General News
I get up around 7.30am. If we’re going for a long, lower-intensity session I’ll have a large bowl of porridge.
If it’s a higher-intensity session, I’ll have four or five slices of jam on toast.
A lot of the time, we leave it till Saturday to decide what we’re doing depending on fatigue, because we still have another session to do that evening and one on Sunday morning.
09.00
I’ll get my bag ready for the water or the rowing machine. I’ll bring between 100g and 150g of energy powder in a water bottle, which keeps me going during the session.
If you’re doing another session in the evening, you have to replace the calories as you burn them.
I don’t drink hot drinks or coffee so if it’s a harder session I might have a caffeine gel beforehand.
If it’s a hard session I’ll be thinking about the rowing and about staying in sync.
If it’s an easier session, I might be thinking about life and tuning in and out of the feel of the rowing.
When it’s going well, it’s nicer to get into a flow state and not think about anything — the metres go quicker too.
Some mornings we are racking up 30km or 40km — this year we were pushing the limits quite a lot.
Paul O’Donovan (left) and Fintan McCarthy during an Olympic homecoming event in Skibbereen in Co. Cork.
11.45
We’ll spend about an hour-and-a-half in the gym.
Once the first session is over, we will have something to tide us over to lunchtime.
13.15
Going out for food is more of a Sunday thing so a lot of the time we go home, top up on calories, and have a rest before being back out for another session at 4pm.
If we’re going out we’ll go to Kalbos in Skibbereen, BeanTown in Cork, or The Boathouse in Coachford.
The food in Paris was fantastic. I had some snails and they were actually decent.
If I’m at home I’ll get food and then be horizontal — somehow it always seems a bit harder on a Saturday.
I’ll have a nap or lie on the couch with Netflix on in the background or I’ll scroll on my phone.
Fintan McCarthy: I love going to the cinema but when it comes to gigs, I have to factor them in because they will definitely make me tired the next day.
16.00
The full-time nature of what we do is in the planning — every decision is based around how well the next session will go.
The evening session will be a bit more chilled.
You’ll be pushing 20km or 90 minutes at one pace that you can maintain so it can get a bit monotonous, but there’s always something to look at on the water — it’s less boring than being on the bike or rowing machine.
During the winter, we may not get out on the water for weeks at a time so we will be in the gym.
We often go to Seville as it’s quite warm there and the water is reliable.
The national centre is there and over the years we’ve made a lot of friends.
19.00
I’d usually be home by 7pm. If I’m on top of things, I’ll have something made for dinner. If not, I’ll have to drag myself into the kitchen.
I quite like cooking but when you’re training it’s not really about making a nice dinner, it’s more about trying to get the carbs, protein, and calories in.
I do try to have nice food and lots of it though. I might go out for dinner, but I’d nearly want a snack before I go out in case I get served five chips in the restaurant.
[My fitness wearable] Whoop helps a lot with that, as I can see my calories throughout the day — if we are trying to cut down a bit or there’s a rest day coming up it will be between 3,000 and 5,000.
My brother and his girlfriend live nearby so we’ll often cook for each other. I could have a glass of wine but, for the enjoyment I’d get out of a couple of drinks, it’s not really worth the payoff.
Olympic gold medalist rowers Paul O’Donovan, left and Fintan McCarthy during the open top bus parade as Skibbereen welcomed home its Olympic heroes. Photo; Anne Minihane.
21.00
I love going to the cinema but when it comes to gigs, I have to factor them in because they will definitely make me tired the next day.
However, I have learned to factor these things in a bit better — you have to live your life. We enjoy training most of the time, but it is also important not to miss out on other life stuff because those are memorable moments too.
If the occasion is rare, that makes it all the more special.
Then you have the best of both worlds — you get to make those memories, but you also get to live out your childhood dream of being an elite athlete.
23.00
I try to have the lights off at 11pm. On a Saturday, I’ll go to sleep in the knowledge that I only have one more training session and then I can have a bit of a break – the weekend starts for me at noon on a Sunday.
I’ll fall asleep fairly quickly and sleep well.
- Double Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy is a WHOOP Ambassador. Track every habit, reach every goal, join at WHOOP.com
