Masters athlete Fergal Whitty could best be described as a teak-tough marathon runner. It’s his favourite athletics event and one that he mastered through sheer hard work and perseverance.
Like a vintage wine Fergal has progressively improved with age. His early marathon adventures included Dublin in 2008 (2.58.30) and 2009 (3.00.25), Melbourne (2.55), and Connemara (2.58).
It was time to join a club! In this interesting interview Fergal explains that if he had initially understood the concept of the ‘warm-up run’ prior to doing a session proper, then he may have enlisted to Liffey Valley AC. Despite finding a similar training routine at Donore Harriers he decided to stay. Thereafter, he began to show a marked improvement in his running and posted a time of 2.44.02 in the 2011 DCM (Dublin City Marathon).
In the 2012 DCM Fergal improved to 2.34.32 and returned a time of 2.35.52 in DCM 2013. He ran 2.34.48 in the 2014 Berlin Marathon, 2.35.12 in the 2015 DCM and 2.34.45 in the 2016 DCM. At this point the 2.30 barrier probably seemed elusive! But times of 2.31.37 at Boston in April 2017 and 2.30.39 in the 2017 DCM gave indication that Fergal could achieve his marathon summit.
Fergal began the long road towards DCM 2018 with a 16.39 in the Tom Brennan Memorial 5km on New Year’s Day to win the M40 class. A week later he competed in the Dublin Masters XC placing 18th overall and 3rd M40. In February he posted a time of 54.55 in the Dungarvan 10-Mile and followed that up by winning the M40 class in the Bohermeen Half-Marathon (March 2018) in a time of 1.13.07. During the summer road-race season he recorded 1.14.19 for 7th place in the Limerick half-marathon, ran 16.34 in the Bob Heffernan 5km, and 33.18 (3rd M40) in the Michael Manning Dunshaughlin 10km.
Fergal gives a full account of his 2018 DCM race in this interview. He passed the half-way mark in 1.14.54, but strong running in the latter half of the race saw him home in 2.28.55. In the process he won his 3rd national M40 individual gold – and together with Ken Norgrove and Peter Gaffney won the national M35 team bronze.
Fergal ran 2.29.11 in the 2019 DCM, placing 4th M40 national. He led Donore Harriers to gold in the Dublin and Leinster M40 team, and silver in the M35 team championships.
Here is a list of some of Fergal’s main athletics achievements –
CROSS-COUNTRY – 2015 Dublin Masters (team gold w/ John Dunne, Ciaran McCarthy & Niall Lynch); 2018 Dublin Masters (team bronze w/ Rossa Hurley, Niall Lynch & Gavin Keogh)
<< here is a link to the 2015 Dublin Masters XC after lap One. Fergal passes at about 15 seconds into the video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxJnLnBZGds >>
MARATHON – 2012 National M35 individual silver; 2013 National M35 individual silver and M35 team gold (w/ John Dunne & Niall Lynch); 2015 National M40 individual and M35 team silver (w/ Andy Kinane & Patrick Moriarty); 2017 National M40 individual gold and M35 team silver (w/ Chris Muldoon & Peter Gaffney); 2018 National M40 individual gold and M35 team bronze (w/ Ken Norgrove & Peter Gaffney); 2019 National M35 team bronze (w/ Ray Hynes & Andy Kinane).
HALF-MARATHON – 2013 National M35 individual gold (1.11.25) and M35 team bronze (w/ John Dunne & Niall Lynch); 2017 National M40 individual gold and M35 team silver (w/ Niall Lynch & Chris Muldoon); 2018 National M35 team silver (w/ Chris Muldoon & Andy Kinane); 2019 National M40 individual silver and M35 team bronze (w/ Des Tremble & Chris Muldoon).
10-MILE – 2019 National M40 individual gold and M35 team gold (w/ Des Tremble & Andy Kinane).
10 KM – 2019 National M40 individual gold
Fergal has won multiple medals in Dublin & Leinster championships.
He has also been a very successful athlete in open road races along his athletics path. Just prior to the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020 he came 2nd M40 in the Bohermeen ‘Half’ in 1.12.30. Also, among his recent succusses were his M40 victories in the Dublin half-marathon (1.14.18) and Frank Duffy 10 (55.58) in 2019.
<<here is a short clip of the 2013 National Road Relay masters race. Fergal is running in 5th place – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdaBFwisqOM>>
STANDARD QUESTIONS
PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? Dublin, 1975.
WHERE WERE YOU EDUCATED? Coolmine Community School, Dublin 15.
DIT College of Marketing & Design (Mountjoy Square) – B.Sc. (Mgmt.),
Advanced Diploma in Marketing & Administration.
Dun Laoghaire Senior College (Blackrock) – Post Graduate Diploma in
DIT College of Technology (Kevin Street) – M.Sc. in Computing (Data Analytics).
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MAIN CAREER PATH? Since graduating from college, I
have worked for AIB for over 20 years in various data analytics roles. I also
spent a short time working for National Australia Bank (NAB) in Melbourne
during a career break, doing a similar type of role.
IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? 2011
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? I had almost joined Liffey Valley a
couple of years beforehand. I had been getting more into fitness in my late
20’s, going to a lot of circuit training and spin classes in the gym and also doing a bit of running. However, I wasn’t convinced that I wanted to join a running
club and become a serious runner. I just liked doing it as one activity amongst
the other things.
So, a couple of years earlier, I had actually gone down to a few sessions with
Liffey Valley. However, I didn’t get the concept of an easy warm-up run over to
the Polo Grounds for a session and the easy cool-down run afterwards, with
only about 20-30 minutes of hard running. I also saw that they had a faster
group that they didn’t put me in, so I think that was bothering me a bit too! I
didn’t see much point in travelling all the way down there for a short workout,
when I had one-hour intense gym classes available nearer to home. After those
few sessions with Liffey Valley, I used to drive back into the park towards home
and then get out of my car at the Wellington Monument and run up and down
it about 100 times! Obviously now in hindsight I see that the Liffey Valley
sessions were perfectly normal, but that was not how I saw things back then,
so, didn’t join the club.
A short time later, I moved to Melbourne for a year and did the marathon in
2.55. About six months later, I did the Connemara marathon in 2.58, and
thought about giving a running club a go again. I was aware of Donore Harriers from just passing it many times. Many Saturday mornings, I used to see the
runners heading along the ‘S bends’ from the club towards the Magazine Fort.
Jim Mac (Namara) used to stand out with his bushy head of hair, although I
didn’t know his name then. My Dad knew who he was when I described him.
So, a few weeks after finishing the Connemara marathon, I simply popped
down to Donore Harriers one evening. I think it was a Thursday and I went out for a run with Fred Kiernan and Fergal Swaine. I remember the pace started very slow, and I was thinking “what is it with these club runners and slow
running”. However, the pace picked up as we ran 10 miles over the Phoenix Park trails, and I was hanging on to the lads.
WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE
HARRIERS? I played Gaelic football for St Brigid’s GAA club on the Navan Road
as a youngster and in my early teenage years.
DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? Gaelic football in my early years.
I used to swim a few times a week in my early twenties to try and stay fit and
fight off the flab! I also used to play a good bit of 5-a-side astro soccer with
friends.
Around the same time that I joined Donore Harriers, I also started
doing some triathlons and duathlons. I did that for a year or two. However, I
remember Jim Mac saying to me that if I wanted to be a serious runner, then I
should just run. So, I did!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? The marathon.
WHAT IS/ARE YOUR MAIN ROLE(S) AT THE CLUB? Athlete.
WHO WERE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? As a kid and
teenager, I loved soccer and was a Manchester United fan. I loved players with
skills and flair, like Giggs, Sharpe, Scholes and Ronaldo, and was also a big fan of Eric Cantona. Roy Keane also impressed me for his fitness and professionalism.
I think that had an influence on me around the time that I started to get into
being fit. I would push myself thinking of the likes of him, to be in the best shape that I could. I think Ronaldo is the ultimate athlete now – absolutely committed to his training regime and it shows on the pitch.
From a running perspective, Jim McNamara and Willie Dunne would have had a big influence. I was slightly in awe that I was in a dressing room with two Olympians, and I used to lap up their stories about training and racing in the
old days. I loved the idea of the old school hard training and that definitely had a huge influence on me. I remember after running a PB of 71 minutes in the Half Marathon that Jim Mac got my number from someone and rang me that evening to congratulate me. I was really chuffed that he took the time and
effort to do that. It says a lot about him. I know why he was a much-loved coach and all-round club legend.
In more recent years I have been a big fan of Eliud Kipchoge. Obviously an
amazing ground-breaking athlete. I love watching him run, it looks so effortless and efficient. What I really love though is how humble and dedicated he is.
There are a good few videos on YouTube showing his training camp and how he thinks, lives and acts with his training group. I have a lot of admiration for him.
SOCIAL QUESTIONS
WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
(Former Navy Seal and Ultrarunner). Good book about mindset and pushing your boundaries.
I’ve just started reading ‘Running with the Kenyans’. Enjoying it!
WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? I think it was Ed Sheeran in
the Phoenix Park a few years ago. I was blown away how one guy could have such stage presence in front of a huge crowd.
I got to see the musical Hamilton in London a couple of weeks before lockdown. It was brilliant too, highly recommended.
WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS?
1. Terminator & Terminator 2
2. Gladiator
3. No Country for Old Men
Shoutout to Marathon Man starring Dustin Hoffman, which is actually a very good film.
FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? AND WHY? Hard to pick one.
Torres del Paine (Chile/Argentina) is amazing for scenery and hiking.
I loved Bolivia many years ago. I loved Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) and having
some mad experiences like cycling “The Most Dangerous Road in the World”,
going down a mine and buying dynamite.
Australia and New Zealand for diverse and unique landscapes. Great places for
road trips and outdoor lifestyle. I love northern Spain for the culture and food.
Sri Lanka has a lot to offer – safari, hiking, beaches, food, culture. Just watch out when running. The dogs are not friendly, few scary enough encounters!
WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? I love
reading books – mainly self-development, entrepreneurship, or interesting
I like the Jack Reacher novels too.
I enjoy travelling and have been fortunate enough to visit a lot of countries.
I also like to get out walking or hiking, just being in the fresh air and clearing the head.
IF DESERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY
BE?
1. Paradise City by Guns n’Roses
2. Wonderwall by Oasis
3. Politik by Coldplay
(shows my evolving musical taste over the years!)
ATHLETICS QUESTIONS
WHO IS YOUR COACH? For marathon specific training, I have just coached myself over the past few years – although sessions and knowledge have
obviously been picked up from various coaches over the years.
Then, at other times of the year, I join back in with Willie Smith’s group. I really
enjoy Willie’s coaching. He is very caring towards every athlete and has developed a great spirit amongst the group. He always has some encouraging words and wants everyone to get the best out of themselves and is very
conscious of sensible training methods.
A special shoutout to Mick Bourke too, who has been standing on the side- lines with a stopwatch shouting encouragement in all sorts of weather conditions for many years.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? I am going to say my PB of 2.28.55 in the Dublin marathon in 2018, because that has ultimately defined my running career for many years. Breaking 2.30 was a goal that I was pretty much obsessed with and was driven by to train extremely
hard for many years.
I had made many attempts over several years beforehand where it just didn’t work out on the day for various reasons. Each year I was wondering if I would ever break 2.30. Did I want to put myself through the intense training cycle again – it was tough physically and mentally. Ultimately, I always decided that I would try as long as I have the capability. I didn’t want to look back some day and say that I hadn’t given it my best shot.
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES (PBs)?
5K – 15.52
10K – 33.05 (I had run another 10K a few weeks earlier in 32.43, but
frustratingly the course was short. I think I would have broken 33 that day.)
10 Mile – 54.49
Half Marathon – 71.35
Marathon – 2.28.55
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? Maybe simply 400 repeats. It
is the fastest pace that I ever run, so once I manage to dial in the pace with a
group, I feel like I am running well, and each one is over pretty quick! I would
always perform much better in a session like that with a group.
Not the answer I originally thought I would give to that question!
DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU DID? My least favourite
would be doing a session solo, that has long reps, and in the dark, and
particularly that combination. I have done a few of those over the years. I
cannot recall details of the hardest, but I will describe one from a few years ago that I remember and typifies how I have felt at times.
On a Saturday morning, I did an 8-mile tempo about 5.40 pace around the
Fifteen Acres in the park. I then jogged down to the club to meet Philip Hennessy to do 6 x 1mile with him. It was great to have company for the
second part of my session, but I was breathing hard from the start of those reps. Philip turned to me and said: “You are finishing after two”. After four of
them, he was literally trying to drag me back into the club. I managed to hang in there for all six. Not actually the worst session I have done, but just a hard one that sticks in my memory.
WHAT IS A TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN – OUTSIDE OF LOCKDOWNS? I
have consistently done fairly high mileage (85 – 100+ miles) for the past few years and have then increased it to very high mileage (120 – 135+ miles) for the
3-4 months leading up to a marathon.
A typical marathon training week would have been something like this:
Monday: AM: 12 miles PM: 4 miles easy
Tuesday: AM: 4 miles easy: PM: 4 x 2 miles (14 miles total w/ WU+CD).
Wednesday: AM: 12 miles PM: 5 miles easy
Thursday: AM: 4 miles easy, PM: 15 miles hilly progression run
Friday: AM: 9 miles easy, PM: 4 miles easy
Saturday: 9+ miles tempo at approx. marathon pace + 6 x 20 seconds (15 miles
total w/ WU+CD)
Sunday: 24+ miles steady run.
I will actually do less miles when training for my next marathon. While “miles
means minutes” – do the miles to shave off the minutes – has been one of my
mantras over the past few years, I would prefer to focus on being a little faster and fresher if possible.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ‘COMMUTE RUN’ TO YOUR OVERALL WEEKLY
TRAINING PLAN?
I remember a couple of years after joining the club that Ken Nugent told me that he had just run a 100-mile week while on holidays. I was shocked, and
even more so when he said he did the same the following week while back at
work. I was studying for a masters part-time on top of work at the time, but
decided I would try that once the semester finished. I just started adding a few miles to every run and managed to get it up to about 90, then 95 and then hit 100 a few weeks later.
Using the commute in and out of work was key to increasing my mileage. I live in Blanchardstown and worked in Ballsbridge for most of my career. So, by
running in or out of work (or both), I could do 9 miles each way.
Much of the time, I would park in the Phoenix Park and do about 4 miles in the
morning, and then an extended run such as 9 or 10 miles in the evening. I
would often run to Blackrock (opposite direction), so that I would have 6 miles done by the time I got back to the office, and then 4 more back to the car. I
found that to be a useful tactic to make sure to do the miles. Once you get to
Blackrock, there is no choice in running 7 more miles to get back to the car!
Another obvious benefit of using the commute for training is that it is time efficient. It would have taken me pretty much the same time to travel there by
train, including the walk at each end. Also, it is a lot easier to have a good-sized run done in the evening when you reach home, rather than try and summon the energy and motivation to go back out after you get home in a car or public transport. I used to find it easier to run home after a long day in work, knowing it had a practical purpose to it, i.e., to get home! Running in the morning is
obviously also a good way to start the day.
DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY OR UNUSUAL STORY RELATED TO ATHLETICS/THE
CLUB? I have a few stories …
One year for the Berlin marathon I decided to bring my own breakfast with me,
having had tummy issues in previous years. I handed a bowl of porridge to a
waiter in the hotel and asked her to heat it. I was waiting a while and no sign of
the porridge coming back out. Obviously getting anxious as timelines are tight for eating pre-race etc. With my German about as good as her English, “Danke”
is the extent of it, I frantically followed her into the kitchen, where it turned out my porridge had been binned. I managed to salvage a breakfast, but that was not the prepared start I had in mind that morning.
One year during marathon training, it must have been around peak training time a few weeks out, as John Downes had prescribed a monster session. I
think it was 28km in total (maybe 6km x 4, 1km recovery). I had got stuck in
work a little bit late, so missed doing it with the other lads. I was feeling sorry for myself that I was only starting around the time that they were finishing, and did about 4 miles warm-up, which was partly procrastination. I eventually got it done, just as it was getting dark, and I was delighted with myself. I had to jog back from Castleknock roundabout of the park to the club, so was pitch dark by the time I did that. It must have been close to 10pm. The gates were closed. I was soaked in sweat, dehydrated, and starting to get very cold very quickly. I jumped over the gate. I was then shouting for Stephen (Kelly – the caretaker) at the back of the club, hoping he would hear me. No response. Just as I was despairing about my next move, a back window upstairs opened. John Downes was just nodding off to sleep when he thought he heard a voice calling out. When he realised it was me, he couldn’t control his laughter, he was in tears. He came down and let me into the club, where I changed my clothes and
cycled home. It was a long evening!
A couple of years ago, I was running along the Merrion Road one evening
towards Blackrock. Opposite the Tesco, a guy passing on a bike slowed down and asked me where I worked. I replied “Ballsbridge”. He then asked as to
where I lived. “Blachardstown” I said, wondering why I was readily providing a
total stranger with personal information. He then goes “I see you everywhere” before he cycled off!
In 2019, about three weeks out from the Dublin marathon, I missed out on
doing a key session on the Saturday. The Three-Quarter Marathon (19.6 miles)
in Longwood, Enfield was on the next day, but I didn’t have an entry. I decided that would be a good way to get a quality session in, so decided I would just run it as a training run. I ran with a couple of lads who I knew and told them I
wasn’t racing, just so they knew the situation. When it came to an end, I was
in 8th position and was fairly motoring over the last couple of miles. I didn’t
want to cross the finish line, to cause any confusion about race results. I had
debated stopping slightly short at 19 miles, but of course instead decided to
round it up to 20. So, approaching the very end, with another runner just
behind me, instead of turning left into the carpark with the finish line, I just kept running straight like Forrest Gump. The stewards and small crowd were all roaring at me to take a left, thinking I had missed the finish. I ran on for a
couple of more minutes until I hit 20 miles, passing Eric Keogh and Mark
Kenneally walking back to their cars. I think Eric thought I was just doing something mad like repeating the whole course again.
WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME?
1. Sonia O’Sullivan
2. Catriona McKiernan
3. Katie Taylor / Rob Heffernan / John Treacy
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
WHERE DID YOUR INTEREST IN ATHLETICS STEM FROM? As outlined earlier, I
sort of just fell into it as part of getting healthy and fit and taking a step up
from being a fun runner doing the odd race here and there.
When I joined the club, I think I had run four marathons up to that point. Back
in 2008, I had decided I would like to do a marathon as a sort of bucket list item. I applied for the Dublin marathon in September a couple of days before
the closing deadline, and then went on holidays for a couple of weeks. When I
got back there was only about three or four weeks until marathon day. I didn’t
know anything about marathon training, so from a quick Google search, I came across the Hal Higdon Novice Plan. Quickly realising that the 18-week plan
would have to be condensed, I kind of followed the latter weeks of the plan. I
had also vaguely heard somewhere that breaking 3 hours for a marathon was considered a good achievement, so I decided I would go for that, as I would probably be only running one of them in my life! I call this “naive confidence”,
which I actually think can be a good thing for running. I had no preconceived notions about how difficult that would be and was not applying any self-imposed limitations.
I don’t recall huge amounts about the race itself, but I loved the buzz of it, and
always have since. Just using a basic stopwatch to keep track of time, I
somehow managed to finish that marathon in 2 hours and 59 minutes. I had
ticked the box! I was a little unsteady on my feet after I crossed the finish line,
and was whisked straight into a wheelchair and up to the medical tent.
I didn’t know back then what lay ahead of me in the years ahead.
YOU FINALLY BROKE THE 2½ HOURS BARRIER WITH A 2.28.55 MARATHON AT
DUBLIN IN 2018. TELL US ABOUT THAT DAY? My goal was to break 2.30 and I
had come very close the previous year 2.30.39 – 40 seconds over my dream time. That morning while having breakfast, I had written 2.28 and 5.40 (pace)
on an A4 page with a marker – just as a form of visualisation. I used to keep those numbers drilled into my head.
I have been lucky enough to get an elite entry for the Dublin marathon for the
past few years, so during a short warm-up with a few other lads who were going for the same time we agreed to try and stick together. In previous years, I had been exposed to wind and run much of the marathon on my own. Peter
Mooney was one of those lads, and he had managed to break 2.30 in his last
few marathons, so I felt my chances were good if I could stick with him.
There is always that nervous anticipation leading up to the start. The time ticks down very quickly and always feels like a bit of a frantic rush getting the final
preparations in place and up to the start line.
Always a bit mad of a start with people bursting off, but I try to stay relaxed and keep an eye on the group I want to run with. It thins out after a mile or so, so I don’t get too worked up early on. However, it is hard enough to dial straight into 5.40 pace, especially when on hills and the climb up towards Stoneybatter.
I try and run at a fairly even pace throughout, maybe a fraction slower for the first 10km, and then pick the pace up slightly in the latter half or just finish strong. Castleknock is a great spot for the crowd support. My family are always there too, and I usually get a gel from my brother here. It is only a couple of miles from my home, so it is great to pass through a local spot that I run through every day. I find that I settle down a bit once we are coming down the side of the park after Castleknock as there is a constant subtle climb up to that point.
Also, at that stage you are about 8 miles in, so you are well on the way. The
buzz coming by Donore at mile 9 is always unbelievable, even when you know
it’s coming. I find that climb just after Chapelizod village very tough, but try not
to force the pace. We had a nice small group working very well together and that made a big difference, both physically and psychologically. Miles were ticking by and I felt okay. I knew if I could just keep going at that pace, I would make it, but very unpredictable what would happen. It is a fine line trying to hit those times, just hoping to keep going to the finish line without falling apart. A lot of head games going on.
At about the 20-mile mark coming down towards Milltown, I seemed to surge away a little from the group. Peter Mooney came with me. It wasn’t really intentional. I was more interested in the time rather than race position. Peter said some encouraging words but reminded me to stay controlled. I remember going well over the next few miles, running strong up the UCD ramp and feeling that it was going exactly as I wanted, although still with some apprehension about the last few miles. I was on my own at this stage. Turning onto Merrion Road is the first time that it starts to feel properly hard. I don’t know if the mind starts to switch off knowing it is near the end, but it was now all about willpower and forcing myself to keep moving at that pace. It was playing over in my mind about how much I had wanted this time and it was within my grasp and totally down to me over the next few minutes whether I
did it or not. The atmosphere coming down Mount Street towards Merrion
Square is electric. Thousands of people cheering, surrounded by the high- office buildings give a kind of amphitheatre effect. There are barely any other runners around, so I pretty much had the street to myself. I can see the blue carpet in the distance, but my eyesight is not great, so I cannot make out the
time on the digital clock. I was virtually under it when I could see the time –
2.28.55. Relief, joy, exhaustion. Done!
Afterwards, I met up with my girlfriend (now wife) and family and a couple of
friends. We went to Toners for a while to catch up with the Donore Harries gang. The buzz around town is unreal. I think it is one of the best days in Dublin each year, even for people not running. I just headed home in the afternoon to relax and have a nice dinner. Not much energy for any more than that!
GOING FORWARD, WHAT ARE TARGETS IN MASTERS ATHLETICS? I would love to break 16 minutes again for 5km. I did that once several years ago, so would like to get back to there. To do that, I feel I would be in very good shape. It
would obviously be great to PB in any of the other distances too, or at least keep producing decent results and competing for Masters medals.
Overall, I would like to focus on improving my speed. I think I need to be fresher and run with better form to do that and focus on speed type sessions.
Other than that, I want to just stay fit and healthy.
DO YOU HAVE ASPIRATIONS OF COMPETING IN THE WORLD AND/OR
EUROPEAN MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS? I would love to compete in the World or European Masters Championships. It is something that I will have to look into at some point. There are some phenomenal Masters athletes out there,
and I think it is getting more competitive every year.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE AWAY TRIP RELATED TO ATHLETICS? I
have travelled to the Berlin marathon a few times with a small group from the
club and have always enjoyed those trips. In 2017 I participated in the Boston
marathon and absolutely loved that experience. The crowds were incredibly loud and enthusiastic all the way along the course, especially as you passed
through each town on the way into Boston city centre. I got a PB that day too and finished well up the field, so that made the experience all the better.
HAVE YOU SUFFERED FROM ANY SERIOUS SPORTS RELATED INJURY? Yes, I
have had a few injuries that have resulted in layoffs. The first was many years ago, before I had joined the club. I put my back out a couple of days after the
Warriors Run in Sligo, which is run over a mountain. Not sure what exactly
happened, but perhaps the strain from running up and down hill, when I had little experience did something. I was in a lot of discomfort for about three weeks until I saw an Osteopath. He immediately recognised that I was out of
alignment and “straightened” me up, and the relief was immediate.
I had another serious enough injury a few years ago when I stopped running for a few weeks to complete a thesis. I was hunched over a laptop for many hours every day for about a month and didn’t run during this time. My body seems to have seized up during this time and when I tried to go running again I felt a lot of pain around the groin area. It took months before I could run properly again.
Also, after the 2018 and 2019 Dublin marathons, it has taken me two to three months to recover from them. I don’t know if changing from very high mileage to no mileage for a few weeks has made my body seize up, but I have found it
very hard to run at all for many weeks after those two marathons. My body
hurts and even running at a very slow pace seems like hard exertion.
HOW HAVE YOU COPED WITH TRAINING DURING THE LOCKDOWN PERIODS?
It is over a year now since I have competed in a race. I have continued to run pretty much every day, and twice a day often too. For the most part I have run
pretty high mileage and gone through long periods of just running easy or
steady miles and maybe doing a bit of a harder run, like a fartlek or progression run, a couple of times a week.
At one stage last year I followed a 5km training plan and did a couple of time
trials with that. I am just about to start repeating that 5km programme again,
so, have reduced my mileage over the past few weeks. I am going to keep it a
bit lower over the next few months. As I said, I want to focus on getting a bit
faster and fresher.
It is good to have something to focus on and bring some purpose to the
training. I just want to make sure that I am ticking over in decent enough shape, so that when racing does come back, I am already half-way up the
fitness mountain. I am just grateful that we can still get out and run during
lockdown. It is good to keep fit, get outdoors and helps with mental health.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPORTING REGRETS? No major regrets, but I remember
one experience that taught me a lesson. A few years ago, I came 2nd in the
Achill Half Marathon, and Gary O’Hanlon was 3rd. He was just coming back from an injury and was building back up. Just a few weeks later the National Half-Marathon championships (the Rock N’Roll event) was taking place and I didn’t participate. The group I was training with were not participating and I think that I let that influence my decision. Gary had obviously improved dramatically in the few short weeks and I think he came 2nd that day. I remember watching it and wondering why I was spectating instead of competing. The half-marathon would be one of my strong events, so I should have been doing it and putting myself in the mix for a national medal. I usually participate in all races now that interest me, so the fact that I remember this story may have influenced that.
WHAT ONE CHANGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AT DONORE HARRIERS? I would have said it would be nice to expand the track to 400m by taking over some of that parkland beside the club site. However, I see that has now been given over to plots (allotments).
It might be nice if there was an annual training trip each year (around January
perhaps) to somewhere like Club LaSanta. A week for a bit of warm weather
training, socialising and relaxing.
HAVE YOU EVEN COMPETED IN THE WATERHOUSE BYRNE BAIRD SHIELD AND
WHAT WAS YOUR BEST RESULT? I have competed several times, although have not done so for the past couple of years for various reasons, mainly because still not recovered from the Dublin marathon two months earlier. I am not sure of my best time, possibly 61 minutes. I want to break the hour on that course, so need to be in good shape and very motivated to do that.