Full Name
Kimberley Kennedy
When did you join Sportsworld?
I think it was August 2021
Where do you work?
Canada Life Group, an insurance holding company with several European subsidiaries including Irish Life. I work in risk management.
What is your favourite club session?
I like them all except the Ballyboden lap.
What is your favourite race distance?
I’m not sure. I think when I’m fit I’m better at longer distances, 10 miles or half marathon, but 5km or 10km can be more fun.
What is your favourite meal before a big race?
I like morning races and just have my normal breakfast, muesli, yogurt, whatever fruit I have. I just eat a bit more before a longer race.
My favourite place to train
Anywhere sunny and green – parks, countryside. Phoenix Park is nice. I love running by the sea also.
What’s your favourite race?
I really enjoyed the Dungarvan 10-mile last year. I also loved the Berlin Half Marathon.
What is your target for the next year?
No targets. I set goals last year, got injured and didn’t achieve any of them. All I want now is to run consistently and enjoy it, I don’t care about races or times.
What international events have you ran?
Berlin Half Marathon in April 2022, a 10k in Salzburg with a group from the club in May 2022 and I did the Lanzarote Running Challenge in Club La Santa last November.
Where’s the most interesting place you have run?
I found the Club La Santa challenge experience pretty interesting. Apart from that I ran in Central Park in New York a few months back; I was amazed to see so many runners. I had to get off the main running route, it felt like I was in a race, so I found a route with hardly anyone then and it was funny to think I was in the middle of Manhattan with this space all to myself. I like getting out running whenever I’m away, it’s a great way to see a place and get my bearings. I was in Toronto in December and did the same. I don’t think I’d have seen the place at all without those early morning runs as I was there for work.
Where’s the most interesting place you’ve been? (Doesn’t have to be running related)
I spent an interesting summer working as a waitress in a small village in Tirol in Austria as a 19-year-old, not knowing a soul when I arrived but leaving speaking German with an Austrian accent a few months later. I find lots of different places interesting, and also spent a year living in Oviedo in the north of Spain and 2 years in Augsburg in Germany.
What do you like doing when you don’t run? (hobbies/past times)
With 9-year-old twins and a full-time job, time is limited. I like cycling and try to get out on my bike for a few hours at weekends. I like reading but can’t remember the last time I finished a book, I have about 6 on the go and can’t seem to finish any of them. I don’t watch much TV but am a fan of a German police series called Tatort and set aside 90 minutes on a Sunday evening religiously to get my fix of it.
How/When did you start your adventure with running?
It started with the couch to 5k programme at the end of February 2021. I wanted something to get me outside more during all the lockdowns and knew I needed to up my fitness – my then 7-year-old ran off one day and I was half killed trying to catch him. Apart from that, I had a very brief stint with Ring Old Parish running club (now part of West Waterford Athletics Club) at some point in my teens. I was only with the club a few weeks when we set off to a cross country event in Cork. I’ll never forget the horror of that race; I dropped out less than halfway through. The coach suggested running might not be my thing and that I try shotput. I decided to leave the club altogether and didn’t run again until 2021. It’s a shame, I quite like cross country these days.
Tell us about your PB’s / What is your biggest achievement?
I don’t have any amazing PBs. My best performance was probably the 1hr 41 minutes I ran at the Berlin Half. I’ve ran a few 5ks close to 22 minutes, it would be nice to get under 22 minutes at some stage, but really my biggest achievement is discovering I can run at all.
What is your biggest non-running related achievement?
I’m going to have to pass, I’m far too modest to answer such a question.
How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage?
It’s low at the moment as I’ve had a few injuries, a persistent back issue and then a fall at Christmas that led to a few weeks completely off. Hopefully this year I’ll be able to get back to running a bit more….building up slowly this time, I’ve learned my lesson.
What motivates you? Running or otherwise
I suppose in general feeling like I’m progressing, in running improving and getting a bit faster and fitter.
What would you say is the best thing about being in a Running Club?
Great coaching and the camaraderie – all in it together running around a random muddy field in the middle of nowhere down the country in winter.
What made you join a Running Club?
I just saw the club house in Bushy one day when out jogging there (I don’t know how I’d never noticed it before) and decided to give it a try.
Why is running important to you?
I just love being outside and being active and forgetting everything else when running.
Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the Club?
Maybe running drills or tips on form, overall though the club and training sessions are fantastic.
Who is the person in the club who inspires/drives to run better?
There are lots of people who inspire me in the club, so many people putting in work to improve, while also offering support, and tips and experience. Emily’s passion is very inspiring and her and Myles support and encouragement at races really makes a difference when it gets tough.
Do you do any cross training / other sports on a regular basis?
I hate driving and walk or cycle as much as possible. When injured last year I started doing more cycling, including the Great Dublin Bike Ride in September and a few longer spins to Maynooth and Blessington towards the end of last year. I’ve signed up to do a 160km sportive in a few months, so I’ll be getting out for a few long spins in advance of that. I do a bit of strength training also.
Tell us something that no one in the club knows about you!?
I was once champion beer stein holder for two years in a row at a local beer festival competition. Whoever keeps the beers held out longest wins. I don’t have any pictures of me in action but found this online to show what it looks like. That lady in the picture would definitely beat me.
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