Stroll in the Park as Heffernan smashes national 30k record
The Togher man — who came away from last year’s European championships in Barcelona with fourth places in both the 20k and 50k walks, was in scintillating form as he left former 50k record holder, Colin Griffin (Ballinamore AC), trailing in his wake. By halfway, Griffin and former international, Jeff Cassin, were out of touch.
It was a record that Heffernan had set at 2:08.59 back in 2000 in the course of one of the fastest 35k races ever when en route to the Sydney Olympics.
“That was a very strong time because that 35k was one of the top 10 times in history,” he said. “I have never come close to it since. So it’s good today. Maybe back then I did it at the wrong time. I probably peaked for it and then came down from it afterwards whereas this year I am just taking this in as part of my training so it is a good reflection on my training to date and shows me that I have moved on from last year.”
He was referring to a sciatic nerve which is causing problems with his hamstring and which is going to require two epidurals per year — one today.
He spent the Christmas period with family in Australia where his training concentrated on short, fast sessions and followed that up with 10 days in Spain.
“I did all the longer stuff last year and now I’ve gone for more intensity,” he said. “When you get older you have the base behind you and you just need a different stimulus.”
He will return to the Odyssey Arena in two weeks time for the Irish indoor championships — he smashed the 5,000m indoor record there a couple of years ago — and after that he will return to altitude in South Africa.
His first big race will be a 20k in Lugano on March 20 followed by the World Grand Prix in Portugal on April 9. After that it’s back to altitude again in preparation for the European Cup on May 22 which will be his first peak of the season.
Laura Reynolds (Mohill AC), who finished her PE and Biology exams in DCU during the week, was an impressive winner of the women’s 20k walk in 1:38:08 and she, too, will compete in Lugano in March.
17-year-old Kate Veale (West Waterford), won the junior women’s 7.5k race in 35 mins 36 secs.
Fourth in last year’s Youth Olympics, she, too, will compete in the Odyssey Arena next month hoping to improve on her third placing from last year and after that goes to Slovakia for her first 10k race and the start of her build up to the world junior championships later in the year in France.
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