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AR/tist in the spotlight: Jebuz
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19-03-2015 02:55PM#1
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Hi Jebuz
Great choice NE and thanks for last week!
I'm getting in before the good questions go
What's your favourite distance?
Current PB at this distance?
Ultimate PB for it?
Who is your running hero? Tell us more...
Who is your running villain? Tell us more...
Have you a bucket list?
If so, one thing on it please.
Thanks!0 -
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Uh oh, looks like this is really happening
Well done NE on your fantastic answers and your determination to get where you are right now has really resonated with a lot of people around here. Tough act to follow...
When did you first start running and why?
It was back in January of 2011 when I first started. This was the run and I often look back on it and smile fondly, and not because I enjoyed it. It was hard, one of the hardest runs ever but it sparked something inside me that has burnt brightly ever since.
I know it's the classic runners cliche but I was running from something. Not literally, like a dinosaur, but from something within me. I was around 27 at the time, was only months out of a long term relationship and I was suffering from mental distress of my own that had been consuming me the guts of a year. Not to go into too much detail but it manifested itself in a dark anxiety that felt like it would cloud me forever, irrational fears and worries consumed me and though superficially I probably appeared fine, inside I was screaming at times. It particularly intensified after heavy nights out on the booze, nights out that I thought would make it all go away. On Stephens night of 2010 I was at a house party that went on pretty much all night and I ended up blacking out for a huge chunk of the night, only remembering walking home in the morning. The next day I was so anxious and worried I could barely operate, it felt like tipping point. I don't know why but I decided then and there I was going to run and get fit to make things better. Though I also attended counselling throughout that year which helped hugely, I don't for a second doubt the impact that decision right then had on my mental health and has been a huge part of my life ever since.
I wasn't a runner at all, I did maybe a 5k once a week and wasn't overweight, in fact probably too skinny. I was living in Rathgar in Dublin at the time so on a cold evening in early January I headed out to Dundrum and just ran for an hour. It was freezing, my chest was burning and my legs ached. Though I felt like collapsing after it, I felt amazing and couldn't believe I'd ran for that long but I did what I said I'd do. From then on it just snowballed, I started running to work and soon I was running 20 miles a week which was at the time a lot for me. I joined a gym in the city and was doing lunch time weight sessions 3 times a week so I started to bulk up too and was feeling really good about myself. I did a few of the IMRA races that winter and I loved the atmosphere at the races and met some great people, I started to feel this really was for me. I moved to a new apartment outside the Phoenix Park, a much happier environment for me, my sister lived only a few doors down and I fell in love with running in the park. The amount of exercise so sudden was probably extreme looking back but it really got me out of that difficult patch and though it hasn't been plain sailing since, I wouldn't be in the great place I am today and for that I'm hugely grateful. Oh christ, one answer and I've already written a book.
What was your sporting background before that?
I used to be big into my soccer and played a couple of seasons with the Boards team, we were pretty successful and have great memories and they were a great bunch of lads. I played a couple of seasons with a local team in Rathfarnham and dabbled with Gaelic doing a season with Portobello but soccer was always my main game (I used to be killed by the coach for dribbling the ball in a gaelic match). I was still playing soccer throughout my first couple of years running, I was doing just 3/4 runs a week so it was manageable. I wanted to do the Dublin marathon in 2012 so I told the Boards team coach that I was going to give the marathon a crack and I'd be back for the next season. Wellllll we all know how that one ended. It ended up with me quitting soccer and joining Donore Harriers. I haven't played a game of soccer in a long time and though I miss it I don't regret it, I've had my fun there and running is something I can do for the rest of my life (hopefully). Actually I lie, I played a game in Vietnam when I was travelling for the year, I was the tallest guy on the pitch for once in my life, so I bullied everyone.
Other that I went through patches of dedicating myself to Tennis and Golf, I was decent but never really committed fully to them. I still enjoy the odd game of golf when I can fit it in or sometimes head up to the local driving range to smack a few balls.
I always wondered what It was like to be really passionate about something and after my first marathon I finally felt that and I just waned more. I got a tattoo of a running man on my back after that marathon, it was a little deal I made with myself if I ran the time I wanted but more-so a reminder never to stop. Though some might regret not taking it up earlier I'm just so glad I found it at that time and to me 27 is a relatively young age to take up running.
How did you find this forum and why did you start posting?
I have been a member since 2004 and as my post count suggests I'm not the most vocal of posters (0.36 posts per day) which I suppose reflects my personality outside of boards. I was aware of the forum when I first started running and dipped in and out picking up bits and pieces but not really getting involved in discussion, I really had little to offer. A few weeks before my first marathon, I felt I was training well so I came to the sub-3 support thread to find out what my chances were and to seek wisdom from the regulars. Krusty being the gentleman he is gave me some stellar advice on my long runs along with some other great posters who have since moved on. I found that support invaluable especially since I was working off a plan I nabbed from some random website, I really had no other advice to go on. I ended up dipping under 3, joined a club and have been a regular since, that was the point I decided to drop all other sports and focus on running. I popped off for most of 2013 travelling but since coming back I have been much more active (relative to my previous interaction) and even started a training log last year which I found has been a brilliant motivator and I love looking back on it. I have met quite a few people off the forum at races and you feel a real connection with them, it's a great community.
What does a typical training week look like at the moment?
Well as you say, typical at the moment is not typical throughout the year as I'm working towards a marathon but this sounds much better so lets go with now...
Monday - 10 miles
Tuesday - 15 miles with some harder miles thrown
Wednesday - 5 miles morning + 8 miles evening
Thursday - 5 miles lunchtime + 12 miles evening club session (35 min tempo)
Friday - 5 miles morning
Saturday - Club session, usually around 14 miles with 40 mins of hard running (e.g 1 x 10 mins & 5 x 6 mins)
Sunday - 20 miles long
That averages out at about 80-90 miles a week at the moment.
Who would be the coach whose ideas interest you the most?
I don't have a huge interest in coaching literature right now, I'm purely focussed on my own training and what my own coach at Leevale is advising me to do. I've learned a lot from him in the last year, I feel he's really bringing me in the right direction and I believe in his training. For me I just want to run now, get the best out of myself and maybe at a later stage in my life I'll take up an interest in coaching and the different ideas behind the great coaches. I do however try to understand why I'm told to do X and Y and would ask my coach if I didn't understand something, it's important to understand why you're doing a session and what adaptations you are trying to achieve. I do have a great interest in reading about the great runners and what their training looked like which is in a way reflective of their coaching style though a lot of them were self coached.
I spent a lot of time in the latter part of 2014 reading about Lydiards methodologies and they intrigued me to the point of heading off on my own base building block for a few months which was a brilliant and very enjoyable training block I feel really worked for me. His ideas have stood the test of time and though there's a lot of literature out there, some of it conflicting, I think the basic premise of maximising your aerobic engine before conditioning for a marathon makes a lot of sense to me so...apart from my own coach, my answer right now can really only be Lydiard
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IvoryTower wrote: »do you do much strength work, stretching, mobility, core
Hi IvoryTower, I'll answer your fave question
I do a bit I suppose. I've been going to the gym as long as I've been running so they've always gone hand in hand.
Initially I was going to the gym to bulk up, to build muscle and running was just a way of just 'getting the cardio in' and maintaining weight. These days its all about the running and the gym work is supplementary. I couldn't put on muscle if I tried to now!
I typically get 2-3 sessions a week in at the moment and have a gym here at work so I fit them in at lunch on easy days. I tend to do upper body weight work but avoid machines so I'm talking about chin ups/pull ups, drips, bench press, dumbell rows, etc. I don't look it but I feel I'm pretty strong in that area and I think it makes a big impact in the latter stages of a race when you torso starts to weaken. For leg work I would fit in single leg squats, single leg deadlifts and lunges.
As part of each session I usually do 15 mins of core work, primarily planks and side planks building up to 90 seconds.
Stretching-wise, I'd do a bit of AIS on the hamstrings which are particularly tight for me but on the whole stretching is not a big part of my routine and I seem to function fine without it.
It's not a huge amount of work and I should probably do more but getting the miles in these days is the primary focus.
Gotta run to training, jesus this is hard work....more answers later!0 -
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Hi Ray
are you in a club?
Yep, I am a member of Leevale here in Cork almost 1 year now. I was a member of Donore when I lived in Dublin but I abandoned them when I decided to become a rebel
which one and why?
As above Leevale, I got a good vibe from the coach when I first talked to him one evening at the track. I had no idea he was the legend Donie Walsh and I did some googling on him that evening. I was blown away by his achievements so I knew I wanted to be coached by him. It was a good decision and I came on leaps and bounds in the first few months. Leevale are a great club, there are no egos and because of the incredible talent pool there you're always grounded, you can't get ahead of yourself because there's always someone better than you, it's healthy competition but a huge motivator.
I was originally only supposed to stay here for 6 months but I didn't really have to think twice when I got offered a permanent job. It feels like home here and I couldn't imagine switching to another club now.
which race/event have you done that was furthest outside your comfort zone? (not the one you worked hardest in, but have you ever been pressed into a 200 or a long jump, or first XC was in at the deep end?)
You got it there Ray, my first XC pretty much felt like being thrown in the deep end with concrete slabs on my feet. It was national novice 2012 down in Wexford. I was a bit naive coming off a sub 3 marathon to think I'd go out and be able to compete but I was chewed up and spat out and ended up way at the back of the field. A pure slogfest and like nothing I'd done before, there I was checking my garmin for pace, I cringe thinking back 0 -
Hi DubGal!
I'm getting in before the good questions go
Hold on so these are good questions? kidding
What's your favourite distance?
I think this one changes for people based on what they're performing best in. For me last year I would have said the marathon because of the incredible high and sense of achievement after months of effort. Right now though I would say the half marathon. I raced 5 of them last year, it was my best distance I and find them a real challenge but so rewarding. You need endurance no doubt but the speed has got to be there too, mentally those last 2-3 miles are always so tough and it's a real battle between body and mind.
Current PB at this distance?
1:15:40 in Charleville 2014
Ultimate PB for it?
Ooooooh nasty question. Now, obviously this is years down the line and assuming I don't pick up a long term injury or get eaten by a whale, I'm gonna say 1:06 would be the ultimate PB. Whether or not I achieve that is up to me.
Who is your running hero? Tell us more...
Straight away a few greats who have inspired me through their stories and achievements come to mind, I think of Charlie Spedding, John Tracey, Zatopek, Sonia O'Sullivan and those...but not on a personal level. The one that springs to mind, somebody I know and have felt his passion for running is the legendary Jim McNamara of Donore. An olympian, now 75 and still so humble having achieved so much, he can still be seen rambling the trails of the Phoenix park while putting incredible effort into the coaching of the ever successful Donore ladies. His love of running beams from within when you speak to him, he loves to regale tales of his hard training days and I still get stunned by some of the sessions he used to do. Though he inevitably got slower with age he didn't stop, he continued and continues to win his age category and set masters records all around him. I love that and really hope I can continue running into my twilight years and give something back to the sport when I've taken enough.
Who is your running villain? Tell us more...
All of the athletes who through systematic doping have stolen that timeless moment of crossing the line in a medal position and missing the chance to stand up on the podium and receive the medal they had earned and dreamt of. One that stands out for me is Ben Johnston, he didn't seem in anyway remorseful for how he had cheated though in that case I think half the field was on the juice. Great documentary (9.79) on Netflix about the Johnson/Lewis saga.
Have you a bucket list?
No not really. I think going away and travelling for the year was something I always wanted to do but even for that I didn't have a bucket list of actual things to do or places to see. I took things as they came, I like the spontaneity of not knowing where the next adventure is and loved just jumping on a plane and flying to a new country when I felt like it. It's risky, like that time in Bangkok when I met this la...I've said too much.
If so, one thing on it please.
This probably isn't a bucket list qualifier but someday I'd love to own and run a cafe. No it's probably not a bucket list thing but it answered the question nicely.0 -
Alright auld fella, thanks for the questions...
I followed your other blog and enjoy your writing style - is this something that comes naturally or are you a boring shy fart in real life??
Somebody else said this to me but I was like what? writing style? I'm just writing how I'm thinking. I wouldn't consider myself a good writer I can barely speak English good. I do enjoy it though and first got into it when blogging my travels. I find it quite relaxing and tend to get a little carried away at times but it's there and you can always look back on it. But to answer your question, yes, yes I am a boring shy fart in real life. Thanks for exposing me.
Like other people on Boards, your progression has been stellar, what do you think are the most important factors contributing to that?
Couple of things here I think.
- Joining the club and surrounding myself with better runners. The drive to improve just multiplies. That and a good coach who knows his athletes.
- Consistency. Barely had any days off last year bar rest or minor injuries, always got the miles and more importantly the sessions in. Milage doesn't have to be huge but just run as often as your body allows but be honest with yourself.
- Nutrition. I got serious about this and started eating what I think are the right foods for my energy needs and started focussing on the timing of meals, e.g always getting the smoothie into me straight after a session, it became a habit.
- Racing more. I raced more than ever last year and you just get more and more used to pushing the limits of body that it becomes familiar and you don't fear it anymore. I also think of a race like a turbo charged session, race more and you will improve. Pity I couldn't take my own advice recently.
- Easy days are EASY. This is a big one. I used to do the 'in-between' day runs way too quick, most are now between 7:30-8 min mile pace or even slower when previously I'd be doing closer to 7 min pace. I think this had a huge impact on recovery and allowed me to be fresher for sessions which in turn stressed me into quicker adaptations.
- I Enjoy it. I really genuinely enjoyed my running last year. Though at times I feel a bit obsessive about it, I manage to find a good balance where I can still focus on my job and other interests. If you love what you do then getting good at it will come naturally.
Has your progression surprised you??
Absolutely. Last year I ran times I wouldn't have expected for a few more years and it was all down to the points above. This year I don't expect to be taking such huge chunks off my PB's but I still have very high expectations. There's no reason why I can't keep it going if I continue to put in the hard work.
Marathon or 10k? Why?
A little biased here, I've only ever done one 10k race and currently training for my 5th marathon so it's got to be the 26.2. As I said, that incredible feeling of satisfaction after running a good marathon, the culmination of months of hard work and sacrifice. It's always worth it and quenches any doubts you had along the way. That said, this is probably my last marathon for a while as I shift to focus on the short stuff. 10k's are on my radar for this year so come back to me then, I might have changed my mind
Running in Cork v Running in Dublin - which do you prefer? Followed by 'favourite running destination'?
For the first few months, Dublin hands down purely because of the lack of a Phoenix Park down here and I really missed it. Since then I've grown to love running around Cork and have found some beautiful routes both in the city and surrounding areas. On a sunny summers evening running along the river Lee, it's hard not to smile. It's hilly here but I've grown to appreciate the benefits of the hills and I no longer hate them. I live at the top of a huge hill and run it most days and it's just normal now. It's a little unfair because I know there are loads of great places in Dublin I haven't run yet so it's purely from a personal experience but Cork edges this one.
Favourite running destination...I have ran in many countries but there's really nothing like home, I'm just going to say Ireland in general, honestly nothing compares.
If you could be coached by 1 Boardsie - who would it be and why?
I don't know many coaches on boards but it's got to be Ecoli for me. He really knows his stuff, has a proven record with posters here and is such a nice fella, he even posted me down Lydiard books when I mentioned I was interested. He possesses a genuine love of running and coaching, is a quality runner himself which is important for me and for someone so young already knows so much. Well done Ecoli, now come back.0 -
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Thanks, really great answers so far.Hi DubGal!
I'm getting in before the good questions go
Hold on so these are good questions? kidding
haha left myself wiiiiide open for that I think I meant just 'all the questions'
[
Who is your running hero? Tell us more...
Straight away a few greats who have inspired me through their stories and achievements come to mind, I think of Charlie Spedding, John Tracey, Zatopek, Sonia O'Sullivan and those...but not on a personal level. The one that springs to mind, somebody I know and have felt his passion for running is the legendary Jim McNamara of Donore. An olympian, now 75 and still so humble having achieved so much, he can still be seen rambling the trails of the Phoenix park while putting incredible effort into the coaching of the ever successful Donore ladies. His love of running beams from within when you speak to him, he loves to regale tales of his hard training days and I still get stunned by some of the sessions he used to do. Though he inevitably got slower with age he didn't stop, he continued and continues to win his age category and set masters records all around him. I love that and really hope I can continue running into my twilight years and give something back to the sport when I've taken enough.
so glad to see Jim mentioned here. I've known him since my Donore days and yes, the man is a legend. Thank you!
Have you a bucket list?
No not really. I think going away and travelling for the year was something I always wanted to do but even for that I didn't have a bucket list of actual things to do or places to see. I took things as they came, I like the spontaneity of not knowing where the next adventure is and loved just jumping on a plane and flying to a new country when I felt like it. It's risky, like that time in Bangkok when I met this la...I've said too much.
you have started so you may finish....
If so, one thing on it please.
This probably isn't a bucket list qualifier but someday I'd love to own and run a cafe. No it's probably not a bucket list thing but it answered the question nicely.0 -
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Hi rom!
What changes in your training over your last year or so have made the difference.
Pretty much the same reasons outlined in the answer to AMK but...
- Getting into a club like Leevale surrounded by ability, success and hunger.
- Finding a coach like Donie who takes most of the hard work away for me in terms of prescribing sessions, recovery etc. I just trust and do what he says and it seems to work, for all his athletes.
- Consistency and being honest with myself. If I'm not feeling up for a run but know I am able for it, I'll just get out and do it. The early morning ones can be hard but it all adds up. Taking a day off for rest or for a minor injury is crucial to avoiding long term injuries which (touch wood) I've beeb very lucky with so far.
- Nutrition, putting the right fuel in = getting the best results out.
- Easing off on easy days
- Racing more
- Belief in myself
How do you set your goals? Just wondering as you set high goals and don't fall short.
I set my goals last year based on the previous years times, and that's what I went on this year too. I feel I overachieved last year so this time I set the bar higher and sure, I may miss out on the goals but that's not the point. I'll work as hard as I can go to hit those goals and regardless, if I finish the year with PB's in those distances, it's a successful year.
What keeps you on track day in day out?
If I'm feeling off or having a bad patch I just try visualise myself crossing the line for a race, 10 miles, marathon, whatever, and I see the clock showing a ridiculously good time and I then I get the shivers I have to trust all of this will be worth it and it usually is. I know what a positive impact running has on my mental and physical health so either way it's a part of me now and it always will be. I've committed myself to the sport so I really don't see any other way possible than progression and moving forward if I continue to put in the work.
Do you see any limit on what you can achieve?
No I genuinely don't. I think that's the biggest problem for a lot of people, imposing self limitations and I have been guilty of it in the past. Belief is a very powerful tool and the mind can overpower the body at times. With no limits I can just continue putting in the work over the years and anything can happen, I'm excited about it.
Best of luck next month.
Thanks a lot rom, great questions.0 -
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Ok time to get through a few more of these now (this IS tough work)
Where's your favourite place to run in Wexford?
I like Ravens Wood down in Curracloe but to be honest I haven't ran many places around the county except all around my hometown of Enniscorthy. I took up running in Dublin so really only run in Wexford if I'm home for a weekend but I did spent a good 2 months there last year when I came home travelling and did the bulk of a marathon schedule around the town. There are some great routes around Enniscorthy though and the Wexford road was a my bread and butter run, sessions, long runs, everything. Sorry I know that didn't answer the question at all
If you had to stop running would you take up an other exercise, or just fall into a cheesecake coma?
Yes no doubt I would take up another exercise. Being fit and active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is something I can't see myself ever deviating from, though cheesecake coma sounds seriously delicious, actually yes can I change to option B. I'd imagine I'd take up swimming or cycling, or if the legs could take it I'd go back playing soccer.
Any interest in ultra distances?
Yes, I was thinking about Donadea this year as part of Rotterdam training but it never materialised because I don't think I'd do it justice. If I was going to sign up for an ultra I'd want to be fully committed to it and beside it doesn't make any sense to run 50k as part of marathon training. I don't for a second underestimate the effort involved in ultra running and a shift in approach to training is very much required. If I was going to do it, I'd want to do it right and not just jump into a 50k off marathon training and see how I'd do. So for the moment, I'm focussed on getting the best of myself in the shorter, faster stuff while my age allows me to and in later years I am sure I'll be having a crack at the ultras, you only get one shot at this life so why not.
What's your opinion on pacers in races? Are they a good thing, or should a race include the ability to pace yourself?
I have no problem with pacers, I've used them myself in the past, we probably all have and they're a very useful tool for the (typically apprentice) runner who's not quite sure what they're capable of or if they tend to run well feeding off the energy of a group. They're completely optional but probably end up drawing in more competitors, especially the runners new to the sport. Nobody is forced to use them and they typically don't impede anyone else's races so I really don't see how they could be portrayed as a negative.
That said, I think they can be relied on a little too much and I hate to see people almost with a sense of entitlement complaining about uneven or poor pacing after a race. We're all ultimately responsible for our own pacing in a race, it's an individual event and these pacers should only be seen as a guide, not relied upon to 'bring' you around the course in a certain time. There comes a time though when you're experience enough that you should be able to break free from relying on pacers and you start to learn the ability to surge between groups, listening to the body and making your own decisions...racing!
And finally not a question but a suggestion. Next time your around Wexford at the weekend you should try get in for the Johnstown parkrun. Would be much of a challenge for you, but it's a lovely place to run.
That's very much on my list for the summer. I met with one of the organisers (English chap) at a wedding last year and he was telling me all about it, looks like a brilliant course and can't wait to try it out.
Cheers.
No cheers to you0 -
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One more question from me: Your top 5 all time sports stars across all sports, and maybe a little reason why for each one?
You mean a real question probably the hardest one yet, thanks walshb!
For such a small country we are just so incredibly successfully as a sporting nation so I think you'll struggle to find any 2 identical top 5's. Anyway here's mine due to their personal influence.
Sonia O Sullivan
Used to watch her growing up, everyone screaming the TV and she gave us some great memories. I even remember my little sister running laps around the garden, she even used to shout 'ding ding ding' on the last lap and it had a big influence on her own running. Sonia's records have stood the test of time and she delivered on the world stage. I see her name many times a week as I run around the "Sonia O Sullivan" track here in Cork, if that's not inspiration...
Eamonn Coughlan
Purely for this. I've watched this video over and over and never get bored. I love the absolute confidence and belief that he WAS going to take that russian down and win the race. The first pump, the glance at the opponent, the cheeky smirk and then he delivered...actually he was the Conor McGregor of that race. Ok not purely for just that, his mile records were pretty amazing and I'm not sure he gets the recognition he deserves for that, his M40 record was only just broken by Lagat.
Roy Keane
Another hero I watched growing up with my family. From a purely sporting point of view he had an incredible engine and bossed that midfield week in week out. Always did the simple things so well and that was his strength. Cool and calm on the ball but also had an aura of respect from everybody on the pitch and there's been no leader like him since in that united midfield.
Henry Shefflin
It kills me as a Wexford man but I've been watching Shefflin as long as I can remember and he's still playing at the highest level and winning all Irelands, that says a lot. That's the mark of a true superstar of the sport, consistency despite the longevity. Shefflin is one of those guys who does something amazing in a game or racks up 15-20 scores and you're not surprised. He always steps up when it always matters and makes the game look so easy, will really be missed when he finally calls time on his incredible career.
Padraig Harrington
Ah you've got to love him, I think the whole country breathed a sigh of relief when he won the Honda classic. He's been getting a hard time of it for the past few years but nobody can take away those 3 majors in 07/08, they were huge and propelled him right to the to 3 of the world rankings and number 1 in Europe. It's just mind blowing the amount of world beating golfers this tiny patch of land has produced. I loved his comment a few years back at a US major (2011 I think) "well I've won 3 majors in the last 5 years, so I suppose I'm the man in form". Though he did ****e that day he still believed he had a lot left and I really hope he can build on the Honda win and compete at a major again.0 -
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