A/Rtist in the spotlight.. this week pconn062

Ha, thanks MS, I don’t think I’m on the radar enough on this forum to do this but delighted to be asked! I’m afraid I might disappoint some people as compared to some people on here, I have no real expertise in the shorter distances!

Favourite distance to race

1500m on the track, or 5k on the road. I love the mile as well.

Current PB in this distance

1500m: 4:36
5k: 17:36

When and why did you start running?

I started running when I was ten years old, I played for the local soccer team but had two left feet so never got on. I always did well in the school sports day so my Mam took me to join Dunleer AC. My first ever race was the Leinster U/11 100m which I won and I was hooked. Over the next two years I won 4 or 5 All Ireland sprint medals in 60, 80 and 100m sprints. I made the big mistake of stopping then when I was 13 because I hated cross country running and one winter I just stopped and never went back. Started running in college when I was 21 because I put on a few pounds and joined up with a running group in Dunleer. Rejoined Dunleer AC in 2011 and haven’t looked back, I’m now on the committee and mens club captain, it’s a slippery slope!

Best piece of running advice you've ever received

The best advice I ever got was from my coach and it was about patience. He said don't think about how you will be running in 5 months time, think about how you want to be running in 5 years time. Really helped me put into perspective that running is a long term sport, with minimal improvements accrued over a long period of time. He also gave me the line "things will come to those who wait" which I now use as the title for my training log

Favourite Irish Athlete

Fionnuala Britton, she’s my running idol.

Favourite international athlete

David Rudisha at the moment, he’s done amazing stuff in the 800m recently

and lastly...especially for chivito.... Favourite flavour of crisps (sorry RQ)

I love crisps, but Thai sweet chili would probably be my favourite if I had to pick.

How did you discover this forum?

Hmmm, good question. Think I was just googling around for something and came across one of Krusty's posts. Started coming back and posting a little in 2011.

Number one goal this year?

To try and break 4.25 in the 1500m. I know some people could say this is a soft target but I would be delighted to do that.

Is it true that you've given up on long distance to avoid being beaten by RFR?

Ha, he wishes! Sure I already beat him last year over 5k (despite all his made up excuses!)

How long are you in Dunleer? Other clubs before that?

As above, first joined when I was 10 until I was 13 then re-joined when I was 23. No other clubs.

What would be the "dream times" that you would like to run in the future for the current distances that you run?

Good question, I'd love to run a 15:XX 5k, I think that's possible in a few years. Also a sub 4.10 1500m would be nice!

Do you ever seeing yourself jogging around for 26.2 miles anytime in the future?

I've already completed 2 marathons, both in terrible times. I've never trained well for a marathon and don't like the long slow training that is needed. I can see myself however returning to the distance in the future to give it a proper bash.

I notice that you have upped your mileage recently. What kind of mileage had you been doing previously and how high do you think you need to go with your mileage?

Up until last summer I was doing about 40 mile a week, which just wasn't enough. The reason I decided to add more miles is quite simple, I was lacking general fitness and it was affecting my race results. There's a reason elite runner do 100 miles a week! Since adding the extra mileage I've notices a great improvement in my races times and how I feel in races, it's given me extra strength definitely.

Cross-country, track or road - put them in order of preference.

Track-Road-X-country. I love cross country but I'm not very good at it although I think it should be an important part of every runners schedule.

Do you do most of your hard sessions with a group?

At the moment I am only doing one session a week so it is always done with the group. When I add another session I might be on my own, might try and rope someone in although it might be more beneficial to the odd session on my own.

Are ye all working off the same training plan?

We generally do the same sessions at this time of year, then in April we kind of splinter off into smaller groups depending on the distances we are focusing on. Some of the guys are more 5-10k runners.

Mornings or evenings ?

With my work schedule I usually end up running in the late morning, between 11 or 12. I don't like running very early in the morning but some days it can be a case of getting it in when I can.

Favourite training session?

I like 5k work, 5-6x1k. I also like short, sharp sessions, 10x200m at 800m pace is fun too!

Do you think that because you were a good sprinter as a kid that you have a natural talent as a runner? Do you ever think "whatif I kept it going"?
Did you get any real coaching back then and has any of it stayed with you especially in terms of good running form?[/QUOTE]

If I have any natural talent it sure hasn't helped me in the last few years! I think I did have some natural speed as I won the Leinster 100m without any real training, and I might have a bit of that speed left.

I definitely think "what if" some of the time. I really had a bit of talent for the sprinting and I wish I stuck with it into my teenage years, but regrets don't get you anywhere and I'm hoping to make up for it in my second running life.

The coaching I got was the same as all the other kids, we trained twice a week but I never did any training outside of club training. The thoughts of "going for a jog" at that age just didn't happen! No real coaching in terms of running form, lots of short sprints and some drills and stuff. Training was really a social thing, I never took it seriously and just had fun with my friends, but seemed to have just enough talent (and luck!) to still win the races!

600 metre race: Bolt or Rudisha?

Rudisha wins, hands down!

Will you race much indoors this year?

I won't do a whole lot of indoors, I will run the Leinster indoors in two weeks and that might be it. I left it too late this year to target an indoor season, will hope to get a full season in next year.

Do you like running indoors?

I've actually never ran an indoor race in my life, looking forward to getting down and trying out the next track at AIT.

Do you pay special attention to your diet?

Not particularly, I generally eat quite well but I do have a very sweet tooth so have to keep an eye on that. I'm an generally quite light but I'd say without running I'd be a bit of a porker. Generally all home cooked meals but don't pay any attention to fad diets, nutrition is pretty simple if you just stick to the good stuff.

Favourite athletics book you have read?

Really enjoyed Peter Coe's books, especially "Successful 800 and 1500m racing and training". Also read Sonia's bio recently, a great read and good insight in the life of an obsessive elite athlete.

Have you ever been to a big athletics track meet?

Never been to anything bigger than the Morton Mile or the European team championships. Going to try and get to a Diamond League meeting this summer, maybe Zurich.

Is RFR the most stubborn bastard in Monaghan?

Unfortunately he has emigrated from Monaghan to Louth, so now he's the most stubborn bastard in Louth!!

Views on PEDs in athletics. An epidemic or something the minority partake in?

I think PED's are a major problem in athletics. I have suspicions about many of the recent world record holders, particularly in the sprints (but will stop there before ecoli bans me!). The testing system in many countries just isn't good enough and you see the outcomes when a really testing system is put into place with the large amount of Russian, Turkish and Moroccan athletes all banned in recent times. It's a sad state of affairs but hasn't stopped me enjoying athletics (yet!).

If you were given the task to increase the popularity in terms of participation of track, what is the one thing you'd do?

I think the biggest problem with track is the supposed "elitist" and "only for faster runners" tag that is attached to it. The Dublin Graded meets are brilliant for this as they accommodate a large majority of runners. Track will never be able to compete with road racing in terms of popularity but if a similar Graded meet setup was available throughout the country it might help. I know a local club to me has set up a Graded meet thing every month offering races from 800m to 5k on the track and these are very well attended.

If you were given the task to increase the popularity in terms of audiences of track, what is the one thing you'd do?

Hmmm, bit stumped on this one. Something like the Manchester games where track and field races are brought into the middle of a big city is a good idea, but maybe not practical for long distance races. I really liked some of Nick Symmonds ideas in this article here.

What are your short term goals for the summer?

I would love to run under 4:25 for the 1500m and under 17 minutes for the 5k, also have a few other targets but these are the main ones.

Do you have a coach or are you self coached?

I have a coach but I’m not fully coached and do some self coaching. My coach doesn’t give me a day by day plan but rather advises me on what races/sessions to do. He also gives me guidelines about weekly mileage and other important things such as recovery/sleep/strength work. He is also the guy who advised me to drop down to the shorter distances. We usually talk once or twice a week about my running and what work to be doing. He is also the one who points out when I’m doing something stupid!

How many years are you back running?

I’m 26 now and I started back jogging when I was 21. Didn’t really start training properly until I re-joined the club when I was 23.

1. Why do you wear a pink girl's watch?
2. Do you think you've found your best range now in the 1,500-5,000m distances, or is this just for now?
3. As a successful underage runner, does it frustrate you that you're not at a point whereby you can win provincial/national titles as a Senior?
4. How hard was it to actually be a very good underage runner? Are you underachieving now or were things a more even playing field as a gason?
5. Why do you hate the GAA so much? You must've been some $hite footballer for the Dreadnots back in the day.
6. Who would win a 5k race - a fit, prepared and motivated RFR that actually made the startline or a fit, prepared and motivated PConn?
7. What do you think you could run a marathon in if you took about 12 weeks to prepare for, from now? I'm guessing 2:5x.
8. Do you think a 50 year old French person is going to win a trophy at the Rás this year?
9. Why do you be such a crank after races?
10. If you think Monaghan is such an awful county, why are you in a long-term relationship with a Monaghan lady?

1) While you run shorter than most, with a background in sprinting as a child why did you opt for middle distance running upon your return to the sport instead of sprinting?

I just don’t have the interest in the type of training involved for sprinting. I enjoy running and getting out for a aerobic run every day. The short, explosive nature of sprint training just doesn’t appeal to me. Also the gym work would prove to be a problem as the nearest gym is a 20 minute drive away from me and it wouldn’t be totally practical with work and study and all.

2) What core strength/ gym work do you incorporate into your routine?

Most of the work I do is lower leg work to help correct some of my imbalances. I do single leg squats/standing, squats, calf raises, lunges.

3) Typical speed sessions you do?

Depends on the time of year, I usually do some type of 5k work most of the year so 8x600m, 6x800m, 6x1k, 4x1 mile. More specific speedwork sessions would be 10x400m, 10x200m, mixed sessions of 200’s and 300’s. I would keep the reps consistent but cut the recovery as the weeks progress. Then I also do faster turnover work, 100-150m stride outs most of the year round.

4) How would you go about getting more fun runners onto the track?

I think as I said earlier, by trying to get rid of the elitist tag that makes people think track is just for faster runners. Maybe open track nights for all abilities and more graded meets with various categories for slower to faster runners. Running on a track is a great buzz that I don’t think can be replicated on the road, very tactical.

5) Athlete in world athletics who you would like a pint with for banter purposes (excluding Nick Symmonds as he is sort of a given)?

Alexi Pappas seems like a quirk and I like that so I’ll go with her.

6) Attitude towards racing: Race often or sparingly?

I think it is a fine balance, I usually have a certain amount of goal races that I try to peak for every year and I plan my year around them. But racing is also a fun thing for me so I allow myself some fun races where I don’t worry about the watch and just run/race against my friends.

7) Andrea, Sharon or Caroline?

So long as none of them are singing at me I’m not fussy! But seriously, Andrea is definitely my favourite, babe.

(1) best thing about being in a club?

So many things, having people to train with who are at the same level as you, the camaraderie, access to National competitions, team events at races, county championships where the team prize is of major importance.

(2) worst thing about being in a club?

I have no real negative experiences, maybe getting talked in to doing a cross country race you don’t want to because the “team needs a 4th man”.

(3) if you could only race 1 more time in your life, what event and where (must be a race you've done before or a realistic choice)

Hmmm, good question. I’m going to go with the Carlingford 5k, beautiful setting for a race and had a great race there last year battling it out with a clubmate of mine and my brother. That was fun.

(4) best performance ever - could you replicate the conditions again?

I had a really good run at the Louth Intermediate cross country champs last year. 5 mile cross country and I moved from 18th place after the 1st lap to 11th at the end, and felt great the whole way. I think if the field was as dry as it was last year, I could do it again.

(5) Are you Blockics son?

I know I’m young compared to some of the posters here (not mentioning any names auldman! ) but I’m not that young. In fact I’m probably older than blockic!

(6) you reference the '5 year' vision advice from a coach; what's your 5 year goal.

I would like to run a 5k that started with a 15 someday. I would also like to be competitive at county and provincial level, provincial on the track and county on the grass.

(7) Armsleeves are a necessary piece of racing kit. Discuss.

Absolutely, but only if you have cold arms like me! Seriously though, I think I must be cold blooded because I feel the cold a lot. I wear them because they actually keep me warm, not for fashion reasons, I swear!

1) If you had to design a Pentathlon to find the best all round athlete comprising 1 event from each of the following 5 categories what would they be and why:

a) Sprints (100, 200, 400)
b) Hurdles (110, 400)
c) Jumps (HJ, PV, LJ, TJ)
d) Throws (SP, DT, HT, JT)
e) Middle Distance (800, 1500, Steeple, 3000)

2) You have been asked by the IAAF to create a new event not currently on the IAAF or Diamond League programmes. What would this be and why? (This can be a new distance or a new discipline).

pconn062 wrote: »

- what do you work at now?
I’m also doing a full time PhD at the minute which takes about as much time as the other two!

Having experienced the pain of life as a PhD student myself ha, I have a very simple question, why?

If you had to design a Pentathlon to find the best all round athlete comprising 1 event from each of the following 5 categories what would they be and why:

a) Sprints (100, 200, 400)
b) Hurdles (110, 400)
c) Jumps (HJ, PV, LJ, TJ)
d) Throws (SP, DT, HT, JT)
e) Middle Distance (800, 1500, Steeple, 3000)

I'd probably go with 200m, 400mH, Long jump, Javelin, 800m. I'm being realistic with my choices as a 200m runner could handle a 400m hurdles and just about manage an 800m (there is a 200/400/800m runner in my club who mixes all three quite well). Then I went with long jump and javelin as they seem the least technical of the field events. I have limited knowledge of training for these events and just basing this from watching the different disciplines.



2) You have been asked by the IAAF to create a new event not currently on the IAAF or Diamond League programmes. What would this be and why? (This can be a new distance or a new discipline).

600m race, definitely. Would be great to get some 400m and 800m specialists going head to head!