Heffernan ready for road after ‘solitary confinement’

ROBERT HEFFERNAN will complete his build-up to the European Championships in Helsinki when he defends his 10,000m race walking title at the Woodies DIY National Championships at Morton Stadium tomorrow.

He returned from Poland a week ago and declared himself ready to race following weeks of recuperation at the Spala Olympic Training Centre under the direction of legendary Olympian Robert Korzeniowski.

He went there in a desperate effort to regain his fitness after starting the year in the form of his life with some unbelievable training sessions following a lengthy injury-free spell.

Everything went pear shaped for the 27-year-old Corkman when he went to the Grand Prix race in Tijuana and then on to an altitude training camp in Mexico: “I noticed this problem with my hip,” he recalled. “It got worse at the training camp. All the muscles in my back went into spasm and it spread throughout the lower muscles. I spent a frustrating month doing nothing when I should have been training.”

He returned home and with the help of his physiotherapist, Mary Gleasure, he got back walking again and raced in Hungary after just 10 days of training. But it was too much too soon and he missed the Grand Prix races in La Coruna and San Giovanni.

“I decided it was time for some drastic action so I went to Poland where I lived a life of solitary confinement,” he said.

“I was in the pool every day at 8 a.m. for an hour, then physio, massage and four or eight miles walking. By the second week I was up to 80 miles. I did 110 miles two weeks ago and had a really big block of anaerobic stuff this week.

“It’s quite easy to live a life of solitude out there. You are surrounded by a 10 mile radius of forest. The air is fresh and clean and there are no distractions at all.

“I had a lot of sessions in the ice chamber. It is the size of a garden shed and can go down as low as minus 160 degrees. I was doing four minute sessions at minus 130 degrees.

“Before I left the London Irish and London Wasps rugby teams were arriving for end of season recovery.”

Heffernan has more than 20 Irish titles at the moment and it is unlikely he will be denied another on Sunday. Santry has been more than a happy hunting ground for him throughout his career. He has always been able to measure his form there and has set a succession of national records on the track. His current record stands at 38:44.

This week he has been able to relax with his daughter, Megan, but he will be on the road again next week, as he jets back to Poland on Tuesday.

“I will train there until August 3 and go straight on to the world championships,” he said.