Nobody buys as many CDs as they used to, but I think people probably spend more time listening to music now. I definitely do – less radio but more music on the go or podcasts at work. Here are some of my favourite albums and artists, which I return to again and again on the MP3 player:

• David Guetta – his last two albums (Nothing but the Beat; One Love) are filled with hits and definitely make me wanna move. Perfect albums to listen to while running.
• Imelda May – she’s famous now, but for good reason. Her lyrics and tunes on Mayhem are real genuine songs with a great beat.
• The Casanova Wave – Tramore bias kicking in here, but check out this one man band. Great atmospheric music to listen to while working or reading.
• The National – High Violet, this album has been in my car’s CD player all year, and I never get tired of listening to it.
• Bon Iver – I’ve heard this guy is amazing live, so can’t wait to get his most recent album (Bon Iver, Bon Iver). His previous album (For Emma, Forever Ago) had great tracks no matter what your mood.
• Keith Jarrett – The Koln Concert from 1974 is definitely one of my desert island discs. I’ve listened to the solo piano hundreds of times, but never tire of hearing it. Must check out his new solo album, Rio.
• Tord Gustavsen Trio – (Being There) a Norwegian jazz trio, who play really quiet and atmospheric piano led tunes. Great background music for reading or for when you’re tired!
• Esbjorn Svensson Trio – another Scandinavian pianist, who mixed traditional jazz with electronic beats and created some distinctive albums (From Gagarin’s Point of View; Tuesday Wonderland) which non-jazz lovers could learn to like.

Podcasts: podcasts are a great way of passing the day at work, as I listen to them while working to cut out background noise of people on phones. Some of my favourites are Tiesto’s weekly podcast of dance tunes; a few of George Hook’s weekly pieces: The Thursday Interview; his Travel section and his weekly chat with US conservative talk show host Michael Graham; Ray D’Arcy’s interviews; Miriam O’Callaghan’s interviews; National Public Radio’s All Things Considered mix of current American music; and of course a laugh from the Newstalk sports team with “Murph’s Country Pages” quirky round-up of provincial Irish newspapers.

It was a year where I pushed the boundaries, setting PBs in 5km, 10km, half marathon and marathon. I also completed some new races, which were great fun, such as the cycling tours of Waterford and Kilkenny, as well as open water sea swimming in Kerry. I was surprised at how much I liked mountain running, no doubt helped by my immediate success on day one in Howth. I’d also recommend adventure races, as it’s a great way to explore beautiful parts of our country (pity we didn’t have time to stop and take photos on top of Mount Brandon during Dingle Adventure Race).

Training took on another level – I really believe that sports can help your body and mind to recover, especially after a day at the office. All my training sessions were logged on www.dailymile.com and it’s great to be able to look back on the year and get a sense of achievement from the many miles ran, cycled and swam this year. I clocked up over 350 hours training/racing this year. I ran over 1,300km, cycled over 2,900km and swam 100km. That equates to completing 0.11 orbits of the planet Earth. Maybe it’s easier to relate to the fact that I burned enough energy to eat over 1,000 doughnuts.

My training summary for 2011

Nuala Moore swimming Lake Zurich

Last year I’ve met some inspirational people, who’ve achieved amazing things in life and in sport. By meeting these people, they make you realise that the sky really is the limit. Shoot for the stars and who knows where you’ll land…

First off I think of Nuala Moore, a Kerrywoman who has done so many remarkable things, that she really makes you question how much you’ve pushed yourself. Nuala is a sea-swimmer with unique talents. I met Nuala at the Chicago Triathlon, where she finished in the prizes in the Clydesdale category. She has swam around Ireland in a relay team; she’s swam the English Channel; and this summer she was invited (you can’t just sign up) to swim Lake Zurich. That involved a 26km swim in a cold lake. Imagine running 26km? Then think about crawling that on your paws – swimming would be at that speed and just as hard I’d think! Her account of that swim on her blog is worth a read.

While you catch a breath, Nuala recently tried to set the record of completing the first ever ice sea swim in Ireland, by swimming a mile on the Donegal coast with water temperature of 5 degrees. Shiver for a moment and consider how numb you’d be after completing that – people rush for a hot whiskey after a Christmas Day dip, so imagine staying in for an hour!

Eamonn Coghlan wins gold in 1984

Eamonn Coghlan is one of the most charismatic people I’ve met. If you want to hear somebody talk with 100% conviction about enjoying sport, while putting you at your ease, listen to Eamonn. Whether you’re attempting your first 5km walk/jog, or a seasoned marathoner, Eamonn will have some wise words to reassure you that you can do it. I met Eamonn in preparation for the New York Marathon, as he was helping Team Crumlin fundraising team to train for the Dublin and NYC Marathons. This man deserves respect – he’s a world champion 5000m runner (1984) and came fourth in two Olympics (1976 and 1980). He’s best known as the Chairman of the Boards, for this remarkable indoor mile running exploits in the USA. To get an idea of the man, listen to his interview with Miriam O’Callaghan and his childhood friend Brian Kerr (ex-Ireland football manager).

I’ve also met a bunch of inspirational athletes this year, at various events and races I’ve done. These aren’t famous people, but go that extra mile in what they do. There’s PJ, a 70 year old man who I met doing the NYC Marathon. It was my first, but PJ was on his 19^th trip to NYC for the marathon. What an amazing achievement. Everyone was genuinely hurt to hear that PJ did not finish NYC this year, as his knee gave up, however I have no doubt that PJ will be back in NYC in 2012 for his 20^th NYC Marathon.

Cian Delaney wins bronze in Gijon

At the other end of the age scale, there’s Cian Delaney, who I met at World Duathlon Championships in Gijón, Spain. Cian only took up duathlon last year and has already won medals at both European and World level at his age group. Problem for me is that Cian is in my age group, 25-29. At least that’s my excuse for not winning a medal. He’s a genuinely nice guy, who works hard and deserves the rewards he’s received this year. He’s also up for Fingal Sportman of the Year I heard…

There’s also two people who I haven’t met but have influenced me this year. I grew to know both through their books which they published this year (read my review here). Tony Griffin is an All Star Hurler from Clare, who is also an inspirational person and athlete. His book tells the story of how he cycled over 5,000 miles across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax. This was done by a man with no cycling background (or not even a bike until he committed to the idea). His book teaches you a lot about how people can achieve amazing things, once we don’t let our mind construct limits on our abilities. I was lucky to hear Tony speak earlier this year on Motivation and he really is a motivational speaker. Dream big.

Ger Hartmann's book

The second book I loved was “Born to Perform” by Ger Hartmann. Ger is famous now as a world class physical therapist, who treats the world’s best athletes at his clinic in Limerick. His book was a real discovery for anyone interested in discovering what it takes to be a high achiever in sports and in life. It takes hard work, but also a dream and a belief that you can get there. Ger transmits a feeling that life is important, make the most of every day, live it to the full. I will definitely take these ambitions away with me. Besides all that, it’s a great story on how Ger became Ireland’s first triathlete and completed over the world, including Kona Ironman in Hawaii.

Taking a lunch break at 1300m after climbing El Roque

Many millions visit Gran Canaria each year, but most never venture far from the beaches. Airport –> Playa del Ingles –> Airport is a typical routing. Efficient if you want to drink pints in the sun, while watching Sky Sports and eating burgers and chips, but not a great way to experience a bit of Canarian culture.

I’m not looking down on people – I was one of those people who visited the island for sun, beach and beer for a few years. But last year I discovered there was more to Gran Canaria than that. The key is the bicycle. It was the catalyst that let me discover a bit more about the island – its landscapes, culture, climate(s), food and people. There is a great bike rental company, Free Motion, which have daily organised tours for road and mountain biking, which make it real easy to discover the island.

This Christmas, I took 3 mountain bike tours and one day on the road bike. Each day is a different route, so you never get bored. The MTB trips take about 4 hours and usually cover 40km+ with climbs of over 600m and descents over 1000m. There’s a mixed bunch that join the tours, usually a few Germans, as well as Scandinavians, Dutch and Belgians. Really not that many Irish or British, considering so many of them are in Playa del Ingles. The northern Europeans seem more active than Irish, especially guys in their 50s and 60s, who have no problem doing a day’s mountain biking. One Finnish guy seemed to be a sports junkie – golf, kite-surfing, cross-country skiing, skating, cycling…you name it.

Top of the world - happy after a tough climb

My toughest MTB ride was on 27^th Dec, when we climbed El Roque (16% gradient). This involved a bus ride up through the valleys of the island to a starting point at over 1,200m. It was chilly in the shade where we started – not like the 20 degree heat we left behind down below. On the way up, our guide, Dieter (70y.o.), threw loads of facts about GC at us (in German and English). Fifty years ago there was nothing here, only tomato plantations. There was no tourism in GC, only rural people trying to make a living off the land. Then an Earl decided to sell some land for a hotel and the OASIS was opened. This hotel attracted British Army officers returning from British Colonies in Africa. So that’s how the area became known as Playa del Inglés (Beach of the English).

The name Maspalomas also came from the local people. The tomato plantations attracted pigeons and when the tomatoes were replaced by hotels, the pigeons stayed. The tomateros christened the area Maspalomas, meaning Mas Palomas, or more pigeons. The area is still full of them to this day.

Panoramic view of Gran Canaria

The MTB ride involved climbs of over 700m in total, coupled with descents of over 1800m. There were some steep climbs, involving of 20 minute climb to El Roque, with 16% gradient at times. The bikes are first class, Cannondale bikes worth over €2,000. Full suspension and disc brakes – some difference from a road bike. On the first day I learned a lesson after crashing – don’t be eager to pull the front brake. It’s like touching a super strong magnet which holds you to the spot. I fell over the handlebars, but luckily landed on rocks with only a few scrapes on my knees.

Along the way, Dieter filled us in on the history of the island. In short, the island has been inhabited for thousands of years but when the Spanish arrived they quickly killed off the indigenous folk by 1540. Since they didn’t write, there is little record of their civilisation, except for forts and graveyards. A big pity.

The difference in climate and landscape strikes you as you climb inland. Forget about the golden beach and concrete town landscape. Think of soaring valleys, dotted with small white villages and tall pine trees. Once you pass 800m you see pine and after 1000m almond trees grow in abundance. There’s plenty of tomato plantations, as well as orange orchards, vineyards and palm trees.

Hairpin bends galore on the way up the road

The highest point in GC is Pico de los Nieves, a sharp rock peak at 1,949m. You can clearly see it from most of the valley and it’s reachable by road. It’s a good cycle of 50km up from the beach, climbing over 2,500m. I’ll have to give it a go next year!

The trails were dry and dusty, and lined with pine trees

Tall Ships sailing down the Suir

There are a number of reasons why 2011 is memorable for me on a personal level. Most importantly, my family have their health. I felt real pride to be from Waterford over the summer for two reasons – one was the Tall Ships festival which the city hosted in July. This was an amazing spectacle, with over 40 sailing ships docked along the quays. Their departure on Sunday morning was unforgettable – we watched from Passage East as the majestic boats passed downstream, watched by thousands on both sides of the river (The impromptu commentary provided by Fintan Walsh was legendary!).

The second memory was in Croke Park where Waterford’s hurlers took on old rivals Kilkenny in the All Ireland semi-final. While we didn’t win that match, it was a good game between two great rivals. It also helped admonish painful the memories of the 2008 final as well as the 2011 Munster Final defeat to Tipperary.

Red Square, Moscow

I had some great trips away this year – visiting Moscow in January was hugely fascinating; snowboarding in Austria was memorable for our ski hütte if nothing else; learning to surf in Portugal was a great way to spend a week; racing abroad in Gijon, Barcelona and New York made good excuses to visit those cities and spending Christmas in the Canaries was a relaxing way to finish a great year.

Over 47,000 runners took part in the ING New York City Marathon 2011, with over 2.5 million people lining the route through NYC’s five boroughs to cheer on the runners, walkers, wheelchair athletes and handcycle athletes.

Earlier this year, I had no intention of running a marathon until I was older. I wrote a blog on this very topic, and since it’s a democratic blog, I took your poll results which strongly said “Yes, chance of a lifetime.” So I signed up with Team Crumlin and began my fundraising and training. This is my 3^rd year fundraising for The Children’s Medical Research Foundation at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin. Thanks to everyone who has supported CMRF! I’ve raised over €5,000 this year which will be used for great projects at the hospital and in paediatric research. (If you’d like to donate, please click here or else I have raffle tickets for €5 – you can win a trip for 2 to Nashville and Memphis).

RACE BUILD-UP

We had a great team of over 30 runners and walkers from all over Ireland who have raised over €150,000 for CMRF this year. We flew into Newark and stayed in a great location at Fitzpatricks Grand Central. There were some great movies on the flight – check out Horrible Bosses (comedy) and Cadencia (Brazilian football). My bad luck on travel dramas nearly had a new chapter when I forgot to renew my ESTA for US Immigration. Luckily I was able to do it on my phone at 1am the night before flying.

Our first stop was the Race Expo where we registered (quick and easy) and bought some stuff at the expo stalls (I bought runners and The Stick, self-titled “a toothbrush for muscles” J). All the major marathons had stalls recruiting – but I liked the offbeat races like the Reggae Marathon in Jamaica or the Midnight Sun Marathon which happens at 70 degrees north in the Arctic Circle – in freezing weather in January!!

SHOPPING

No trip to NYC is complete without some serious retail therapy, but how many people buy a sleeping bag and pillows? Well, they were top of our list to keep us warm for the early start on Staten Island on Sunday. We also bought hoodies, gloves and pants to complete the insulation shopping (all the gear is donated to homeless charities after the race, so it goes to a good cause).

Harley The Buckleman, Harlem

On Saturday I bought my favourite item in Harlem. It’s a belt buckle. Not an ordinary buckle, but from a man who’s made buckles for 3 US Presidents along with rap stars and basketball players. “Harley the Buckleman” is inscribed on my buckle and his little store in a market in Harlem is worth a visit. Earl Harley is the proprietor and is more than happy to tell you the story behind all his buckles. He’s also ran 8 NYC Marathons and he’s the guy who gave me the advice to go out there and BOOGIE.

DASH TO THE FINISH LINE 5KM RUN

The day before the race I got a chance to run the streets along with 20,000 others in the Dash to the Finish Line Run. This 5km run gave us a chance to run from the UN building up to Central Park. It was so cool running down closed streets, past Grand Central Station, NYC Public Library, 5^th Avenue, Radio City, Trump Tower and the Marathon finish line. I took my camera so check out some pictures and video below.

COGHLAN’S ADVICE

Eamonn Coghlan's marathon advice

The legendary Eamonn Coghlan was around to calm the nerves of Team Crumlin on Saturday at our Irish breakfast (yes, full Irish pre-marathon!). He gave some great tips about a wealth of topics: being patient, nutrition and hydration, positive mental attitude, kicking a cramp, recovery in an ice bath and most of all about going out to ENJOY the experience. By the way, his PB in the marathon is 2:25 and he’d a great story about his first NYC Marathon in 1991 when he used Liz McColgan as his pace maker. There’s also rumours he’ll be back in 2012 to run his 20^th NYC Marathon…

RACE DAY

Alarm clocks were set for 4.30am, so after a quick breakfast we headed by bus to Staten Island for 6am. We had 3-4 hours to chill, literally, at the race start. There was live music at such an hour, but we just wrapped up in our sleeping bags and waited. The atmosphere was good and the sun was shining, so nerves were calm. I was off in the first wave at 9.40am, so began congregating behind the start after 9am. Helicopters buzzed around the sky and the excitement was building.

Staten Island race start

Mayor Michael Bloomberg opened proceedings, followed by a NY Fire Department member signing the “Star Spangled Banner”. That was emotional, such a strong song unaccompanied. Then the best bit – the cannon fired from Fort Wadsworth to indicate the race was on. As we started running over the Verrazano Straits Bridge we could hear Sinatra’s “New York New York” by a local singer. Wow, that blew me away!

Video from Verrazano Straits Bridge

Video of US National Anthem at race start

We then hit Brooklyn and for the next 10 miles I didn’t even realise I was running – my feet just carried me. The buzz was electric with crowds lining both sides of the street, shouting and cheering us all on. It was like being in a parade or the Tour de France! There was so much live music as well – over 130 bands lined the route. We got to high-five little kids and had to take a break from running down the side as people called your name so much (tip: have your name written on your shirt).

Irish gear was great and yes I did get my face painted

Queens was next up and the crowds just got bigger and louder. There weren’t as many Irish flags as I expected, the crowd was dominated by Hispanics and Italians, but you could see flags from every corner of the world. The only quiet area was Williamsburg, where the orthodox Jews were very reserved in their support and probably wondered what all these runners were doing on a Sunday. We reached halfway, 13.1 miles and I felt good. I was 40 seconds down on my 3:00 hour pace, but wasn’t too worried as wanted to be patient and avoid burning out too early. My plan was to chip away at that deficit by 2-3 seconds per kilometre and see how I felt near Central Park.

The expectation crossing the Queensboro Bridge to bring us into Manhattan was huge, as everyone talks about the crowds on 59^th Street and 1^st Avenue. It was a cauldron of noise and had the atmosphere of a tense football stadium. It was LOUD! The Team Crumlin supporters were there cheering everyone on, although I missed them when I turned the corner. What a sight in front of us – an avenue as wide as a runway with thousands of runners and millions of supporters. Five miles ahead until we passed through Harlem and into the Bronx. The music kept me entertained – it was great to hear a U2 song “Magnificent” by mile 18.

Sidenote: there were so many great posters that people had on display along the route. Some of my favourites were:

• ·         “I didn’t wake up this early to watch you walk”
• ·         “Worst parade ever”
• ·         “Make this race your bitch”
• ·         “Quitting hurts longer”
• ·         “Do you suck at everything or just running?”

The Bronx had a different vibe, even if we only spent 2 miles there. There was RnB and salsa music and loads of signs saying “Run in the Hood”. Then it was back into Harlem and down 5^th Avenue. We’d hit 20 miles and I was about 20 seconds behind 3:00 pace. Where was the WALL everyone talks about? I was feeling good, but it took more effort to keep the pace up. I was eating isotonic gels and took water every 2 miles. Harlem again had great music and fanatical support. The miles seemed longer now and the drag up to Central Park was hitting people.

Finally we got to 96^th street and turned into Central Park. Only 3 miles to go. I knew I was still behind 3:00h pace, so said to myself, “let’s do this, even if it hurts.” I didn’t want to finish with any regrets of having done everything to break my target. The crowd does help, although you don’t have time to smile or high-five by now. I was thinking of John and what he’d be telling me, or how he’d keep running.

Finish line in 2:59:40

My legs kept turning over, and I ran faster, under 4:00m/km pace. I knew I was just on 3:00h pace so kept pushing. I got to mile 25 and though “I’m nearly there, keep going.” That mile was the longest ever. We ran along 59^th street and it was only when I got to mile 26 and looked at the watch, I knew, “YES I’ve made it”. So I could enjoy the last 400m through the Park up to the finish line. That was amazing, with grandstands either side and flags everywhere. I punched the air and tried to jump over the line and that was it. Broke the 3:00h barrier with 20 seconds to spare.

We got our medals and then started walking. Then the pain started hitting my body. Ouch said my calves and feet. It was such a long walk back to collect our bags, I would have paid for a taxi or rickshaw! Eventually I took the subway back to the hotel and after a chilly ice bath, I headed back out with my medal to watch the rest of Team Crumlin complete the race. It was great seeing the thousands of people run/jog/walk through Central Park. There were people in costumes (Nacho Libre, Sumo wrestlers) and a guy who juggled for 26 miles.

CELEBRATING AND RECOVERING

That night we celebrated in Fitzpatricks although the big celebrations were saved for Monday night in Rosie O’Grady’s. We also found out that a couple in our team had got engaged during the race. John ran over to his fiancé at mile 16 in Manhattan and got down on one knee. Not due to injury but to propose. What a place to do it!

Walking around Manhattan on Monday, it was amazing to see people going to work with medals around their necks. Everyone was so proud and we got so many people passing us saying “Congratulations”. One woman in Starbucks came over and said “I saw you guys yesterday! Well done.”

2011: A YEAR COMPLETE

Training has been a challenge but I’ve run over 1,000 kilometres this year. I increased in distance running over the past 4 months and while I couldn’t follow a 16 week plan rigidly due to injury and triathlons, I was happy with my performance. Here are some of my stats from www.dailymile.com: totals for running/swimming/cycling this year. I like the fact that I’ve burned enough calories to eat 882 donuts. That would get me 1/10th of the way around the world J

WHAT’S NEXT?

This year has been my best ever – I’ll write more about it soon, but I won two 10km road races, I represented Ireland in Duathlon, I completed lots of triathlons and I finished my first marathon. Not bad for a goalkeeper.

My calendar is blank now, so I’m going to rest for a few weeks and then make a plan of attack for 2012. I’d love to do NYC Marathon again. I’ve also qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2013, so will add that to the list. Onwards and upwards…

SOME VIDEOS AND PHOTOS

1. Race video by runner

2. Official photo gallery – my race photos

3. New York Times summary video

My focus has been on training for both the duathlon championships in September and the marathon in November. I’ve built up the distance in my training, getting long runs of over 30km down. Training plans are key for marathon training, but things went out the window with injury. Shin splints struck me, so after a few visits to the physio I’ve had to lay off running in September and early October to allow my legs recover.

With 2 weeks to New York City Marathon, I’m nearly set, having started to taper my running and now getting excited about going. Watching the Dublin City Marathon next Monday should really get me buzzing (plus watching @blackmambodog and a few other mates do the race).

Here’s a recap of the last 8 weeks:

Galway Ironman 70.3: Ireland’s first official Ironman 70.3 series race landed in Galway in September, on All Ireland Hurling Final day. The 2000 competitors realised pretty quickly that this wasn’t Hawaii (I was a spectator thankfully), as the sea looked wild at 7am and the pros shivered at the start. The freeze continued on the 90km bike ride into Connemara but it was fun watching them on the run through the city as the sun shone. Celebs like Keith Duffy and Ray D’Arcy got the cheers. I’m not ready for Ironmen yet…happy to get faster at Olympic distance races first.

Doonbeg, Co. Clare - with mayor and his chain outside the local pub

Doonbeg 10km: My marathon training plan needed a half marathon in early September, so I headed West with @mossyb for a weekend in Clare. Plans were revised as my shins were in a bad way, so I decided that morning to switch from the 21km race to the 10km race. Good choice in the end, as I came home 1^st in the 10km race, to my surprise. Nice to get a medal and a prize. I really enjoyed this race, as it was a real local community affair, with the mayor and his chain on show, as well as plenty of tea, biscuits and cakes in the parish hall afterwards.

Waves in Peniche (that's not me!)

Portugal Surfing: I’m not a surfer, or I wasn’t until now. Didn’t think I’d get hooked. Five days surfing in Peniche changed that. Lovely weather, great waves for all abilities, beachside apartment, cold beer and tasty seafood. It’s a nice way to spend a holiday. Surf in the morning, chill out for lunch, read a book, have a beer, then go for an evening surf. Plus the added surprise was Lisbon – what a great city to explore for a weekend.

Crossing the finish line in Gijon

ITU World Duathlon Championships: Running up the blue carpet to finish my first race in a green tri-suit was one of the best memories this year. This was the toughest race I’ve run all year, as the entire field was fast, so there was no letting up. I finished 28^th in my age group (25-29) in 2h03m. I was delighted as I ran a PB in the 10km run and finished the 5km run strongly. These championships are worth qualifying for – racing against people from all over the world is a special feeling. There were people from South Africa to Colombia and people aged 16 to 85. Plus northern Spain was a great location – I’d definitely recommend Gijon and the Principality of Asturias.

Athlone ¾ Marathon:  This was a perfect race for marathon training. 19 miles or 31km with pace makers allowed me check how I was set 5 weeks out to NYC. My shin splints held up and I settled in with the 3 hour marathon pacers. I found it a faster pace than I would have liked, but hung in there and was delighted to finish with them, so a great confidence boost for November.

Barcelona Triathlon: An amazing race in a cracking city, what more do you want for a holiday? This race is one of Europe’s largest, with over 6,000 competitors. The swim is in the balmy Mediterranean waters, the bike is a twisty, technical route around the city’s streets and the run is just as twisty running under the Arc de Triomf. We’d a great holiday too – @mossyb and @blackmambodog blitzed the race and the weekend. 23 degree sun in October isn’t bad, along with fab food. We even got to see the magic of Messi in the Camp Nou (3-0 vs Racing Santander) and tried out the Harry Potter in El Chupito Bar.

New York Marathon - 1st bridge

New York Marathon: so only 2 weeks til we hit the streets of Manhattan for the NYC Marathon with over 45,000 other runners. I’ve hit my maximum mileage, running 32km a few weeks ago. I’m now tapering down. The more I read, the more exciting it sounds. Team Crumlin will be joined by Eamonn Coghlan in NYC, so we should get some good tips from the ex-world champion. My target time is 3 hours, which will be tough to hit, but I’m hoping the adrenaline will push me on once I hit Manhattan after 15 miles. Plus it’s all for a good cause, the children at Crumlin Children’s Hospital. I’ve hit my fundraising target of €5000 but if you’d like to donate, please do so, as every penny makes a difference.

Next Sunday, I’m competing in the 2011 ITU Duathlon World Championships in Gijon, Spain. Along with over 1,100 athletes from all over the world, I’ll get the chance to represent my country. What an opportunity! It’s definately a life long dream, to wear the green of Ireland.

Football is my first love, so I was waiting for the call from Charlton/McCarthy/Kerr/Staunton (ok maybe not)/Trapatoni. But at 29 have realised that the Boys in Green probably won’t need me for the Andorran and Armenian games, even if Richard “God” Dunne is out (I’ll stick to 5-a-side).

So what’s a duathlon? Well, 99% of you have guessed in involves “two” of something. Look at the logo above and guess. Yes it’s running and cycling. There’s a 10km run to start, then 40km on the bike, followed by a 5km run to finish. So basically a triathlon without the swim (which suits me down the ground, since I’m no Michelle Smith – even before her rise in Atlanta 1996).

How did I qualify? I’m not on drugs nor am I supremely talented and hoping to make the London Olympics 2012 team. But I did apply via Triathlon Ireland for this race. Each country has places for all World and European Championships. These places are divided per Age Group, so there were 5 places for my age group, 25-29. I entered a qualification race (Naas Duathlon back in February) and my time there got me in.

Who am I up against? Over 1,100 athletes in total, ranging from ages from 16 to 84.  In my age category, 25-29, there are about 40 guys from all over the world. Most are Spanish (home turf) but there  are Argentinians, Australians, Japanese, French, South Africans (but strangely no British or Americans). There are 11 people in the Irish team.

The pros are also racing – check out the race preview here.

The Fear of Power: check out the entry list of who I’m up against. They all have athletic sounding names; names you hear on the BBC when they do the athletics. I can hear Brendan Foster screaming their names out as they break the 1,500m world record. Names like “Wellington Santos Silva” and “Luis Adriano Stenzinger” from from Brazil; or my favourite “Rodrigo Rodriguez Fernandez”. I wonder what they’ll make of a guy named Power?

What are my expectations? I’m not targeting the gold medal, but would really like to do my best. I know most of these guys are too fast for me, but not all. I’m hoping to run a PB for 10km (~37 min). That will put me in a good position, but on the bike I will probably lose time to the good guys. On the 2nd run, I’ll try keep pace steady (18-19min) but at that stage will be enjoying the experience – it’s a lap of the city, so the crowds should be huge and the atmosphere amazing. I can’t wait to get to that finish line.

 Check out my updates from Gijon on Twitter.

“By next weekend, you should be doing a 22 mile run

So where have I come from? Well I ran 25km on Monday, and felt like I could run another 10km when I finished. It was a round trip to Enniskerry from Sandyford. A few years ago, doing that on a bike was enough. Now a run is very do-able.

I’m comfortably running 20km+ now and should get to 30km+ next weekend. I really enjoy it. It’s not painful – it’s just steady running at a solid pace. No sprinting or feeling like you’ve Usain Bolt at your side. Most of my training is alone – but I like switching off and having time to think. Your mind wanders into all sorts of areas – what will I have for dinner? Will it rain? How can the Kenyans run 2 hour marathon pace?? Why are there so many dead hedgehogs/foxes/rabbits on this road?

So what’s left in the training plan? Well I need to peak in terms of distance by early October. I’ve signed up for the ¾ marathon in Athlone, which will be a good test. Once I complete that, I’ll know I can comfortably run 42km. Caveat: Famous last words I know, as there is a “wall” I haven’t hit yet.

I also have the World Duathlon Championships in Spain in late September – that involves a 10km run, 40km bike followed by a 5km run. It will be a fast pace, with age group runners from all over the world. I’m part of a team of 11 representing Ireland. It should be a proud day to pull on a green rigout – even if it is a figure hugging lycra tri-suit with POWER written across my behind!

October also brings the Barcelona Triathlon, which will be fun. It’s a great city to visit, so what better way to sight see than to race around it. The bike ride around the streets is amazing, as is the run through the city.

So by the time NYC Marathon comes around, I’ll definitely have had enough race numbers, goodie bags and t-shirts accumulated. I plan on taking November and December off training. But will I be able to switch off and vegetate? Running is like a drug – you just can’t get enough of the fresh air and running, (fitter, faster, longer). So I think I’ll have to find some mountain to climb, or race to run…

It’s a pity Eurosport won’t be picking up the race – how cool would it be to hear Seán commentating on everyone struggling up Seskin Hill in Carrick? This is one of the biggest cycling tours in the country, with routes for everyone – from 10km to 160km. The 160km route comes with a health warning: “The Kelly Comeragh Challenge is the tough, tough part of the tour and not for the fainthearted. Almost 160 km (100 miles) in length, it includes two Category One climbs Seskin Hill and Mahon Falls.”

I’m really looking forward to the spin. The best bits will be leaving Dungarvan in a peleton of 1500 people. That should be some sight. After that going up Seskin Hill should be a challenge – hopefully some cow bells will be ringing to make it feel like the Alps. I’m also looking forward to the food – there are so many refuelling stops, in Clonmel and Rathgormack, where you stuff your face (and pockets) with chocolates, cakes, sandwiches, sweets – sugar heaven.

Magic Road, Mahon Falls

The cool thing about these races is that you go through all these villages and countryside that is hidden from the world. Places like Kilrossanty – everyone knows they have a GAA team and have probably played on the pitch, but can anyone say they’ve ever been there and had a look around? Or Ballymacarbery – in 28 years I’ve never even got close to that part of County Waterford. It should be nice to go up the Magic Road on the way to Mahon Falls – will the bikes roll up the hill?

So all set for 6am alarm call. Now it’s time to fix the punctures on the bike – don’t want those tomorrow. It makes some change from Chicago Triathlon, which is also happening tomorrow. Kinda wish I was there too, but I’ll take Waterford this year J