The good life... Martin Fagan looks forward

It's lucky that the weather is warm (ish) and sunny at the minute because Olympian Martin Fagan has become used to the climate in Flagstaff, Arizona and hates to come home to the cold.But last week he was enjoying the Mullingar sunshine and taking full advantage of the "great running" that the town has to offer."You might not think it but Mullingar is a great place to run in," said Martin. "The canal is a great place and Belvedere obviously is fantastic."But unlike most of us Martin isn't that interested in the scenic delights that Belvedere has to offer. Just back from new Orleans where he finished fifth in a 10K run, he was preparing to set off to Portugal to train for the Great Edinburgh (another 10km) in two weeks' time."The place I'm training just happens to be beside a beach and that's not really my fault," he laughed."I have to say that it's a pretty nice life doing this although people can find it hard to take in when I tell them that being a runner is my profession."Martin has come a long way since he first started running in the Mullingar Community games at the age of 11. From there he started going over to train under Bobby Begley at the Harriers and became a Leinster champion several times but as part of a team."I didn't get anywhere individually until I was 16 when I placed second in the All Ireland Cross. At the time I would have said that there were better runners in the Harriers than me and I wasn't fast, it took me a while to realise that I was a long distance runner."I don't think that anyone was expecting that result and I wasn't expecting it myself. It was one of those days when everything just clicks and you think 'okay I might be quite good at this'."Being a "quite good" runner has taken Martin to places that he didn't expect to find himself, including Providence College on Rhode Island to which he won a scholarship covering the $40,000 a year fees plus his living expenses. After his selection for the Irish squad Martin came to the attention of several American Colleges and chose Rhode Island because the school had an Irish coach.After completing a degree in Business and Sociology there was a short spell of uncertainty during which Martin could have given up on his running dreams. His endurance paid off though and he is now a professional athlete and is paid by Reebok, sponsorship which has allowed him to continue running full time."I didn't get a contract straight away when I finished up college and I ended up with a part time job and I wasn't really sure what to do next. But the Olympics were always at the back of my mind so I put my head down for four months and worked to qualify which I did but a marathon that I ran left me with two stress fractures and I was advised not to run. It was bitter/sweet thing for me - the Olympics - but I wanted to do it and I took so much away from the whole experience. My training has become much more professional and of course I am focusing on London 2012."What do I think about during the last miles? I think about the same things that I always do, I plan my day, I do all my thinking when I'm running and the longer I go for, the more I enjoy it. Running is an addiction for me, it's the only way that I can explain why I do it. But I think that anyone, at any level, who takes up running becomes addicted to it."The satisfaction for me is sitting down at the end of a day and thinking I did X amount of miles, that makes me feel great."Martin's family home in Mullingar is in Raithin, where he comes to as often as he can to see his mother and father, four sisters and four nephews."I do get home for a long stay at least twice a year, at Christmas and in the Summer. A lot of my races tend to be in Europe and so I'll fly through Dublin and meet up with everyone."I decided to stay in the US because of my training. I train with 10 lads every morning which means that I don't even have to think about getting out to run, I just do it."Training would be a lot harder for me if I was in Ireland because there just aren't so many runners around. As well as that I love the hot weather where I live and that's also great for training."I don't live with athletes anymore though because things tend to become too focused on running and I like to forget about it sometimes and just enjoy myself, it's a lesson that I learned very young, you have to have a nice balance."I know of fellas that were beating me years ago that just burned out because they went at it too hard. Now I share a house with three people with regular jobs."When the London Olympics rolls around Martin, who is now 26, will be at the peak age for an athlete and while he is focused on running goals at the minute he also hopes to get a "regular job" at some point in the future."I want to train as a social worker and I hope that at some point in the next four years I can go back and do my Masters. London is my focus but I realise that while this is amazing it's not forever. As an undergrad I studied Sociology and social work has been in my mind for a long time."After London I reckon that I have another Olympics in me, all going well. I do realise that I've been lucky and that I am lucky to do what I do. "It goes to show that if you are good at something it can take you a long way and I would say to any of the young Harriers that they should take every chance that they can."I've done one run today and I'm going to have a nap before the next one; it's a good life alright."