An Irishman Abroad

Marion McKeone sits down face to face with Jarlath in front of packed podcast stage crowd at Electric Picnic in Stradbally country Laois to discuss where this dark chapter in American history is headed. How bad is it right now and how bad could it get? Marion explains some of the more shocking aspects of the most recent developments in US politics and takes questions from the listeners. Is Gavin Newsom America’s best hope or a flash in the pan? Thanks to Naoise Nunn and his team at Mindfield for making this episode possible. Catch Jarlath on tour or buy his brand new book ”The Gobshite Guidebook” at www.jigser.com

Marion McKeone and Jarlath have a big announcement for the listeners and news on a big live show they’ve been planning for months. The South African Oval Office smackdown. Trump’s own cognitive decline and the standards to which other Presidents have been held. President Joe Biden’s service and disservice to the nation. The new Jake Tapper book reviewed by Marion. That Bill that gives Trump one big beautiful win! But what does it mean and can the Senate amend or stop it? Elon Musk is feeling very sorry for himself. He’s going to take his ball and go home. Is Harvard University to lose 26% of its students? Can the Supreme Court stop it. Marion’s big picture & predictions for the future.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The betrayal of Ukraine is how many observers have described it. The unthinkable swing behind Russia and North Korea has spun the world out and left leaders reeling. Today Marion examines the many layers of cowardice underneath this move and what might happen next. It’s another breathless episode of Irishman In America where we try to understand the many bizarre decisions this administration has made in the last 10 days. Including but not limited to mass firing of Federal workers via the email debacle, the banning of AP from the White House and the firing of General Brown. Is Donald mentally able for the job? He certainly is struggling with complex ideas. Marion digs into the Elon Musk popularity index and the fall of Tesla sales.

Running faster for longer requires one thing - aerobic base fitness. Irish athletics legend opens up about how to build it no matter what your running level. Her simple and straight forward, no nonsense advice is the guiding light for her hand picked training squad of listeners taking on the hills of Cobh on April 6th, 2025 in the Ballymore Cobh AC Sonia O’Sullivan 10 Mile Road Race. It’s not too late to join her wider training group. Each week her training plan will be posted with each episode and a deeper explanation can be found along with extra content on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

The hardest part of any training plan is week one. Sonia O’Sullivan is going to help you take that first step on the days when you don’t feel like it. The Cobh 10 takes place on April 6th 2025 and the GOAT herself is here to guide you week to week through a training plan she has devised. It’s easy to follow and it’s going to be a lot of fun - no matter what your current running capacity. Give it a go and come on the ride with us for Sonia’s homecoming race with her original athletic club Ballymore Cobh AC. Over the last few months Sonia has been pulling her hair out trying to decide which listeners should join her squad for this training block. From hundreds of entries she has made her selection and today we get to hear from them for the first time. Thanks to our sponsor Whoop Sonia will be able to keep an eye on everyone’s progress. Whoop have come on board for this limited series and provided each member of the group with a Whoop to help them track their training efforts, stress, recovery, sleep and overall fitness. The data will be invaluable in helping them stay fresh, avoid over training and injury in the next 10 weeks. If you would like to try Whoop for free on us simply go to join.whoop.com/IrishmanAbroad Today Sonia explains why the first week calls for restraint and good time management. Finding the sweet spots in your normal routine where you can truly enjoy the runs is the key. Here’s what week 1’s plan looks like. You should start this next Monday February 10th. Week 1 - Sonia’s Training Plan #RoadtToCobh 2025 Mon. - Rest Day Tues. - 40-60mins Easy Running/Walking As Needed Wed. - Rest Day Thurs. 40-60mins Easy Running Fri.- Rest Day Sat. - 30-45mins Run/Walk or Cross Training Sun. - 50-75 mins (Most important run of the week. Where you start with this will depend on your current fitness level.) Special thanks to our kit provider New Balance. They will provide training and race day gear for the whole squad in the coming weeks. Why not head down to one of their outlets or the Rub Hub and start experiencing what the team will be wearing on race day. (For bonus content, deeper training insights from Sonia and special updates sign up on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad )

Are you struggling to understand what is happening in America this week? Washington Correspondent Marion McKeone breaks down the executive orders, pardons, name changes and salutes with the help of comedian Jarlath Regan. For a further, deeper look at how Elon Musk’s first week in the White House went, pop over to www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad - Email the show irishmanabroadpodcast@gmail.com or come see Jarlath’s new standup show live and in person www.jigser.com/gigs

Marion McKeone examines the year that was 2024 and names her biggest winners and losers of the year. A year defined by war, violence, political turmoil and upheaval has produced more memorable moments than one podcast can fit. Jarlath and Marion do their level best to sift through them all and recap the news from the past two weeks. Happy holidays to all our listeners across the world. Here’s to a better 2025! Email the show, irishmanabroadpodcast@gmail.com or come see Jarlath’s new standup show “In Bits” on tour in 2025. www.jigser.com/gigs - To access the full episode and the entire catalogue of content go to www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

Entries are open for the 2025 Ballymore Cobh AC Sonia O’Sullivan 10 Mile Road Race. In case you missed our last episode, this race will be the focus of the podcast from February 1st to April 6th. Sonia talks to me to today about the tricky process of sifting through all your entries for her squad. Since announcing the plan to pick 20 listeners to be coached by the GOAT herself for her home-coming dance race we have been inundated with your emails. It’s fantastic to see but it is taking some time to find the exact right fit for the team. Rest assured you will know if you’ve made the squad by Christmas.