I achieved the criteria for International Class category of an IAAF ‘A’ Standard (4.02.00) in May 2012 at the World Race Walking Cup in Saransk where I finished 15th in a time of 3.52.54. This performance, at a time when I was not Carded, in a standard of competition identical to the World Championships or Olympic Games; was on merit the best performance of my career to date and demonstrated significant progress. Unfortunately at the Olympic Games 11 weeks later while on course for a similar top 16 performance and a significant PB, I was disqualified after receiving my third red card at 38km.

The manner in which my application was dealt with has been unfair. There has been no provision for or avenue open to me to appeal against that decision made solely by the AAI Performance Director, something unprecedented for any athlete, and despite requests for an independent ruling on my application which were largely ignored. In this manner my rights have been infringed and I have not been accorded due process.

I am currently one of only 3 Irish athletes that have qualified for this summer’s World Championships where I have achieved AAI’s tougher (than IAAF) A Standard time for the 50km walk. Now my ability to prepare for these championships and continue my international athletics career at this level is severely compromised.

Colin Griffin

The Altitude Centre Ireland’s new brochure for 2013 is now available with a revised price list for our products and services. We have brand new hypoxic equipment in stock for rental, albeit a limited amount, which we can now offer at a more affordable price with greater flexibility and the opportunity to collect and return from us to save on delivery costs.

We will shortly be producing an e-magazine which will outline some exciting new business developments, news, latest research on altitude training and other updates. We are also in the process of developing a new website specifically for our company in Ireland which will go live in the near future.

We would like to thank you for your business, interest and support in our first year in operation and would like to wish you all a successful 2013 season. If you would like to contact me for further enquiries or to make a booking you can contact me by email: ireland@altitudecentre.com or phone: 061 748585.

Please email me with a request for the brochure.

I’m in Australia for 3 months with my girlfriend Clare. It was something we both wanted to do for a long time and this was the perfect time to do it. For myself it was refreshing to get away and spend the winter months in a different environment following an Olympic cycle, and enjoy things a little more and just relax.

2011 and 2012 were both very difficult and challenging years in trying to not only qualify for the Olympics which became an unnecessary challenge in itself and to produce a big performance there. I would be lying if I said that the aftermath of London hasn’t had an impact on me. It was an almost perfect experience from the build-up, the buzz and excitement of a home Olympics, my successful role as a coach and much more. But the one thing missing was the thing I wanted most and that was a big performance and a result to be proud of. It is and will remain a big dent in my sporting career. But, like everybody else, I’ve got to appreciate what I have and focus on the future.

Myself and Clare are here a month so far. We spent the first 3 weeks travelling and hired a camper van to travel from Cairns down to Sydney. We had a few days in Cairns to relax and recover from our long flight before setting off down the coast. We were very grateful to my brothers girlfriends mum Caroline who lives in Cairns and who, along with her friend Leysha put us up for those few days and help us pick out some good sites to visit.

We managed to stop off at all the main attractions down the east coast from Daintree Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, Tully Whitewater rafting, The Whitsunday Islands, Fraser Island and Byron Bay to name but a few. We packed a lot into 18 days and ran a very efficient schedule thanks to Clare’s advance research!

I managed to keep up my training routine every day getting out twice when I can. Google earth certainly helped in picking out training routes in advance. I managed to put together a make-shift gym with a medicine ball, x-bands, Swiss balk and an exercise mat. Training up close to Cairns was not easy with the hot temperatures and high humidity, but it got a lot fresher going down south towards Sydney. My main focus was to just put in the work here and once I get to Canberra later this week and then on to Melbourne for the final 6 weeks, I will be in a more structured training routine and will be training with some of the other top Aussie walkers.

We spent Christmas here in Sydney, my first time spending Christmas away from home. There was certainly less of a Christmas atmosphere here. On Christmas Day it lashed rain and messed up our plans for Bondi beach. But we did have Christmas dinner with Clare’s friends Ally, Vicki and Carol who are here in Sydney also. It was meant to be a rooftop barbecue but ended up being an indoor dinner followed by a game of Uno Card!

In a lot of ways I’m glad to see the back of 2012 and start 2013 with new goals and challenges and a fresh approach. I will have the World Championships next August in Moscow where I have both the A Standard for the 50km and the B standard for 20km in bag, and can prepare without having to worry about chasing qualification times. I will talk more about my sporting plans and challenges for the year in another blog.

Finally, I want to wish everybody a very happy new year and to thank you all for your support and encouragement this year. Roll on 2013!

I suppose the obvious question which I left open for myself following the Olympics, was whether I will continue in the sport at this level. The answer is yes. I want to continue with a view to Rio 2016 but will still take one year at a time, and next year I will have the World Championships. They take place in August and I have the A standard for the 50km and the B standard for the 20km. Going into this season I had not even a B standard after a disastrous 2011 season and I was chasing myself all through 2012 right up until I got my A standard in May on my last attempt. It was not an ideal scenario and having lost my Carding Scheme funding at the start of the season, I was in a difficult position in trying to plan and budget for the season and prepare properly early in the year to lay a good foundation for the summer in the lead-up to London. I didn’t have that foundation as I was having to deal with one small crises after another, with a very short turnaround time having got my qualification time in May 11 weeks before the Olympics left me with little time to prepare and make any meaningful changes.

There is no question, after my disappointment in London, that I seriously questioned whether I could continue in the sport at this level. On the one hand, my motivation and desire took a huge blow and on the other, it was whether at my age and stage of my career, I could justify being a full time athlete and not get my results and rewards at major championships. I had to weigh everything up and look at some positive factors, the biggest of which was the level of fitness I got myself to before every major championships. I was in the shape of my life going into London despite a shaky start to the season. Before I got DQ’d just before 40km, I was competing with a group that finished in the top 12-16 and I was on course for a time close to 3.46 a 5 minutes faster than my PB.

The fact that I was so close to pulling off that performance, gave me hope that perhaps some day I will and it would be shame not to give myself that chance while it still in the prime of my career. Some will say, given my past experiences and reputation and perhaps my biomechanical limitations, that there will always be the high risk of continually getting DQ’d. Well nothing can be worse than getting DQ’d in a ‘home’ Olympics that I spent 7 years building up for, while on course for a career breakthrough performance in an atmosphere that was unprecedented and may never be there again. I am not afraid to put myself out there again, as I’ve nothing more to lose and all I can gain is a championship performance that has always been within my capability. I don’t want to look back in 10 years time with any regrets.

There will be a lot of changes in the year ahead personally and career wise. I’m working on an exciting new business project that came about pretty much straight after the Olympics that has been a good distraction but also a big challenge. I hope to be able to share this in a few weeks! In the meantime I will have a much different focus this winter. I plan a trip to Australia in December with my girlfriend Clare. Even though I will be back in full training, we will have a chance to do some travelling and tourist stuff and do something I always wanted to do as I’ve never been to Australia. It will be a welcome change to spend the more severe part of the winter training in a warmer climate and hopefully when I return home to Ireland in the Spring, it will set me up well for the season.

As I have the 50km qualification in the bag for the World Championships, I plan to focus more on the 20km for the early part of the season. It will be a change of focus which could be positive as I feel I have a lot more to do over 20km. And plus I tend to have less technical problems over shorter distances. But I will continue to try and make technical improvements that will give me less problems in major championships. I thought I had done all I could possibly do in that department, but there is always more room for improvement.

Since the Olympics, I took a full break from race walking more for mental reasons. I still cross trained and did a good bit of running and biking and outdoor stuff. I decided to challenge myself and run the Dublin Marathon which takes place next Monday. I had ran 72.40 in the Charleville Half Marathon in September off the bare minimum of training, so I felt with a few longer runs and specific sessions I could run close to 2.30. I also bought myself a road racing bike and did a lot of long rides at home in Leitrim and in Limerick. I really got into it and enjoyed cycling. However on a 140km cycle 2 weeks ago in a charity event organised by Leitrim Cycling Club, I injured my knee tendon as a result of my gears jamming and having to climb a 14km category 2 ascent in the big chain ring and then continue for another 100 km! It was something I joked about at the time, but little did I think that it would cause me so much trouble and as I speak I’m still trying to shake it off. So unfortunately I’ve had to pull out of the Dublin Marathon next week. I was really looking forward to it, but that challenge will have to wait another year. I hope to be recovered and back in full training next week.

Anyway that’s it for now. I hope to be able to post some positive new in the weeks and months ahead!

At the annual function organised by the Leitrim Rehab group, various people were recognised for their achievements across different categories. The MC for the evening was TV3′s Noel Conningham.

Beginning with my own performance I am very disappointed. I had prepared very well for these Games, my training was on a much superior level to previous times and I was in the physical condition of my life. Mentally I was very excited but relaxed. It had been a tough journey qualifying and from my experiences of Beijing I wanted to enjoy the build up to these Games and be relaxed and confident going into my race. My tactics were different to other previous races where a conservative start often resulted in picking up unnecessary early red cards. I knew I was in 3.45 shape for 50km and I set my stall out from the very start and went off at 4.30 per km pace and found myself in the right group.

The support around the course was electric. My biggest concern was to get caught up in it too early on with adrenaline, so I almost had to switch off from it for the first 25km. At just before 25km the group picked up the pace to a 4.25 per km and I backed off as I didn’t want to risk going too close to my threshold so early on. I got detached and very quickly 2 red cards came in. Immediately I had to change something like I did at the world cup. The group hadn’t got away too much so it made no sense to work at the same pace as them and be just a few metres behind so I caught back up to them quickly. I was back in the group and then I allowed myself to feed of the support. I felt settled again when I got back to the group who were back to 4.30 per km again. At 30km I was in 21st place and i was very confident that that group if we worked together would be fighting for top 12 spots as a lot of guys upfront were suffering. Then at 33km there was another surge to a 4.25 and again I found myself detached again. I tried not to panic but just wanted to maintain my form at 4.30 as I believed I could hold that all the way to the finish and didn’t want to pushing it too much before 40km. Then just before 38km my 3rd red card came in and I was disqualified right in front of a huge and very vocal Irish crowd.

It was an unthinkable situation to be in as despite having those 2 red cards at 25km, I was very confident I could finish. I felt I was moving better from that point and was destined for a breakthrough performance. But it was no coincidence that when I found myself detached and isolated from the group I picked up my red cards from the judges. I was an easy target. My biggest regret was not backing myself more to stay in the group despite the surges. I was racing at a level I never raced at before and didn’t want to take too many risks. Racing in front of a home crowd was special and I wanted to produce something special in front of them. It’s a missed opportunity that I will likely never have again.

Immediately after the race and with Laura competing that evening it was important to out on a brave front and be positive. I had been coaching Laura for 10 years since she first began the sport and had helped steer her right up through her career and through more than her fair share of injury and health setbacks. For her to qualify for the Olympics at the age of 23 was remarkable and even in the final few weeks she struggled with a hip injury. My instructions to her were to relax and appreciate what she has done by getting here and just to enjoy the experience. The race plan was to start off at 4.35-4.40 per km for the first 10km and she did just that sitting well down the field. At 10km reached in 46 minutes she was to pick it up and when she did she stormed though the field. She finished 20th in 1.31.02 taking a minute and a half off her PB. I have no doubt she has the ability to be a top 8 performer in future major championships over the next few years and with that be a potential medallist. To have played a part in Laura’s performance as a coach and fellow Leitrim person was a proud moment and certainly too the bad edge off my own disappointment.

Overall, and despite my own performance, I have to say I enjoyed the whole Olympic experience. The people of London can be very proud of what their city did. From the organisers, volunteers, police etc they were extremely friendly and helpful to us at all times. You could see how proud they were of staging such an event. Inside Team Ireland, it was a very happy and positive camp. The boxers set the standard right from the off and led by Katie Taylor,John Joe Nevin, Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlon they showed confidence and class inside and outside the ring. To see Cian O’Connor seize his opportunity and put the whole Athens nightmare behind him was inspiring. Watching Annalise Murphy and my own team mate and great friend Rob Heffernan give it their all and come up so close to a medal was heartbreaking but also inspiring. I was proud to be part of the team at our most successful Games since 1956.

For myself I have a lot of difficult decisions to make in the weeks ahead. It’s pretty much a case of whether I continue in the sport for another Olympic cycle. It’s not a decision to make lightly or in haste, but I have got to weigh everything up and decide whether I can justify sacrificing my career and having a secure financial income to continue chasing the dream. It is hard to justify this when you go to a major championships and not produce a result. At 30 years of age I have to start looking at other career opportunities some of which I have already created through my experience in the sport and my own initiative and innovation. But at the same time I don’t want to look back in 10 years time with any regrets.

Finally I want to thank everybody who supported me throughout my career and in the build up to these Games. I’m proud to have got to where I am and while I fell short of my own goals and targets, the theme of the London Olympics was to ‘inspire a generation’ and I’d like to think I did just that.

Colin said:

Training:

“Training has gone very well and all my key sessions have gone to plan. Here at our training camp I have been tapering down, fine tuning technique and concentrating more on my recovery and relaxing as much as possible”.

On my time in London so far:

We have been based at the team holding camp in Twickenham staying in Lensbury Hotel and training between Bushy Park and the track at St Mary’s. It has been a very well organised camp by the OCI and Athletics Ireland with great support and all our needs catered for. It is very relaxing here being away from all the Olympic hype and everybody is chilled and looking forward to their competition. We will head into the Olympic Village on Thursday, 2 days before the race.

My expectations for the race:

You can never predict the outcome of a 50km race or even contemplate it. My task is to relax as much as possible early on, get to 30km feeling good and clear of any red cards and then try and finish strong. I hope to be able to draw on the home support as I’m sure the whole course will be packed with Irish supporters.

We wish Colin the best for Saturday and indeed his teammates Robert Heffernan and Brendan Boyce. See below for some spectator information and maps! Hope to see a huge Irish crowd there supporting!

Link to 50K section on London 2012 Site. Visitor Information for the Mall & Venue Plan

We will post the Start List when available, check IAAF

Colin is training every day in the surrounding area with fellow 50K teammates Rob Heffernan and Brendan Boyce and 20K teammates Olive Loughnane and Laura Reynolds.

Keep an eye on his official Facebook Athlete Page and also Twitter account to follow his build up to his race on Saturday 11th August (9am) . More updates will follow including details of the race (map, start list etc.).

Colin with the Olympic Torch

Colin, who competes in the Olympic Games in three weeks time was present for the launch on a brief visit home to Ballinamore. Colin was hugely proud of such a facility finally coming into place and outlined how important such a facility is to the town of Ballinamore and its wider community.

“This new facility is a welcome addition to the town and will have huge benefits to the area in terms of sport, tourism and health. I’m delighted to have played my part in developing this facility and huge credit must go to Leitrim County Council, Watereways Ireland and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for investing in this project at a time when funds are scarce. Having trained on similar pathways in other towns and cities in Ireland and overseas, I always thought why not have one in Ballinamore along the canal”.

Minister Michael Ring wished Leitrim Olympic bound athletes Colin Griffin and Laura Reynolds good luck in the forthcoming London Olympic Games which begin next week. Colin departs for London on July 30th where he will compete on August 11th.

I made a brief visit home last weekend to compete in the National Senior Championships in Dublin, where I won my first ever national senior track title over 10km. I only confirmed my participation late in the week as I was in the middle of a very big block of training and I wanted to make sure my training was under control and would not be compromised. Any extra fatigue or doubt and I would have stayed in Spain. One I decided to go home and compete, my plan was just a steady effort to hold 4.10 per km over 10km. I flew in Saturday evening and back out Monday afternoon. I also wanted to go through the feel of race day and get technical feedback. Basically it was a 10km tempo effort at my 20km race pace. My heart rates were slightly lower than what I would race at over 20k. I felt good physiologically, but technically a little ropey which is understandable considering I was far from fresh. You can watch the video here from Flotrack Ireland

I had the whole race videoed by my S&C coach John Cleary and looked at it afterwards using Dartfish software. I had felt blocked around my right hip area and that came across on the video. When treated by AAI physio Emma Gallivan after the race, she also noticed my right hip joint capsule was restricted and my right SI joint blocked, which she worked on to mobilise. With Emma and John, we revised a few exercises in my Prehab program to ensure I’m hitting the weak areas. It is best discover these problems now 5 weeks out from the Olympics and take corrective action rather than later.

On Monday morning I had a blood test in the Mater Hospital just to make sure everything was in order particularly my iron status while at altitude. After that I headed out for a 25km session in the Phoenix Park where the weather was horrible and I got soaked right through. I then had lunch and spent a few hours with Clare before flying back to Spain for the final 10 days of my altitude training camp.

Here in Spain I’ve been able to link up with Rob, Brendan, Laura and Olive who are training at a lower altitude in Guadix with Liam O’Reilly there to help. Liam has been out there for 4 weeks providing technical support, drinks for key sessions and massage. I would drive the 60 min journey down to Guadix three times a week for one or two key endurance sessions and one technique session. It’s just about the right balance between living at higher altitude which suits me and having company and support for training.

Also up here in the Sierra Nevada were the Triathlon Ireland elite squad including Aileen Morrison, Conor Murphy, Niamh O’Sullivan and Noel Collins along with their coach Chris Jones and their support team. Cyclists Caroline Ryan and David McCann are also here. It was good to have other Irish athletes out here for company and their support team including their physio and physiologist have been helpful to me also. When you look at how a multi endurance-sport training camp like that can be organised and supported and a few sports like athletics, triathlon, cycling and swimming can all benefit from shared personnel and resources; it makes it more cost effective. It doesn’t take a genius to organise a supported camp like this. Just somebody who can lead, plan and communicate.

It is unfortunate in Olympic year that High Performance training camps previously organised and supported by Athletics Ireland, which included a spring altitude training camp as well as a warm weather training camp, were this year scrapped and not replaced with any other support because they were claimed not to be ‘functional’. Camps like these could not be more functional, where athletes are in a squad environment and have access to physio/massage support, coaching and technical support and much more on a daily basis. Last year at the last altitude training camp with High Performance support where we were in South Africa, Laura Reynolds and Brendan Boyce were brought on board for the first time to train with myself, Rob, Jamie and Olive. Within 12 months they both have Olympic A standards and are going to the Olympics. So convince me that camps like these are not functional? Rant over for now!

I’m back from Spain next week where I will spend 12 days in the Altitude House in Limerick before heading across to London on July 30th. The clock is ticking down.