ARTist in the spotlight (This week T Runner)

ecoli

My stint done its time to call up the next victim volunteer.Sunday to Sunday for this one.

Previous editions:

(shotgun)MCOS
interested
el director
Tunney
TheRoadRunner
Krusty_Clown
Seres
Abhainn
Mick Rice
ecoli


Favourite event?
Favourite running memory?
If you weren't a runner what sport would you do?
Lowest point in your running career?
Favourite Session?
If you could do a training run with any two athletes who would they be and why?

thirstywork2

which is your first love mountain running or marathons?
What is your longterm goal time wise for the marathon ie how fast is your body capable off?

Are you prone to inuries and what is your main tips for kepping them away?

Favourite session?

Favourite location to train?

Runners you look up to and admire?

Slogger Jogger

Favorite imra event?
Best imra race you had?
What improvement are you capable of in your current Warriers run pb?
90 mins to spare, no schedule or target to speak off. What route would you run to revive the spirits?

T runner

thirstywork2 wrote: »

which is your first love mountain running or marathons?
What is your longterm goal time wise for the marathon ie how fast is your body capable off?

Are you prone to inuries and what is your main tips for kepping them away?

Favourite session?

Favourite location to train?

Runners you look up to and admire?

Which is your first love mountain running or marathons?
First love is mountain running. Not counting the Warriors run (mixed terrain) I think i only ran one road race in my first 5-6 years of running.

I love the feeling of running freely over mountain tops. By doing that you are really free of many of the physical. psychological and sometimes spiritual limitations that non exercising folk are often forced to live within

That said, I love the fitness you gain from marathon training and you learn a lot about yourself through it.

What is your longterm goal time wise for the marathon ie how fast is your body capable off?

Im in the middle of a marathon cycle at the moment and i may have a chance at going sub 2:35. If i achieve that ( and id honestly put it at 40:60 against) Then i would say that sub 2:30 or slighly better (2:28.xx) might be possible. I would need 2-3 more big (6 month-ish) high mileage aerobic build ups to marathons before id have the aerobic capacity to run at that speed.
Being realistic, Im 39 now, and if i were to achieve under 2:32 as a lifetime goal id be very satisfied. I really enjoy the training though and wont be too unhappy if i never lower my PB.

Are you prone to inuries and what is your main tips for kepping them away?

No chronic injuries. I started running relatively late (age 29) which may explain that. A lot of off road running mitigates against chronic injury also.

The following has helped with injury:
Slow mileage buildup. The body takes a while to adapt to new training loads so build up slowly. You can be content in the fact that this approach guarantees a large stimulus to fitness in the consistant interim weeks between starting mileage and goal mileage. Also, The body can handle more miles with reduced injury risk by running slower and doing doubles or even trebles. The pace can be increased as the body shows signs of adapting. Always err on the side of caution: increase mileage/pace only after your body has adapted to a level of work that can support the increase.
Good form: II run with adequate cadence. By doing so you are reducing the time your foot is in contact with the ground and thus the shock. For this marathon cycle i realised id be running 160km/100m weeks. Injury was a real risk (touch wood). I started the cycle by 4-5 weeks doing all my runs at a fast clip. When i needed recovery i slowed as much as possible and reduced run duration until the two goals of reecovery with fast cadence were met. After this i was able to run at a variety of speeds with similar cadence and this could begin my buildup proper. Sometimes its nice to run some recoveries very slow or lifting the knees a bit higher. I do those ones always on grass to cushion the shock.
I have found core exercises excellent for form particularly late in long runs or when otherwise tired (recovery runs)
If your form is deteriorating do strides but not the day after a very long or hard effort.

Flexibilty. You need enough to run within a full range of motion but not so much to lose youre flexibilty. If you have the flexibily to run a level or two above your goal distance you have enough. Doing strides is great for this and is a form of dynamic stretching in itself. Warm up and dynamic stretch before. Some dynamic and static stretching is good. Being able to do a sun salutation in Yoga a couple of times a week is a fun way to incorporate flexibility.

Also: avoid indoor soccer. Cost me a year in 2004. Runners are still able to sprint at the end of the game and go over on ankles that arent as “fit” for lateral movement. Give it a miss or go in goals!
Also avoid long hard downhills before youre prepared. The long downhill at race pace hurt my hamstring during the Dublin plod last year. That said, having legs hardened to downhill running will help avoid injury too on any gradient (e.g muscular tears)

Runners you look up to and admire?

A common sight in Strandhill between 1985 and 1990 was a long haired athlete finish well ahead of high quality fields in the Warriors run. Fields that included world mountain running champions. This athlete completed the then 10 mile road race with a 330m offroad mountain thrown in, in a few seconds over 50 minutes. John Lenihan is a legend.

T runner

Favorite imra event?

Carrauntoohil. Have never ran to potential as long intense races kill me. Its definately the best race in Ireland, an athletic challenge everyone should try.

Recently i like Bray head. Its got steep uphill, fast runneable uphill and very fast downhill and a steep technical downhill. Above all it requires pace judgement. Intelligent application of correct pacing will be rewarded in hill running. Thats why PN and Enduro have so many 1s after their names.

Best imra race you had?

I attach most importance to how i run regardless of my fitness. We all know in our hearts ive weve done ourselves justice or not. One winter league race in Ballinastoe i decided to chase Gary Crossan. I blew a large gasket 3/4 way up the climb. I was passed by Bazman, Peterx and james mcF (all 3 still not reached their potential obviously). I remember Bazman said after that he looked at me and thought i was completely fecked. And i was. What was different was that i had planned to win that race and so had decided where i needed to be at different points in the race. I knew that whomever was leading that group at the head of the upcoming steep rough climb would have an advantage. I absolutely buried myself to get to that point ahead of the lads. Encouraged as Hannibal with a coming together plan i was able to slighly recover on the way down while holding my lead. I had practiced the lower descent so was able to force a gap there. I held my lead for a good second and recovered a lot of ground on Gary, only 30 s back i think.

That taught me the power of the mind and of planning. There is an art to learning lessons. You have to keep them learned though. I think that this race was satisfying for me.

What improvement are you capable of in your current Warriers run pb?

Id like to think i could take just over 3 mins off it to get under 56.
Would almost require a marathon build up with very specific training. You need to be savage strong to run teh three sections in hard fast times.


90 mins to spare, no schedule or target to speak off. What route would you run to revive the spirits?

Something on the Reeks, anything on a clear day thats not too hot.

Locally, anything starting near the Glenmalure lodge usually ends up with a good lift to the spirits. I dont drink so thats not an entendre for sinking shorts. I think around Mullacor and the Derrybaen ridge is a nice place that i dont run often enough

Slogger Jogger

" Mullacor and the Derrybaen ridge is a nice place that i dont run often enough"

Happy to meet up some weekend and correct that.

thirstywork2

What are your pb's from 5k to the full marathon and do you think you can still reduce your times at the lower distances while training specifically for the marathon?

RacoonQueen

Best advice another runner has ever given you?
Best advice you'd give to a newbie hill runner?
Favourite flavour of crisps?
Ever done any mountain races abroad? or any you'd like to do?

T runner

Favourite session:
At the moment a progression run with 4 fractions:

eg 20' warm up: 10min @ 3:50km (6:15m) 10 @ 3:40 (5:55) 10 @ 3:30 (5:40) 10 @ 3:20 (5:20) 20' WD

You get a lot more out of it than a 40 min run at the average pace.

Last year my favourite session was: 12 by 400 @ 5k pace with 1' recovery.
Run all reps concentrating on running tall and relaxing (good form)

add 2 reps per week. Its not a difficult session once you dont ran faster than 5k pace. A massive return in terms of improvements in form and holding 5k pace in 5ks and being comfortable at 10k pace.

Favourite location to train?

Flat running locally id say Phoenix park has everything: good road running, hills, polo ground for intervals and a circuit external to the park for winter night running. Train a lot around St Annes/Clontarf/Bull Island too.

Im from strandhill in Sligo and its a beautiful place to train: Miles of hard and soft Beach, mountain, flat trails, huge sand dunes.

What are your pb's from 5k to the full marathon and do you think you can still reduce your times at the lower distances while training specifically for the marathon?
5k: 16:07 (i think)
5m 27:12
10k 34:19
10m n/a
HM 78:20
M 2:44:48

Being honest if id to run any of these distances this coming weekend i would be confident of lowering my PB: (except i might lose to much time in the last few miles of a marathon at the moment) . I dont really do many road races and probably should work to get these down. 5k time is the strongest there. I would be confident of taking a large chunk off HM time in current fitness.

I might try and train with another big aerobic buildup for an Autumn half marathon and try and have a go at these PBs. Im very focused on my goal marathon and may not get a chance to lower any this time.

PositiveNegativ

Which would you prefer, an international mountain running vest or a 2:30 marathon?
Have you time still for both?
Have you considered swoping the h and e keys on your keyboard?

T runner

Best advice another runner has ever given you?
Enjoy youre running and be consistant. If you are finding it hard to get out then change your run location, session or even cross train but above all enjoy and be consistant.

I apply that by making up sessions when its getting stale and keep things interesting by taking the map out (road or off-road) and plotting new runs

Best advice you'd give to a newbie hill runner?

Uphill:
Id say the best thing to achieve initially is uphill climbing endurance. More time running uphill = more climbing endurance. Therefore slow down on uphills on training runs, right down. If there are any breaks in a climb jog very easily and recover so you can get further up the next hill. Initially you would be a lot quicker walking but this is the fastest way to improve. If you run too hard on the uphills youl only get a minute climbing before being forced to walk and it will take you a lot longer to get the endurance to improve at uphill running.

Downhill:
During long training runs dont force the down hill at all. Concentrate just on picking the best positions to plant your foot without speeding up or slowing. Try and concentrate for all the downhill while youre improving. Very quickly youll be able to relax and be running more with youre mind with the legs following automatically.

Dont run more than 30% of your time on hills.

If youre on a 20-30 mile a week schedule: do the long run on hills and one session. Alternate between short, long, tempo on hills depending on upcoming races time of year etc, but mix and match.

In general the fitter the better youll do so get plenty of kilometers in at aerobic paces. In fact id advise plenty of fast aerobic miles out of season (keeping 1 hill run a week). As the season nears start doing more clearcut sessions.

Favourite flavour of crisps?

Normaly dont eat them Green Pringles in a pub after a hill race would be a trap ive fallen into! Also, ive ben known to eat salt and vinegar Tayto from vending machines when famished.

As a kid, snax, burger bites and ofcourse......monster munch

Ever done any mountain races abroad? or any you'd like to do?

Ive done some:

In 2005 i went on a holiday to Switzerland and took in 3 classic mountain races:


Thyon Dixence starts at a Ski resort and finishes on a hige Dam. Course conditions most like Ireland for descending. Theres a very good mountain hut about 45 mins hike from the start

Sierre-Zinal

A very famous race over 32k and 200m ascending. You pass near 5 snow capped mountains over 4000 metres on route. This is also in the Valais region of Western Switzerland/Rhone valley.

Matterhorn race

Uphill only, a classic race finishing just off one of the prism edges (im no mountaineer) that is the Matterhorn.

A good 10 day group holiday for so inclined boardsies might be to take in the first two and hike between staying in mountain huts. A change of scene big time.

I have also stayed and trained in the Aosta Valley which lies on the Italian side of Mont Blanc (monte Bianco).

T runner

Which would you prefer, an international mountain running vest or a 2:30 marathon?

An International vest. Ive actually thought it recently as ive been getting fitter. Mountain running is my sport and to run for Ireland in Worlds or Europe is the pinnacle. If i had a few vests then it would be closer. The best thing about the marathon is the journey, i think. THe PB is a stimulus, and its a wonderful feeling immediately after finishing and indeed during most of the race, but mainly its the journey. The prize is more relevant for a vest even though the journey may be just if not more enjoyable.



Have you time still for both?

I was looking at a training schedule for Billy Burns in a book called Off-Road running.

He focuses on a Spring marathon and the world trophy in teh Autumn.

I think i could get both and it may be in the same year. From what ive noticed so far ive had a very positive aerobic development from a consistant high mileage buildup. That means that both my marathon PB ambitions and my Irish vest ones are stronger now than 6 months ago.

I think 2-3 years of high mileage will see me peak taking into account my potential slowing through age, so i have 2-3 years.

TBH ive never lined up believing i could qualify. After my last attempt in 2006 i decided not to line up unless i really had a chance. I was very fit in 2006 for Irish mountain running but didnt have the speed endurance or aerobic capacity and power to last with the guys that turned up that day.

If it was on in 6 weeks i feel id have a chance. Thats me decided to give it a go this summer, thanks!

Id also like to have a proper cut at the Irish Champs. Irish Champion versus Irish vest? Id say Irish chaps. Very, very hard for me to get both in the same year, and the worry is that if your Sith apprenticd Darth OCNOC concentrates 100% on mountain running then it may push that ambition beyond me for this lifetime.


Have you considered swoping the h and e keys on your keyboard?

Ive tried telling my left typing finger that the t's were its responsibility now. Unfortunately it likes the game of trying to get the e in right between my right fingers hammy attempts to get the t and h out quickly.

dna_leri

When did you take up running, did you do much as a youngster?

Have you played other sports, were you any good?

Showgrounds or Markievicz Park?

T runner

When did you take up running, did you do much as a youngster?

A little in national schoo,l sportsdays. Used to come about 6-7th out of 20-25 in mini races.

Secondary school XC with Sligo vocational school. Best results was a 4th in Sligo VEC race. I remember Easkey togged out in their football gear. They were all packed together. You had to pass wide or fast or you got a kick in the arse from whomever was leading their group.

Have you played other sports, were you any good?

Played loads of sports. Soccer, Gaelic, Tennis, table tennis, pool etc. Was a bit of a perfectionist. Remember playing handball against the side of our house with a tennis ball for a month straight until i thought i had it sussed. Showed promise at golf. Played since i was 5. Didnt pay till i was 13 so got some running training being chased by the greenkeeper. Won a few competitions at a young age but didnt like the elitist attitude of a minority of the golfers. Complete Tossers. I play the odd game on public courses. As a game i think im now against it. Hard to justify taking up huge swathes of the countryside for it.


Showgrounds or Markievicz Park?

Showgrounds. Where im from in Sligo is soccer like the town. Have played Gaelic and was involved in the famous Strandhill walk out which was only resolves when the clubname Coolera became Coolera-Strandhill. We showed those Shelbyvillers!

donothoponpop

Best memories from running downhill?

Toughest uphill trying to break someone trying to break you?

Ever close your eyes for a while running downhill?

T runner

Best memories from running downhill?

My first warriors run as a 15 year old i really let fly. Didnt realise it was so steep, couldnt stop. Only slowed when it levelled out.

My best mountain descent i had i think was Nephin in 2005. I did practice descending on garss for the race and another the trigger was watching a descent on telly the night before: from some multi stage race in Italy involving a mountain section.

Anyway, i glided down the scree and grass that day. I closed significantly on the leaders which included Richie O'Donnell who is consistantly fast. Stupidly, ended up in a gully. Thats what happens when you get your orienteering directions from a lyrical race report by PosNeg rather than a map. Well i saw the fecking "rocky highway" PosNeg because i was in it! In fairness i think the description was following the rocky highway (rocky gully) not actually descending into it. The word highway got me i think. Anyway, im less inclined to disorientation now!


Toughest uphill trying to break someone trying to break you?

Ive had a few good battles with Bernard ascending Caher on the old Carrauntoohil route route. Think i lost most of them.

Can usually hold my own with anyone in the near vicinity on a climb, rough descents in long races when tired are usually where i fall down.

The descent from the same Caher on the old route being a case in point. If youre not strong enough there (or have battled too hard with Bernard going up) youll suffer horribly and lose time, and the use of your quads for a week.

Ever close your eyes for a while running downhill?

Not without my Jedi knight outfit and crash helmet!

dna_leri

T runner wrote: »

When did you take up running, did you do much as a youngster?

A little in national schoo,l sportsdays. Used to come about 6-7th out of 20-25 in mini races.

Secondary school XC with Sligo vocational school. Best results was a 4th in Sligo VEC race. I remember Easkey togged out in their football gear. They were all packed together. You had to pass wide or fast or you got a kick in the arse from whomever was leading their group.

So do you think you matured late as a runner or could you "have been a champ" if you had been encouraged/coached/bothered in earlier years?

On a similar theme, what do you think the AAI and clubs should do better to encourage young athletes and develop the sport?

Are you involved in the coaching side or have you any interest in it in later years?

Thanks for taking the time.

donothoponpop

T runner wrote: »

Ever close your eyes for a while running downhill?

Not without my Jedi knight outfit and crash helmet!

On a good grassy section, its a rush. Be careful though, its more addictive than heroin!

T runner

So do you think you matured late as a runner or could you "have been a champ" if you had been encouraged/coached/bothered in earlier years?

I dont think i could have been a champ. When we ran the odd time in national school i used to be 6th or 7th out of a class including 20 lads.

So not near the top level at all.

I could have done better if i got into it more as a youngster. I trained for my first warriors run aged 15 and was close enough to other club runners of my age, and i liked the training, the aerobic running. Running for a club never entered my head though. Probably might be a bit better now, but might be injured or retired also!

The main loss to me would have been in the lifestyle. Its a great gift to have a healthy sustaineable hobby, and running, hiking etc are certainly in taht category. With a little daughter growing up and knowing what i know now, id be edging towards sneaking on of those more long term hobbies into her schedule.

On a similar theme, what do you think the AAI and clubs should do better to encourage young athletes and develop the sport?

One area is making sure that each child is given the option at each stage of his/her development. Every school should be affiliated/partnered with a running club. Some schoold sessions could be taken by the club. That means that runners dont fall through the big hole between schools and senior running (catered for by clubs). Needs examining the various routes for a youngster to running and making sure that there are and being involved with paths for tehse routes.

Weve lost a good few potential olympic athletes and medals to the GAA. Club GAA players could be fitter and better trained. Allying AAI clubs with GAA clubs (and soccer to a lesser degree), for the purposes of fitness training (share sessions, expertise) might give the GAA player who is a really exeptional runner an option while giving GAA clubs fitter players.

Are you involved in the coaching side or have you any interest in it in later years?

Give advice to some novices. Will definately do a coaching course in time...if just for the knowledge.

Thanks for taking the time.

Youre welcome. Sligo for Sam.

T runner

donothoponpop wrote: »

On a good grassy section, its a rush. Be careful though, its more addictive than heroin!

Ill give it a go. Will be after my spring marathon though.