Heffernan flying high after South African altitude training

ROBERT HEFFERNAN flew into Cork Airport yesterday on the last leg of his return flight from South Africa and the Corkman was flying so high after the last 10 days of his 22-day training camp at altitude that he could have done it without a plane.

It was in total contrast to his departure when he was in the throes of a viral infection that he had picked up while competing in the Mexican leg of the IAAF Grand Prix of race walking which left him listless and confused as to his form.

He admitted he should have been walking tall after Mexico where he duplicated his fine finish at last year’s world championships by taking sixth place and consolidating his placing in the corresponding race in Mexico a year earlier.

“I achieved all the targets I set out for myself,” he admitted. “But I came home knowing that I could have done much better — that I could have been a contender for a medal there. I was in the big leading group that stayed together until 12 kilometres and I was well-positioned when it began to split up but then — nothing.

“I had achieved my targets, consolidated my position but I came away from the event knowing that I could have, and maybe should have, got up to the top three.

“The week before I left for Mexico I did 15k in training and the last 5k was faster than my Irish record.”

But, like a number of participants in the two-day event in Chihuahua, he contracted a virus that would lay him low for a couple of weeks. He had blamed it all on the fact that he was competing at altitude but then it did not go away.

“I went to Dr John O’Riordan in Blarney and he diagnosed the problem — my respiratory tract was inflamed and my glands were swollen among other things — but I had the trip to South Africa coming up and I could not afford to miss that.

“I arrived in South Africa not feeling good at all and for the first 10 days I was really struggling. Francisco ‘Paco’ Hernandez was flying and that did not help matters — it left me wondering if I could ever get back to the level I was at before Mexico.

“Then I remembered I was at altitude — just like the race in Mexico — but now I was finding it difficult to just walk at altitude.

“Then, suddenly, I came around and I must admit that I was absolutely flying for those last 10 days. I was right up there alongside Paco and I felt as strong as ever. Right now I feel good.”

He will have a chance to explore just how good when he competes in a 10-mile walking race in Madrid on Saturday week.

After that he will go to Poland and then on to Cheboksary in Russia for the World Cup of race walking on May 10. He could emerge from that event positioned to be Ireland’s best placed finisher in athletics at this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing. Meanwhile Pauline Curley (Tullamore Harriers) was basking in the glory of a sensational run in the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday when she finished ninth woman in 2:30.01 — just outside the Olympic qualifying time. She was the first woman aged over 35 across the line to add to the enjoyment.

“But I never thought I would get so close to the Olympic qualifying standard,” she said. “I mean when I was going to Rotterdam the Olympics were not even on my mind.

“Then as he race progressed I was getting closer and closer. But, having said that I am absolutely thrilled with my performance. Going to Rotterdam was a last-minute decision.

“And it was amazing that I ran so well after being through what I went through. I was sick for the whole month of January and then, when I thought I had recovered from that, I got the vomiting bug and that took a lot out of me. I really should not have run in Ballycotton.

“In December I had thought about a marathon but then, with the illness in January, I put it out of my mind. I did not get into London so Rotterdam was a real last-minute decision and it turned out better than I could have hoped for. I was just thinking if I had not been sick and if I had prepared properly for the race I would have achieved the qualifying standard for the Olympics.

Her previous best time, going into the race, was 2:42.16. It was her fourth marathon and her first outside Ireland. She won the Dublin Marathon three years ago, was just pipped on the line by Jill Shaw two years ago and won the title again last year.

She won’t be in action in the national 10 km road championship in Athenry next Sunday which will be the centrepiece of the weekend athletics programme.