ghruda09

TOM: Waste of time

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:59:18 +0200

That was a waste of time. Wasn’t right warming up...wasn’t right striding. Was unable to give a fair reflection of the fitness I’m in. I’m down to get some injections in my back later tonight.

My season is over now, ending in injury. From the minute the gun went to the second I crossed the line, my left hamstring and calf were locked in a ball. As I type this right now, my lower back is in spasm.

I was in the physical shape to go through...I ran what I feel was a good tactical race but when it came to hit top speed with 150 to go my body just would not do it. I felt like I was running the entire race with the handbrake on.

Reale is racing one more race I believe and hopefully he comes away happy.

As for me, I’m heading off into the winter months so full of frustration and anger at my body that I think I’m going to explode.
Thanks for the texts etc and for following throughout the year.
Best of luck.
madra

Tom: Round 2

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:43:10 +0200

I’ve a chance to redeem my mistakes from the 1500 on Thursday morning over the 800. I’m defo a lot more comfortable with the 800 in terms of tactics and how I’m going to play my hand. In the 1500 I just went with the flow but I haven’t developed the racing instincts yet to be able to position myself accordingly.

The 800 is my bread and butter and al systems are nearly go for a decent run on Thursday morning.

Sunday I headed out for a steady 40min run with Tom Lancashire followed by some light strides. Monday we did our last piece of work before Thursday, 500, 3x200, 2x150. The 500 was just to be run at tempo pace so I hit 67 on that. The 200s were down to go 25s and I felt really good doing em. However, on the second one I developed a sharp pain in my left hamstring so I called it a day after the second one.

Back with the physio, she reckoned it is to do with a trapped nerve in my spine and down into my hips so we’ve been working on getting the problem sorted. I jogged 30mins yesterday and she feels decent enough. I’ve been assured I can’t pull the hamstring or tear it if it is just a nerve problem and, physiologically, I feel in peak shape. I was literally walking through the session but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

We’ll roll the dice tomorrow and see what happens. If I run how I’ve been running all year I’ll be fine for the semi. Any slip up or hint of underperformance and I’ll be out. I love knowing it’s in my own hands.

I’ve got a decent draw. Mumba will take it out and make it fast. Symmonds and Ishmail will sit in and go with the flow. Claesson is never to be underestimated even though I’ve beaten him this season. But it’ll be Mansoor Ali I’ll be watching. He is the the third rank in the heat and I am the forth rank. I’m going to have to beat him to get through. He’s racing the 1500 tonight and I’m hoping it leaves something in his legs but as Olmedo reminded me today ‘somehow all those [people] recover in time...somehow’.

11;50am local time I’ll be busting a gut and praying the leg is in one piece come the finish.
Crunch time now...season to cement.
keep it ghruda
madra

Tom: ah well

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:50:59 +0200

What can I say...made a lot of schoolboy errors but that’s why I ran the 1500 here. It would have been easy just to focus on my stronger event, the 800m, and not use this opportunity to learn more about the 1500m. I’ve been left with lots of what ifs and such, but at the end of the day I’ve finished 27th in my first World Championships...24 made the next round. I can take these lessons I learned and use them for my benefit for Barcelona and onto London.

And one other thing, I’m going to seriously f*&king bust a gut in that bloody 800m. I felt great tonight. My mistakes cost me and I just did not have a clear idea of what I was doing out there. I will NOT make any mistakes on Thursday. That much you can all be sure of.

Here’s the flotrack interview

Tom: off i go

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:33:49 +0200

Well I had a great time relaxing in Sweden after the hectic week of Irish Nationals. I was defo under the weather heading out there with a strong head cold but I was feeling a lot better by the time I had to head back to ghruda. We took the training down a notch and I feel better for it.

Saturday we lashed into some sets of 800, 300. I was instructed to run 63 pace on the 800s but, honestly, I had trouble running that slow. The 300s, I had to drop it down to 26sec pace. It was a challenging workout that focused on more aerobic system and also on having to change gears which is what I’m going to have to do if I’m going to make the semi-final of the 1500.

Sunday, Papa and myself headed out for a solid long run and Monday we got stuck into an up-tempo 7 miler and some strides. My first massage of the week was Monday evening as I try to get the legs going for one last push.

Tuesday my sports psychologist, Declan Ahearn, joined me at the track for the last piece of hard work before I head off to Berlin. On tap was a session we’ve done throughout this season but toned down a fraction, 1x200, 3x250 at 24 sec pace. It was good to have Dec there to work through some mental preparation techniques. Maybe as a result of what we worked on in the warm up, I got a bit carried away on the first interval! But it didn’t effect the session as I hit all the times right at what I wanted.

Yesterday I just jogged easy in the morning and in the evening. After the evening jog I met up with Gar Coughlan for a light rub and a bite to eat.

I’ve an early flight to Berlin this morning. Pity the AAI have spent lots of money on needless legal battles because they refused to put me up in the airport hotel last night. I wonder if other athletes in other sports are faced with having to help pay their way to a World Championships.

Did Paul O’Connell or Ronan O’Gara pay their own hotel before heading out with the Lions? Giovanni Trappatoni had to pay to stay down in Ballykisteen before the Aussie game last night, did he? The yanks weren’t reimbursed for any hotels before going to Worlds? I could go on and on...it’s just a sad state of affairs.

Anyway, can’t stress about my dwindling bank account just yet. There’s work to be done.
I’ll see if I have internet over there and update as I go. If not, tune in, sit back and enjoy ghruda on tour.

Take it easy
madra

Liam: lovely

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:05:07 +0200

Hello everyone
I know it has been a while since my last post. Injuries have ruined what promised to be a great summer of traveling and racing. After seeing many different therapists and all kinds of experts I finally found solace up in Co. Galway. Gerry Reilly’s healing hands finally put paid to the problem in my heel. I did, however, miss the best part of 6 weeks which needless to say has left me short of fitness.

Coach McManus came to visit us in Ghruda for 3 weeks and we had an in depth discussion into my training that last several hours. After two workouts we both decided that I should give it a lash and try to race Irish nationals. I was delighted to finish forth off such a short period of time back into running. I cruised through the heats and was in the mix until the final 100m of the final has given me something to build on as I try to salvage my season.

This weekend I’m going to race in Cardiff and after that possibly an 800 near London next week.

I’m looking forward to getting back into the competitive arena after my time away and hopefully I can have some decent times to show for my efforts. Training is starting to get going again so who knows...at least I’m no longer on the shelf.

take it easy

papa

Tom: a woken dream

Fri, 7 Aug 2009 00:10:55 +0200

What a hectic week last week was. Firstly the whirlwind that is Marc Daniel Striowski rolled into town...it was great to see my old friend. He certainly milked his trip, making it to a U2 concert, the Herculis meet in Monte Carlo and then finally nationals before heading back to Cleveland, Ohio where he currently resides. Mac and Stacy were also back after spending some vacation time in Italy and France so Ghruda was full to the brim.

Now, anyone who knows madra knows how he feels about people, even if they are close friends. With the added tension of nationals coming up, I’ll admit it, I was like an antichrist.

Mac had me rest up though and I knew by how my legs were feeling that Monaco had left nothing in the legs. It was great to take my third national title and cement my place for Berlin in the 800m.

I’ve decided to double at worlds in both the 800 and 1500. The goal is to make the semi in both events. I think it is pretty achievable and for once I’m not going into a major champs over raced and cooked like the christmas goose.

And so to our prep. I’m in Sweden right now visiting an old friend...okay okay...you caught me...but the goal of this week is just to take everything down a notch, get some good mileage in and refresh the mind before I head into the Lion’s Den of Berlin.

With that in mind, I went 40mins easy with Eugene O’Neill on Monday. Great to meet up with Euge and Gemma and meet their newly born son...really makes me wish I had an offspring, not really but I was just trying to be nice. Ah Cha...he’ll be a sound bloke.

After I hopped on some planes to Gothenburg and settled in on Tuesday for a nice easy 50min run in the woods. Nothing inspires the soul like getting in touch with nature.

Our first session was very light, just 10x200 off 45secs in 27. The main goal of this was just to flush the legs out...keep it pretty aerobic but not force anything..just turn over nice and smooth. Kept it in control and ran 24 on the last one for the laugh...ghruda style.

I’ll head back to Ghruda on Friday and on Saturday I’ve got a session of 800s and 300s. The goal is going to be to be ready for the burn up of that last 300 in the first round. I’ve got to be able to drop a 39 off 3:00 through 1200.

anyway, that’s all for now...papa has been working on his finest piece of literature for the next blog...isn’t that right papa?! oh, ok.

madra

Tom: Job done

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 20:31:43 +0200

I’ll keep it short and sweet. Obviously delighted to win nationals...Campbell is always a tough man to beat and I’m so happy to have come out on top.

I’m off to Sweden tomorrow for some R+R before lashing into the preparation for Berlin.

I’ll write longer when I have something constructive to say.
Big shout out to papa...2 workouts in 6 weeks and a 4th place finish just shows what might have been if he had stayed healthy.

Also, props to Ledingham..PB going out in 57..he’ll break 150 next year after another Ghruda winter
until the next
thanks for all the texts and such
madra

Tom: Home

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:44:59 +0200

Just back in from Monte Carlo. It’s been a hectic few days. The race was obviously a disappointment. I was left behind at 300m to go and struggled to get back into the race. I think if I had had one person to race with the last 100m maybe I would’ve run the standard. But who knows. I gave it as good a shot as I could. I would’ve loved to have had 1:44 beside my name heading to Berlin but it wasn’t to be.

Right now I’m just going to relax before Irish nationals this weekend. Light jogging and strides will be on the menu for the rest of the week.

News on the Papa front is positive as he is returning to fitness after 6 weeks of torture.

Barcelona race video

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:45:09 +0200

Race went well. Felt flat but was conscious of not flogging it for Monaco tomorrow night. Feeling decent enough and I don’t think Barca took much out of the legs.

Here’s a video of the race.

Lignano Sabbiadoro

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:39:53 +0200

I found the television coverage of the race in Lignano for anyone who is interested in watching a better quality video of the race.