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Staying At The Top

Tony Browne's career secret: 'I'd have a 5k or 8k run done before I'd even head in to squad training'

The legendary Waterford hurler brought the curtain down on his career last week.

Tony Browne celebrates with John Mullane Tony Browne: '2010 was special for me' Cathal Noonan Cathal Noonan

TONY BROWNE HAS revealed that his own punishing training regimes were crucial to prolonging his Waterford hurling career for 23 seasons.

The 40 year-old called time on his inter-county involvement last week after a staggering career that started back in 1991.

Speaking to Newstalk’s Off The Ball programme tonight, Browne revealed how he managed to keep going for so long at the top.

“A lot of people would have thought that I came back in to training very late on in the year but that really wasn’t the case. You can’t afford to do that with the level the game has gone to now.

“I went back training the 1st of January every year but I was working to different programmes. Coming into the latter end of my career, the big thing for me would have been recovery. I would have fitted a huge amount of training in to one day and then a full recovery the day after.

“To give you an example of a day in my late 30′s, I knew I needed to have the capacity to cover a lot of distances in the field. If we were training on a Tuesday, I’d have a 5k or 8k run done before I’d even head in to squad training.

“I’d have that done early in the morning or early in the evening so that when I hit the training session, I was well warmed up. A lot of people wouldn’t have known that.”

Noel McGrath and Patrick Maher close down Tony Browne 10/7/2011 Browne won four Munster senior hurling medals with Waterford. James Crombie James Crombie

Browne paid tribute to the managers who helped facilitate him.

“In Justin McCarthy and Davy Fitz, I was really lucky that they wanted me around. Davy Fitz was super for me. He knew the way I trained. It was completely scheduled and tailored. He was tipping me off and giving me plenty notice when he wanted me to be ready and fresh (for A v B games or challenges).

“I think we have this perception in GAA that when you hit 31, 32, 33, that you’re written off at that stage or you’re on the back burner.

“I think if you manage yourself right and you’ve very understanding managers around the camp, and it’s managed in the right way, I’m a firm believer that you can play well into your 30′s.”

Davy Fitzgerald Tony Browne: 'Davy Fitz was super for me' Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO

The Mount Sion club man pinpointed the 2010 Munster final replay win as a special moment and believed he bowed out at the ‘right time’ for himself and Waterford.

“2010 was special for me. I was well into my 30′s and I won the battle proving that it could still be done and go out seven days after for the replay. I sensed it was probably the last Munster final that I’d win. It was fantastic to still be part and parcel of it.

“I didn’t want to go back feeling that maybe it was time to leave some of the younger talent coming through. It was the perfect time for me and for the future of Waterford hurling as well.”

Tony Browne Tony Browne brought his inter-county career to a close after 23 seasons. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

You can listen to the full interview from Off The Ball on Newstalk here

Gerry Adams, Brendan Cummins and Diarmuid O’Sullivan pay tribute as Tony Browne retires

16 reasons why Waterford’s Tony Browne is a hurling legend

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