I will do well next week but I'm hoping that my fastest times come later.”

Looking past Race Weekend, her priority is the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships and possibly an outside shot at the Athletics World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

“There's always a lot of big meets out here at Stanford where I train so I'm looking to run well at those with good competition. Then, internationally, CAC (the Central American and Caribbean) championships is this year and I would love to go there.

“The CAC record for the 1,500 metres is not unobtainable. I think it's 4.18 (minutes) which is about my best time. I would love to go and try to crack that one and that's about it.

“The World Championships are this year but that's kind of a hard goal but if it happens, great. It's kind of like the Olympics - you think about it and it's there but it's hard to attain.

“I'd have to have a perfect season with no injuries and running my best times. If that happens then I might be able to go.”

A more distant ambition is next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, at which she is determined to compete having narrowly missed the previous Games in Manchester, England in 2002.

“That's something I would absolutely love to go to. I missed out last time because I was 0.6 seconds from the qualifying mark and then I got a stress fracture and didn't heal in time.

“My alternate goal to the Olympics is to be able to go there, then I would feel I've had a complete track career,” said Couper.

Asked about her mother Peggy's plans for Race Weekend, she disclosed that the athletics veteran also has her own mission.

“Her plan is to run the 10K and the Half Marathon. That's a big thing for her because she is 60 now and running two events back-to-back is a big deal so she usually only runs the Half Marathon.

“But her aim this year is to run both those races. If she can get in enough training where she is in Virginia right now then that's her goal.”