An Irishman Abroad

Why would anyone want to run up a hill? The greatest athlete of all time, Sonia O’Sullivan, explains why this counter intuitive activity is the most crucial form of strength training for all runners. This episode also features breathless voice notes from Jarlath and Sonia’s run around Richmond Park an hour before they sat down to record. Gradual vs severe inclines, improved cadence, better form, greater speed - a little bit of hill running goes a long way especially when you’re preparing for Sonia’s 10 mile road race on April 3rd in Cobh. In the extended cut with episode notes, Sonia gives us free sessions to include in your running week, a story about a time when the Met police were called after a complaint about her running and a word of warning to Jarlath and anyone being asked to do “mad fitness challenges”. We have two embarrassing running stories of the week. The first comes from listener, Aaron Mullan and his attempt to run the Da Nang Marathon in 2017. The second comes from an elite Irish athlete you