This year the GCH mens Track and Field team finds itself competing against the top clubs in the country in the Premier Division of the National League. This is a great opportunity to showcase the talent in our club and showcase we will!

In recent years the National league has been an opportunity for our Junior athlete to tog out side by side with the seniors to help our club team to victory. Without the help of our fantastic juniors, we'd never have been promoted last year.

To break up the normal routine, coach Matt Lockett asked a bunch of us would we like to go to the beach! We were surprised, Matt is noted for pushing his athletes through their paces, not for bringing them to nice relaxing places.

True to form, Matt had found some nice sand dunes for us to do an interval session on. A good group of us headed down to Bishops Quarter beach just past Kinvara. It was Saint Patricks Morning, wet and windy but we all had a ball, all be it an intense, feel like you're going to collapse ball.

Some people struggled to find the PE hall at the school last week so I have attached a map. I will meet you at the side entrance to the school. Come in through the main gate then take the first right and follow the road round to the back of the school. We had a decent start last week doing a mixture of core and strength work, and exercises designed to improve speed and agility. 4 euro with all funds going to towards the completion of a 200m cinder track on the school grounds. Hope to see you there. Matt

To accommodate this mornings Rugby there will be a group meeting at Dangan after the Rugby(around 11.15am) rather than 10.00am if you want to join in. The suggested session is a 15-30 minute tempo run if you did not do one on Thursday or 8 x2 min off 2 min if you did a tempo already this week. Either session should be sandwiched between 15-20 min easy running. Enjoy. Hope to see you up there. Sorry for late notice- very busy week.

Matt

Do as much of this as your ready for!

Tue session was 1min, 2min, 3 min,4min, 5min, 4min, 3min, 2min, 1min efforts off 1 min.
Wed-easy
Thurs
15-20 min tempo run meeting to warm-up around 6 pm at the Pavilion to be ready to do a few drills and strides about 6 20pm on the GAA pitch.

Sat
Meet pavilion at 10am for warm-up and then 3min, between 3 and 6 x 6min, 3min all run of 90 sec recovery.
Sun
Long run

Matt

I am looking to arrange a training weekend for cross country/distance runners at Banna Strand in Kerry in October. We will stay at the 4 star holiday resort there in 5 bed houses. The site is apparently 3 min run for a 9 mile beach with hard sand and also dunes. There is a leisure centre will pool, sauna etc to relax. The plan would be to head down Friday evening(some may be there in time to run), then to do a session (and maybe an easy run for some) on the beach and/or dunes.

Saturday session has apparently got a bit lost over the past few weeks so hoping to get it back on track. Suggested session for Saturday is 5-8 x 3min off 75 seconds recovery around the two GAA pitches at Dangan. The lads from the middle distance group will be doing the same session so we might aswell tie the two groups in together

Incorporating slightly more shorter reps towards the end for the benefit of those planning to race 5km-10km races in the spring and summer. Anyone running a late spring marathon may wish to lengthen some of the shorter repititions.

Week 1-Wednesday 16th March
6-8 x 800m with 90sec to 2min recovery-try and run within a couple of seconds per lap of the time that you were running for 400m last week.