Shane Finn is Taking on Another Marathon Streak to Raise Money for Those With Spina Bifida

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Shane Finn is a pretty incredible 24 year old!

Starting June 22nd of this year, he will attempt to run 24 marathons in 24 days with the goal of raising €100,000 for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland.

He’ll start his 628.8 mile journey in his hometown of Dingle, with the hopes of completing it on July 15th in Kerry.

Why?

What could possibly motivate a 24 year old man to attempt such a feat?

Shane’s cousin Mary lives with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.

Shane has seen first hand the struggles and hardships that people with this condition and their families face on a daily basis.

Any money he can raise through his running to make their life even 1% better, he does willingly.

A Multi-Day Marathon Veteran

This is not Shane’s first rodeo.

In June of 2014, starting from Dublin and ending in Dingle, Shane ran 12 marathons in 12 days and raised €36,000 for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland.

He said “I’ve witnessed grown men of the families and children crying”  because they are so appreciative of the wheelchairs and other necessities the money raised provides.

An Early Start to Marathoning

Shane was hooked on running marathons after running his first one in 2010 when he was just 17 years old.

He actually had to enter that marathon under his cousin’s name, who is two years older than him, because to run that particular marathon you had to be 18.

When I asked Shane why he couldn’t wait until he was 18 to run a marathon, he said, “Never tell an Irishman that he can’t do something.”

Note/Legalese: We here at DizRuns HQ don’t promote lying on your race entry forms or running a race under an assumed identity. That said, never tell an Irishman that he can’t do something…

The Process of Preparing

I asked Shane how he is preparing to run marathons on so many consecutive days.

The first thing Shane said was that it is HUGELY mental so he definitely focused on making sure his mind is ready for the challenge.

He also stressed the need to go into the challenge injury free.

How does he hope to stay injury free?

Shane does lots of cross training and strength training and listens closely to his body on a daily basis.

His training routine is very flexible, which allows him to adjust his workouts as needed.  He also sees a physical therapist every Wednesday just to make sure that nothing is even slightly out of alignment.

More Than a Runner

Shane is not only a runner, he is also a triathlete and entrepreneur.

Shane did his first Ironman triathlon in March of 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.

Shane’s best friend, who lives in Melbourne, urged him to sign up even though Shane couldn’t swim at the time.

Almost immediately after signing up, Shane started working with a swim coach.

Since doing Ironman Melbourne, Shane has competed in Ironman Barcelona where he cut almost 15 minutes off his swim time.

Shane has also changed his attitude toward swimming.

He now uses it as an important recovery time from his running while still building his aerobic fitness.

Other Ways to Improve Performance

When I asked Shane how he fuels his body for a multi-day event, he said he doesn’t take a lot of supplements, tries to eat mostly real food, stays away from beef, eats lots of fish, and eats his share of pizza.

His advice regarding nutrition is simple: “Try everything and see what works best for you.”

He has found what foods work best for him and he sticks to them.

I also asked Shane specifically what runners can do in terms of strength training.

We agree that one of the most important thing runners should do is to work on activating their glutes.

Shane also made a point of reminding us that just 30 minutes of bodyweight strength training 2 or 3 days a week is all you need.

Last, but certainly not least, I asked Shane what he has learned most about himself from running that he applies to his life?

 “Patience. With patience comes good things.”

And I couldn’t agree with him any more.

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If you’d like to find our more about Shane’s adventure this summer, check out the website for his journey and make sure to follow him on Instagram.

#Running 24 marathons in 24 days to just seems like the natural next step for Shane Finn. #ukrunchat Click To Tweet

As Always, I’d Love to Know What Stood Out to You From this Episode! Let Me Know Your Takeaway in the Comments Below!

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