No Finish Line

In this episode I discuss the Marathon Taper with guest Noel Carroll from Noel Carroll Running. Noel is a very experienced runner and coach who has been involved in athletics for over 20 years. He has competed as a long distance runner on the road, track and cross country, competing at Provincial, National and International level. Noel has a Marathon PB of 2:29 using his experience he now coaches a wide array of athletes. Noel has a very useful course description for the Dublin Marathon from his website https://www.noelcarrollrunning.com

I don't really know how to introduce this episode as I hadn't heard of Aoife until her recent win in the Dublin Half Marathon (2023). I expected to be talking about training and racing but that was just a small part of the conversation. Running is what she does but it's only a small part of who she is. I think there are a lot of useful takeaways from this conversation that just came out as we were talking. Hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording. Part of me is wishing I had stayed recording after we had finished as the conversation continued. Maybe there will be a part 2 if Aoife decides to run a Marathon. #run #running #marathon

In this episode I talk to Stephen Murphy about his journey from trying to run 5K to finishing an IronMan Triathlon. This happen in a relatively short space of time and he has now shifted his mindset from trying to finish to wanting to win. Most recently he has won the Connemara 100 Mile race and set a new course record in the process. We talk about his journey and how he shifted his focus and harnessed that winners mindset. Stephen's attention to detail is second to none and he shares details on how he plans and prepares for these events. He treats every event with the same level of respect and he's an all round nice guy always willing to help those around him. #ultrarunning #endurance #ultracycling #ironman

Ellie Berry of Tough Soles has set a new record for climbing every mountain in Ireland. This list of mountains, the Vandeleur-Lynams, is an island-wide challenge, taking in all the most prominent mountain ranges and totalling to 275 summits. Ellie’s time from the 1st summit to the 275th summit, was 50 days, 5 hours, and 45 minutes. The previous record was 56 days. Between 2017 - 2019 Ellie and Carl Lange walked every National Waymarked Trail in Ireland, becoming the first people to do so. They walked over 4,000km and documented the project through Tough Soles. She has published academic papers as part of the Made of Walking International Encounters/Conference, researching; photographic representations of the Irish landscape and how that shapes our interactions with it (2019); and a paper that asked questions into how walking art practices could incorporate or consider Leave No Trace within the practice (2021). Instagram @allezberry www.ellieberry.com www.toughsoles.ie

In this episode I'm joined by Jon Shield, an Ultra Runner living on the Shropshire/North Wales border. Relatively new to the sport, Jon has won some of the most extreme races on the Ultra Running calendar and wish list with the most notable being Beyond The Ultimate's Highland Ultra, Ice Ultra and Jungle Ultra. There are many other races in his trophy cabinet and in this podcast we talk about the career changing injury that steered him towards the sport and his realisation of a hidden talent. We talk mindset, resilience, competition, bouncebackability and how where we have come from can help us to get where we are going. You can keep up with johns adventures by following him on Instagram @Jon_shield_runs_ultras More information Thanks to @johnbelton for supporting this podcast and making it happen

In this episode I talk to John Belton about his recent experience in the Jungle Ultra, a 230km self-sufficient ultra marathon through the Amazon Rainforest. As well as talking about the race we also focus a lot on the before and after including our thoughts on preparation, mindset and resilience. I'll update with John's Kit List Further information on the race available from Beyond the Ultimate. John Belton Instagram @johnbelton #junglemarathon #jungleultra #ultrarunning #amazon #rainforest

The Trans Sahara Marathon is a 150Km 4 day multi stage race held in the Sahara Desert. This year (2023) Sinead Kane was one of the competitors taking part. During the first day Sinead had an accident that should have finished her race but she continued. This podcast turned into a conversation about mindset, resilience, teamwork, goal setting and a lot more than just running in the Desert. We also talk a little bit about the gear we used and our lessons learned. Sinead is registered as blind having only 5% vision. During this race she ran with a Guide Runner, I was that Guide. you can follow Sinead on Instagram @kanesinead777 My Instagram @johnoregan777 Trans Sahara Marathon Video https://transsaharamarathon.com/

Keith Lane won the Kerry Way Ultra 2022 in a Course Record time of 21:18:31.  This was Keith's third time taking part and his third time on the Podium with an ever increasing time from the application of lessons learned from his training and racing. In this episode we talk about Keith's training to include the mental as well as the physical and discuss how he takes his training from the lab to the mountains. Keith also talks about his race preparation and he gives some good takeaways for anyone wanting to be competitive in this or any other race.  If you listen with an open mind you will see that the strategies discussed in this episode can transfer to any sport or beyond.

Scott Jenkins is a Welsh male Ultra Runner, motivational speaker and philanthropist. He favours races of 200 Miles or longer and has finished 15th out of the 227 finishers at the Moab 240  in Moab, Utah, behind winner Michael McKnight. Jenkins's finish was the fastest on record for a British finisher. Scott has Raced and Crewed at some of the most challenging Races out there and in this podcast we talk about how he plans and executes his race.  We talk about the importance of a good crew and how to also be that good crew.  There were a few questions I wanted to ask but I also got a few answers I wasn't expecting.  I let the interview happen rather than just going through a list of prepared questions. Races Include: Badwater 135 Bigfoot 200 Moab 240 Cocodona 250 Instagram: @scottjenkins For more information on Scott's chosen charity:  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/scottjjenkins

Irishman Keith Russell claimed second place in the gruelling Race of Champions Backyard Masters in Germany. The race began last Saturday morning and participants had to complete a 6.7km lap every hour, running it as fast or as slow as they wanted, while ensuring they were back at the start line on the hour mark to go again. Any runner who failed to finish a lap recorded a DNF (did not finish). In the early hours of this morning, Russell's race came to an end at 89 laps, covering an astonishing 597km in 66 hours, 14 minutes and 22 seconds. Russell started running in 2016 with his daughter Alanna, who had spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, and ran the 2017 Dublin marathon, pushing Alanna in a special running chair. The pair raised more than €60,000 for the Meadow's Children's Respite Centre in Navan, but tragically, Alanna passed away six weeks after the marathon. #backyard ultra #backyardultra #ultrarunning #marathon

Coach John Belton talks about his experience in the Ice Ultra. During the conversation we discuss the Arctic Environment and the hazards hidden by its beauty. We talk more about what can happen during a race like this rather than just this race. Cold weather injuries and strategies for survival also get a mention. What is the Ice ultra? It’s a 230km race split into 5 stages taking in Arctic tundra and frozen lakes all set against a back drop of white topped mountains. The days are short and the course is long; runners should expect long periods running in darkness, following a marked route by head torch, under skies free of light pollution and filled with stars and sightings of aurora. As a self-sufficient race you are responsible for carrying your entire kit, including food, safety equipment and a minimum of 1.5 litres of water which can be re-filled at checkpoints along the stages.  You’ll need some specialist gear to take on the conditions the Arctic Circle can throw at you. Accommodation each night is provided by way of remote huts and teepee tents with open fires for warmth.

Ed McGroarty an Irish International Ultra Runner from Lifford, Co.Donegal. Ed is the Irish 24hr Record holder with a distance of 256.570Km set in Belfast Victoria Park in October 2021 and he also holds the 24hr Indoor Record with a distance of 249.761Km set in Espoo Finland in February 2020.  He also holds the Record for the FKT (Fastest Know Time) for running the length of Ireland starting at Malin Head in Co.Cork and finishing in Malin Head Co.Donegal, a distance of 570Km which he covered in 3days 1 hour and 55 minutes. Ed is a very unique Character and I have know him for quite a few years and have witnessed his journey and progression from Marathon Runner to one of the best ever Irish Ultra Runners.

SHAUN IS A MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE CURRENTLY COMPETING IN SINGLE AND MULTI-DAY ADVENTURE RACES AND TRAIL RUNNING RACES THROUGHOUT IRELAND AND INTERNATIONALLY. IN 2018, SHAUN WAS CROWNED NATIONAL ADVENTURE RACE CHAMPION WITH A STRING OF VICTORIES IN THE IRISH ADVENTURE RACE SERIES. ALONG SIDE THESE RACES, SHAUN ALSO TAKES ON PERSONAL ADVENTURES IN COLD AND MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS. www.shaunstewart.com Instagram: @shaunstewart1 Races Referenced in Podcast: Gael Force - https://gaelforceevents.com Quest Adventures - https://www.questadventureseries.com Westport Sea to Summit - https://www.westportsea2summit.ie For all your Outdoor needs - www.greatoutdoors.ie

Dr Sharon Madigan is Head of Performance Nutrition at Sport Ireland and works with the Irish Olympic Team.  She is well-known for her work as a performance nutritionist for the High Performance Boxing team and has worked with young boxers and the international team who have had numerous successes at European, World and Olympic games since 2003. She has also worked with the Ulster Rugby team, club and county GAA teams (including Donegal) and currently works with the Olympic Council of Ireland as a member of the sports science and medical team.  Twitter @madigan_sharon  Instagram @sharon_madigan

A very insightful and honest interview with Ultra Trail Runner, Ricki Wynne.  There are lots of useful takeaways from this episode as Ricki talks about his attitude to training and racing.  We also talk about the psychology of racing and how he has dealt with injuries and other setbacks. You can follow Ricki on Instagram @rickiwynne10

Internationally renowned global endurance athlete and successful high altitude mountaineer Jason Black has spent the last 30 years as a high performance athlete having scaled the world’s highest mountains and raced to the end of the earth.   His accomplishments include summiting Mt Everest and the most technical and dangerous mountain of them all, K2.   The fatality rate on K2 is 25% compared to Everest with 6.5%. The main reasons why K2 is a tougher climb than Everest are the lack of Sherpas, support, fixed ropes and claimable routes. K2 also has more unpredictable weather and more frequency of avalanches. Then there’s the technicality and immediate steepness of the climb and the logistics of the climb and trek. At 8611 meters, it’s the second highest peak in the world, bested only by Everest at 8 848m. 2008 brought on one of the greatest tragedies in mountaineering history when 11 climbers died on K2 in a single day. www.jasonblack.ie Instagram @jasonblack_athlete

10 years ago, the 36 year-old Paula was struggling with a life-threatening health condition, seriously overweight due to a debilitating form of diabetes contracted during pregnancy. She was on a cliff edge, her confidence shot, and the prospect of not being there to watch her kids grow up a genuine concern. “When my youngest was one, so I’m talking around 2011, I realised that I had a serious problem because I was just that heavy, so I decided I’d start walking. And walking didn’t really do anything, I started a bit of swimming, that didn’t work, I started diets and they would make the weight drop a bit but you can’t live with the diets – you have to live normally as well. So then I decided that’s it, I’ll start running, because I did like a running a bit before.” The literal and metaphorical distance Paula has travelled over the past seven years is borderline inconceivable. After all, her beginnings in the sport were humble, in the most extreme sense. “I couldn’t run past two lamp-posts before I was out of breath - I was so bad, I was so out of breath, I was just so out of shape. It took me well over seven or eight months before I could run from 0 to 5k, but the first 5k was actually the hardest.” This is a small part of her story adapted from the Nenagh Guardian. You can follow Paula's journey on Instagram @paulawright_runner

This episode is a recording of a recent Q&A with Great Outdoors.  We talk about Running, Training, Fitness, Adventure, Outdoor Activities along with a chat on gear and equipment to include some of my personal choices.  I also talk about racing and give an example of a strategy I applied during a Race with No Finish Line.  Hope you enjoy. UltraRunning Trail Running Instagram: @johnoregan777 www.greatoutdoors.ie

At the time of recording, Caitriona Jennings was quarantining in a Hong Kong hotel in line with travel restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Caitriona had just returned from taking part in the Hoka One One 'Project Carbon X2' event in Arizona. In this episode we talk about Quarantine and the coping strategies Caitriona is using during this time.  We also talk about the PCX2 event and competing as an elite female athlete who is also pregnant at this time. We mention a medical journal article and you can access it with the attached link: https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000652  

This episode was from a series of Instagram live interviews hosted by Great Outdoors.  Eoin Keith talks about his life of Adventureland shares some of his tips and advice learned from racing around the world.  If you were thinking of trying an Ultra Marathon then this episode might help you decide. www.greatoutdoors.ie #ultrarunning #adventureracing #thespinerace #thebarkleymarathons