#350 Niall Connaughton: Marathon Tapering, Ironman Training, Majors and More

This week, we are joined by Niall Connaughton (@nnncee on Instagram), who shares his journey from Gaelic football to Ironman, discusses training, nutrition, and triathlon challenges, and offers practical advice for beginners and seasoned athletes alike for the upcoming Dublin Marathon, as well as thoughts on running the Chicago Marathon, New York Marathon, 4 of his 11 Ironmans in Lanzarote and much more

20:00 We welcome Niall Connaughton
23:13 Balancing a high-pressure career with endurance training
27:48 Nutrition strategies for travelling athletes and macro considerations
31:42 Getting started in triathlon: beginner tips and first race advice
33:43 How to approach swimming as a beginner
36:45 Barriers to swimming in Ireland and solutions
39:07 Why Niall chose Ironman over marathon and other races
40:23 Training in Lanzarote and the appeal of the island
43:22 Involving family in training trips and balancing life
46:12 Recap of Niall’s toughest Ironman experience
48:24 Managing setbacks and injuries psychologically
50:12 The importance of love for the training process
56:29 Tapering strategies for race day
58:09 Approach to long runs and race pace
59:31 Distance versus time in training
61:21 Training blocks and structuring sessions
64:26 Using cycling for aerobic base and recovery
65:36 Comparison of Chicago and New York marathons
72:12 Experiencing race day in major marathons
74:11 How to start training for triathlon and next steps

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