Today brings Season 2 of 60 Seconds to a close as we feature an athlete who is almost part of the furniture. A 20 year veteran, despite his tender years and an athlete who maybe set to replace Gary O’Hanlon as the club’s most prolific racer: Sean Doran.
Bio: 5000-10000m runner mainly. Work in a wholesale factory as a fork lift driver but thats just my hobby, chasing the Olympic dream is my real job
What age did you take up the sport of athletics and why? Very young about 7 i was always involved with running as my da is a runner and he used to bring(drag) me and my friends out and make us train.
When and why did you join Clonliffe Harriers? Officially joined clonliffe in 2000 i think. so ye 2 decades of failure so far😂. Truth be told i only start even attempting proper running training when i was 20 and have been upping it ever so slightly since. I have been improving very slowly for the last few years and alot more to come. I was in the taekwondo club that used to train in the stadium hall 1st for a couple of years before Clonliffe with my friends but was only a matter of time before my da made us go out onto the track. Then security(Gladys) made us get off the track. I was more talented at taekwondo but i was destined to be a runner i suppose. So my da made me officially join one night and over 20 years later i am still here
What is your favourite training workout? 6 x 1k off 3min recovery is usually the go to one to show you if you are race ready. although i very rarely get it right and have yet to really get it right tbh.
And your least favourite? Eh prob 25 x 600m hills in the phoenix park(yes that is a thing) or maybe one of Philip O’Doherty’s track sessions of 25 straight laps with 800 5k pace/800 marathon pace.
What’s your favourite race / athletics meet? Whats the next bhaa race? Ah i suppose the Raheny 5 for its atmosphere is unmatched in amateur road races and the strength in depth of the field.
What is your most cherished or proudest moment in athletics? (as athlete and/or coach) Probably my most recent win in the Lusk 4 mile. Not just because I Won but how I felt. Even before the race started I knew I was feeling good and I would either run great or throw it away mentally. At this race I felt i was on the verge of been where I always wanted to be in running.
What was your worst injury – and how did you get over it? I never really get injured and if i do i usually run through it thanks to bad coaching(but i am not gonna get into that today).i can get a really bad neck injury every now and then which i think might be something resurfacing from landing bad on a trampoline as a kid on holidays. At christmas i felt paralysed from the neck down but as soon as i felt it ease a bit i was painkillered up and on the Tom Brennan 5k start line new years day. Atm 2 months in to corona season i start having knee problems and missed a few weeks and am now trying to come back but have been hit with lower leg/top of foot pain on the opposite leg so its not looking good right now sadly. I never get injured racing every week so it must keep me strong as soon as i stop racing im injured. Most people would think the opposite😂
(For a coach or seasoned athlete) What piece of advice would you give an aspiring athlete? No matter how many bad races you have don’t give up. Keep consistently training away whether good or bad results because every day is a different result in running particularly at amateur level. No matter how long you are waiting your day might come when everything just clicks for you. You are remembered for your good races not your bad races.
Do you have any memorable or funny story from Clonliffe Harriers that you could share? (the censorship board may review!) I am sure 90% of my races are a good laugh for onlookers not for me though particularly national xc championship ones
What’s your favourite meal? For competition-i would usually have bagels with coffee and maybe a cereal bar like a rice crispy square and a banana. Outside competition- burger and chips with lots of garlic sauce.
Who is your sporting ‘hero’? (athletics or other) Irish-Peter Somba or Conor McGregor International-Stone Cold Steve Austin oh you mean a “real”sport…Galen Rupp
What’s your favourite…? Film -Happy Gilmore Song or Album.snoop dogg-gin n juice. Radiohead-the bends.
What’s your favourite holiday destination? Florida i should of been there damn this corona.
What’s your favourite hobby or activity outside of athletics Doing as little as little as possible listening to music and watching movies stuffing my face.
If you were Seb Coe what changes would you implement to improve our sport? Stop this showing field events in the middle of long distance races. I mean i know its good for the flow but its not necessary watching them stand around doing nothing for ages in between. then showing replays of the jump. putting there tights back on. all the while we are missing critical moves in the race! Maybe its just me but i could watch a whole marathon without blinking😂
How would your non-athlete friends describe you? (in 3 words) Friends? You know i am a runner right. Ah no prob “he doesn’t talk”.
What is your next running goal ? If i can get over the injuries stopping me at the minute and get back where i was before i think i should be able go sub 15 and sub 31 cause i know thats where i was 2 months ago.
How are you motivating yourself to continue training at these difficult times? I would have stopped straight away when races stopped normally as i am just that lazy but couldnt cause i was literally just hitting my best form ever. What kept me going through first 2 months of corona was my last race wins and knowing how good i felt at them. I was afraid let that edge go cause it took me 20 years to get😂. But the injuries then took over anyway so maybe the less motivation i have to run at the minute the better. It is the best time ever to be injured really if it just hadn’t of been for that form i was in i would be loving it.
