#350 Niall Connaughton: Marathon Tapering, Ironman Training, Majors and More

This week, we are joined by Niall Connaughton (@nnncee on Instagram), who shares his journey from Gaelic football to Ironman, discusses training, nutrition, and triathlon challenges, and offers practical advice for beginners and seasoned athletes alike for the upcoming Dublin Marathon, as well as thoughts on running the Chicago Marathon, New York Marathon, 4 of his 11 Ironmans in Lanzarote and much more20:00 We welcome Niall Connaughton23:13 Balancing a high-pressure career with endurance training27:48 Nutrition strategies for travelling athletes and macro considerations31:42 Getting started in triathlon: beginner tips and first race advice33:43 How to approach swimming as a beginner36:45 Barriers to swimming in Ireland and solutions39:07 Why Niall chose Ironman over marathon and other races40:23 Training in Lanzarote and the appeal of the island43:22 Involving family in training trips and balancing life46:12 Recap of Niall’s toughest Ironman experience48:24 Managing setbacks and injuries psychologically50:12 The importance of love for the training process56:29 Tapering strategies for race day58:09 Approach to long runs and race pace59:31 Distance versus time in training61:21 Training blocks and structuring sessions64:26 Using cycling for aerobic base and recovery65:36 Comparison of Chicago and New York marathons72:12 Experiencing race day in major marathons74:11 How to start training for triathlon and next stepsThe Ultrapure 5K Running Bundle is a must have for your running routine. Shop HEREGet the AGR Ultrapure Sprint Bundle HERE with the exclusive AGR Bobble Hat!! If you've never had your VO₂ max or metabolism measured, there's a good chance you're training at the wrong intensity, missing valuable adaptations, or getting your race nutrition wrong.Health Matters replaces guesswork with data. With over 15 years of experience, they're one of Europe's most experienced performance testing providers.Find out more or book your test at myhealthmatters.ie. ALTAR Speed Dust is engineered to keep fuel in your tank so you can go faster, farther and longer than ever before. Use the code AGR15 to get 15% off at checkout (excludes bundles).altarfuel.com