Full Name: Anne-Maria Scanlon (and just to add confusion I go by Anne-Marie… and down the club I will introduce myself as “the other AnneMarie”)
When did you join Sportsworld? August / September 2016
Where do you work? Tallaght Hospital
What is your favourite session? Surprisingly its Hills & Sprints, even though I always struggle up that hill!
What is your favourite race distance? I’m a sucker for a good half marathon
What is your favourite meal before a big race? It depends on the time of day. For a morning race it will always be porridge with honey and berries. And then toast with peanut butter for the evening outing.
My favourite place to train: I enjoy the Tesco Greenway, with the old fartlek lap being a strong contender too.
What’s your favourite race? This will be no surprise to anybody that’s ended up in my company…. The Dingle Half Marathon gets my vote every time. The sun always shines in Dingle!
What is your target for next year? Avoid injury and try not to get any slower!
What international events have you ran? Nice and San Sebastian half marathons. I can highly recommend both.
Where’s the most interesting place you have run? Every new place has its merits.
Where’s the most interesting place you have been? Cuba…. I’d go back in the morning if I could.
What do you like to do when you don’t run? (hobbies / past times) Nothing too exciting… bit of eating and drinking… Taking my old Corolla on a spin down the country… Sometimes I might bake. But none done simultaneously! I try to read but my smart phone has ruined my attention span :-/
How/When did you start your adventure with running? When I was much younger, I had a ‘before I’m 30’ list… and to run a marathon was on that list. I started running in my mid 20s to accomplish that and haven’t stopped since!
Tell us about your PBs/ What is your biggest achievement? I’m afraid that the days of PBs are behind me now… but I’m very proud of my 3:52 marathon 😊
What is your biggest non-running related achievement? Ooh…. That’s a hard one.
How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage? Usually three times a week – Tuesday and Thursday evenings and a long run at the weekend. I don’t track miles …. But it’ll be low.
What motivates you? Running or otherwise. Staying healthy – working in a hospital you learn early on that health is a mixture of luck, genetics, and good choices. There’s only one of those 3 that I can influence!
What would you say is the best thing about being in a Running Club? The company – you’ll never try as hard as when there’s a cheerleader or witness to your efforts!
What made you join a running club? I’d had a bit of surgery earlier in 2016 and couldn’t get my running going again… I’d thought that by joining a club I could find the motivation to push on. I still remember the first night when someone stayed with me on the lap – I thought I was doing great until they told me they were ‘taking it very easy’ with a recovering hamstring injury!
Why is running important to you? It’s a great way to clear the head – no matter how tough the day has been, I always feel better after a run. But to be honest, I mostly run to be able to eat copious amounts of food!
Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the club? Some running technique advice would be nice… I’m sure I’m doing it all wrong!
Who is the person in the club who inspires / drives to run better? Everyone that turns up week after week and busts a gut to run better.
Do you do any cross training / other sports on a regular basis? I’ve being doing some strength & conditioning specific for running for the past year or so and am definitely feeling the benefits now.
Tell us something that no one in the club knows about you. Ooh…here’s the only thing I’ll admit to – as a child I loved bananas so much that I ate banana sandwiches every single day all the way through primary school… and secondary school! Still love bananas but have managed to diversify my sandwich options!
