Powered by WHOOP the Sonia O’Sullivan Cobh 10 squad for 2025 assembled in the GOAT’s hometown this weekend. The time for training and talking is over now. On April 6th at 10:30am, it was time for this squad of hardy souls from the four corners of the world to take on the hills of Cobh over the 10 mile distance. Join Sonia and Jarlath as they hand each member their New Balance specially designed singlet for the day. Hear the sounds, see the sights, come with us as the streets come alive with support from people of all ages. This epic episode of Irishman running Abroad captures every drop of sweat every bit of adrenaline that poured out onto the streets of Cork this past weekend. Jarlath ran the race himself and managed to capture the squad as they crossed the line. In this the final instalment of the road to Cobh series powered by WHOOP, Jarlath takes you to Sonia’s local pub for a live podcast recording and awards night like no other. Special thanks to everyone who supported the podcast, who volunteered on race day and all those who have been in touch wishing the squad well. This series would not be possible without the generous support of WHOOP and New Balance. To gain access to the Sonia O’Sullivan 10 mile, half marathon and full marathon training plans and to listen back to the entire archive of Irishman Abroad episodes come on over to patreon.com/IrishmanAbroad .

Sonia and Jarlath want you to experience WHOOP for yourself—completely free. All our listeners can enjoy a 30-day free trial of WHOOP. Simply visit join.whoop.com/IrishmanAbroad to sign up, and WHOOP will send you a device, wherever you are in the world, for your trial period.

Visit www.jigser.com/gigs to see Jarlath's latest tour dates.

This week on Irishman In America Marion McKeone talks all things tariffs. With the unveiling of Trump‘s tariff bonanza, Wall Street has come tumbling down by upwards of 3 trillion dollars. Have Republicans hit the panic button in secret? Is a Republican Civil War just around the corner? Marion McKeone reports from Washington about the impact , of Donald’s tariff tornado on the mood of American consumers and industry top dogs. Rumours swirled this week that Elon Musk was to step down from his DOGE position. Jarlath asks Marion if the choice to step away has anything to do with the backlash against him around the country. Marion hunts for some positivity missed the bleakness and asks the question if to understand these tariffs America needs to hire a therapist rather than an economist.

Pop over to www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad to access all the Irishman Abroad podcasts. Or come see Jarlath live in America and Canada this month. www.jigser.com/gigs 

With just a week to go until Sonia O’Sullivan’s homecoming race—the Cobh 10 Mile, in association with Ballymore Cobh Athletic Club and in aid of Breakthrough Cancer Research—the Irishman Running Abroad podcast presents Week Nine of the training plan. In this episode, Sonia, the GOAT of Irish running, shares everything you need to know for race day.

How can you manage race-day nerves? How do you plan for the most enjoyable experience possible? How do you find the right pace to ensure you cross the finish line with a smile? It’s all here in today’s episode.

For the past two months, Sonia has been coaching our listeners as they train for the Cobh 10, serving as a virtual mentor. Along the way, she’s had an extra tool in her arsenal: WHOOP. WHOOP is a wearable health and fitness coach that tracks your sleep, recovery, training, and stress, offering actionable insights to help you perform at your best. Unlike devices that just collect data, WHOOP provides personalized advice to improve your workouts and overall health.

Jarlath, Sonia, and the entire squad have been using the WHOOP 4.0 throughout the training plan, and the insights it has provided have been invaluable. Now, Sonia and Jarlath want you to experience it for yourself—completely free. Thanks to David, all our listeners can enjoy a 30-day free trial of WHOOP. Simply visit join.whoop.com/IrishmanAbroad to sign up, and WHOOP will send you a device, wherever you are in the world, for your trial period.

With race day fast approaching, the squad reaches out to Sonia with their final questions about preparation—covering everything from pacing strategies to race-day nutrition, sleep, kit, and recovery. Jarlath also gives listeners the chance to ask Sonia anything, leading to some truly fantastic questions.

This week, Jarlath heads to Dunboyne for the National 10K Championships, capturing the sights and sounds of race day. Wearing a recording device on his wrist, he chats with fellow participants, checks in on his own fitness, and assesses how ready he is for the Cobh 10 next week.

To hear the full episode and get access to Sonia’s training plans for half and full marathons, visit patreon.com/IrishmanAbroad.

Here’s this week’s plan.

M - As always, rest today.

Maybe plan a recovery day at a SPA

(My notes) “About Time - The Bathhouse”

T - 30-45 mins very easy run

W - Cross train or easy run 30-45 mins.

Thursday Mini-Session

Fartlek Run 5-6 × 1 min

fast relaxed pace, striding out

1 min easy jog

Friday - Day off or cross train 30 mins → Go for a walk.

Sat - Easy run 20-30 mins

Go check out the start/finish areas

Sun - This is it! Race Day. Relax, Enjoy & Do Your Best!

It has happened to us all. The person whose birthday party you're organising is in the Whatsapp group you created to organise it. But when the group chat discloses the most sensitive national security information about an up-coming bombing in Yemen, well that's a bit different. Marion and Jarlath examine the tailspin and the claims of ignorance and the possibility that worse is still to come. For a full round up of the week's news from across the pond head over to www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad - members get full ad free episodes and hundreds of hours of bonus podcasts and material.

Email the show [email protected] 

If you need a break from the serious stuff come see Jarlath on his 2025 world tour www.jigser.com/gigs 

Running is simple. Finding the right gear is not. Let the legend Sonia O’Sullivan help you with the essentials you’ll need to take your running up a level. From the home gym to the sock game, this episode has it all and a free training plan from the GOAT herself. It’s less than 3 weeks to Sonia’s 10 Mile Road Race in Cobh and the training is ramping up. We get the week 7 plan fully explained and hear from her handpicked squad on the subjects of injury, compression leggings, superstition, shoe rotation, gels and storage.

Week 7 Training Plan (Be sure to adjust this to your paces and training level)

Mon - Recovery Day

Tues - Easy long run 60-80 mins. Include 6x 100m strides This can be uphill if you can, doesn’t need to be a steep hill.

Wed - Cross train or 30-45 mins easy run

Thurs - 10-15 mins jog warm-up

10-12 x 1 min @ 5-10 km pace

1 min easy jog

10-15 mins easy jog warm down

Fri - Day off or cross train 40-60 mins easy

Sat - 30-45 mins easy run

Sun - Long run 90 mins steady pace throughout. Include 15-20 mins @ goal race pace.

(Get the full plan and explanation at www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad plus a further 30 mins in this episode)

Don't forget that the The Road To Cobh Irishman Running Abroad are proudly sponsored by Whoop! WHOOP is a wearable health & fitness coach that provides you with feedback and actionable insights into your sleep, recovery, training, stress, and overall health, and empowers you to be the best version of yourself. The whole squad including Sonia is wearing one. Why not see for yourself what Whoop can do for you and your health/fitness. Have a 30 day free trial on us! ◦ https://join.whoop.com/ie/en/IrishmanAbroad/

New Balance have provided the whole squad with shoes and training apparel. Thanks to New Balance - why not check out their range at a New Balance store or stockist today.

Catch Jarlath on tour across the world in 2025 with the new standup show “In Bits” www.jigser.com/gigs - he just added dates in Australia, New Zealand, Chicago, Wexford and Dublin.

Did Democrats just do Donald Trump the biggest favour ever by helping avoid a government shut down? Marion McKeone has another theory. This week as a St Patrick's Weekend Special we are giving you the entire unabridged episode of Irishman in America. It seems only right given that this is the week when every American feels Irish and our Taoiseach visited the Oval Office. With everyone asking "how did he do", a few things have been missed - including the used car lot on the front lawn. In the meantime Ukraine is being pummelled and very few are paying attention. We get Marion's take on the latest peace talks and two brilliant book recommendations for your long weekend. Don't switch off, stay awake. Join us as a member to hear the full podcast each week. Just click here and you can sign up with no obligation for less than the price of a fancy sandwich. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad 

Join Jarlath live in America and Canada next month www.jigser.com/gigs - he's bringing his new standup show to New York, Boston, LA, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, D.C. and San Francisco this April.

As the newly crowned European Indoor Champion Sarah Healy admitted this week, running is mostly a mental challenge. That's as true for the elites battling each other at the highest level, as it is for us mortals battling to just get out the door and stick to the plan. In #week6 of the Road To Cobh Sonia O'Sullivan helps us with those nagging thoughts that prevent us from doing our best or running at all. We hear from her hand picked squad and look back on Healy's incredible win over the weekend. Is there a way to trick our minds into running when we don't feel like it? What should our mantra be when the going gets tough? Sonia has the answers.

The Road To Cobh Irishman Running Abroad squad are proudly sponsored by Whoop! We want you to have one on us. WHOOP is a wearable health & fitness coach that provides you with feedback and actionable insights into your sleep, recovery, training, stress, and overall health, and empowers you to be the best version of yourself. The whole squad including Sonia is wearing one. Why not see for yourself what Whoop can do for you and your health/fitness. Have a 30 day free trial on us! ◦ https://join.whoop.com/ie/en/IrishmanAbroad/

Your training plan from Sonia for week 6 is as follows:

M - Rest Day / Recover from the weekend

T - Easy Run 40 mins - 1 hour include hills if you can, just run over them

W - Cross Train, Bike, Gym or easy 30-45 mins run

Th - 10-15 mins easy - Few fast strides

2 × 10-15 mins @ 10 mile race pace

10-15 mins easy or a little faster warm down.

Fri - Day off Completely. (This is an easier week.)

Sat - Parkrun for anyone that wants to change things up a little.

Or 30-45 mins easy

Sun - Run 1 hour easy, then gradually pick up the pace to 10 mile pace for 15 mins, 10-15 mins easy, total 90 mins

Pop over to www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad to hear an ad free extended version of the show each week. 

Jarlath is coming to America and Australia. See his standup show In Bits live www.jigser.com/gigs

Special thanks to New Balance for providing our squad with the best in apparel and shoes. Check out the 1080s and all their gear at The RunHub or a New Balance outlet today.

Right now a week can feel like a month in US politics. Donald Trump's booting of the Ukrainian President from the White House precipitated a dramatic series of domino events and only one person can sift through it, US correspondent and regular contributor to NPR, the BBC and RTE, Marion McKeone. There's a lot to pick through after a near trade war is averted, a state of the union address like no other, transgender mice, the Oscars and the suggestion that egg prices will go down in price if everyone starts rearing their own chickens.

Find the full ad free hour long version of this week's episode on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad - support our show and gain access to hundreds of hours of interviews with the greatest Irish people ever to have lived.

Jarlath's tour hits the USA and Canada next month and travels all around Ireland and UK in the coming months. Book your seat here www.jigser.com/gigs 

Everyone remembers the notorious O'Sullivan kick. That change of speed, ace up the sleeve that Sonia's rivals couldn't cope with. Well today on the show, for the very first time, the GOAT talks about how we can all build that kind of endurance, speed and mental toughness. We get right into the psychology of the kick and how we can actually train our brains to believe there is a reserve battery waiting to kick in on the last lap of whatever race we find ourselves in. Only Sonia has the answers and only her hand picked squad have the questions we all need answered. In this extra large patreon exclusive episode you get the lot including her explanation of that throw away chocolate comment from last week. If you want to go fast, this is the episode for you.

Here is the plan for week 5 or the ten mile training plan Sonia has devised for us. Make sure to adjust it to your fitness level. For me that means the easy days are anything between 8km and 14km, and the long run for me is roughly 23km. How are you getting on with your training? Let us know [email protected] 

Sonia’s 10 Mile Training Plan For Week 5

M - Rest, Recover

T - 50-60 mins easy run, include some hills if you can

W - Rest Day or Cross Train

Cycle / Swim / Gym whatever you like

Th - Warm up 10 mins 4 × 100m Strides

10-12 × 1 min fast (90% effort)

1 min jog between each fast min

10 mins easy cool down

Fri - Day off or Bike / Gym / Swim 40-60 mins

Sat - Easy 30-45 mins, if you come across a hill run up it 5 times for 30 seconds, easy walk/jog back down

Sunday - Up to 90 mins long run, very easy

(Get the full plan and explanation at www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad plus a further 40 mins in this episode)

Don't forget that the The Road To Cobh Irishman Running Abroad are proudly sponsored by Whoop! WHOOP is a wearable health & fitness coach that provides you with feedback and actionable insights into your sleep, recovery, training, stress, and overall health, and empowers you to be the best version of yourself. The whole squad including Sonia is wearing one. Why not see for yourself what Whoop can do for you and your health/fitness. Have a 30 day free trial on us! ◦ https://join.whoop.com/ie/en/IrishmanAbroad/

New Balance have provided the whole squad with shoes and training apparel. Thanks to New Balance - why not check out their range at a New Balance store or stockist today.

Catch me on tour across the world in 2025 with the new standup show “In Bits” www.jigser.com/gigs - we just added dates in Chicago, Wexford and Dublin.

Powered by the WHOOP 4.0  wearable fitness coach, Ireland’s athletics queen Sonia O’Sullivan opens up her private notebooks from years of training to discuss how best to fuel our bodies for running. From water intake to balancing pre run carbs, this episode has everything you always wanted to ask but never could. Comedian Jarlath Regan has gathered questions from Sonia’s training squad. Today she answers them. Week 4 of her comprehensive 10 mile training plan starts this Monday and it’s not too late to join in.

The Road To Cobh Irishman Running Abroad squad are proudly sponsored by Whoop! We want you to have one on us. WHOOP is a wearable health & fitness coach that provides you with feedback and actionable insights into your sleep, recovery, training, stress, and overall health, and empowers you to be the best version of yourself. The whole squad including Sonia is wearing one. Why not see for yourself what Whoop can do for you and your health/fitness. Have a 30 day free trial on us! ◦ https://join.whoop.com/ie/en/IrishmanAbroad/

Your training plan from Sonia for this week is as follows:

Mon: Rest Day

Tues: Easy Run 30-50mins

Wed: Stay active / cross train 30-45mins

Thurs: Session Day: (15mins running warmup followed by 4x100m at 80%) 4-6 repeats of 3mins running at your threshold/10mile pace. 1 min jog walk in between. (Afterwards 15mins cool down)

Fri: Rest day

Sat: Easy run 30mins or cross training

Sun: Long run of 80 - 90mins with the last 15-20mins at a noticeably quicker pace.

Pop over to www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad to hear an ad free extended version of the shower each week. This week Sonia goes back in time to the 1992 Olympics and attempts to answer some of the trickier nutrition questions on the race day difficulties you’ve been having.

Jarlath is coming to America and Australia. See his standup show In Bits live www.jigser.com/gigs