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Frances Thornton Galway Bay swim memorial

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Trying something different ! Galway Bay swim for Cancer Care West, swimming Sebastien Locteau Some are marathon runners or triathletes with a feeling of being invincible. Try open water marathon swimming. You will feel like a small vulnerable fish in the big big Ocean. Vulnerable is the best word to express my experience with mother Nature, a fragile human being, regardless off 28 marathons and 13 Ironman Triathlon. 18 years ago, I joined the coaching team of Galway swimming Club and played with Corrib Water Polo team. A lot of water went under the bridge since. At that time, I was part of a big picture and was highly involved in developing the west Ireland of running, triathlon and open water community with clubs and events. From Joining the new Athenry AC Senior Club with Mick Rice to the first Connemarathon with Ray O'Connor, Co-founder of Galway Triathlon club and later Predator Triathlon Club. Today we see so many events in the West like Triathlons an...

Influence can save the Global health system

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High Performance Coach Sebastien Locteau Connemarathon Elverys conference   Mental health is influenced by our social environment, biological make up and our emotional self-build. Three factors which can negatively impact our mental health if not, identified, recognised and acted on. Our social environment determines our mental fitness. The most discussed is poverty environment which challenges our mental performances, having an impact on our physical abilities, performing mental tasks, and learning cognitive skills. In a difficult social set-up, perception, sensation, ideas and intuition are challenged.  Self-esteem is also affected by feeling loved, family break up and losses but also by physical illness and or different types of abuse. Personal confidence also depends on how our social surrounding such as community activities. Relationship is another concrete example.  Acquiring knowledge and understanding through tough experiences avoiding a social drift regard...

Trying something different !

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Galway Bay swim for Cancer Care West Some are marathon runners or triathletes with a feeling of being invincible. Try open water marathon swimming. You will feel like a small vulnerable fish in the big big Ocean. Vulnerable is the best word to express my experience with mother Nature, a fragile human being, regardless off 28 marathons and 13 Ironman Triathlon. 18 years ago, I joined the coaching team of Galway swimming Club and played with Corrib Water Polo team. A lot of water went under the bridge since. At that time, I was part of a big picture and was highly involved in developing the west Ireland of running, triathlon and open water community with clubs and events. From Joining the new Athenry AC Senior Club with Mick Rice to the first Connemarathon with Ray O'Connor, Co-founder of Galway Triathlon club and later Predator Triathlon Club. Today we see so many events in the West like Triathlons and running events in Westport, Ballinasloe, Athlone, Portrun, Rosc...

SAP 20 years’ anniversary, proud to be part of the future with SAP!

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What do you expect when you are invited to your Company 20 years’ anniversary ? SAP Ireland won the best workplace in 2017, our CEO Liam Ryan been awarded the title of Ireland’s Most Trusted Leader. So, there is no coincidence the set up was just perfect. Let’s be honest using buses from Galway to Dublin with hotel accommodation for all employees, is already a big undertake. But in our business, we know small details are important. the SAP united scarf Is part of it as a unique collectable. Even the brochures were designed but mainly thought so well, it reminds us how well our SAP systems are engineered. Arriving to the impressive Aviva stadium is usually heart taking, this structure with a capacity of over 51000 spectators was just there for us that day. Home ground of sports legends and of the Irish Rugby and Soccer team. We were welcomed by our colleagues from Dublin and access to amazing gourmet food and choice of refreshment. How much better this can go? Well, ...

Marathon swimmer

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Galway Bay swim for Cancer Care West So you are runner or triathlete and feel invicible ? Try this ! You will feel like a small vulnerable fish in the big Ocean Swimming the bay. This is my way to remind myself and maybe others how vulnerable we are to Nature, Illness as a fragile human being. 18 years ago, I joined the coaching team of Galway swimming Club and played with Corrib Water Polo team. A lot of water went under the bridge since At that time, I was part of a big picture and was highly involved locally, and saw the development in the west of running clubs and events, performance swimming and Triathlon. From Joining the new Athenry AC senior Club with Mick Rice to the first Connemarathon with Ray O'Connor, Co-founder of Galway Triathlon club and later Predator Triathlon Club and seeing so many events now in the west, I am proud to have been part of it and that I contribute a small bit to it. This is my drop of contribution in the Irish sports history which w...

2014 coaching results review

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Sports Ireland athletes achievements 2014 From Coach Sebastien Locteau I have been inspired more by famous coaches I met or worked with, than the hundreds of books I read in sports sciences or study. 2014 is another successful year, with plenty of success, but also failure. It is easy to talk about my successful athletes, but disappointment happens, while I don't like using that word, I prefer to call it a learning experience. With athletes competing around the world at European and World Championship levels in different sports. Ireland's sporting calendar is also getting very busy.  There is very little funding or support for athletes in Ireland and while a Olympic B standard is not good enough to qualify for the games, coaches struggle to support their athletes. A lot of volunteer coaches are doing an amazing job and 16 years ago when I became a full time professional coach I decided to create my own funding. I created a series of events (triathlon, ...

2012 coaching results review

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It can't be just be luck ! Coaching services is booming in the country we still manage to be at the top of our game and open our new training centre in Roscommon. Another year being the only coaching business (and the oldest in Ireland, 15 years) placing athletes at National and International level in not just one sport but in a good few, from runners, to triathletes, swimmers, boxers, pentathlete and cyclist with a new team of experts qualified in sports science. With the fastest Women Marathon runner of the year, what else would you wish for ? well coaches are just never happy. When your shoes done their job. - Sevilla Marathon, 5th Barbara Sanchez 2.37.14 - Rotterdam Marathon 9th Female, Barbara Sanchez 1st Irish Female 2h38min41 & Tom Hogan 2h28min28 - National Swimming Short Course Championship (Lisburn) : Sarah Kelly Silver 200Fly , Aíne Cunnane, Niamh Kilgallen 2 Gold + 1 silver 50-100-200Breast (Claremorris) & Ronja Pfiefer, Donal Colli...

5km weekly training for 8 weeks (Week 3 & 4)

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So you ran the first two weeks of the program and you felt fine ? The emails we received were very positive with people who never run that much and felt comfortable. We did the same at the training Centre for the last two weeks and we had great fun....... well before our Ice Bucket challenge (video below) We are nominated all the runireland.com readers to post or link on runireland facebook page and text MND to 50300 ! Sebastien and Alicia Locteau in Athlone indoor track 2017 Week 3 will be a bit more difficult and with  week 4 to follow and easier on your body and you should feel comfortable that week which will show you how comfortable you are compare to the first week when you started. Week 3 Schedule  : Monday :  6.5 km (focus on long strides, good foot landing, body posture)  Tuesday:  6km (focus on head position, imagine someone is pulling your hair up) Wednesday :  8km run followed by 10km bike and 2km run (have a...

5km weekly training for 8 weeks (Week 1 & 2)

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I am so proud of my athletes this year !  Barbara Sanchez 41st at European Championship this week, Sarah Kelly and Niamh Kilgallen at British Championship and European Junior swimming championship, Tom Hogan at the European Mountain Running Championship, Dena Hogan at the European Triathlon Age group Championship and all the athletes I train weekly, you really make me a proud coach. You do the work, I am just "painting" the session on the board. So what about that 5km training ? This week I will share a few simple session to start running a good 5km with a good and simple physical base Believe it or not I use this with any runners as a starting point. So I know they all start at the same point Schedule  : Monday :  4.5km (focus on long strides, good foot landing, body posture)  Tuesday:  6.5km (focus on head position, imagine someone is pulling your hair up) Wednesday :  3.5km run followed by 15km bike and 2km run (have a blast ...