Dr Ed Coughlan: Tyrone and Mayo both preparing for the finishing line in race for glory

The Tyrone and Mayo pitch sessions this week will have been high in quality, high in intensity with plenty of planned recovery throughout to ensure the players are feeling like they could do more, while leaving them wanting more, building up that sense of readiness with every passing minute.

PACKED ITINERARY: County Boards leave nothing to chance in terms of making the final 48 hours before the final run as seamlessly as possible. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

On Friday both Mayo and Tyrone set out on their respective journeys from Castlebar and Omagh to Dublin for Saturday's GAA All-Ireland senior football championship final. With a Saturday evening throw-in in Croke Park for teams travelling such distances by bus, the wise decision is to go down the night before.

So much has gone on for these counties since they booked their place in the season’s decider and the GAA’s blue riband event. There are a myriad of customary events that need to be ticked off the to-do list before being able to narrow the focus for the week of the game and the management team can finally close ranks and set about creating a bubble for their players and staff to retreat into.