Irish Runner

Domer

While I applaud the tremendous weight loss of Hannah Nolan featured in this Month's Irish Runner, did it really merit the front cover, and the few pages that it took inside? Was this a paid feature for her new website, or am I being cynical?

Surely with the wealth of young Irish Running talent around at the moment, the front cover of our premiere (only) running magazine should be used to highlight this talent and maybe the promotion will help an up and coming athlete get some sponsorship, or at least, recognition.

ultrapercy

Domer wrote: »

While I applaud the tremendous weight loss of Hannah Nolan featured in this Month's Irish Runner, did it really merit the front cover, and the few pages that it took inside? Was this a paid feature for her new website, or am I being cynical?

Surely with the wealth of young Irish Running talent around at the moment, the front cover of our premiere (only) running magazine should be used to highlight this talent and maybe the promotion will help an up and coming athlete get some sponsorship, or at least, recognition.

No your right it didnt merit a front page it didnt merit a mention at all in what is supposed to be a running magazine.That magazine is a joke and is getting worse every issue. Surely Britton should have got front page? Not a word about the Fagan drug story,head burried in the sand. This is probably the reason it was 6 weeks late coming out. Its becoming more like Womans Own or Weight Watchers Monthly (quaterly) all the time.

Getonwithit

Despite being run out of the AAI office the AAI get very little back I feel.. Is the policy focused on shifting copies though? Should it be? If it is pure athletics youre looking for try Athletics Weekly, theres more in a weekly edition of AW than in 3 months of Irish Runner.

tang1

If memory serves me correctly the article about Joe Sweeney was in it sometime last year, or an article very similiar.

TheRoadRunner

I actually thought this edition wasn't too bad, but it's all relevant I suppose. There was a decent feature on Britton & Sweeney (even if a bit repetitive from previous interviews). Bit on Bertie Messit was very good. O'Hanlon piece was excellent, very raw and no BS

I think stories like that featured on the cover is aimed at increasing readership by enticing those new to running. I like the OP would have rolled my eyes in the past but it's the route the magazine has gone. As other have said is a bit like women's weekly in places.

ultraman1

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

. As other have said is a bit like women's weekly in places.

im just waitin for datin classifieds in the back 2 pages:D....i sent in a link to a report on the donadea 50k and a few fotos and results,,,didnt even get a reply..

Pisco Sour

ultraman1 wrote: »

im just waitin for datin classifieds in the back 2 pages:D....i sent in a link to a report on the donadea 50k and a few fotos and results,,,didnt even get a reply..

I like the magazine, but only read the stuff about the elites. The training stuff doesn't interest me much as it is very repetitive, and all geared towards people running marathons. No focus on sprints/ jumps/ throws etc. It is geared towards the masses. I don't blame them, and to be honest it is probably a good idea, and maybe it might get a few outsiders into athletics (could be clutching at straws though).

With regards not getting a reply, I wouldn't take it personally. Nice guy, and does a lot of great work, but hopeless at getting back to people. I sent him an email with my Running Review stuff and he got back to me saying he was awfully impressed and that he'd like to give me a call about putting one of the articles in the yearbook. I'm still waiting on that call.

donothoponpop

04072511 wrote: »

With regards not getting a reply, I wouldn't take it personally. Nice guy, and does a lot of great work, but hopeless at getting back to people. I sent him an email with my Running Review stuff and he got back to me saying he was awfully impressed and that he'd like to give me a call about putting one of the articles in the yearbook. I'm still waiting on that call.

Have to agree with this. I got an email from IR a while back, they wanted to do a piece about the marathon pacers, free subscription for any contributors... so I got a few to do up a report, sent it in... and heard nothing back. Still, FG has his heart in the right place, I'm not knocking him for a second.

On the original topic (since she's a local legend down my way) WOOOT! Well done cover girl Hannah Nolan!:D

TheRoadRunner

ultraman1 wrote: »

im just waitin for datin classifieds in the back 2 pages:D....

I hope for your sake they don't require a profile photo

tHE vAGGABOND

The first issue in ages where I read all the articles, so liked this issue.

re: weight loss lady - news flash, some people [including my good self] are indeed interested in stories like that and want to read them. If folks want a magazine with nothing but stories you personally want to read, then get off your arse and start one and stop moaning tbh.

Also the first issue in 23 years not pushing Chi Runniner:pac:

G-Money

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

The first issue in ages where I read all the articles, so liked this issue.

re: weight loss lady - news flash, some people [including my good self] are indeed interested in stories like that and want to read them. If folks want a magazine with nothing but stories you personally want to read, then get off your arse and start one and stop moaning tbh.

I agree with this. I recently subscribed to Irish Runner and while I like it when elites get the coverage they deserve, I had no problem with this being the main cover of the magazine. Part of it is that I'm in the middle of a weight loss effort myself so I always like to read other people's success stories, especially when it's combined with running.

Pisco Sour

G-Money wrote: »

I agree with this. I recently subscribed to Irish Runner and while I like it when elites get the coverage they deserve, I had no problem with this being the main cover of the magazine. Part of it is that I'm in the middle of a weight loss effort myself so I always like to read other people's success stories, especially when it's combined with running.

The problem that some people might see with her getting on the front of the magazine could be that it devalues the sport of athletics a bit. There are many people who see running as nothing more than a weight loss activity or something that you do to warm up or get fit for another sport. Putting people like this (or Ray D'Arcy) on the cover could potentially reinforce this opinion of our sport.

That's one side of the coin. The other, as I have mentioned, is that it could help sell more copies and give our best athletes more exposure. I'm not particularly bothered. We have bigger things to worry about.

But what would inspire a kid more to take up athletics: Watching Derval O'Rourke win major championship medals, or watching somebody make up for years of abuse of one's body, or watching a radio presenter run a marathon in 4 hours?

tHE vAGGABOND

But what would inspire a kid more to take up athletics: Watching Derval O'Rourke win major championship medals, or watching somebody make up for years of abuse of one's body, or watching a radio presenter run a marathon in 4 hours?

TBH alas the answer has to be 3; as its closer to home and linked to the "fame at all costs" way society has gone.

I had a stupid number of comments post DCM for all manner of people about how proud I must have been to beat Ray Darcy - just the way some people are...

Personally, in terms of normal adult involvement in the sport, folks like us turning up to races, buying magazines and going training with clubs I would say 2 is the most important - as 90% of people out there are unhappy with their appearance and want to get involved in something.

For kids, seeing someone win a medal of any kind is great - but we would need someone high profile, amazing and charismatic to give a real boost to numbers [All very much IMHO clearly] - and I dont know of anyone like that?

Jnealon

She caught my attention in the december issue after running a very impressive3.30 ish marathon. She was part of the "marathon spartans/virgins" group iirc.
Sure she deserves the front cover, might encourage more mums etc to sign up to their local fit 4 life

Pisco Sour

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Personally, in terms of normal adult involvement in the sport, folks like us turning up to races, buying magazines and going training with clubs I would say 2 is the most important - as 90% of people out there are unhappy with their appearance and want to get involved in something.

Sure, for many Joe Soap or Mary Public of the adult population that could be what inspires them to run. But for kids no chance. Sure when I was a kid I ran around cluelessly pretending to be Eric Cantona on the crappy grass pitch at the top of my estate. During the Olympics I would race the other kids thinking I was Michael Johnson. I liked to be Tiger Tim Henman come Wimbledon time, and I recall a few of us likeing to think we were Jonah Lomu the odd time we threw a rugby ball around. Not once did I think I was Uncle Johnny or Auntie Maggie who had recently achieved a weight loss of 10kg.

Kids looks up to the best. Simple as. The likes of Derval are what get kids into the sport. Not people plodding around the streets. In fact that would probably push kids away from the sport. Hardly something that would sell the sport to kids in the field game dominated market in Ireland.

RayCun

They chose someone for the cover of a magazine not to lead a fitness drive in schools.
I would guess that casual buyers of Irish Runner are more likely to be adults.

Pisco Sour

RayCun wrote: »

They chose someone for the cover of a magazine not to lead a fitness drive in schools.
I would guess that casual buyers of Irish Runner are more likely to be adults.

True that. It was more just a general point about the attitudes to running/athletics among the general public, with it being seen by many as a weight loss tool as opposed to a sport. I guess in some ways the cover of Irish Runner backs up this.

RayCun

You're reading a lot into one cover - isn't the cover photo usually of an elite athlete?

TheRoadRunner

RayCun wrote: »

You're reading a lot into one cover - isn't the cover photo usually of an elite athlete?

Not always. In recent years a lot of non elite athletes have been on the cover. Couldn't give you a definitive figure but maybe 70/30 elite/nonelite

nerraw1111

Well the cover has worked, has us talking about it as well as some positive reviews of the magazine, so from that point of view, the cover has been a great success.

Normally not a fan of these type of stories but done right, they can be very interesting. Marathon Talk podcasts usually only interview the elite in the sport but the most memorable interview for me was with the taxi driver who went from doing cocaine at the weekends, to running close or under 3 hours for a marathon. It worked because it was focused on his running rather than some nonsense about a journey.

I'm hazard a guess and say most people do sport for enjoyment and to lose weight/keep fit, be it 5 a side, swimming, badminton, cycling or running. I don't think running is any different.

I think Ray D'Arcy is doing wonders for running in general. He's encouraged so many to get into it and has normalised it, it's not a big deal, stick on some runners and get out in the fresh air.

belcarra

04072511 wrote: »

I liked to be Tiger Tim Henman come Wimbledon time

Really? Tiger Tim was the best you could come up with??
Even Hannah Nolan has more charisma!

MrCreosote

04072511 wrote: »

Kids looks up to the best. Simple as. The likes of Derval are what get kids into the sport. Not people plodding around the streets. In fact that would probably push kids away from the sport. Hardly something that would sell the sport to kids in the field game dominated market in Ireland.

Kids look up to their parents, family and friends. If seeing people plodding around the streets, or watching their parents lose 20kg training for a marathon, makes running a normal activity, it'll go far more towards keeping kids in the sport than watching the world champs on telly.

Pisco Sour

MrCreosote wrote: »

Kids look up to their parents, family and friends. If seeing people plodding around the streets, or watching their parents lose 20kg training for a marathon, makes running a normal activity, it'll go far more towards keeping kids in the sport than watching the world champs on telly.

Completely disagree, unless kids have changed hugely in the last 10 years or so.

I recall a great post by thirtyfoot on the DCM Live on TV thread from around 18 months ago:

thirtyfoot wrote: »

Yes, yes, yes. Great point Charlie Spedding. What's cools and sexy about some oul guy who weights 7 stone plodding along with white sh8t foaming out of his mouth or a fat lad in a westmeath jersey shuffling along in agony. What will it do for our sport. It will show kids that its a sh8te sport. Compared to Derval prowling on the startline and blitzing 10 hurdles in 12 seconds or Vlasic bending over a bar or Bolt powering off the bend. Kids will be inspired by that.

Well done to anybody who sorts his/her life out and loses weight, but the heroic status that it seems to get is ridiculous. Yes, it can inspire somebody to follow suit and lose weight, but in the end of the day, all this is, is righting a wrong. Nobody should be obese in the first place. There are very very few legitimate excuses for obesity. Patting people on the back for finally copping themselves on is ridiculous! Will probably get slated for this but don't care. There is far too much protection, sensitivity and political correctness surrounding the topic of obesity. Nobody should be celebrated for finally reaching a certain weight loss. I don't get praise for keeping myself at a healthy weight throughout my life, why should somebody who neglected his/her weight for years be celebrated in the media for finally copping the feck on!?

I'm far from trying to discourage people from losing weight. Fair play to anybody that breaks the lazy cycle to sort themselves out. But it does not deserve public acclaim.

However, as I have said above, by putting such people on the cover of such magazines, it maybe, just maybe, might draw a few outsiders into buying the magazine and maybe then reading about the likes of Mad Len, Hession etc, so I guess all this unnecessary praise is a necessary evil.

MrCreosote

We'll have to agree to disagree then. I'll take your point that an Irish athlete winning a medal would be inspiring and might get kids started, but show me any kid that keeps at it, and you're pretty much guaranteed that's going to be because of someone at home keeping the motivation up and making it a normal part of their life.

As for the magazine- it's called "Irish Runner", not "Irish Professional Athlete"- what's the harm having someone on the front now and then that the majority of the potential readership might relate to?

And as for losing 20kg. I reckon it should be celebrated because the lifestyle changes and sacrifices needed make it a bloody hard thing to do. Certainly harder than running a sub-3 hour marathon for example.

Pisco Sour

MrCreosote wrote: »

And as for losing 20kg. I reckon it should be celebrated because the lifestyle changes and sacrifices needed make it a bloody hard thing to do. Certainly harder than running a sub-3 hour marathon for example.

It's only a bloody hard thing to do because that person put themselves in such an unnecessary, self inflicted condition in the first place. Had that person ate well, exercised, and looked after his/her body in the past there would not be any need for such weight loss programmes.

A sub 3 hour marathon on the otherhand requires dedication from somebody who has not abused ones body in the past.

One feat involves a healthy person pushing their body to its limits. The other "achievement" is simply somebody losing excess weight which he/she inflicted on his/herself. It is a joke celebrating such stuff. Talk about celebrating mediocrity! :rolleyes:

Hard Worker

04072511 wrote: »

It's only a bloody hard thing to do because that person put themselves in such an unnecessary, self inflicted condition in the first place. Had that person ate well, exercised, and looked after his/her body in the past there would not be any need for such weight loss programmes.

A sub 3 hour marathon on the otherhand requires dedication from somebody who has not abused ones body in the past.

One feat involves a healthy person pushing their body to its limits. The other "achievement" is simply somebody losing excess weight which he/she inflicted on his/herself. It is a joke celebrating such stuff. Talk about celebrating mediocrity! :rolleyes:

So, having three children is "unnecessary, self inflicted condition ". Some of your posts are downright insulting. You really havn't a clue about obesity. You seem to think that obesity is caused by eating too much and not exercising.

RoyMcC

Good posts 0407. I don't agree 100% but you make your assertion excellently.

I'm on the side of anybody that makes the most of what they've got. If you're brought up by parents/teachers/coaches to be a fit and competitive young man/woman you have a head start in your sporting life. It's far easier to strive for and achieve success from that starting point rather than from a position of sloth in, say, your 30s. The successful athlete has usually had a good head start in life, the others are trying to catch up.

As to covers I've raged for years (without effect) about the perfect model types on the covers of Runners' World. They've probably not run in their lives only for the photo shoot. But the point is they have to sell magazines and clearly their research is that a pretty woman or muscle man on the cover will sell more copies than a sweaty old bloke or an overweight gal trying their best.

Pisco Sour

Hard Worker wrote: »

So, having three children is "unnecessary, self inflicted condition ". Some of your posts are downright insulting. You really havn't a clue about obesity. You seem to think that obesity is caused by eating too much and not exercising.

I read recently that Obesity levels in the USA are over 3 times the levels in the 60s. Women had children back then too. In fact they had more of them. Much larger families back 40-50 years ago. Why much higher obesity rates now? Using giving birth as an excuse doesn't wash to be honest. Sonia O'Sullivan won an Olympic Silver medal 13 months after giving birth. People like to blame obesity on this or that, on having bad genetics, or on giving birth, but all that IMO are just excuses for the real reason, lazyness.

MrCreosote

Very simplistic view of the causes of obesity there. Anyway it hardly matters whether it's self-inflicted or not, losing 20kilos is hard hard work for most people. I'll stand by my point that to lose that weight and keep it off requires far more dedication and changes to your lifestyle, and for longer, than running a sub-3 marathon.

You make the marathon sound like the greatest physical feat of all time!

Bugsy2000

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

...........For kids, seeing someone win a medal of any kind is great - but we would need someone high profile, amazing and charismatic to give a real boost to numbers [All very much IMHO clearly] - and I dont know of anyone like that?.........

So its a Fionnuala Bolt rather than Fionnuala Britton we need I suppose. Do ya think we can get a bit of showboating out of her on the home stretch in the future? It would liven up the steeplechase for sure.

thirtyfoot

To the point that elite athletes may not inspire young kids to participate in the sport more than seeing their dad running a 10k, I can't buy that. Will a kid be more inspired more by their dad playing down at the astro than seeing Messi (or even Richard Dunne) or maybe Mam playing a bit of tag rugby will do more than seeing BOD or ROG in action. A point being missed here regarding how elite sports people can inspire, the parents can be as much inspired to want their kid to play a competitive sport and be as good as they can be at it. They will do what they can to keep their kid in the sport if they have bought into the sport and are inspired by it. Also, if dad is into his sport still at 45 or 50, will he be able to invest as much into his kids sports, maybe he will, not sure. No problem with a non-elite being on front of IR, but lets not pretend that seeing people like that being celebrated will inspire kids to take up the sport more than a top, top athlete. Sometimes you have to leave the proximity bias behind.

As regards IR, its too diluted. Not meeting the needs of competitive athletics (its all on the internet or even the AI site means the data is dated and 15 years ago that was not a problem for them), interviews are not great when compared to an athletes interview on say AW or TAFN and it still isn't hitting the button for the recreational runner in comparision to specialised mags in the UK. Think they should go one way or the other probably towards the recreational runner.

dna_leri

On the point of inspiring kids, I think it depends on what you want to inspire them to be. If you want them to become top level athletes, then they need role-models like Mad Len Ciarán O'Lionaird that are inspirational and accessible and successful. If you want them to get up of their fat asses and do a bit of sport, then they will get more inspiration closer to home and if Auntie Mary can run 10K, then maybe I can.

Agreed that the Irish Runner does not know where it is going. It is out of date before it is published. If it wants to be successful then it has to appeal to a bigger audience than the elite Irish athletics fan and there are lots of people out there running 10Ks and marathons that are its natural market, if only they knew how to reach them. Putting a 3:30 marathon runner on its cover is an attempt at that.

Does anyone know if IR is commercially sound, its hard to see how it makes money?

RayCun

I think the inspirational effect of elite athletes in Ireland is going to be limited by the facts that there aren't many Irish elite athletes, and athletics doesn't get a lot of coverage in the media. Talking about kids being inspired to play football is all well and good, but Messi is the best in the world. Richard Dunne isn't at that level (and I don't think he inspires many) but football is already popular and the Premier League would be on telly all the time even if he wasn't playing in it. International rugby will be on telly, whether Ireland are good or ****. International athletics... not so much.

In athletics, the discussion of Irish athletes is about people getting the A standard to go to the games, maybe making the final, maybe getting a medal. Whatever the inspirational effect is of seeing someone win , the effect of seeing someone come 5th in the final is much less, surely. (Even though 5th in the world is an amazing achievement, by any standard)

But I think if you look at the sports that kids pick up,its the sports they do in school, and the sports their parents play. Dad plays golf, kid plays golf. Mum plays hockey, kid plays hockey. Tennis, badminton, squash - if a parent plays, they'll bring the kids to the club and get them involved. And if the parents are runners themselves, if they're club members themselves, they're more likely to encourage the kid along to races, to see it as more than a babysitting service that will occupy a few evenings for a while.

couerdelion

Kids aren't going to be inspired by seeing an elite on the front of the magazine if they have no idea as to who he/she is. By showcasing someone who has achieved personal success through running it may encourage more parents to become participants and they in turn may appreciate the elite level atheletes enough to turn on the telly for the 5,000/10,000 metres. This then gets watched by the whole family and then the kids get to see the great atheletes and will know who Fionnuala Britton et al are.

A little of topic but there is going to be great hype and excitement having the Olympics so close to home. Are athletics clubs / AAI looking to benefit from this exposure?

RayCun

04072511 wrote: »

Sure when I was a kid I ran around cluelessly pretending to be Eric Cantona on the crappy grass pitch at the top of my estate. During the Olympics I would race the other kids thinking I was Michael Johnson. I liked to be Tiger Tim Henman come Wimbledon time, and I recall a few of us likeing to think we were Jonah Lomu the odd time we threw a rugby ball around. Not once did I think I was Uncle Johnny or Auntie Maggie who had recently achieved a weight loss of 10kg.

Just to back up my point - the people you pretended to be were the best in the world in those sports not the best Irish people in those sports. A few years later you might have pretended to be Roy Keane, a few years earlier you might have pretended to be Eamon Coughlan, but you didn't pretend to be Ray Houghton or Cormac Finnerty.

Pisco Sour

RayCun wrote: »

Just to back up my point - the people you pretended to be were the best in the world in those sports not the best Irish people in those sports. A few years later you might have pretended to be Roy Keane, a few years earlier you might have pretended to be Eamon Coughlan, but you didn't pretend to be Ray Houghton or Cormac Finnerty.

Ah we used to pretend to be many of the Irish team aswell. Packie Bonner, Ray Houghton, Tony Cascarino, though partly because they shared the same names as our auld fellas!

As I kid I always got a kick out of watching Irish people in sport. Perhaps I was an exception but even at such a young age I appreciated good (non medal winning) Irish performances. Susan Smith's exploits in Atlanta and Athens was something I appreciated at a young age.

TheRoadRunner

Hard Worker wrote: »

So, having three children is "unnecessary, self inflicted condition ". Some of your posts are downright insulting. You really havn't a clue about obesity. You seem to think that obesity is caused by eating too much and not exercising.

Maybe the Irish Runner ignored his articles for a reason

04072511 wrote: »

I read recently that Obesity levels in the USA are over 3 times the levels in the 60s. Women had children back then too. In fact they had more of them. Much larger families back 40-50 years ago. Why much higher obesity rates now?

Have you ever looked at the price of cheap convenience foods that are filled with fat versus healthy options? There is a huge differential. It's cheaper to buy a calories laden take away than prepare a healthy meal. Obesity levels are definitely higher but there are socioeconomic reasons for this but as usual you ignore these to try and back up your point. Have a look back at the article you read and see if there is a particular proportion of the population who are fatter now than before.

There is also a problem with nutritional education in the general populace. Members of my family and close friends don't have a clue about the nutritional content of foods. This is another reason for increasing levels of obesity.

Back OT. I use to have issues with these type of cover stories but go to any road race now and 90% of the field would be inspired by this story so I can understand why it's on the front page. IMO there isn't the numbers in athletics in Ireland to have a elite/dedicated club orientated running magazine (like AW). Maybe I'm wrong but that's just my perception.

Pisco Sour

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Have you ever looked at the price of cheap convenience foods that are filled with fat versus healthy options? There is a huge differential. It's cheaper to buy a calories laden take away than prepare a healthy meal. Obesity levels are definitely higher but there are socioeconomic reasons for this but as usual you ignore these to try and back up your point. Have a look back at the article you read and see if there is a particular proportion of the population who are fatter now than before.

How many obese people do you know personally who compete in sport and undertake vigourous exercise regularly? Genuine question. Yes there are reasons (like the ones you mentioned) for growing obesity, but IMO if somebody really wanted to be fit and healthy then they would be. It doesn't cost anything to go for a run. Factors such as bad genetics, giving birth, lack of knowledge of nutrician etc would not be a factor if the person actually undertook regular exercise and was motivated to be of average weight. All too often I have heard people give these reasons, and tbh all they are are excuses for them sitting on the couch being lazy, and a validation for them doing no exercise. That's my opinion, take it or leave it. No need for the smart comments.

TheRoadRunner

04072511 wrote: »

How many obese people do you know personally who compete in sport and undertake vigourous exercise regularly? Genuine question.

Go onto racepix.com. Select a local road race. Have a look further down the field*. A high proportion of these could be classified as obese. These people may run 4 times a week. Participation in sport does not guarantee weight loss. Running 4 miles will burn about 400-500 calories the equivalent of a magnum ice cream. It's not all black and white. More gains to be made through diet than by exercise.

04072511 wrote: »

That's my opinion, take it or leave it. No need for the smart comments.

As usual I will leave your opinion and bin it. I am a smart person ergo most of my comments are also smart.

*not having a pop at people just being realistic.

Pisco Sour

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

As usual I will leave your opinion and bin it. I am a smart person ergo most of my comments are also smart.

[/SIZE]

Take the "r" out of the highlighted word and that would pretty much describe your posts IMO.

Anyway we'll agree to disagree on this. I don't agree with much of what you say anyway.

TheRoadRunner

04072511 wrote: »

Take the "r" out of the highlighted word and that would pretty much describe your posts IMO.

oooh that burned.

04072511 wrote: »

I don't agree with much of what you say anyway.

Snap, except replace the highlighted word with all :cool:

Pisco Sour

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

oooh that burned.

Well leaved the snide remarks behind so. Then we can disagree peacefully.

Trig1

couerdelion wrote: »

Kids aren't going to be inspired by seeing an elite on the front of the magazine if they have no idea as to who he/she is. By showcasing someone who has achieved personal success through running it may encourage more parents to become participants and they in turn may appreciate the elite level atheletes enough to turn on the telly for the 5,000/10,000 metres. This then gets watched by the whole family and then the kids get to see the great atheletes and will know who Fionnuala Britton et al are.

A little of topic but there is going to be great hype and excitement having the Olympics so close to home. Are athletics clubs / AAI looking to benefit from this exposure?

Just my 2c worth on getting kids into sport.. 1 have a 9yr old boy and 7yr old girly at home- both extremely active- girl does dancing and athletics, boy does soccer/hurling and athletics, I DONT think they follow role models on tv - I have tried to get them to sit down and watch Munster play rugby or Man utd in soccer or even the world athletics champs and they have no interest whatsoever but I have recently started triathlon training- a lot of running and cycling and everytime I go out training they want to come with me, asking what am i doing today/is there a race coming up/ what speed are you doing...etc..etc.. HUGE INTEREST...my point here is that there are NO BETTER role models for our children than ourselves (Parents)..athletes/soccer players/rugby players on tv come and go but we are parents for life and we can decide what paths our children take...we can also have fun doing it- loved nothing better than running last night with my 2 kids trying to beat me on their bikes:)...my 2c worth

meijin

MrCreosote wrote: »

And as for losing 20kg. I reckon it should be celebrated because the lifestyle changes and sacrifices needed make it a bloody hard thing to do. Certainly harder than running a sub-3 hour marathon for example.

Cannot agree with that at all. Losing weight is mainly mental effort to stay consistent with the new way you eat - I lost 30 lbs over 1.5 years and found it really easy, but maybe it's just me - I'm used to mental efforts. Saying "no" when there is a cake offered to you at 9pm , etc.

On the other hand, training for, and running even sub-4h marathon was hard :P It required not only mental, but also physical effort and substantial time commitment.

thirtyfoot

MrCreosote wrote: »

As for the magazine- it's called "Irish Runner", not "Irish Professional Athlete"-

Ain't called Irish Jogger either.

RoyMcC

Trig1 wrote: »

my point here is that there are NO BETTER role models for our children than ourselves (Parents)..athletes/soccer players/rugby players on tv come and go but we are parents for life and we can decide what paths our children take...we can also have fun doing it- loved nothing better than running last night with my 2 kids trying to beat me on their bikes:)...my 2c worth

Certainly that's what I observe amongst young athletes. Those that I coach invariably have either role model parents or at least parents who are supportive. Conversley, it is rare that a child remains for long without parental support.

As an athlete gets older, say 16-17, then they start to look at those excelling in their particular events and try to emulate them. But talk to a young javelin thrower of Backley or Zelezny and you'll draw a blank.

Conclusion? Youngsters are inspired by their parents, older athletes by the elites. And born-again runners take their inspiration from stories of others that have trodden the same path.

tang1

Trig1 wrote: »

HUGE INTEREST...my point here is that there are NO BETTER role models for our children than ourselves (Parents)..

+1 totally agree, when i was growing up done the exact same as your kids. Used to follow my Dad on my bike when he was doing his DCM training. He was my hero and i looked up to him more than any soccer/rugby player of that time.

myflipflops

All this debate over Irish Runner??

Only way it could increase interest in athletics amongst young Irish people is if there were topless pictures of Blanka Vlasic in the centre page. Would be thousands of teenage boys arriving at the league final to buy a copy off Frank.

As 'thirtyfoot' said, it falls meekly between 2 sides of top end and casual running and suffers for it.


With the weight loss thing, I'm doing it at the moment. Lost about 25-30 lbs in the last 8 weeks. I'm happy I've done it but I am much more ashamed of the state i got into than proud of the loss. Why is it rude to say 'You have gotten fat' to someone but polite to say 'You have lost loads of weight' when the second comment insinuates the first?

Pisco Sour

myflipflops wrote: »

With the weight loss thing, I'm doing it at the moment. Lost about 25-30 lbs in the last 8 weeks. I'm happy I've done it but I am much more ashamed of the state i got into than proud of the loss. Why is it rude to say 'You have gotten fat' to someone but polite to say 'You have lost loads of weight' when the second comment insinuates the first?

Finally some sense.

ultrapercy

If someone bought Fishing Weekly and the cover story was about an angler who lost 4 stone while looking after 3 children under 6, the fishing community would be perplexed.In a sports magazine about running its the norm. The article about Garry OHanlon was class tho, even I will admit that.Another thing is does it ever get proof read before printing the number of typos and contradictory dates was unreal.

RayCun

ultrapercy wrote: »

If someone bought Fishing Weekly and the cover story was about an angler who lost 4 stone while looking after 3 children under 6, the fishing community would be perplexed.

If the cover story was about someone who wanted to compete in the Olympics as an angler, perplexed would be an understatement :pac:

(seriously, I haven't made a study of the fishing section of the magazine racks. Are there elite level anglers who regularly do cover stories in which they promise to reveal their training tips? Is it all scantly-clad models posing with a fishing rod? What do fishing magazines put on the cover?)