Meet the Runner is back! This week we have Sportsworld Committee member Adrian Lanigan baring his running soul!
To see the Meet the Runner archive: Click here
When did you join Sportsworld?
I first came down to training in December 2014 but joined properly in January 2015.
Where do you work?
I work as the software test manager for an IT company in Clonskeagh.
What is your favourite club session?
My favourite sessions are the track sessions in the spring and summer and the mile repeats on the Mount Carmel lap in the winter.
What is your favorite race distance?
I prefer the longer distance races. I think the half marathon is my favourite distance as it’s a nice balance of speed and endurance. I find in the shorter distance races it’s tougher to maintain that high intensity the whole way. In the marathon I find the need hold something back for later in the race tough and I end up going too fast early in the race. So I think the half is a nice compromise distance with the best of both worlds.
What is your favorite meal before a big race?
Usually if it’s a morning race I have a big bowl of porridge with honey and blueberries. I always follow this up with a good coffee. It’s something I have before all my long runs too so I know it works for me.
My Favourite place to train/compete is?
I love the long runs in the Phoenix Park, particularly early morning before the crowds arrive. For races I love the Dunshaughlin 10k and the Ballycotton 10 mile, great race day atmosphere in both races.
What is your target for the next year?
The plan this year is to get better at the shorter distances, so hoping to PB at 5km, 5 Mile, 10K, 10 Mile and Half Marathon. Not as ambitious as it sounds as I haven’t raced a lot of these distances in a while. I’d also like to run a track race or 2.
What is your best Sportsworld memory?
It has to be the Lanzarote trip last year. It’s a great time of year to get away, the weather was brilliant and the races were a lot of fun. It was great to get to know a lot of people from the club over the week away.
What international events have you ran?
I ran the Berlin marathon last year as well as the La Santa Running Challenge. Both great experiences and I would recommend everyone to do a destination race at some point.
What do you like doing when you don’t run?
I love to travel and I like to get away a few times per year. I love taking photos though they are usually not very good. I go to most of the Kilkenny hurling matches which I also really enjoy. I’m also a bit of a coffee snob and like to make great coffee to fuel my runs.
How/When did you start your adventure with running?
I spent a good few years not doing much/any sport or exercise. Around 2011 I started going to boot-camp 3 times per week and while I enjoyed it I found it hard to stay motivated with no real goal or indication of progress.
I ended up running a 5k and 8k in the docklands that year and I enjoyed the training for those more than the endless press-ups of the boot-camp so I decided to train for the 10k in the great Ireland run for the following April. By the end of that year I’d ran a good few races ending with the race series half marathon and just kept going from there.
Tell us about your PB’s / What is your biggest achievement?
A lot of my PB’s are from a few years ago and are there to be taken down but:
5km – 20:06 (May 2015)
10km – 42:08 (April 2015)
5 Miles – 35:43 (January 2015)
10 Miles – 73:57 (March 2015)
Half – 1:39:15 (November 2016)
Marathon – 3:26:56 (September 2016)
My biggest achievement I think is the 3:26 from the Berlin marathon. I got injured in the run-up to the 2015 race so I had to defer for a year so I was pretty much targeting this race for 2 years. I put in a lot of miles and I think I ran a really good race on the day. It’s one race where I don’t think I could have done anything any better, either in the build-up or on the day.
How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage?
I try to run 5 or 6 times per week. It depends on the time of year and what I’m training for but I usually aim for 35 or 40 miles per week but during marathon training it could be closer to 65 or 70 miles.
What would you say is the best thing about being in a Running Club?
I think the best thing about being in the club is the motivation to get out training 2 or 3 times per week. It’s easy enough to cancel a run if you are going by yourself but it’s a bit easier to get out the door when you know there is a big crowd from the club going to be there. There’s also good fun to be had after the weekend training sessions going for coffee or whatever.
What made you join a Running Club?
I’d been running 2 years and felt I was doing well enough by myself but I knew it would be tough to maintain that motivation while also feeling that the club training should enable me to improve my times.
What was your first day at the Club like?
My first day at the club was the occasion of the cake sale in 2014. I was told we’d run a shortened session because of this but it seemed pretty full on to me, twice around the Terenure lap and then 200m sprints.
I was disappointed to learn that there wasn’t cake after every session.
Why is running important to you?
It’s a great way to stay healthy and there is a great social aspect with being involved in the club. It’s also a wonderful way to see new places and to go exploring when on holidays. It’s also a constant challenge to improve yourself and see how much you can improve year on year. I love that you can run pretty much anywhere, all you need is a pair of running shoes and away you go.
Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the Club?
I’d like to see more people running Cross Country races and track races, they are great fun and people shouldn’t feel they are not good enough for them.
Who is the person in the club who inspires/drives to run better?
I think Emily and Myles are a great source of inspiration. It’s amazing to me that they barely ever miss a session and are always very generous with their time and their advice is always spot on.
Do you do any cross training / other sports on a regular basis?
I cycle a fair bit. Mainly just in and out of work but the odd longer cycle also. When I was injured in 2015 I did a lot of cycles of 60-100km which I really enjoyed, it’s a great way of seeing places you normally wouldn’t get to. It’s a great thing to do on holidays also.
To see the Meet the Runner archive: Click here
