Forty most nights, more when there was an irritation about the notso-new head at the helm. Of course there were laps before Mick O'Dwyer arrived but this was a marathon compared with the sprint of old.

Night after night, November to February, the only alteration being the direction in which they trudged around Portlaoise. And then it struck him late in July when they had beaten Kildare. It struck him late in July when Laois had ended a drought. It struck him late in July when he looked at Fergal Byron in a dressing-room mirror and realised he was a Leinster champion. Sure, some of the laps were stamina, but a lot more were about discipline.

Problem is he's looked at himself in that Hogan Stand mirror plenty since. They've knocked a lot, both Byron and Laois. So much so that their knuckles are worn down to a nub. For all the wins over the past two seasons, nothing has been won. For all the acres run, no new ground has been covered. In fact, for all the hype and exaggerated words used along with Laois, 2003 is all that matters. A breakthrough and since then, nothing.

"There is a lot of pressure on us this year to get to a Leinster final given the last few years but there is no guarantee. Definitely the Westmeath final in 2004 we should have won. Again against Dublin last year. What a bad start. We let them go five points up at half-time.

We clawed it back and went two ahead but you expend an awful lot of energy in doing that and you are left chasing it a little bit. So it's a big year for Laois. We've an awful lot to prove. Especially when you are looking back at that record. You could say we should have learned from our mistakes and we didn't."

Mistakes? They've made a few. It wasn't long after last year's Leinster title had seeped away that mutterings began regarding Laois's preparation. While Dublin sat tight, away from it all, several Laois players had been out watching their minors and remembering. Many had their own minor triumphs in the glorious mid-90s and now they were indulging in nostalgia. Past glories rather than present failures.

"Leinster finals are big events. Granted we did have a minor team in the final and it was a distraction and it shouldn't have been. You should be totally focused and it was flagged alright that there were guys out there at the presentation but players have to get themselves right for the big game. That's their business. But when Micko called everyone together for his team talk, everyone was there. It wasn't that there were lads outside during that, they were outside when they were allowed to be outside.

There weren't 10 lads warming up under the Hogan Stand with the rest out watching the match. It wasn't like that.

"But maybe it's some people's view that you shouldn't be out watching it anyway and it probably would be mine. I wasn't one of the guys that was out there. You have to be totally focused on your own thing. From my experience you are better off sampling the atmosphere when you run out onto the field for the first time before throw in and not being out there absorbing it before. That takes it out of you. And a lot of players might not notice it but you are better getting that adrenalin rush when you go out onto the field. Having that extra energy."

But they are learning.

When they finally fell away meekly last year, it was no longer worthwhile being one of the better teams. They promised each other they'd sit down before this league campaign. Talk about improving. Byron was one of several players on a delegation that thrashed things out.

Enough learning had been done, it was time to teach.

"Three or four guys, including myself, met up with Micko and the management on a mutual agreement. It was said after the championship finished up that we'd all sit down at the beginning of this year and see what we could do as a group to improve things. And that's exactly what we did. We sat down and discussed trainers and training methods, analysis, that sort of stuff. We got an agreement with Micko about things he'd implement.

"Obviously we got Gerry Loftus in and Gerry McDermott has been helping out with analysis and statistics.

Maybe there wasn't enough emphasis put on that side of things in the past. It was something that was pinpointed and we felt that if we did it, we might commit less fouls. Small things that could be the difference between winning and losing at the end of the day. General stuff we felt would improve the whole set up. And so far, so good. It's been working. We had an aim in the national league to win it and we've given ourselves a chance."

In recent weeks Byron has noticed a spring in Micko's step. He's been back on the sideline, walking the field, showing energy that wasn't there in recent seasons. It's given them all a lift. It's driven them towards today but more importantly beyond. "It isn't the end of the world if we lose [against Kerry] but it is a huge benchmark for us.

We've played northern teams this year and we've beaten them. But we'll measure ourselves against how we do against Kerry and it will tell us if we are way of the mark as regards how we think of ourselves or it might tell us if we are starting to make progress.

"And it's a chance to win something. I'm not really worried whether we win anything more for Micko. It's more that we want to win for ourselves and I'm sure if you talked to Micko he would be of that attitude. He's probably commented in certain media interviews that it will probably be his last year but nothing has been said to us."

When the manager does finally walk into the night, there'll be a lasting memory other than the laps. It's been a few years now since he arrived to talk to Byron and his wife Fiona at their home.

Triplets were on the way and that was too much to combine with football for the goalkeeper. But there were alternatives. O'Dwyer and the Laois county board were willing to offer support. They said they'd pay for someone to be in the house with kids and wife while he was training. It was irrelevant.

"We lost the babies? Football was good to me then. It was a relief and something to get back at and it got my mind off everything and the one person who sort of forced me back into it was Fiona.

She said that there was no point sitting around thinking what could have been, she told me that I wanted to be out playing football. I have a love for football as well and it helped me through that time.

"And then about three weeks ago we had another baby, a little girl. It was a weird feeling, I mean, Jesus, around the time the child was born the emotions were a roller coaster. There was the worry of 'Will everything be okay with the baby?' and we have a little boy and he was all geared up for the baby, and we were thinking if anything happens, how are we going to cope with this, let alone this little lad who's so excited about having a little brother or sister.

"Anything to do with family puts football back in perspective very quickly. I've learned that the hard way.

But then I'm heading away for Kerry and I'll be away Saturday [last night] and Sunday.

It's not easy for Fiona. But I have to say she's so understanding. It's not fun for her and the biggest sacrifice you make for football is at home.

"But whatever happens in Killarney I know there's another little voice to go back to in the house and I know this is a good year." No matter what happens.