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BARCA 2016/17 – MORE THAN A CLUB

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Barcelona may have been put in the shade somewhat by Real Madrid’s exploits over the weekend but they have stolen a march on their rivals with the release of their 2016/17 home jersey (above). Quite simply, it is a beauty.

A return to the vertical stripes is the first thing you will notice as the Camp Nou club go back to their heritage and it is stunning. A clear homage to the 1992 European Cup winning jersey, that was one of the most iconic of all football jerseys and revered by fans worldwide.

The jersey has of course been updated to the highest modern spec and while Barca are still in negotiations for a new sponsorship deal they have gone right ahead and released the jersey anyway. Because they can.

The lack of a sponsor is a real throw back and will leave this version as a highly sought after prize. We can’t wait to see it on pitch with the magical trio of Suarez, Messi and Neymar in 2016.

The 2016/17 unsponsored Barcelona jersey is available now at Elverys http://bit.ly/1WtBXbU

YOUR RUNNING PLAYLIST FOR VHI WMM TRAINING!

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Music is something that can be a major part of any run, including the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon, so we asked Today FM producer and broadcaster Ann Gleeson for the tunes that get her in the zone on those training last vital training runs and on the race day!

 

Here is Ann’s dance influenced running list – plenty of BPM’s in this lot to keep you focused and pushing on. We hope they can inspire you to push yourself over the coming days!

SINÉAD DESMOND TALKS VHI WOMEN’S MINI MARATHON

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Journalist and Broadcaster Sinéad Desmond is a long time supporter and runner of the Women’s Mini Marathon, and here she gives her tips and insights into how best to enjoy the big day!

Hello to all you lovely VHI Women’s Mini Marathon ladies!

Whether you’re a veteran, a first timer or coming back for seconds you are guaranteed to have fun! It is such a great event and we should be very proud of the fact that it is the biggest event of it’s kind in the world, with over 40,000 women strutting their stuff through the streets of Dublin! This will be my 10th WMM and I can’t wait. The buzz is always fantastic and so much money is raised for good causes. To date a staggering €198 million has been raised for charity, so give yourself a pat on the back!

I’ve been asked to give a few words of advice to first timers, so here goes! First things first, congratulations you’ve committed to doing your first 10k! If you’ve never done a race before it’s a big deal and no small undertaking, so congrats for getting out there and training. You should be well into your training now, but if you’re not don’t worry – you can choose to walk it on the day, many do! Finishing is the goal, not time. But I would encourage you to push yourself past your comfort zone, if it doesn’t challenge you it won’t change you!

Good gear is essential, I see a lot of boobs bouncing everywhere at women’s events, so lock ‘em down ladies! A good sports bra will make for a far more comfortable running experience! Obviously a pair of trainers that are suitable for the event are a must, most places offer free fitting services nowadays so take advantage of that! A new addition to my kit this year is my EVB capri length running leggings. They are designed to support your core and pelvic floor, which they do, and they keep my posture prefect and protect my lower back. But my favourite thing about them is they stop everything wobbling, think Spanx for jogging! I love that they’re Irish owned and designed by an Irish woman who wanted something to run in that worked for her.

I also always run in shades and a visor too. A lot of you will train for the WMM in the evening when the sun has gone down but on the day it can be very sunny, you see a lot of burnt bodies! So remember to bring sunscreen!

I’m no expert but I’ll pass on three bits of advice that have worked for me over the years.

Do what works for you! There is a lot of information out there about running and by all means soak it up, but trust yourself too!

Change nothing on race day, if you’ve been training in certain gear wear that gear. Eat what you normally eat, run as you normally run.

Enjoy every second! Even the seconds that hurt, the sense of achievement will make it all worthwhile!

So good luck all, see you at the start line!

Xxx Sinead

Sinéad Desmond present’s Tv3’s award winning Ireland AM from 7am-10am Monday to Friday.

 

LIVERPOOL’S UEFA CUP FINALS

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It’s a huge night for Liverpool Football Club as they go in search of a record equaling fourth UEFA Cup/Europa League triumph against record holders Sevilla. We take a quick look back at the iconic games nights that saw Liverpool take home the Coupe UEFA.

1973

Liverpool 3  Borussia Moenchengladbach 2

Played over two legs, the first game at Anfield was actually abandoned due to the adverse weather and replayed the following night. In the time that was played in the abandoned game Bill Shankly saw enough to help him devise a plan for Liverpool take a 3-0 lead into the return leg in Germany, with both sides missing penalties into the Kop as well.

The second leg saw the powerful Germans take the game to Liverpool and two first half goals from future Champions League winning manager Jupp Heynckes gave them a real hope of victory only for Liverpool’s resolute defence to hold and see the Reds take the title.

1976

Liverpool 4 Club Brugge 3

One of the original classic Anfield nights as Liverpool fought back from two goals behind in the first leg of the first half to score three times in five second half minutes into the Kop end with Kevin Keegan making up for his penalty miss at the same stage three years previously. A brilliant free-kick from the future England manager would see Liverpool take the title in Belgium in the second leg. The two sides would renew rivalries in the European Cup final just two years later with Liverpool pipping their foes once more.

2001

Liverpool 5 Alaves 4

The most incredible European final until …. well Istanbul four years later! This remains one of the most dramatic of all Liverpool finals, and there have been a few of those! Having only become a one-off final since 1997-98, and with the previous year’s fixture a boring penalty shoot-out win for Galatasaray over Arsenal, no one expected much as Liverpool came up against surprise package Alaves from Spain.

The Spaniards had seen off Gaziantespsor, Lillestrom, Rosenburg, Inter Milan, Rayo Vallecano on their way to the last four and smashed Kaiserlauten 9-2 on aggregate in the semi-final to gain their place in the final while Liverpool had to get past Olympiacos, Roma, Porto and Barcelona among others to reach this stage.

Played in Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion Liverpool took an early two goal lead and led 3-1 at the interval. Alaves fought back to 3-3 before Robbie Fowler looked to have sealed it with a seventy-second minute strike. Unbelievably Jordi Cruyff equalized again with two minutes remaining but with two men sent off in extra time Liverpool sealed victory through a deflected Gary McAllister free-kick in golden goal extra-time. Extraordinary.

Watch it here

2016

Liverpool ? Sevilla ?

If we can get a final of even half the quality of the above we are in for a treat tonight!

Get the 2016/17 Liverpool FC home jersey in store and online at Elverys.ie now! http://bit.ly/1IqOOlT

TODAY FM’S ANN GLEESON TALKS VHI WMM

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Today FM producer and broadcaster Ann Gleeson is a familiar voice to many in the country and she, like thousands of others, will be taking to the streets of Dublin on the June Bank Holiday weekend for the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon. Along with several of her Today FM colleagues, Ann has been in training for the big day for several months now, and she talked to Elverysblog.com about how her training has gone.

It’s not the first time the Tipperary native has taken part in the Women’s Mini-Marathon and she is looking forward to getting out again in a few weeks time.

“Loads of people you know are taking part in the run, it’s such a well run event. And not that the 5k is easy or anything but 10k is a good slog and it is a real sense of achievement at the end of it then. Last year I did it with Roisin, from here [Today FM], and we made a point of stopping at every marker sign and took pictures of everything – we called them the stations of the cross as we went around, so we made a real go of it. When I was asked this year I was delighted to get involved as it’s such a great thing to do.”

“I’m running for Epilepsy Ireland because two of my brothers suffer from epiliespy. Every time I have done the mini-marathon, I think I’ve done it three times now, and every time I have run for Epilepsy Ireland and obviously it is a charity close to my home and to my heart because of the two boys. It’s a much needed cause and whenever I can help them out I will.”

The popular presenter has fond memories of her first Women’s Mini-Marathon as it was a personal milestone for her.

“It would have been three years ago [that I ran my first]. I had been sick myself for a while and I did a couple of races then myself after I got better and that was the first 10k that I did. It was such a great buzz. I actually cried at the end of the first one as I was so emotional after doing it, after going through so much and being able to do a 10k… and plus I was wrecked tired!”

As an experienced mini-marathoner, Ann explains how you can get through the race even if you haven’t been able to train like a pro.

“Let’s say if you didn’t have time to get out and train, but were fairly fit, you could definitely at least walk it. I think, on the day, because there are so many people around, so many people to take part you can’t help but get into the buzz of it, the adrenaline kicks off then and there’s always something very special when there are so many out running with you. When you’re out of an evening running yourself you could kind of go ‘Will I stop now, I could just go home now..’ but when there’s so many people around you, when they are all going for it, they’ve taken their time to train and raise money and get the t-shirts made, some people wear costumes and stuff like that.. you do get swept up in the hype and it’s a great thing to be part of.”

“In general, I would be a frequent gym goer, I’d go to the gym four or five times a week anyway but in the last couple of months I’ve started to go out on a run on a Saturday and Sunday and even if it’s just 2k or 3k, it’s just to get into the swing of running. It’s very different to going into the gym and do a class for forty five minutes to going outside to consistently run – I think it’s harder to keep going, to discipline yourself to keep going, so like I said in the last couple of months I’ve only had a chance to go out at weekends to pound the pavement as they say, but it’s just to get used to it, to get used to the feeling of the consistent running.”

“I would be ok fitness wise from the gym, but there are times you’d say ‘It’s really dark outside’ or ‘it’s really cold’, but as long as you go out and do a little bit and you can come back in and say, at least I’ve done something then that’s good. There are times of course when you just don’t feel like it at all but as long as you keep it semi-regular at all, then that’s ok.”

She will have a slightly unorthodox run up to the event herself she explained but will be tucked up in bed early the night before she laughed.

“Well, the Forbidden Fruit festival is always on that weekend, so I might go to that on the Friday and Saturday but I might leave off the Sunday. You’d need a lot of adrenaline to kick a hangover and then run 10k so you’re better off taking it handy, getting a good rest. In the morning then it’s best to eat healthy, don’t do anything out of the ordinary, just have something basic – I would have a banana on a bagel and some porridge. Nothing too filling and nothing that you wouldn’t normally eat yourself.”

It’s all worth it though in the end according to the producer of The Louise Duffy Show on Today FM says.

“Once you turn that corner and see everyone cheering, and you cross the line, get your medal, it’s just something then that you can give yourself a clap on the back whether you’ve come through sickness or you’re just doing it for fun, or raising money for a loved one. It’s a nice thing to be able to look back and say ‘I’ve done this’, and you can look forward to the next year then. If you struggle in the middle of it, the uphill out the N11 and you think it’s longer than you imagined, but once you get to the end, no matter what you told yourself in the middle of it, you always go ‘I want to do that again tomorrow!!‘.”

You can donate to Ann’s fund-raising here https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/ann-s-mini-marathon-2016 

 

NIKE FREE RN – THE REVOLUTION IS REAL

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The Nike Free RN Flyknit features a revolutionary new outsole pattern that expands multi-directionally so you can move more dynamically and naturally than ever before. Its single-seam upper provides the incredible sock-like fit of Flyknit for total comfort throughout your run. In other words, the Nike Free’s do not just look great, they are great.

The concept of Nike Free was born in 2001, when insights from a legendary coach inspired designers to create footwear that mimicked the feel of barefoot training but incorporated important protection and support. The first expression of this study released in 2004 via a shoe with a siped outsole (deeply cut grooves that allow the sole to flex freely and translate a barefoot-like feel to all surfaces). Twelve years later, the Nike Free RN Motion Flyknit takes that original technology even further.

Drawing upon new studies that reveal how the foot expands and contracts upon impact with, and liftoff from, the ground, Nike designers developed an auxetic, or splaying, midsole. Spreading across two planes, the geometric tri-star form mimics how the body and foot react to force and accounts for the massive changes in foot size — approximately one size in length and two sizes in width — that occur throughout a runner’s stride.

To form the new tooling, the designers employed a new dual-injection technology. Using heat, instead of glue, they fused two foams into one piece that still features an IU foam carrier and soft IP core but introduces even more cushioning than past Nike Free models.

The Nike Free Run Distance continues the Nike Free principle of providing extremely flexible and very light shoes for the ultimate in natural running.

The lightweight Lunarlon cushioning system delivers miles of soft responsiveness. It fuses soft foam and a lightweight Phylon carrier to deliver an excellent blend of plush comfort and durable support to go the distance.

Single-layer, engineered knit helps keep your feet cool, while Flywire cables integrated with the laces wrap your arch for an adaptive, supportive fit.

Check out Elverys Intersport for the best in running shoes & advice to help you put your best foot forward this summer.  http://j.mp/ElverysZoomStructure 

THE BEST OF THE 2016/17 JERSEYS SO FAR…

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With just a few Cup finals, and the major European finals to come, the curtain fell on another scintillating season of soccer across the continent in the major leagues.

Barca were crowned champions again thanks to Luis Suarez and his hat-trick while the title had already been wrapped up by Bayern Munich, Juventus, PSG and of course, Leicester well in advance of the final weekend.

One of the most interesting asides to the final games was the roll-out of the 2016/17 jerseys by some of the clubs and there really are some crackers next season!

JUVENTUS  

The Italian five in a row champions debuted their latest home jersey from adidas as they accepted the trophy on Saturday and it is as cool as you’d expect. A move away from the multiple stripes of the 2015/16 jersey, this still has the iconic black and white and incorporates the three stripes of adidas as well. Top work from the current masters of Italy.

AC MILAN

AC have a chance to end the season with silverware but must defeat Juve in the Coppa Italia final next Saturday night to do so. They’ll do so in their new jersey which is unmistakably Milan but with a twist on the design as the fade on the lower half of the jersey gives way to their famous stripes.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Second place in the Bundesliga was the fate of Dortmund this season but they re-established themselves as a major force once again with some of the most exhilarating football in Europe at times this campaign. Next year should be interesting for them and they will do so in a very cool Puma designed effort. The round neck collar and slim fit make it stand out as much as the famous yellow and black.

CHELSEA

After announcing they are ending their deal with adidas prematurely last week, Chelsea stepped out in what will now be their last adidas designed kit. The v-neck collar and side stripes make it a very classy sign off, harking back to a more vintage design.

 

BAYERN MUNICH

Finally for now, the champions of Germany Bayern Munich celebrated yet another triumph in their outrageously cool new home jersey. As with the other new adidas kits this features the three stripes detail underarm but also a collar which sets this one apart. It really is a beauty.

Check Elverys.ie and your local Elverys Intersport store for the new jerseys and training ranges from the top names in European club football today! http://bit.ly/1YYMQB1

ELVERYS SPORTS UNVEILED AS NEW OFFICIAL RETAIL PARTNER OF KILDARE GAA

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Ireland’s leading sports gear and equipment retailer, Elverys Sports, have this evening been unveiled as the Official Retail Partner of Kildare GAA. Under the new partnership Elverys Sports will support Kildare hurling and football teams across all their adult teams.

Kildare Senior Football players Eoin Doyle, captain, and Eoghan O’Flaherty, as well as Senior Football Manager, Cian O’Neill, were on hand to launch the partnership ahead of the Senior Footballers’ Leinster Senior Football clash with Wexford on Saturday 21st May.

Welcoming the partnership, Ger Donnelly, Chairman of Kildare County Board, said: “Elverys Sports is a long established supplier of Gaelic games gear and equipment in Ireland and has been involved with many successful teams down through the years.

With retail stores in Naas and Maynooth and an on-line facility as well, this partnership will allow Kildare GAA to maximise its retail potential within the county and outside to the benefit of members, players and supporters.

We in Kildare GAA are looking forward to building our relationship with Elverys Sports to our mutual benefit during the term of this agreement”.

Speaking of the partnership Anne-Marie Hanley of Elverys Sports, said: “As one of the longest running sponsors of Irish sport we in Elverys Sports are embedded in many communities all over Ireland and we are delighted to extend our involvement with the GAA through this partnership with Kildare which will allow us to support players and administrators through various commercial initiatives. It also gives us the opportunities to engage with the Kildare GAA supporters”.

 

ROLLING ON – HAYLEY’S TRAINING UPDATE

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Elverys Intersport Vhi WMM ambassador Hayley Coleman has pushed on with her preparation for the June Bank holiday weekend and she has found that rest and recuperation is just as important as her training over the last few weeks.

Feeling fragile after a recent 10k race in Castlebar, Hayley has been singing the praises of her Trigger Point foam roller.

“I’ve been using it all week since I did a 10k on Sunday,” she told us. “I was not feeling the best all week in the run up to the race, but I said I’d do it anyway but I was sore since. I went and did another 5k then, and a few (fitness) classes and maybe I should have rested but [the foam roller] has been brilliant. I’ve been living with it all week!,” she laughed.

Her experience on foam rollers was limited prior to starting her training but she recognises the benefit now.

“I would have used it in the gym but because I didn’t have one at home I wouldn’t have spent as much time using them. It completely loosens out any knots you have, it is really good. I didn’t know that my hip flexors would be so tight from the running, but I’ve used it on those and my glutes all week and they are a lot better now. If you have little knots it helps stretch them out and works your muscles. It’s been great, I think I’ll keep using it all the time.”

“The guys in the gym showed me how to use it properly and if you have one you need to know what to do, but if you do it’s really beneficial. I wouldn’t have known what to do with it before, I’d have been just looking at it but it’s been great.”

She has found it especially useful after a long day in the car and on her feet at work.

“Totally. Your lower back, glutes, if they are tight, your back, your hamstrings will be at you and this is why the foam roller is so helpful – I’m using it even when I’m watching TV! Just to give yourself a good stretch, it might hurt a bit but that’s the way you know it’s working!”

Hayley also branched out to using fitness technology in the shape of a FitBit Flex to keep her up

“I’ve been spending my time getting the hang of it, because to be fair there is a lot to it, there are so many bits to it that keep surprising me. You can track your steps, you can check your sleep patterns, everything. I get an email which tells me what my most active day was, and that is great because it is a good reminder.”

“You’re finding new parts to it the whole time, even with my running it tells me how far I’ve gone, the pace I’ve been going at, things I wouldn’t know. You can input your age, your weight, whether there’s any weight loss you want to reach, when you want to lose it by, how much you’ve lost each week – it’s a great help. You wouldn’t even notice you have it on either, it’s very unobtrusive and light.”

Hayley discovered that her fitful sleeping habits can be an issue prior to running so she’s hoping to get in more sleep before the Vhi WMM race day.

“With my sleep [patterns] it’s telling me that I’m only sleeping five hours a night – I would have thought it was more, but I wake eleven times a night on average. You don’t realise why you’re shattered in the morning – you’re thinking you’re after a good night’s sleep. It’s great like that, it’s really helpful.”

“After the 10k I was shattered and I only really came back to myself a few days after but what happened was that I was working very hard that week and I was up at 5am, 6am every day, and by Sunday (race day) I woke up and I was shattered. What I learned was that I need to ensure that I have plenty of rest in the days leading up to the race itself on June 6th. I was burnt-out, and maybe a bit dehydrated. It shows how important sleep and rest is and it’s just as important as training.”

Follow Hayley’s progress and much more on Elverysblog.com every week until the big day June 6th 

THE GAA WEEK THAT WAS

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HURLING

The GAA summer has already found it’s first epic. Clare and Waterford played out an intense draw in the National Hurling League final after extra time meaning they have to do it all again next weekend. Add those high pressure games to a first round Munster SHC meeting at the start of June and you have the possible re-ignition of a huge rivalry between the two counties.

Whatever happens, there’s no doubt that both these sides will have a big say in the destination of the All Ireland Hurling crown in the coming months, and who knows, we might see the rivalry extend beyond the three games of early summer yet.

Elsewhere in hurling, the championship has been going on for the majority of counties already since the end of April in the Ring, Rackard & Meagher Cups and this weekend we saw one of the first major surprises of the season as Westmeath trounced the once mighty Offaly in the opening skirmishes for the Liam McCarthy Cup in the Leinster SHC Round Robin section.

There is no doubt that the Faithful are in the doldrums at the present time but their minors did beat Westmeath in the Leinster Championship quarter-final on the same day, so hope springs eternal.

Kerry meanwhile opened their Leinster Championship campaign (qualifying as winners of the Christy Ring Cup in 2015), with a comprehensive victory to continue their fine Spring form and leaving Carlow with a make or break tie next weekend with Offaly.

In the Christy Ring Cup Kildare and Down survived their own must win clashes with Wicklow and Derry respectively in Round 2B leaving the Garden & Oak Leaf counties with a relegation play-off on May 21st and the former two back within sight of a semi-final berth.

Antrim booked their last four place by beating Roscommon and Meath did the same as they traveled to London to dispatch their hosts in a high scoring encounter.

Mayo and Fingal battled their way into the semi-finals of the Nicky Rackard Cup and await the winners of Longford v Armagh and Monaghan v Donegal who face off against each other this weekend in what promises to be two exciting games if the high scoring matches of the previous rounds are anything to go by.

After two rounds of the Lory Meagher Cup Louth top the table ahead of Warwickshire and Leitrim and they will look to extend their unbeaten run when they take on Lancashire this weekend in Dunleer but it’s a tight division and anything could yet happen before the top two face off in the final in Croke Park at the start of June.

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FOOTBALL

The football weekend saw one trophy handed out and one team exit the senior championship already. While Mayo were celebrating a glorious victory in the under 21 All Ireland Football final over Cork , three thousand miles away across the Atlantic, Roscommon were given the fright of their lives by New York in the Gaelic Grounds. In the end Kevin McStay’s men squeezed through by the tightest of margins. It could yet be seen as the best thing to happen to the Rossies this year, allowing them no complacency in any game going forward, but there’s no doubt, it’s will always be the one that got away for the Big Apple side until they finally break their hoodoo in the Connacht championship.

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CAMOGIE

It was league finals weekend for the ladies and it was Kilkenny who came out on top in the battle of the last two League champions as they saw off Galway in a disappointing showdown in Semple. It was a twelfth league crown for the Cats as goals from Anna Farrell and Julie Ann Malone ensured there was no two-in-a-row for the Tribeswomen.

In fact, there was more heartache for the Connacht standard bearers as Meath exceeded all expectations to take the Division Two league title in Birr. It’s a huge achievement for the Royals who have been battling up through the ranks in camogie over the past number of years and thoroughly deserve their breakthrough.

Armagh meanwhile added a first league crown since the mid 1990’s when they overcame perennial rivals Roscommon in the Div 3 decider by 3-11 to 2-9 with Colette McSorley and Ciara Donnelly yet again leading from the front as they bagged 2-9 between them for the Ulster women.

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Team of the GAA Weekend

Plenty of contenders here. Kerry and Westmeath hurlers, Mayo under 21 footballers, Meath and Kilkenny camógs… but we have to give the nod to New York’s finest as they almost pulled off the shock of the century against Roscommon. The Rossies were one of the most exciting teams of the league campaign in Division One and for New York to nearly oust them from the championship at the first hurdle was a massive effort. It should put to bed any thoughts of removing the Exiles from the Connacht championship in future too.

Score of the GAA weekend

It has to be Maurice Shanahan’s nerveless free at the end of extra-time in the National Hurling League final. A great score to set us up for another titanic clash next weekend.

 

Elverys Intersport is the home of GAA in Ireland and proud partners of the WGPA