AR/tist in the spotlight this week- pa4

Thanks pconn!

Why did you start running?
I come from a running family and I used to run when I was younger and gave up when I was 11. I made a brief 6 month comeback when I was 14 but stopped again. I never lost my interest in running and although I didn't train I always watched it. During my first year of college I had planned on getting back but kept putting it on the long finger but finally started back during the summer of 2011. I think the main reasons for coming back was seeing how well my peers were doing who I used to beat. I used to beat the likes of mark english and sean tobin before I stopped so after seeing them do so well the fire in my stomach came back and I wanted to see how good I could get!

What club do you run with?
I run with Thurles in Tipperary. It's mainly a XC and road orientated club but I'm lucky to have access to a track 10 minutes away so that's where I do all my sessions. I'm kind of like an honourary member of that club at this stage!

Favourite distance?
Favourite distance would probably be a 5k. Not to short and not too long. I do enjoy running 800/1500 on track but 5k would be my best distance.

Indoors or outdoors?
A tough one but I'll have to go with outdoors. I really do love both but you can't beat the outdoors on a warm summers day

Where did you get the name pa4 from?
Well my name is patrick but most people just call me pa but to be honest I have no idea where the 4 came out off! I wanted something short and easy to remember so I just kinda made it up without thinking!

- Have you / do you run the intervarsities?
- Typical weeks training during the winter vs summer
- Ever been to a major athletics meet?
- Did you partake in neknomination?
- Any unhealthy vices?
- Do you do any weights training?
- Favourite track in Ireland?

Have you / do you run the intervarsities?
I've only ever raced the intervarsities twice both of which were the road relays in 2011 and 2012. I always have great intentions of doing it and wanted to do the outdoors last year but wasn't put on the team for some reason! I plan on doing the XC and track this year though. The XC is on the 8th of March in Cork and I think the outdoors are on around mid April.

Typical weeks training during the winter vs summer
The winter usually consists of strength training such as longer intervals, hills and tempo runs. It's really just to build a base for the indoors and outdoors by getting in a few months of uninterrupted training. This year I didn't start doing shorter stuff such as 200's and 400's until January for the indoors. At the moment since I probably wont be racing until the intervarsity XC and since my indoor season is over I'll be again doing mainly strength work such.

During the summer I do more race specific training and shorter intervals. The times are usually much faster and most of my sessions would be on the track. I'd be racing a lot more during the summer too so my mileage wouldn't be as high.

Ever been to a major athletics meet?
I was at the European athletics championships in Barcelona is 2010 before I got back running. A brilliant experience watching the likes of Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis and a great atmosphere

Did you partake in neknomination?
Not a hope! I told my friends that I'd refuse to do it and not to bother nominating me. :P

Any unhealthy vices?
Extreme fast food binges! Me and a friend often do food challenges and try and eat as much as physically possible.. really not a good idea! Usually it just turns me off fast food and I won't eat any for a few weeks until that sudden urge comes back.

Do you do any weights training?
No not at the moment. I did a bit of strength and conditioning training last year but completely lost motivation for it. I always have great plans for going back doing it but its just not half as fun as running!

Favourite track in Ireland?
Although I've only raced in it once last year it'd have to be the morton track. I did one of the IMC 800m races at the Morton games last year and there was a great atmosphere there and I like the surface too.

Greatest male athlete of all time?
Greatest female athlete of all time?
Prerace meal?
McDonald's or Burger King?
Chinese or Indian?
Most embarrassing running related story?
Do you commute to college?
Which subject/module of your course do you find the toughest?

Do you have a coach? Do you follow his/her plan exactly?
Ya I have a coach. I usually get a 7 day plan at the beginning of every week and follow that. I'd follow it fairly directly, the most I'd change would be switching around days to suit college or if I'm tired.

Do you train with a group at college or your club?
I train with a group from the club. Theres around 4-5 of us around the same level with similar aims so it suits to train with them. I'm living at home at the moment since I'm going on work placement soon so I wouldn't have the chance to train with the college.

What are your long-term running targets times/distances?
For this year anyway my main aim is to run as close as possible to 15:40 for 5k. It might be a big overly ambitious but I'll stick to it anyway! Long term I suppose would be to again try and improve my 5k time but I'd also like to run a good 10k too. I've only ran 2 before but I think I could run a good one if I trained specifically for it. With regards times I'd like to beat my fathers old times, theres some very fast ones so it'll take a good few years if I even have any chance of managing it, 5k is 14:06 and 10k is 29:45 so its nothing to be sniffed at! Plenty of years ahead of me anyway!

Who are/were your running heros ?
I used to love watch Michael Johnson when I was younger. The first major championships I can remember was the Sydney Olympics and I just thought he was brilliant with his distinctive upright style. Sonia O Sullivan was another big one, I can still remember where I was listening to her race on the radio when she won the silver medal. It was good to have such a talented Irish athlete to look up too, looking back on it her achievements and times were phenomenal.

What do you get out of keeping a training log here?
For me having a log is more of a mental thing than anything. I like to be able to look back on my training, by logging it I won't forget it and I feel I get more benefit out of the training I do and hearing other peoples opinions on it. It's kinda hard to explain.. a weeks training just feels more complete by writing it down. Its weird but its purely a mental thing!

Do you regret not keeping running through your teens?
That's a hard one to answer to be honest. I do and I don't. I regret it in the way that I could be so much better now. Beating some of the athletes I did as a young lad and seeing where they are now makes me wonder 'what if'. Of course it doesn't necessarily mean that I'd be as good as them since we were only around 13/14 and maybe if I did keep it on I mightn't be even running now!

In another sense I don't regret it at all. I don't feel I missed out on the usual teenager stuff that I would of if I was training hard. I experienced college for everything its worth in first year and don't regret any of it. I have a much better attitude towards running now and I appreciate it more and I'm happy with the progress I'm making. If I dwell to much on the 'what ifs' it could be more damaging to myself mentally and physically through training too hard.

Do you think you could be up there with the likes of English if you kept it going?
English is an unbelievable athlete so its a really hard one to say, as I said if I did keep going it doesn't mean I would be that good but I suppose there's always that possibility. I don't want to say I would be that good because it'd take away from the sheer hard work he has put in and the determination he has. I mightn't have ever being willing or able to work that hard. This is one question I'll never be able to answer!

Given your running family background, did you get stick for not running at the time?
Not once was I ever pushed into running. If I didn't want to race I didn't have too. I remember wanting to start running so bad when I was very young because my parents and siblings were so it was purely my own choice to begin with. My parents always made it clear that it was my choice and that they wouldn't push me into it.

Do they give you support/encouragement now?
I get great support from my family because they understand the running lifestyle. I think its very hard for people to understand running when they don't run themselves, too anyone else we must be crazy! They'll always bring me too races and come to cheer me on and they always got me new runners or gear whenever I needed it.

Great pick

Favourite taper session (week of a big race)?
Olympic Gold or WR?
Predictions for Irish athletes in 2014?
Race most looking forward to watching this year?
Coffee or Tea (ye mad country folk usually love your tae :P)?
Best session split times (any session) vs race that closest followed said session?
What track spikes do you wear?
Favourite current athlete (male and female)?

Favourite taper session (week of a big race)?
200's or anything short. It always gives me a good indication on what shape I'm in.

Olympic Gold or WR?
Definitely Olympic gold! Records will be broken but you'll always have the Olympic gold. Its one thing every athlete dreams of having.

Predictions for Irish athletes in 2014?
Rob Heffernan for the gold at the europeans.
Mark English to make the final of the 800 and semi final at world indoors.
Paul Robinson to make the final of the 1500 and David McCarthy to perform well too.
I think they'll be the standouts this year. All of them are in unreal shape at the moment with Robinson running well down under too so they'll be interesting to watch if they can carry it over to the summer!

Race most looking forward to watching this year?
Really looking forward to the world indoors and europeans. I suppose the races I'm most looking forward too are the ones with the athletes mentioned above. The races I enjoy watching the most are the 1500 and 3000/5000.

Coffee or Tea (ye mad country folk usually love your tae :P)?
Tea without a doubt I'll drink around 5-6 cups a day! I drink coffee too but ya can't beat a good cup of tae :P Last night the electricity in our house at home went during the storm and the first thing anyone complained about was not being able to boil the kettle for a cup of tea!

Best session split times (any session) vs race that closest followed said session?

What track spikes do you wear?
Nike Matumbos. Probably the best purchase of spikes I ever made. So comfortable and suit my style of running perfectly. The first session I wore with them was for 200s and I felt I was gliding. They say that their made for 3000-5000m but I think their great for the shorter stuff too.


Favourite current athlete (male and female)?
Currently for this year(2014):
Male: Galen Rupp. He's doing incredible at the moment with 2 American records and a great athlete too watch. He's in pure beast mode at the moment, can't wait too see how he does at the world indoors

Female: Genzebe Dibaba. A pleasure to watch like her older sister. She's flying it at the moment with two world records in such a short period of time, again I can't wait too watch her at the worlds!

dna_leri wrote: »

+1 on the Matumbos - my choice for 800s too.

Lanangs through and through

pa4 wrote: »

The first 800m I wore using them I took 3 seconds of my PB, personally I think their more comfortable than the Nike Victories. Just seen I missed that question there, thanks for the reminder

Best session split times (any session) vs race that closest followed said session?
The first that springs to mind was a session I did early last year. The session was 4x1 mile with a 3 minute recovery in 5:20s. By no means an easy session and didn't feel I could have gone any faster. This session was on a tuesday if I remember correctly and I was running a 3 mile road race on the Saturday. I did 15:57 for the race which is 5:19 pace so I basically kept my session pace going for 3 miles in a race.

Another session I did just before Christmas was 5x1k with a 90 sec recovery with an average pace of 3:09. Ended up doing 9:24 (3:08 pace) for a 3k a few weeks ago so that gave me a good indication on what time I was capable of at that time.

I'm sure theres other good examples I could use that I can't think of off the top of my head, I'd have to go looking through the training diary

Looks like they were spot on to be honest. Thought it was a relevant question given its a topic which has popped up across the forum in last few days regarding racing workouts