Cusack: On Schedule for '82

"D 'ya do much running"

"Did you ever hear of the Dublin Marathon?"

"God, I did."

"Yea, well I won it last year."

The above conversation took place in the casualty ward of a Limerick hospital, not long ago. Neil Cusack, winner of last year's RTE Radio 2 Dublin City Marathon, had been bitten by a dog while out on a 20 mile training run. The dog's owner took Cusack to the hospital for a Tetanus injection and while there noticed from the conversation between Cusack and the doctor that perhaps Cusack was not just any other jogger.

Winning last year's marathon has hardly revolutionised Cusack's life style. Fame sits unnoticed on certain shoulders. Almost from the day, last October, when Cusack won the Dublin marathon, there has been little doubt in his mind that his prime target for this year would be Dublin Marathon '82. By Christmas time, Cusack had informed BLE that he would not be available for selection for the European Championship marathon in Athens.

"The heat out there would definitely not have suited me. If I was training in heat all the time, I would not mind, but to go out there from this climate and expect to run well is not on. On top of that, I have work commitments, I can't just walk out the door when I want to run in a race."

The Dublin marathon aside, Cusack really considered only one other race in 1982 - the Boston marathon in April. As preparation for this race he ran in several road and cross country races through the winter. He even made the Irish side, at the last minute, for the World Cross Country Championships in Italy in March. But the flat six mile track there was hardly likely to bring out the best in a confirmed marathon runner and he finished 173rd in the race and 6th of the Irish. Cusack was not unduly surprised by his run. Boston in April, however, was a disappointment to him. Here he finished down the field in a time of 2: 36, a time which was some twenty minutes slower than his winning Dublin run.

"I'm not quite sure what went wrong. I just bombed out. For the first 6 miles, I was just off the pace and going comfortably and by the 10 mile mark I was about 100 yards behind Salazar and Beardsley, but from there on I lost it. I dropped back. I was so far out of it towards the 23 mile marker that I actually stopped running and started walking along the footpath. However there were so many spectators on the footpath that it was easier to get back into the race and jog home ... Grete Waitz (holder of the Women's marathon World Record) joined me around this mark and she too was in bother. She had had a terrible attack of the runs during the race and like me was complaining that the first 7 downhill miles had upset her legs. My legs felt seized up like concrete blocks."

Talking afterwards with Dick Beardsley's coach (Beardsley finished second to Alberto Salazar in the race) Cusack was reminded, once again, of the vast difference in approach taken by American runners. Beardsley had prepared for the special demands of the Boston run both by running over the course itself and by doing special fast hill running. Furthermore, he had trained much of the spring in the heat of Southern Georgia and considering that the heat on the day of the race was 750 Fahranheit, then that too would have given him a much more adequate preparation than a runner like Cusack arriving from the relative coldness of an Irish April.

But then runners like Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley are not amateur. Long term contracts with sports goods manufacturers, appearance money and prize money all make thorough professionals of them. Salazar reputedly demands and receives 10,000 dollars to run in prestige events. The great running boom has meant that these runners can give all their time to running. Their situation compares strangely with that of an Irish-based runner like Cusack. He still works as Sales Manager of Kellistown Chickens in Limerick and his working day usually stretches from 8.00 to 6.00 pm. Nor is his a sedentary desk job. When he ran a particularly disappointing 5000 metres at the Cork Mardyke Sports in July, part of the reason was that he had spent most of the day lifting over 1000 frozen chickens. Someone had gone sick at work and Cusack stepped in to fill the breach - hardly the ideal preparation for a race.

Indeed one of Cusack's major problems of late is that he simply does not have time to get enough sleep. Since his working day begins at 8.00, his running day has to begin at 6.30 am. Given that he works late and then runs again in the evening before eating, he is rarely in bed before midnight. Six hours sleep per night is not the prescribed amount for someone who is running up to 150 miles per week.

The 5000 metres in Cork had represented Cusack's first outing since the disappointment of Boston. His inability to sustain the early pace which he himself set in the Cork race had disappointed him greatly. So it was with huge relief that he ran third in the National Championship 10,000 metres, behind John Woods and Gerry Kiernan, in a time of 29:16. During his 1981 preparations for the Dublin marathon, he had run third in the same race so he felt that at least he was back on schedule for Dublin. Indeed he felt good enough after the Santry run to be able to go out the following day and run the Dublin marathon course, in the company of Mick Byrne, in a time of 2:35.

Since Santry, Cusack has continued with a low key preparation for Dublin. In early August he ran third to Gerry Kiernan and Ronnie Carroll in a 6 miles road race in Westport and then in late August he won a 13 mile road race in Manorhamilton. The Westport run in particular had pleased him since he had done over 120 miles of training in the week of the race. With (at time of writing) five weeks of serious training left before Dublin, Cusack is confident that he is well on target for this year's race.

"When I look at my training diary of last year, I see that I am far ahead of what I did then. Last year my really heavy training only began in September, whereas this year I have done the miles, the endurance stuff already. For September and early October I shall be concentrating on speed work ... My main problem at the moment is that I feel tired and so I may need to go easy, but I find easing off difficult."

In the last month (September) Cusack has in fact run in no races. He has preferred to save his energy for October. Despite the problems of tiredness and the distraction of the new sports shop which he opened in Limerick in mid-September, Cusack remains confident. His final preparation will be to come up to Dublin, probably a fortnight before the race, to run the course once more. Then on the night before the race, he will drive round it a final time. Knowing the course well is more of a psychological help than· a necessity, bu' every boost to the confidence matters.

Given that one of Cusack's main rivals, Pick Hooper, will perhaps be still feeling the after effects of his exhausting run in Athens, the possibility of a double is always there. There are American entries whose form is difficult to assess, but them notwithstanding, Cusack must have a strong chance. In the meantime, perhaps dog owners in Limerick would both attempt to keep their pets under control and take ote of the sporting achievements of their fellow citizens.

The Right Gear

For running, the right gear means but one thing - good running shoes. Anyone who has been training all year long will have worked that out for themselves, but for the benefit of anyone who is influenced by the October marathon mania into taking up running, the advice is worth repeating.

It is essential when buying running shoes to go to a reliable sports equipment shop. Ask for training shoes and then get your feet carefully measured. The quality of training shoes now on the market is so high that nearly anyone will be able to get a suitable shoe. If the sales people know their stuff, then they might take into account your height, weight and general build and recommend that you use insoles, or arch supports or heel supports.

Fortunately, for the runner, all the leading brand names have spent much time and money researching the make-up of the perfect shoe. Most shoes now have a rubber traction sole and a tough leather and nylon upper. Between upper and sole is the vital wedge of firm rubber which effectively acts as a shock absorber and thus takes the sting out of the road.

All the leading brand names combine adequate shock absorbing qualities with lightness and flexibility. All provide good heel and arch support and good grip in the wet. All the brand names offer a varying range of shoe, from the basic heavy trainer up to the high quality, lighter trainer aimed at people running over 50 miles per week. The market leaders, Adidas, offer a Marathon Trainer (£21.95), an L.A. Trainer (£26.95) and the Adidas Oregon (£27.95) as well as competition road racing shoes. If you are going to be doing serious mileage, you are probably well advised to pick the more expensive shoe, since it will give that bit more support and comfort. Incidentally it is probable that more than half of last year's Dublin marathon field ran in Adidas, and if you want a reliable safe shoe to run the marathon in, then the Oregon is a good choice.

For those regularly involved in and interested in athletics, the New Balance name is very popular. This is an American based company, who have a very good reputation in athletics for having spent much effort in developing high class competition shoes. These are, of course, more expensive shoes - the 420 costs £32.95, the 660 costs £34.99 and the 730 costs £47.50. Despite the expense, New Balance are well worth considering since they are probably the most technically advanced shoe on the market. Although the company is of American origin, their shoes are made in Ireland.

Nike are another American company with a reputation for producing good shoes. Their range goes from the Yankee (£21.95) via the International (£35.95) to the Equator (£38.95). Another good shoe comes from Brooks, a company which has recently been revived. Their range includes the Villanova (£19.95), the Super Villanova (£23.95), the Vantage (£28.95), and the Supreme (£32.95).

Puma offer the usual range from the basic, reliable Rocket (£17.95) via the Super Marathon (£23.95) to the L.A. Rider (£29.95). Both the latter shoes feature an interesting Frelen Orthopaedic Insole. O'Neills, the Irish company offer the Etonic range of shoes - their Stabilizer costs £32.99.

Final advice on the subject of running footwear is to be prepared to spend plenty. An inexpensive shoe can cause the runner huge damage, even stress fractures are not uncommon. It will help if you go to a specialist running shop/sports shop.

Tips for the Day

The RTE Radio 2 Dublin City Marathon is but three weeks away. For the near 11,000 would-be nmners, the preparations are nearly over. Training schedules which began in March/April/May should be reaching their climax. It only remains to "taper down" with a week's running of nothing more than half an hour every day. Be wise, if you are not fit for the 26 miles by October, then running extreme distances right up to the last moment will not help. Give your body a rest before the big one.

On the day itself, as in training for the run, common sense is the keynote. Here are a few obvious tips:

- BE POSITIVE - Don't bother starting if you feel you are not going to finish.

- BE REALISTIC - Don't attempt to complete the marathon in an ambitious time. Be content to complete it. To this end it is a good idea to start further back in the pack than you need. That way you will be running well within yourself and you will be passing people towards the end, which is a boost in itself. Remember the highest drop out rate in marathons comes in the category of the competitive road racers who fail to pace themselves properly and simply burn themselves out.

- IGNORE TIME AND MILE MARKERS - You won't help yourself any if you start ticking off the hours and the miles immediately. "3 miles done and 23 to go" is hardly an encouraging way to begin.

- DRINK LITTLE AND OFTEN - The efficient organisation of the Dublin marathon means that there is no shortage of feeding stations. Since dehydration is perhaps the marathon runner's biggest enemy, avail of the opportunities to replace lost fluid. Sipping on the run at more than one station is preferable to stopping for a longer drink at a particular station. If you stop completely, you may have d ifficulty getting going again.

- BREAKFAST - eat your normal breakfast, at least three hours before the kick off.

- KEEPING WARM - Even if you feel a little cold before the start, do not wear any extra clothing than that which you wear in training. Likewise do not waste energy by going for warming up runs before the start. Use the opening miles of the marathon itself as your warm up period.

- STRETCHING - Do not forget to do your usual stretching exercises. Again do not do anything more than your normal pre-training exercises.

- CROWDS - Enjoy the atmosphere. but don't let it fool you into thinking you are a combination of a Waldemar Cierpinski and Neil Cusack. Keep cool.

- NEW SHOES - Don't, don't wear them.

- 20 MILES - Remember when you have got to twenty miles that you have still a long way to go!

- Good Luck. (The above tips are taken from Noel Carroll's "The Runner's Book", published by Canavaun Press and retailing at £2.30.)