T:he experienced Irish Olympic hurdler and sprinter explains how he has managed to maintain his longevity
A group of excited young fans flocked to the side of the road for the chance to get Thomas Barr’s autograph, possibly even a selfie with their hero as he celebrated his 12th All-Ireland title in 2024.
Under the circumstances, he could be forgiven for sneaking out through a side exit; The 32-year-old had just won the 400m hurdles in 50.61 (after a hard-fought 49.60 in qualifying the previous day) but fell “well short” of his own goals, which included hitting the Olympic qualifying standard of 48.70. Still, in the post-race commotion, he chose not to leave, instead spending an hour and a half signing autographs, smiling at everyone around him.
“Thank you…” he modestly wrote Instagram: after. “You made me feel like a proper celebrity for a few hours.”
Although narrowly short of selection for the 400m hurdles in Paris, Barr finished 42nd (out of a maximum of 40) when the qualifying window closed, the two-time Olympian was still selected for the 4x400m medley relay, an event he won. incredible gold at the European Championships in June. It was a remarkable achievement for the Ferrybank athlete, who traveled to his first major championships a decade ago and at his peak finished fourth in an Irish record 47.97 at the Rio Olympics.
While he admits he has moved significantly in recent years from a technical and endurance-based discipline to one that is increasingly based on speed, he attributes his consistency and longevity to his coaches at the University of Limerick, Hayley and Drew Harrison, and training. ethos they have created.
“They really are the brains behind the operation,” says the 2018 European Championships bronze medallist. “I haven’t had to think a lot when it comes to training. As I got older, I got a little more involved, but Haley is so in tune with what every athlete needs… I’ve been very fortunate to level myself up in a lot of “thinking” parts. where I can perform at my best has been somewhat out of my control, which makes my life a lot easier.
“Hailey and Drew have tremendous experience coaching athletes at the international level down to the basics. Even now, in the training group, anyone who is inside the university who wants to give to athletics; we’ve had athletes who maybe play team sports or other sports who want to work on their speed; they will come and train with us. for some time. That’s what I love about the band, it’s always growing, it’s always changing, there’s a huge energy and I love the diversity of it. I still enjoy going to training because of that. it’s good fun and it’s good with my friends.”
A self-confessed student of the sport, Barr says his love of learning and willingness to push the limits have also contributed to his career longevity. “If I thought I had finished learning or thought I knew everything, I would have left the sport because I would have said: “What’s left to get?”» he says
Ireland’s winning team (Getty)
Her season best of 48.79 is the fastest since the Tokyo Olympics and ninth all-time. He’s not done yet, but when the time comes, Barr can walk away from the track with his head held high not just because of his performances on it, but because he likes it.
When he refers to the All-Ireland Championship, potentially his last Nationals, there is joy and appreciation in his voice. “I’ve always loved the buzz that can come from literally running a lap on a treadmill and the fact that other people enjoy it so much,” she says. “Then I even got messages from the parents of the children saying, “Thank you so much, he hasn’t washed his hands since you waved it,” or “He went to school with his autographed t-shirt, he can’t wait to show his friends, and that’s really me.”
“At this point in my career, I’m happy to have left such a legacy or mark on the sports community. It means a lot more to me than a one-time performance.”
For context, three weeks of hard training will be followed by a “recovery” week. All sessions are held at the University of Limerick. The Saturday hill session takes place on woodland trails in Cratloe, County Clare.
READ MORE. How do they train ranks?
Monday. (am) gym – rehabilitation and speed-based training; (pm) running session eg 4x150m or 200m-150m-100m (x1) as fast as possible after long recovery or 80m-60m-40m (x3). “It really relies on the element of speed,” Barr says. Recoveries take 6-15 minutes (recovery will be longer for longer runs and also the closer to the season)
Tuesday: (pm) 20 minutes of running, followed by plyometrics (about 15 minutes), then “intense circuit training” including bodyweight exercises (eg, press-ups, crunches, burpees, jumping jacks, etc.) plus medicine ball exercises. “This is the longest session of the week and can be up to 2/2.5 hours as we get into the thick of the season/winter block,” Barr says. “It’s probably one of my favorite sessions of the week as well because you leave absolutely pumped and feel like you’ve really accomplished something.”
Wednesday. (pm) technical session on the track, eg hurdles and block work, resistance sprints and technical running (starts basic, gets more technical throughout the season)
Thursday. (pm) speed endurance session on the track eg 500m-400m-300m. Or a split run, eg 250m, then a 300m split (split 150m/150m with a short recovery), followed by 350m and finally a 400m split. “It’s a lactic acid session with short recoveries (up to 7min in winter/30s for split runs) so we get more tired as the session progresses and we have to work harder for the same result.”
Friday (or) heavy gym + 10-15 minutes on the bike
Saturday. (am) hill session – starts with a 1km uphill warm-up, followed by up to 12 sprints at varying inclines and distances of 30m-100m.
Sunday. rest day
Favorite session: “I really enjoy our circuit and medicine ball session (described above). If we finish our run before the trainers get to us, we also get to play 10 minutes of basketball, so that’s good.
Least favorite session. “Speed-Endurance is my least favorite on Thursday. I’m pretty strong on those sessions, but they’re definitely my least favorite because you know you have to go into the hurt closet somewhat.”
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