Though my running has not exactly hit the buffers the last few days have not been good. Due to lack of time my long run on Sunday was already out of the window. However, with a hammer ‘clinic’ to attend at the National Athletics Stadium at Santry I thought I’d jog the few miles up there. Dreadful – it felt like I’d consumed an Indian meal, quantities of alchohol and not slept the night before. Oh hold on… Then another bad night on Monday saw me postpone yesterday morning’s run, so it’s only just now that I’ve lurched into action again with an early-morning four mile around Docklands. A good job I’m not on lottery funding really.

Down at Irishtown it’s all enthusiasm ahead of the Dublin outdoor indoors. I arrived for coaching yesterday evening and – it being the mid-term break, there was already a big crowd down there. And it appears that one or two more parents are keen to be helping with the coaching, which is great. I was therefore free to give two older lads Patrick and Eoin a killer 20-minute fitness session on the infield. Why not try it? It goes

Med ball accelerations 200 metres + jog 60m + sprint 60m + 20 press ups + 20 sit ups. One minute recovery. Repeat x 2.

Finally a shout out for Charlotte Dutch’s blog for which you will find the link over on the left. Charlie was one of my inspirations when I started running a few years back and she’s now returned to running to train for the forthcoming London Marathon. Pay her a visit.