Where do you work?
I work in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, based in St Stephen’s Green.
How/When did you start your adventure with running & why?
I ran a lot as a kid, with my club Fethard AC in Tipperary, however as a teenager and into my 20s I mainly played team sports; football, camogie and soccer, I even took up rugby for a while, although my career ended with a trip to A&E and split open forehead! I still tipped away with the odd 5k and even tagged along to an odd sportsword session with my sister. In the summer 2018, I got more into running more and was a more consistent trainer with the club.
What is your favourite club session?
I love Saturday mornings at the track in Tallaght, good speedy sessions. I also love the hills and sprints. I generally enjoy the sessions that involve stopping for a rest after short distances!
Tell us about your PB’s?
I’ll probably be the only club member to talk about sprint PBs, but here goes:
200m: 28.01
400m: 64.25
1500: 5.38
5k: 21.26
What is your favourite race distance?
I love sprinting, so the 200m, but don’t really train for it. I think I would like to do more 800 and 1500 and see if I can improve my time for them
What is your favourite meal before a big race?
As my roomies in Lanza will tell you, I make a special porridge before morning races with egg white, banana and berries. It’s nicer than it sounds, I swear! I still haven’t nailed my eating before afternoon and evening races, I usually have a sandwich or toast, but it’s not ideal.
My favourite place to train is?
Bushy in the summer is blissful.
What is your target for this year?
This is a very difficult question to answer at the moment, as the year is so uncertain (during Covid-19 lockdown for readers in the future). Running a race in 2020 would be great! I’d like to build up stamina for the 800m and 1500m but I don’t really have a time in mind for them.
How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage?
Just did a quick scan of my strava to check! I usually run around 30k to 40k a week. I try to make the all the club sessions, then do what I consider a long run on Sundays, which is a lot shorter than what others consider long.
What is your best Sportsworld memory?
It’s hard to look past Lanzarote last year for memories and craic! I got to know so many people that week and was lucky enough to be sharing an apartment with 5 sportsworld legends. I think my performance in the beer mile was my proudest moment of my sporting career to date!
What would you say is the best thing about being in a Running Club?
Training consistently and pushing myself is really important for me. I train with a group of girls that are all in or around the same standard, and this really pushes me on in every session and race.
The team spirit is very important for me as well. Having spent most of my life playing team sports, the friendships and craic that go along with sport is one of the main reasons I get involved with teams and this running club is no different. Whether it’s the chats at training, the breakfast on weekend mornings or trips to races, I really enjoy the social side of the club and getting to know new people.
Where’s the most interesting place you’ve been? (Doesn’t have to be running related)
I’m lucky enough to get to travel a lot with my job, particularly to Africa. I think Mozambique was the most interesting trip. I spent a lot of time in rural villages in the north of the country and met some great characters! The landscape is spectacular there too, a lot greener than I expected.
What international events have you ran?
I ran the Ethiopian equivalent of the mini marathon last year, it was called the UN Women First 5k. It was a really fantastic experience, the positivity and colour was breathtaking. I even got to meet a few Ethiopian running giants.
Where’s the most interesting place you have run?
I ran on the Ethiopian cross country course in Addis Ababa, it was pretty cool to think about some of the races that took place there! I also ran in Meskel square, which is a sight for public gatherings in Addis Ababa, but is mainly used for running. Runners can be seen running lengths of tiered steps all day, particularly in the early morning. Apparently a number of olympians started out here. It’s also at 2,000m altitude so it could be considered high altitude training, but I never felt the EPO hit when I got back to sea level.
What do you like doing when you don’t run? (hobbies/past times)
Up until last year I played football and my boots aren’t fully hung up! I also enjoy the gym, yoga and pilates. I love watching most sports, particularly GAA, rugby and soccer. Being from Tipperary I spend a lot of my summer going to hurling matches and luckily we get a few outings in Croke Park every year. I also like to follow politics and current affairs.
What is your biggest non-running related achievement?
I played football for Tipperary- although never won anything so I’m not sure it is much of an achievement! I won a couple of county medals in both camogie and football with my club at home. I played a lot of soccer growing up (although those who saw my performance in Lanza may not believe me!) and won a few league medals.
Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the Club?
More sprinting, but that’s a very selfish request!
Who is the person in the club who inspires/drives to run better?
The commitment of Emily and Myles couldn’t but inspire you, standing out in all weathers to train us and traveling all around Ireland to races is unbelievable commitment!
As someone who played sport all my life and even ran when I was younger, seeing people take up running in later life is incredibly inspiring. To go from no sport until your 30s and then win a cross country medal is no mean feat. Also people who battle back after injuries and stay positive.
Tell us something that no one in the club knows about you!?
Three family members have run with sportsworld!
You must be logged in to post a comment.