Today one of the nicest, up beat members of Clonliffe Harriers, always in great form and a person who is with a capital F: Fun!
Bio: Live in Santry – 53 (not a blemish) – 5 children.
When and why did you take up the sport? I took up running quite late. I joined the gym after my second child (19 yr ago) and the instructor asked me to run 30 secs on treadmill/30 walk. Told him I don’t run. Within 3 months, I was running 60 mins!!!!
When did you join Clonliffe Harriers? I joined Clonliffe in 2013. I was road running myself and found it was getting a bit monotonous doing the same old thing.
What’s your favourite workout? My favourite training has to be the cross-country because Pamela/Ben can’t see you all the time so you can doss a little in the dark parts.
And your least favourite? I don’t have a least really. Anything goes with me.
What’s your favourite race or event? My favourite race has to be the Dublin City Marathon. The whole experience is amazing from the months of training, collecting the number, the day of the marathon, seeing the club mates volunteering at the end, Last but not least the after celebration
Most cherished moment was completing the 5 in a row last year (2019 DCM).
What was the worst injury you’ve had and how did you get over it?
Worst injury – I got Plantar Fasciitis In my right foot. I ignored for a while until one day couldn’t put foot to the ground. Hunted down Liam Hennessy and he sorted me out. His mother thought something seriously wrong when she’d hear the screams of me from the therapy room.
What would be the one piece of advise you’d give to any up and coming athlete? Best advice would be to join a club. Changes the direction of your running. Take the advice from the coaches regarding your training and injuries.
Do you had any funny stories of your time with Clonliffe? – Guess most recent was our trip away last year to Berlin. We had a late night on our last night and myself and my room mate slept it out. We decided to follow on the coach but had our breakfast before we left thinking the taxi would be quicker. Their was roadworks on the way to Airport so when we arrived (we had another Clonliffer too that slept it out), the boarding gate was closed. I couldn’t locate my boarding pass anyway so we had to come up with a new travel arrangement. I had purchased a few items the day before for our games night (after midnight) but since we didn’t use the toy gun, I threw it in my suitcase. Forgetting I proceeded through customs (oops) and after a few questions, it was deemed safe to travel and the gun was held at the airport. We caught a flight later that evening via Koln to Dublin. Oops
What’s your favourite food? Before competition would be pasta and chicken. Afterwards Chinese meal with a couple of bottles of coors for soakage.
Who is your sporting Hero? – Sonia O’SullivanInternational- Usain Bolt
What’s your favourite? Album – One Step Beyond – Madness. Book? – Lying in Wait Film? Not a big TV watcher but I love musicals, Les Misérables, Royal Variety Show.
What’s your favourite holiday destination? New York. Think it’s an amazing place.
Outside of athletics what are your other interests? My other hobbies are music – playing the guitar, book club that we discuss the book in the last 5 minutes and socialising with my pals.
If you were Seb Coe what would you do to improve our sport? I would bring in tougher rules for drug users in sport.
In three words how would your friends describe you? Fun, loving and mad.
When all this is over what are you running plans? Next event could be anything. I am going to take part in London Marathon next year. Am entered for Dublin too but not sure we will get to do this in October.
How are you motivating yourself to exerciser during these difficult times? At the moment I’m taking part in an excise program with the kids on You tube, runs in the local parks (sometimes my watch acts up and I seem to run a bit further) and lots of cycling with the kids. Bought a chariot (as we call it for the back of my bike) so no excuses that I can’t get out .
