Ep 14 800m to 80km with sports scientist Joe Warne
· Trail Running Ireland Podcast
Eoin Flynn talks to sports scientist Joe Warne about moving from national 800m finals to winning the EcoTrail Wicklow 80km in his ultra debut, and about what his research says on longevity, adaptation and minimalist footwear. Simon Kelly has the latest IMRA results and calendar news, Eoin reports on Sarah McCormack and Zak Hanna's success in Italy, and René Borg discusses doping in trail running.
Simon reports results from IMRA's Devil's Glen and Galtee half marathon races on 3 October, and explains that IMRA has cancelled all races up to 28 October, including the Wicklow Way race. Eoin covers Sarah McCormack's wins at the Trofeo Nasego and the Chiavenna–Lagunc vertical kilometre, which she won by three tenths of a second, along with Zak Hanna's strong results in Italy. He also explains that the 2022 European championships will bring mountain, vertical and trail races together on La Palma. Simon looks ahead to the global edition of Big's Backyard Ultra.
René explains the difference between chemical, mechanical and technology doping, using carbon-plated shoes and swimsuits as examples. He says doping's main benefit is faster recovery, which allows harder training, and recalls Barry Minnock's view that the effects of doped training never fully go away. Eoin points to the cost of testing, sponsorship deals that reward podium places, and ITRA's voluntary Quartz programme. René argues that the length of a ban should reflect the case, and the two agree that runners should support races and brands with strong anti-doping policies.