Walk the Line!
Phillip Byrne of InDublin magazine interviews Irish race walker Robert Heffernan, who recently stormed at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.
On Average, how long do you spend working out per day?4 hours
So, how long do you spend working out a week?
About 28 hours altogether
"You need to be dedicated and sacrifices will have to be made"
What music do you listen to when working out, if any?I wouldn?t really listen to music while I?m training
What kind of workout do you do?
An easy day would be 12k in the morning, 8km in the evening and some gym work. A tough day would be more like 30km and my track sessions, where your training for a specific race pace, which is four sets of 2km. This would mean I go for 2km in 8 minutes, then recover for 400, and them another rep and son on 4 times
What is your favourite king of training? Indoor? Outdoor? Weights? Aerobic?
I enjoy all my training - 70 per cent what I enjoy most I the result of all the different types of training when a race goes well.
What?s the toughest challenge about getting physically fit?It?s very important to have goals. After this, you need to be dedicated and sacrifices will have to be made. This can be very difficult at times, but when your reach your main goal it will be worth it.
Do you find being fit affects your general mood?
Definitely. When your fit you will feel more confident, you have more energy and you are able to deal with day-to-day issues with a clear mind
What motivates you? Do you have a training buddy?
It motivates me at this stage to try and win an Olympic Medal. I training with Paco Fernandez of Spain, he is the current world medal and Olympic silver medallist
"When your fit you will have more energy and feel more confident"
What athlete inspires you?My coach Robert Korzeniowski is a huge inspiration to me; he?s a double Olympic champion in the 20km and 50km walks.
Complete this sentence: "If I'm not working today, it's most likely because..."
It must be September and I'm on my break!
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