Irishman Running Abroad With Sonia O’Sullivan

The spirit of Parkrun is not centred around beating your fastest time but if there’s a wall there, you may as well try and jump over it some time. You can sit on it, arrange to meet friends at the wall, chew the fat and have fun but occasionally it’s ok to jump it. With the help of the Queen of Irish athletics you can instantly take minutes off your time. You’re not going to believe how glaringly...

If it’s your first of fiftieth marathon, Sonia O’Sullivan has some timely reminders of what needs to be done before you set out on the journey. She looks at the fine details we can forget when considering taking on this task. From shoes to preparing your family, training week templates and why 4 is the magic number; you will need the full episode in your ears this week. Sonia also looks back on he...

Sonia O'Sullivan chats to comedian Jarlath Regan about the latest news in world athletics and how to adjust your running training when things are no longer going to plan. The ability to change is what separates the good from the great. Sonia is Ireland's greatest track athlete ever so she knows a thing or two about adjust. As a coach at Union Athletic Club in Nike's Portland HQ, her job is to spot...

In 1987 at the Cork City Sports meet, a seventeen year old Sonia O’Sullivan ran a time for 3000 metres that would have qualified her for the 1988 Olympics. It was the race that put her on the map. We go back to that summer’s evening when the legend in the making took a bus from Cobh to Cork to stomp her opposition into the ground. Injury adversity would strike soon after but it was this taste of s...

Catching the sight of yourself in a mirror is one thing, catching the sight of yourself running in a video is a whole other level? Even Sonia admits to having a different view of her running form to the reality that presents itself whenever someone hits record. Can we take steps to improve the way we run or is perfection an illusion when it comes to this very personal thing. Elite running coach an...

The legend Sonia O’Sullivan breaks down the most confusing items of running terminology as submitted by our listeners. From tempos to fartleks, floats to bandits, it’s all here in this jargon busting episode with the GOAT of Irish running. The extended episode (available on Patreon) also includes Sonia revealing her VO2 max, even more jargon busting and a visit to Poppintree Park in Dublin to take...

Sonia is back in Portland after a brief stop at a relay carnival like no other - The Penn Relays. We get some of the sights and sounds of the big event including Villanova's dramatic win in the men's mile relay and Marcus O'Sullivan's emotional post race interview. "The memories that are made last forever and they are magic" but at some point you have to come back to earth and get out to train aga...

More than 40,000 runners took to the streets of London on Sunday April 23rd, 2023, to run 26.2 miles. Raising millions for charities across the U.K. This year, for the very first time, I was one of them. Today's episode brings you all the sights and sounds from this tremendous event. From the pre-race jitters to the fortuitous meetings, the cheers crowds and the glorious final sprint to the finish...

Sonia pulls Jarlath to one said and explains the most important things to remember on the day of the marathon. This wide ranging episode features stories and wisdom Sonia's illustrious career and simple tips that everyone can apply. She also looks back at the Boston marathon and Kipchoge's 6th place finish. Is this the end or just a blip? Later in the episode coach Vinny Mulvey joins Jar for his f...

In the final days before London 2023, I ask the greatest of all time what she learned from her first marathon. The answer I get might surprise you. Sonia famously ran and won Dublin on a whim for her first race after the 2000 Olympics. My final long run was an opportunity to gather some listeners training for Connemara, Boston and London. I recorded on the go and got some great insights from the f...

Sonia returns to the hills and roads that built her this week. Yes, it’s the 2023 Ballymore Cobh AC Sonia O’Sullivan 10 Mile Road Race and I was there to capture all of the sights and sounds of this unique event. Hundreds of runners of all levels lined up to take on the hills and I brought the microphone along for the ride. Thanks to Steve Daly, my running companion on the day, there is a condense...

Jarlath takes on one of the hilliest half marathons in Ireland while Sonia O'Sullivan returns to Cobh to prepare for her annual 10 mile road race on April 2nd. Coach and physical therapist Vinny Mulvey advices Jarlath on the imperfect science of tapering for the London Marathon. There's something for everyone in this episode including (in the extended cut n Patreon) a trip to the Wicklow hills wit...

How do you control your emotions when you're more tired than you've ever been in your life? Sonia has the answers. Fresh off the plane from Australia, the Queen is back in London. A little jet lagged but brimming with great advice, tips, stories and recommendations for what you can do to run your best ever marathon, half marathon or 5k. This is part 1 of this week's episode. You can hear the whole...

After a hellish week of injury and illness, Jarlath sits down with Sonia talk about some of the most annoying aspects of the runners life including the inopportune time to get sick. Compiled from the emails from our great listeners and Patrons on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad,  Sonia sifts through them all, adds a few of her own and even admits to a couple herself. Later in the show top physical...

The great Sonia O'Sullivan answers listener questions on all topics including nutrition, footwear, training, travel and the European indoor championships. Comedian Jarlath Regan, who has been coached by Sonia for the last two years, is just 46 away from his biggest race. London City Marathon on April 23rd looms large. Sonia helps Jarlath with some of the mental challenges of the big race. In the e...

From nutrition to recovery to gear, Sonia O'Sullivan takes a close look at the aspects of marathon preparation that tend to get forgotten. With the help of first time marathon runner, comedian Jarlath Regan, she explains why making time and space to think about a few simple things can change your marathon experience completely.  To hear a double size episode of this week's show and all our episode...

Can you training your brain to stop begging you to quit while running? This week Sonia O'Sullivan looks at the voice inside us that is common to all runners. The voice that tells you that "this is your limit". What can we learn from the elites on the topic of quieting that voice? Jarlath looks at the wider theories around the subject of mental strength while special guest Vinny Mulvey visits David...

If you’re training for any big race or just starting out in running, you’re putting new demands on your body. All runners need to compensate for the extra toll this will take through some sort of supplements. Sonia O’Sullivan chats to Jarlath about the entry level stuff that will aid with recovery and help us all avoid depletion.   With 10 weeks to the London marathon Jarlath’s long run has been u...

The legend Sonia O'Sullivan talks to Jarlath about the past week in athletics and how to improve your running form easily. The Irish record breaker takes a look around Strava to see what the listeners have been running and she reflects on her daughter's stellar performance over the weekend on the track. Meanwhile, Jarlath takes to the hills with the Vinny Mulvey training group. Later in the show o...

This weekend the most loved 5 mile road race in Ireland returned to Raheny and Jarlath ran the flipping thing. Now with the help of Sonia O'Sullivan, Vinny Mulvey & David Gillick, we look back on this fantastic race and ahead to our down week. Why is a down week so essential and how can we get the most out of it. To hear a double size episode of this week's show and all our episodes, head to www.p...

No matter what you're ambitions in running, the long run has to feature in your weekly plan if you are to improve. Who better to advise us on how to prepare, plan, fuel and recover than the greatest of all time, Sonia O'Sullivan. Today she sits down with Jarlath to discuss what people forget or don't know about this pillar of every training plan. From pacing to intervals, protein powder to massage...

If you’re hoping to run a marathon one day getting your fuelling and flexibility just right is essential. And yet each and every week runners of all levels neglect these areas of their training. With less than one hundred days to Jarlath’s first ever marathon, the London City Marathon, Ireland’s best ever athlete Sonia O’Sullivan helps our host understand the essentials with the help of Vinny Mulv...

Running sleeves, snot rockets, strides, KT tape? There's so many things in running I still don't understand. If you're as baffled by some of the fads, habits and trends that go with running as I am, you're going to love this conversation with the legend Sonia O'Sullivan. Together we sift through the more bizarre bits and bobs of training, racing and treatment suggested by you, our legendary listen...

Sonia’s final week in Australia is an eventful one. She looks ahead to 2023 with coach Vinny Mulvey. How do you best incorporate races into your plan for the year? Vinny has been setting the training plan for Jar and Sonia for the past few weeks. Together they examine why it’s so essential to see where you are before you decide where you want to go? We get a trip around Strava to see what our list...

As a Christmas treat we are giving you this extra large version of the much anticipated "ask Sonia O'Sullivan anything" episode. Sonia sifts through the mailbag to find the best running and training questions of the past year. The former world champion battles with a giant spider in Australia and drops knowledge on how to conquer that Christmas apathy that sets in over the holiday season. She take...