Full Name: Noelle Brown
When did you join Sportsworld?May 2023.
Where do you work? I’m a Freelance Actor and Writer, so I work wherever the jobs are. I mainly work in Ireland but get to tour around the world with theatre productions and artist exchange programmes a bit. It’s a completely bonkers, stressful life sometimes, but it’s rarely boring. As a writer, my work is focused on using theatre as a platform to amplify marginalised voices and provoke political change.
What is your favourite club session? Preferably the ones that involve coffee afterwards.:-) I like the Saturday morning track sessions. Tuesday night sessions, though they can be hard as hell, are always satisfying.
What is your favourite race distance? I’m still trying to figure that out, so I’ll say 5k for the moment. The most I’ve run is 10k, so there’s not a huge amount to choose from yet.
What is your favourite meal before a big race? Porridge with Granola, banana, blueberries, and mixed seeds. A strong cup of coffee is also required.
My Favourite place to train Would have to be Phoenix Park. There are so many different routes to run that it never gets dull, and the sense of space is fantastic.
What’s your favourite race? I’ll say Terenure 5mile because it was my first race, apart from the Evening Echo mini marathon in Cork in 1983! I did also enjoy, though it was tough at times, the Dublin Masters Cross Country in St Anne’s Park this year.
What is your target for the next year? I want to see at least one race photograph of myself that doesn’t look like I’m out for a stroll with both feet on the ground. (See photo included with this piece). I mean look at the state of me! I would also love to train for and run a half marathon at some point.
What international events have you run? None, yet. I have booked a 10k in San Sebastian for next year, though.
Where’s the most interesting place you have run? I love running at beautiful Curracloe Beach in Wexford. With the woods nearby you get two different runs in the one session and a dip in the sea afterwards. Bliss.
Where’s the most interesting place you’ve been? It has to be the Domus Aurea, or Nero’s Golden House, as it’s called. It’s in Rome and is still being excavated, like much of ancient Rome. Ephesus in Turkey is pretty incredible as well. I love ancient sights and ruins. They always make me think about the people and the lives they lived there.
What do you like doing when you don’t run? (hobbies/past times)I read a lot and go to theatre, cinema and exhibitions. It’s not really a hobby but I do devote a fair bit of time to activism around social justice issues, particularly in relation to survivors of Mother and Baby Institutions.
How/When did you start your adventure with running? Menopause expert Catherine O’Keeffe (Wellness Warrior) was part of a panel of speakers at a menopause unmasked event I co-produced at the Sugar Club in 2019. Talking on the night, I mentioned that in relation to my body, I was suddenly no longer in charge of the ship anymore due to menopause. She suggested running as she had been running for a couple of years and found it beneficial for menopause symptoms. I started by doing a running course in the Phoenix Park in 2019, which I loved. I kept running, well jogging, really, during lockdown, and it not only helped with menopause but also kept my head together during the bizarre lockdown experiences and maintained a level of fitness.
Tell us about your PB’s / What is your biggest achievement? What is your biggest non-running related achievement? Right. I have sweaty palms now typing this first bit. So, the best time was 25.28 in Rathfarnham 5k last year. I am determined to do better in that race this month. Fingers crossed. Being part of the team that took Bronze in the Meet and Train this year. I didn’t have any experience of Cross Country, so I had no idea how much of a peculiar, enjoyable hell it could be. To be part of a winning team the first time out was incredible. Non-running related achievements would be co-writing and performing in my first theatre play, ‘Postscript’, which highlighted the barriers created by Church and State to prevent an adopted person’s access to knowing the circumstances of their birth, their family medical history and the right to a birth certificate. Also, I completed an Open University Degree during my forties, which resulted in a BA (Hons) in English Literature.
How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage? I try to run three times a week, but currently, it’s two. Roughly 13k a week.
What motivates you? Running or otherwise The phrase: Get up, Dress up and Show up.
What would you say is the best thing about being in a Running Club? The sense of Community and the inspiration and support you get from other runners of all levels. Having a training structure and the goals of different races helps you achieve things you had no idea you could do. The downside is my friends tell me I’m a running bore.
What made you join a Running Club?I had been looking online at Sportsworld for about two years and didn’t feel I was running club material, but I was getting bored of puffing around parks either alone or with one other person. I signed up for the Terenure 5mile to try a race at least, and when I went to collect my number and t-shirt, I met Lorna Quinn, who I knew from working in theatre. She suggested I try the Tuesday and Thursday training. Despite my self-conscious mumbling and trying to gently leg it before I committed to anything, Lorna introduced me to some of the coaches. Because Lorna has always been someone I respect and admire, I thought, Jesus, if I don’t give it a try, at least, I won’t be able to look her in the face the next time I bump into her. Which was just as well because she was cheering me on at the Terenure 5mile. After the race, she suggested I sign up for the VHI Women’s mini marathon, which I did! Lorna, you could definitely do a side hustle on recruiting for all sorts of organisations. FBI, CIA, whatever 🙂 Sincere thanks. I literally wouldn’t have had the courage to join if it wasn’t for you.
Why is running important to you? It literally grounds me, taking me out of my head for a bit, and it is brilliant for stress relief. The endorphins are amazing, and I feel a real sense of empowerment as a 58-year-old menopausal woman. I chose drama over sports at school and missed out on what it’s like to be part of a team, to train as part of a group of like-minded people. I ran the VHI Women’s mini marathon on my own and felt I missed out on celebrating with other people. A random woman took a photo for me, and then I just got on my bike and went home, which felt a bit meh. Turning up for the first time in my Sportsworld singlet at the Rathfarnham 5k last year was a game changer. Seeing and running with other club members made it a completely different and hugely enjoyable experience.
Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the Club? More of Emily on her bike. She looked soooooooooo happy.
Who is the person in the club who inspires/drives to run better?Emily, on her bike or otherwise. She strikes that lovely balance between enjoy the running but don’t forget to surprise me with how much better you can be. Myles also drives me to run better mainly doing Cross Country. He always shouts something encouraging, just when I feel like my legs are about to stop working altogether. There’s also one club member, you know who you are, who has been a constant positive affirmer of what I can do and how to do it as well. Lots of tips and even tied my shoelaces before a cross-country race when my hands were shaking so much from nerves that I thought I was going to cry.
Do you do any cross training / other sports on a regular basis? I do strength and conditioning classes at the gym. Yoga with Adriene and Benji (the dog) at home. I also mostly commute by bike.
Tell us something that no one in the club knows about you!? I’m not sure there’s a lot left after the ‘Stolen’ documentary. And just to say, heartfelt thanks to everyone who took the time to watch it.
On a lighter note, I did get chatted up by an Australian Prime Minister backstage in the Sydney Opera House after performing in a show there. It didn’t work out for him, and there were four other women in the cast who were annoyed that it wasn’t one of them.
