Ep 10 39-time IMRA race winner Barry Minnock
· Trail Running Ireland Podcast
Eoin Flynn marks episode 10 with the last results before the summer's new restrictions, a deep dive on hill sprints with René Borg, and an interview with Barry Minnock, back on the mountains after years of injury and qualifying for the Irish team at 45.
Simon Kelly runs through the latest IMRA results from Prince William's Seat, Drumgoff and John's Hill, and explains IMRA's decision to suspend racing until 13 September. He covers the Seven Sisters Skyline 50 km, where Laura O'Driscoll won the women's race in 8:22:47 and the men's winner finished 41 minutes clear. He also gives an update on the Kerry Way Ultra. Eoin explains why EcoTrail Wicklow was postponed to 2021, and the pair discuss the cancellation of the 100 Miles of Istria, the virtual UTMB, and Courtney Dauwalter's long Colorado challenge, which ended with acute bronchitis.
René explains why speed matters even for ultra runners: the higher your maximum speed, the easier every other pace feels, and speed is one of the first qualities to fade with age. Hill sprints recruit more muscle fibres than flat sprints, with lower impact, which makes them a safe first step before flat strides. He recommends running them at nine out of ten rather than all out, to stay relaxed, a lesson from sprint coach Bud Winter. Following coach Brad Hudson's approach, beginners can start with two 8 to 10 second sprints at the end of an easy run and build to ten, always taking long recoveries. Steps or a resistance parachute can stand in if you have no hills.