A/rtist in the Spotlight: Marthastew

drquirky

Today is Tuesday so I'm passing the torch along to a well known/loved member of the forum. I was pretty surprised/psyched she hadn't done one of these threads before so here goes!

For those of you who don't know- Marthastew is the Irish 50k champion and has a few pretty high profile marathon and HM finishes around Ireland. To top it off she is super friendly and has a great training log. Enough of the platitudes though- fire away and enjoy the week!

1) What is the greatest race of your career (so far)

2) Tea or coffee?

3) Meno or Digger?

4) Do you have a sporty background? (before running)

5) Favorite meal?

Just a few to get us started!

kit3

Before anyone else asks do you ever sleep

back with more later !

PaulieC

You seem endlessly upbeat about everything. Is there anything at all that gets you down ?

RayCun

PaulieC wrote: »

You seem endlessly upbeat about everything. Is there anything at all that gets you down ?

carol singers!

HelenAnne

1) What age were you when you started running?

2) Did you love it straight away?

3) Did you join Crusaders pretty early in your running career or jog around on your own for a while first?

4) Can you pinpoint anything that really helped to improve your running - miles and more miles, or any specific speed training?

5) Can you guess that I am using this questionnaire to get some of your success to rub off on me ?

6) Do you have any big running goals this year?

Thanks!

menoscemo

You made massive gains over all distances after running the Connemara ultra a few years ago; do you attribute that to the higher mileage of the ultra training or just better training in general?

Any plans to go back to (longer) Ultra distances (50ks don't count ).

Juniorstew ran 5k in 20:xx last year as a 9 year old. What are the chances of him taking the running up seriously?

What do you rate as your best ever running performance?

TRR

Typical training week including running, swimming, gym etc?

Favourite time of the day to run?

Favourite place to run?

Favourite race distance?

In terms of a marathon/race bucket list, are there any you want to do?

Who currently hold the stew household marathon pb?

Yourself and the hubby have 100 metres to go in a marathon and are on for massive PBs, do you try an all out spring to take the household PB or do you hold hands while crossing the line.

If I asked MrStrew the question above what would his answer be?

digger2d2

drquirky wrote: »

3) Meno or Digger?

FFS, that's like asking you 3) A Canadian or Naz Ghaffar? :D

digger2d2

1) How do you have such a good tan?

2) With your love of skinny dipping would you ever consider doing a Tri?

3) Do you always shop for your runners in The Kildare Village outlet?

4) Does Meno really live in your shed?

5) Is it true that Mr Stew's schoolyard nickname was Tripod?

Marthastew

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Blocky's and quirky's Q&As and I'm looking forward to answering all these wonderful questions......



What is the greatest race of your career (so far)
I ran my two best races last year; Winning a marathon in my hometown of Athlone was an amazing achievement for me but I wouldn’t consider it my greatest race as I didn’t have to race it all-out to get the win. I’d have to say Donadea 50K , I was so, so proud of myself for pushing and racing all the way to the line as it would have been easy for me to slow after I had lapped the second female and passed marathon distance (bagging a new PB). I’ll always cherish the memory of Mr Stew and I collapsing into Anto’s arms Bodygaurd-style at the Finish Line;)
Tea or coffee?
Coffee, coffee and more coffee

Meno or Digger?
That’s just mean… You know I hate conflict:)
Depends what for….. Digger wins hands down on "the guns" front but lots of the LSRs in my training bank are thanks to Meno.

Do you have a sporty background? (before running)
No, I’m pretty sure I played a bit of hockey at school but obviously not very well if I can’t really remember. I joined a really nice gym when we lived in London 20 years ago and have been fairly active since. I tried golf before running and let's just say it's a good thing I’m not too bad at running;)

Favourite meal?
Filet steak medium rare, béarnaise sauce and chips, big glass of Pinot Noir

Before anyone else asks do you ever sleep
I used to be an air hostess so I’ve learned the art of surviving on very little sleep, having said that I go to bed early when I can as I’m an early riser.

You seem endlessly upbeat about everything. Is there anything at all that gets you down
I’m sure Mr S would disagree with you at times but in general I’m genuinely quite happy. I’m lucky enough not to have to work (outside the home) so what’s not to be happy about?:D

Carol Singers…
I haven’t forgiven myself for my nastiness last Christmas, in my defence I was ill!

What age were you when you started running?
Like a lot of people on here I left it a little late to get started, just before my 42nd birthday

Did you love it straight away?
Yes! I couldn’t believe how much fun it was

Did you join Crusaders pretty early in your running career or jog around on your own for a while first?
I jogged round on my own for a very long while, in fact I had already run 3 marathons before I even discovered the wonderful world of Boards:) We joined Crusaders 18 months ago and although I can’t make it down to the club sessions very often because I’m busy with the boys I am very proud to be a member. My running has greatly improved since joining the club.

Can you pinpoint anything that really helped to improve your running - miles and more miles, or any specific speed training?
For the first couple of years I was one of those runners who went out and ran all my miles at pretty much the same pace and the only speed sessions I did were races. I’m not sure I could pinpoint anything in particular, I’d say it was a combination of the miles and miles I ran for Connemara Ultra 2012 followed by more structure to my training.

Can you guess that I am using this questionnaire to get some of your success to rub off on me ?
You are hugely successful in your own right, I’m pretty sure some national medals have come your way

Do you have any big running goals this year?
My current lofty goal is 3.09 in Barcelona (current PB is 3.19; London 2013), my calf seems hell-bent on scuppering that plan but it’s still almost 8 weeks away so I'm still optimistic. I’m hoping for a strong block of training over the summer and another PB in Berlin, with only 2 and half years left before I join the F50:eek: category time is obviously not exactly on my side but I’ll keep chipping away at my marathon PB as long as I’m still enjoying it.

Pacing Mule

Follow up questions to your greatest races answer !

1) How long where you running before winning the marathon.

2) You were that far ahead you lapped the second placed girl ? How big where the laps. What was your winning margin ?

Ososlo

Was looking forward to this one:)

Favourite Irish female athlete?

Favourite International female athlete?

You're obviously an extremely happy positive person. Do you think running has given you that 'edge' of happiness that you mightn't have if you didn't run?

If you couldn't run what sport would you use to replace it?

Did you realise that someone has their eye on Mr. Stew? On the Boards xmas night out there was one Boardsie who was looking for some Mr. Stew lovin' and it wasn't one of the girls:eek:

I'll be back with lots more;)

Marthastew

You made massive gains over all distances after running the Connemara ultra a few years ago; do you attribute that to the higher mileage of the ultra training or just better training in general?
For Conn Ultra I really simplified my training, I ran miles and miles with a good few back-to-back long runs, I found it took a while to recover from those LSRs so I did practically no speed work so the higher mileage definitely helped me. At that stage I had been running 4 years so it would also have been natural for my times to improve.
Any plans to go back to (longer) Ultra distances (50ks don't count
Most definitely, I really enjoy the longer stuff, for now I’ll concentrate on the shorter stuff (and by shorter I mean marathon;))

Juniorstew ran 5k in 20:xx last year as a 9 year old. What are the chances of him taking the running up seriously?
Junior loves running almost as much as his mum and he also has inherited a competitive streak so he will hopefully do well if and when he starts to concentrate on running. He is also a very keen rugby and (look away drquirky;)) GAA player and I’m keen for him to keep up the team sports as long as he wants to. When it comes to running he is our biggest fan and knows all our PBs:)


Typical training week including running, swimming, gym etc?
I try to include one day of rest a week (jumping briefly in the sea doesn’t count as exercise) and I usually run 5/6 days; 1 LSR, 1/2 sessions and the rest easy miles. I also enjoy yoga and lots of classes in the gym, I see these as preventative/rehab for any niggles/injuries. As I said above, I’m very fortunate to have my mornings to myself and I have plenty of time to fit it all in (and occasionally clean the house and cook the dinner:))

Favourite time of the day to run?
In the summer I love early morning runs before anyone gets up in the house. At the moment I’m happy to wait till it gets bright and I’ve had a few cups of coffee.


Favourite place to run?
I never, ever get tired of the views from the Vico Road, Killiney, it’s always worth the climb, even on a bad weather day it is spectacular, I love where I live and I love running by the sea.

Favourite race distance?
Marathon closely followed by 10 miles.

In terms of a marathon/race bucket list, are there any you want to do?
I’m lucky enough to have run lots of great marathons, before New York 2012 cancelled I was hoping to have completed the World marathon majors but then they added Tokyo:eek: I’d love to run Comrades.

Who currently hold the stew household marathon pb?
Mr S; a very, very well deserved 3.14 in DCM last year.

Yourself and the hubby have 100 metres to go in a marathon and are on for massive PBs, do you try an all out spring to take the household PB or do you hold hands while crossing the line.
We are both extremely competitive and we definitely each run our own race no matter what, but in that situation I would definitely hold hands (after some TRR-patented windmills and Eamo-patented jumps in the air:)).

If I asked MrStew the question above what would his answer be?
I suspect Mr S would do the same… I’ll ask him when he comes home from work later, although I’m sure if you asked him in person he’d tell you he’d outsprint me;)

digger2d2

1) Will you run the next Beer Mile?

2) Do you know who Stazza is?

jonny99

Athlone to south county Dublin.. Not many make it...To successfully take such a leap must surely give you confidence in your running.:)

Marthastew

How do you have such a good tan?
I am naturally very sallow-skinned…. (In the winter I get some help from Johnson’s Holiday Skin moisturiser:))

With your love of skinny dipping would you ever consider doing a Tri?
I actually started out on the dark side, my first event in 2008 was a Sprint distance in Triathy, and I LOVED it, despite being almost the last person out of the water I finished quite respectably. While I love swimming in the sea I can’t actually swim very well and I’d need to take a lot of lessons if I ever decided to venture back to the dark side.

Do you always shop for your runners in The Kildare Village outlet?
Nearly always but I recently paid a trip to the wonderful people in Amphibian King Bray, this trip was partly funded by a voucher I had won in Bohermeen:D

Does Meno really live in your shed?
We felt sorry for him out in the cold so he has moved into the spare room;)

kit3

Does Mr Stew lurk on Boards ?
Is TRR newby runner ?
What was your first running event ?

Marthastew

How long where you running before winning the marathon.
I had been running 5 and ½ years at that stage, it was very small field and I got lucky on the day, nevertheless my 88 year old aunt was extremely proud of me:)

You were that far ahead you lapped the second placed girl ? How big where the laps. What was your winning margin ?
Donadea is a wonderful race, 10 by 5K laps on forest trails, I was just over a half hour ahead of the second female finisher, again, I had a very lucky day.


Favourite Irish female athlete?
I was over the moon for Maria McCambridge when she won DCM last year, her hard work and determination are inspirational. I’m lucky to be training with a group supervised by her on Tuesday mornings and she has recently been helping me out with my training plan.


Favourite International female athlete?
Paula Radcliffe’s world record was impressive when she set it almost 11 years ago but the fact that it still stands (despite the men’s record falling 5? times since then) is pretty phenomenal.

I also like Kara Goucher because she shares a birthday with me:)

You're obviously an extremely happy positive person. Do you think running has given you that 'edge' of happiness that you mightn't have if you didn't run?
Running definitely has made me happier and more appreciative of life in general. I also genuinely believe that life is short so being happy comes easy to me.

If you couldn't run what sport would you use to replace it?
I joined a new yoga studio in late 2012 when I was injured but I have come to really, really enjoy yoga, it strengthens me both inside and out:)

Did you realise that someone has their eye on Mr. Stew? On the Boards xmas night out there was one Boardsie who was looking for some Mr. Stew lovin' and it wasn't one of the girl
I did not know that! But to be honest Mr Stew is a fine catch so I don’t find that at all surprising:) It’s fair to say I hit the jackpot when I bagged him:D.
Will you run the next Beer Mile?
I’m not sure, I rarely use age as an excuse but I honestly think that there comes a time in a woman’s life when she knows she is too old for a beer mile… that time is now I think


Do you know who Stazza is?
No idea who he is but I’m enjoying his posts and I’m tempted to go out and buy some Maca Powder:)

Athlone to south county Dublin.. Not many make it...To successfully take such a leap must surely give you confidence in your running.
You can take the girl out of the bog but you can’t take the bog out of the girl.....

TRR

- of the "majors" you've ran which is your favourite and least favourite and why?

- when you say you run early in the morning during the summer, what is early?

- most days do you run solo or do you run with other yummy mummys?

- who started running first, you or mrstew?

- while working as an air hostess did you ever catch anyone joining the mile high club? Were you ever tempted yourself?

- you owe me 12 mars krispie buns! Where are they?

RacoonQueen

What's your favourite flavour of crisps?

rainbow kirby

Favourite yoga pose?

Favourite place to swim?

pistol_75

Is the 40ft really 40ft?

What is your long term marathon goal?

What if anything will you have to do differently to achieve this?

Would you like to be coached by Stazza or Woodchopper?

BeepBeep67

Have to make a choice:

• Never run again?
• Never dip in the 40ft again?

Krusty_Clown

Favourite grape? From what country?
Do you ever get into the 40ft and ask yourself 'why the hell am I doing this'?
Any regrets about not taking up running earlier in life?
Will you continue to race, when your times start to go backwards?
Masters running and category prizes: should we be striving to measure ourselves against everyone in the race, or just those in our age group?
What (if anything) do you listen to while running? (answer can't be Menoscemo).
Do you run the same routes all of the time, or look for a lot of variety?
Will you go back and do NY marathon at some stage?

HelenAnne

Marthastew wrote: »

What age were you when you started running?
Like a lot of people on here I left it a little late to get started, just before my 42nd birthday

Did you love it straight away?
Yes! I couldn’t believe how much fun it was

Did you join Crusaders pretty early in your running career or jog around on your own for a while first?
I jogged round on my own for a very long while, in fact I had already run 3 marathons before I even discovered the wonderful world of Boards:) We joined Crusaders 18 months ago and although I can’t make it down to the club sessions very often because I’m busy with the boys I am very proud to be a member. My running has greatly improved since joining the club.

Can you pinpoint anything that really helped to improve your running - miles and more miles, or any specific speed training?
For the first couple of years I was one of those runners who went out and ran all my miles at pretty much the same pace and the only speed sessions I did were races. I’m not sure I could pinpoint anything in particular, I’d say it was a combination of the miles and miles I ran for Connemara Ultra 2012 followed by more structure to my training.

Can you guess that I am using this questionnaire to get some of your success to rub off on me ?
You are hugely successful in your own right, I’m pretty sure some national medals have come your way

Do you have any big running goals this year?
My current lofty goal is 3.09 in Barcelona (current PB is 3.19; London 2013), my calf seems hell-bent on scuppering that plan but it’s still almost 8 weeks away so I'm still optimistic. I’m hoping for a strong block of training over the summer and another PB in Berlin, with only 2 and half years left before I join the F50:eek: category time is obviously not exactly on my side but I’ll keep chipping away at my marathon PB as long as I’m still enjoying it.

Thanks very much for all your answers. Best of luck with Barcelona training - I'm sure if it all goes right for you on the day you'll definitely hit your goal. It sounds like miles, plus structure, was what really brought you on.
I'm determined to run at least 40 mpw this year (which is easy on weeks I have no races, harder when a short race takes up long-run time!) and I really must do regular speed sessions.

Also, you've mentioned in your answers that you don't work outside the home & so training is easier for you - I think that's playing down your dedication and hard work a bit. You may not have an office job but you have kids and that's a fulltime job too!

Also, sadly, no National Medals for me (yet!) - I have 2 Dublin medals, but they're team ones where the very fast women at the top dragged our average up. But someone has to be the fourth scorer!

thanks again for your answers.

AuldManKing

Great answers so far.

* Best piece of running advice received?

* What did you and Mr Stew do with your lives before you ran?? (remember, this is a family show...)

* Does a 'skinny mocha chocha chino latte' even exist?

* Any bad habits

* Best holiday destination & why?

Pacing Mule

Do you put your youthful looks down to running / yoga or something else ? By the maths of the thread (without directly referencing a ladies age of course ) I would have put you at least a decade younger than you seem to imply here !

Marthastew

Does Mr Stew lurk on Boards ?
Is TRR newby runner ?
I’m pretty sure Mr Stew is in fact newbyrunner;) Mr S relies on me to fill him in on the goings-on here, it’s just as well he doesn’t post/lurk, he is terrible with names and can just about remember our boys names, if he had to contend with boards/real names it would be a nightmare. Occasionally when he has a goal race coming up he’ll use it for research for the course, I’m pretty sure he knows Tunguska’s outline of DCM off by heart:)

What was your first running event ?
My first standalone race was the 10 miler in Phoenix Park 2008, I LOVED it! At the time I had no clue of anything running related; pace, age group placing etc., in fact I even ran with an iPod:eek:

Of the "majors" you've ran which is your favourite and least favourite and why?
That’s a tough one, I’m fortunate to have run Chicago 2009, Boston 2010, Berlin 2011/2012 and London 2013 and I loved all those races for very different reasons.
Chicago was my first big city marathon having only run DCM ’08 and not surprisingly I lapped up the American support, I also have lots of friends there from my airline days and they were dressed head to foot in green, leprechaun hats etc. at mile 15 and that memory still makes me smile:) I was blown away by it all and I took a big chunk off my time, when I crossed the Finish Line the girl beside me was screaming about BQing and I honestly thought she was talking about a barbeque, in fact I was disappointed when there was no burger;) That’s how I ended up in Boston the following Spring and I can still remember walking to the start line and the volunteers all lined up and clapping for us as we filed past, again the race was so much fun, I did find the hills tough going but I passed the Hoyts on Heartbreak Hill and soon stopped feeling sorry for myself. Berlin is a magnificent race, probably Mr. Stew’s favourite but because I studied German I’ve always sort of felt my trips there were a bit like a school tour. London; I still get goose bumps thinking of Tower Bridge and having lived there I really enjoyed the race despite blowing up and missing my target. Mmmmm…
Favourite; Chicago, because I was so young and innocent:)
Least Favourite; Berlin because I have yet to PB there.

When you say you run early in the morning during the summer, what is early?
Now that my kids are older early is not so early since they will all sleep late given the chance. Probably 6.30? Last year I did a few LSRs with a pal where we’d meet before the sun came up and I really loved those, there’s something great about starting the day before it has officially started.

most days do you run solo or do you run with other yummy mummys?
A mixture of both, a lot of runs on my own and some with yummy, yummy mummys:):) last year in the run up to DCM I had lots of friends tell me they had heard me and my pals out running before they actually even saw us, we have a lot of fun! Recently I’ve joined the legendary Anto/Ultraman and some of his running pals on a few runs up the Dublin mountains, I landed on my ar*e the last time so I’m planning on picking up some trail shoes before the next trip (if I get invited back;))


Who started running first, you or mrstew?
Me and yes; it does annoy me that Mr Stew is faster than me even though he’s only been running 3 years versus my 6;)

while working as an air hostess did you ever catch anyone joining the mile high club?
Altitude and alcohol consumption are a dangerous combination so I’ve seen plenty of interesting stuff on board a plane!

Were you ever tempted yourself?
As much as I really enjoyed my job, the smell of an airplane or “Eau de Boeing” as we used to call it, is a very big turn off for me!

You owe me 12 mars krispie buns! Where are they?
12???? I may owe you one or two, I will have them for you at Donadea but you’ll have to wait for me to finish before you can have them:)

Favourite yoga pose?
Downward facing dog because it’s so super after a long run.
(Digger will have a field day with that one;))

Favourite place to swim?
I really do love the 40 Foot but given a choice I’d have to say any beach on Antigua in the Caribbean (Mr S and I went on our honeymoon there a zillion years ago)

career_move

Hi MS ....

- how long do you think it will take you to get a sub 3 marathon

- which is more important to you: a good time or a high place finish

- besides carol singers what annoys you in life

- what's your favourite tv program

- opera or panto

- what's your favourite item of clothing

- what do you most often cook for dinner

- who do you fancy (besides Mr Stew) for a hot date

- is it true your cat is scared of Meno

- is it true you were scared when you heard Meno was moving nearby

- tell us your most outrageous airline story

- if you could have done anything besides becoming an air hostess what would you do and why

- if you could live anybodies life for them who would you choose and why

- what's your favourite type of chocolate

- is your cat neutered

Cleanman

Hi Marthastew,

Who's log do you most enjoy (apart from mine!)

Who's log do you get most inspiration from?

Have you ever raced on the track? And if not, would you ever consider giving some of the shorter races a go?

Chocolate or crisps?

Beer or wine?

AMK or RK???

Did you find out who was looking for some Mr.Stew lovin' on the boards xmas night out? (just curious!!)

If you got injured in the morning and could never run again, would more yoga and the 40ft dips replace it or would you say running is irreplaceable?

newbygirl

First off can I say that you are very inspiring. I'M very new to running but I read some of your blog and you are a credit girl. One quick question I have.

What was your first ever 5k time

TRR

Do your kids know you post on boards, if yes do they know your username and do tgey read your log etc.

Ps like newbygirl I also find you inspiring. It is as if we are the same person

kit3

TRR wrote: »

Ps like newbygirl I also find you inspiring. It is as if we are the same person

Nice to see you in touch with your feminine side

belcarra

career_move wrote: »

- is it true your cat is scared of Meno

- is it true you were scared when you heard Meno was moving nearby

- is your cat neutered

CM - You seem exceptionally worried about meno and this cat... What have you heard?

RedRunner

Hi...

- What is the single most important lesson youve learned so far for both training and racing?

Great read so far btw. Youve achieved so much in such a short space of time.

digger2d2

RedRunner wrote: »

Great read so far btw. Youve achieved so much in such a short space of time.

Huh?? She's 63!!

Marthastew

Is the 40ft really 40ft?
It is actually less than 40 Foot deep, the name is said to have come from a British regiment who were stationed there.
Martahstew fact: there is a pair of duks who live at the beach in Sandycove, they are so cute and locals say they have been there for about 3 years, I think I started noticing them about a year ago. Even during the recent super-high-tide they were waddling away in the bay:D

What is your long term marathon goal?
Before I ran my first marathon in 2008 all I wanted to do was run a sub 4 since my half and 10 mile suggested I could, I made every mistake in the book on the day but luckily scraped home in 3.56. After that I was happy enough chipping away at my time until I befriended you lot on here and of course now I really, really want to run a sub 3. They (I’m not sure who “they” are;)) say that after 7 years of running your times start falling so that means I have a year left....... I’m hoping for a 2.59.59 next Spring;) Having said that, the closer I get (And I'm still a very LONG way off) I@m beginning to realise just how hard it actually is and I know I may never get there but I'm a great believer in dreaming big:D

What if anything will you have to do differently to achieve this?
A lot!!I have learnt from my mistakes with regard to injury and over-training so with a lot of luck and even more hard work I might get there. Most importantly for me would be to find a plan that works for me and follow it to the letter. I’m sure my diet could do with an overhaul also. I’m hoping 2014 will be a strong consistent year for me and I’ll take it from there.

Would you like to be coached by Stazza or Woodchopper?
I’m not familiar with woodchopper or his work so I don’t know.
I would consider myself fairly well-read but I’m finding I have to check the dictionary for Stazza’s log.... I’m not sure I’d be able to follow his plan;)


Have to make a choice:
· Never run again?
· Never dip in the 40ft again?
That’s a “Sophie’s Choice” question…… Initially I straight away thought I'd never swim in the 40 foot again but I really, really do love it……….. However, I can’t imagine life not running so I’ll give up the 40 Foot, but I’ll run along the coast all the time and soak up the smells and sounds of the sea:)


Favourite grape? From what country?
I prefer red wine to white (but a crisp glass of white is YUM on a hot summer’s day) I tend to prefer French wines, purely because I lived in France for a year (although I was student at the time and I mostly drank plonk, but French plonk is pretty good)

Do you ever get into the 40ft and ask yourself 'why the hell am I doing this'?
A lot of the time I do! but always by the time I get out I think “That was Fab, I love it! I’m alive!!!”

Any regrets about not taking up running earlier in life?
In general I don’t regret starting sooner, who knows I could be burned out by now? I do think it would have been great to at least have been running casually when the boys were small, the fact you can walk straight out the door and have a really productive break in a half hour makes it a no-brainer for young mums.

Will you continue to race, when your times start to go backwards?
I would hope so, my times going backwards is bound to happen sooner or later and I’d like to think I’ll just get over it and keep running, I really do love racing

Masters running and category prizes: should we be striving to measure ourselves against everyone in the race, or just those in our age group?
I think when I first started placing in my age category that would be foremost in my mind during a race, I generally wouldn’t have noticed the males around me and I concentrated on racing the females, particularly (F45 looking ones;)). I’m not sure when I changed my mind shift to racing for my position on the entire finishing list but that’s what’s more important to me now. Initially I didn’t have the confidence to race against younger runners but now I feel that we should all race to our full potential, I think it’s much more satisfying to run a race that way.


What (if anything) do you listen to while running? (answer can't be Menoscemo).
I’ll often run without my ipod, but if it’s an LSR on my own I love marathontalk podcasts, I find them informative and entertaining, I love Martin and Tom and their "relentless positivity", in fact they make me look normal! Yesterday I listened to Tony’s rant about online-shopping surveys, hilarious. My latest favourite song is Pharrell William’s “Happy”, the boys are getting annoyed with me because I’ve started playing it in the morning to stop anyone being cranky:D

Do you run the same routes all of the time, or look for a lot of variety?
I’m quite boring with my routes on my own, primarily because I love running beside the sea so much, my main routes are either in and out of town along the coast or else out to Bray and back again. Mr S is greta at taking us off on more challenging interesting routes around Enniskerry, Glencullen etc. and I really enjoy those runs. I’m making a concerted effort to change my routes at the moment because I’m starting to get a little bored.

Will you go back and do NY marathon at some stage?
It’s funny, before I got the entry and before it cancelled I had REALLY, REALLY wanted to run New York and there’s no doubt it’s an amazing marathon so Mr S and I will probably do it together in the future. However, I really enjoyed the Runanyway marathon in Central Park and the cherry on the cake was the Phoenix Park New York marathon so all I was very lucky with the way things turned out for me. New York is an amazing city and I spent many layovers there in my airline days.

Duanington

Do you find the cute bunnies, kittens, puppies, small deer and other small cute furry animals that follow you around a help or a hindrance to your incredible training and racing performances?

belcarra

What time are you gunning for in Raheny?
Does MrStew have a different target? (I'm expecting not seen as you pair are usually within a few metres/seconds of each other!)

career_move

belcarra wrote: »

CM - You seem exceptionally worried about meno and this cat... What have you heard?

I was merely inquiring as to whether MS was a responsible pet owner

Duanington wrote: »

Do you find the cute bunnies, kittens, puppies, small deer and other small cute furry animals that follow you around a help or a hindrance to your incredible training and racing performances?

That is no way to talk about Meno and Digger :eek:

TFBubendorfer

Marthastew wrote: »

They (I’m not sure who “they” are;)) say that after 7 years of running your times start falling so that means I have a year left.......

Don't you worry, "they" are dead wrong.


- are you going to defend your title in Donadea?

pgmcpq

I'm always amazed by how few negative thoughts you have.

1. How much does your happy outlook contribute to your success ?

2. And a followup : Do you ever have doubts creep in during the last few miles of a race. If you do ...any mechanisms for dealing with them ?

3. Funninest airline story ?

Marthastew

Best piece of running advice received
Listen to your body; this is a piece of advice I find very hard to heed and in 2012 I was out for 7 weeks with injury because I ignored that advice and ran a race when I knew I shouldn’t. 2013 I did a little better at listening to my body but still I ignored the exhaustion/possible overtraining after London and ended up with a bad chest infection and was once again forced to take a break over the summer. I’m hoping 2014 will be a different year for me:)


What did you and Mr Stew do with your lives before you ran?? (remember, this is a family show...)
What a great question! It’s funny, I can hardly remember what we did before we ran, we’ve been together since we met at uni (in fact we met the year Claralara was born) so we’ve sort of grown up together. Mr S is a keen golfer (and a great golfer when marathon training doesn’t take up so much of his time) and I tried playing golf so we’d have shared interest…… Golf is not for me, but at least now I know the rules etc. and what he’s talking about when he comes home after a game.

Does a 'skinny mocha chocha chino latte' even exist?
I’m pretty sure it doesn’t! when I first started flying to the US the coffee shop culture was booming and I found it hilarious when I would hear somebody order such things as a “A skinny half-caf-decaf mocha with a twist on the side”:) (that does exist)

Any bad habits
You’ve been on a night out with us so you know I’m no angel, but like I said to you in The Palace…”what goes on tour, stays on tour”;)

Best holiday destination & why?
When I worked with the airline Mr S and I were very lucky to be able to travel to a lot of wonderful places (I proposed to him; “marry me and fly for free”:)), we travelled to Thailand before we had the boys and we have been back numerous times since with them, it’s a wonderful family destination, hard to get there but well worth the trip. The Thais are so welcoming and have a great sense of humour and the euro goes a long way there, the food is delicious, the weather is super and the scenery is idyllic.


Do you put your youthful looks down to running / yoga or something else ? By the maths of the thread (without directly referencing a ladies age of course) I would have put you at least a decade younger than you seem to imply here !
Why, thank you, young man! (the rice krispie buns are on the way over to you now;))


How long do you think it will take you to get a sub 3 marathon
I would love to get there in 2015, some days I feel it’s very achievable and other days I come home from a run and think “Who are you kidding?”


which is more important to you: a good time or a high place finish
My finishing position matters most to me and then after that a good time is bonus

besides carol singers what annoys you in life
I’m a bit of a neat freak so disorder in the house annoys me, I’ve gotten much better at letting a bit of disorder slip since I’ve started running:)

what's your favourite tv program
I love a programme that we can all watch as a family; Modern Family and Father Ted are firm favourites in our house

opera or panto
I have very fond memories of going to the panto with my mum but opera would win out now, although I haven’t been to an opera in years

what's your favourite item of clothing
My black Lulu-lemon hoody; cosy and warm and washes and dries like a glove

what do you most often cook for dinner
Spaghetti bolognaise; fast and everyone loves it.

Who do you fancy (besides Mr Stew) for a hot date
Killian Scott (Tommy in Love/Hate) is very cute although I’m old enough to be his mother so we’ll go with Brad Pitt instead

Is it true your cat is scared of Meno
Our cat is a princess and (like most cats) thinks only of herself, the only person she really likes is me, and that’s because she sees me as a source of food. Of course I am besotted with her.

Is it true you were scared when you heard Meno was moving nearby
Not at all, at least now when he gives us directions when we’re giving him a lift in the car he sort of knows what he’s talking about.

Tell us your most outrageous airline story
I’ll save the outrageous stories for the next boards’ night out, here’s an amusing story;
I had a remote controlled fart machine that I used to hide in other trolley dolly’s trollies (we were called flight attendants since I worked for an American airline), anytime my co-worker bent down to get a drink out of the trolley I pressed the button leaving lots of passengers not knowing where to look:o

if you could have done anything besides becoming an air hostess what would you do and why
I studied languages and fell into the airline job by accident; it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. I really enjoyed teaching English to kids in Spain so maybe a career working with children? Although what would happen at Christmas time when they started to sing Christmas Carols?:eek:

if you could live anybody’s life for them who would you choose and why
Another really interesting question, I’m genuinely so happy with my own life that I don’t think I’d like to swap with anyone but if I was pushed for an answer I’d say somebody like Graham Norton because he always looks like he is having so much fun at his job.


what's your favourite type of chocolate
Lindt milk chocolate or Green & Black’sbutterscotch, or anything form Cadbury…. I’d murder a piece of chocolate now

is your cat neutered
She is indeed, we are very responsible owners (although we all know she owns us;))

Favourite flavour of crisps
Salt and vinegar


Who's log do you most enjoy (apart from mine!)
After your log (:)) I enjoy catching up on lots of logs for different reasons but the one I never, ever tire of is Krusty’s because apart from the fact that he is so honest and so helpful to anyone who asks questions he also has a way with words.

Who's log do you get most inspiration from?
I love the logs where the hard work and dedication shine through and this would be the case with most of the people posting here. I really love Dory Dory’s log (she’s over on the dark side with the triathletes) because she works so, so hard, is very courageous and never gives up on her goals.

Have you ever raced on the track? And if not, would you ever consider giving some of the shorter races a go?
I’ve done the club 3K time trial a couple of times, that’s the shortest I’ve raced, my times get progressively worse the shorter the distance I run but I suppose that’s because I’m always training for a marathon.

Chocolate or crisps?
Chocolate

Beer or wine?
Wine, but on night out I’ll drink beer cos too much wine makes Marthstew a very nighty girl;)

AMK or RK???
Did you even need to ask? RK of course!

Did you find out who was looking for some Mr.Stew lovin' on the boards xmas night out? (just curious!!)
Not yet, we’ll have to arrange another boards’ night out and flush out the culprit!

If you got injured in the morning and could never run again, would more yoga and the 40ft dips replace it or would you say running is irreplaceable?
That’s a tough question, I didn’t cope very well when I was injured and running is such a huge part of my life but I suppose if I was told I couldn’t run again eventually I’d just have to get over it. I’d definitely have to do more yoga and swimming to keep sane, I still haven’t found anything that comes close in terms of running endorphins so I hope that day never comes.

BeepBeep67

Is it true you've been downloading the questions and mulling over the answers with a large glass of red overlooking the coast and as a result the kids went to school today unwashed

AuldManKing

How come you have such great buns?

Marthastew

Do your kids know you post on boards, if yes do they know your username and do they read your log etc.
They know I post on boards but I’m pretty sure they think I’m just a crazy old lady rambling on and that nobody would be interested in my log.

What is the single most important lesson you’ve learned so far for both training and racing?
Training; as above… listen to your body.
Racing; ditch the Garmin and run by feel, this has really worked well for me in the past year, the furthest I have raced without using a Garmin was 10 miles. I’m not sure I’m experienced enough to race further without it. I’ll be wearing my Garmin tomorrow in Raheny in case my chip fails and to analyse my splits after etc. but I won’t be looking at it until I cross the finish line.

You’ve achieved so much in such a short space of time.
Do you find the cute bunnies, kittens, puppies, small deer and other small cute furry animals that follow you around a help or a hindrance to your incredible training and racing performances?
It was only when I started writing a log did I realise how much I pay attention to the animals when I’m out running. I would say they definitely help;) and anyone reading this who is racing tomorrow should make it their business to go find an animal and talk to it beforehand;););)

What time are you gunning for in Raheny?
I ran 33.07 last year in Raheny and was over the moon with it, Mr S was just behind me…. I’ve no idea what tomorrow will bring, I’m really hoping to run my McMillan predicted 32.20 (from Jingle Bells 5K) but without sounding like I’m sandbagging my training over the past few weeks hasn’t been ideal to say the least. I’m going to chase Career move and see if I can keep up with her;)

Does MrStew have a different target? (I'm expecting not seen as you pair are usually within a few metres/seconds of each other!)
At the moment he is convinced he is injured and shouldn’t run but I just reminded him that he does this before every race;)

TRR

Worst injury you've ever had?

Are you self coached, use a generic plan or have a coach in your club?

Views on Ryanair?

Chinese or Indian food?

Have you ever smoked?

Worst vice?

What do the kids think of you and mrstew heading out for 20 mile runs?

Person outside of running who would inspire you?

Last book you read?

Do you watch sports live or on tv?

Marthastew

Last day for me in the spotlight so speak now or forever hold your peace;) I've really enjoyed answering all of your great questions




Don't you worry, "they" are dead wrong.
I hope you’re right:D


-are you going to defend your title in Donadea?
I’d love nothing better than to be defending my title but I’ve seen the start list and no matter how many magpies I chase, cats I talk to….. It’s not going to happen this year. I love Donadea and I'm looking forward to it this year. I’m planning on leaving this year’s hard work on the streets of Barcelona.

I'm always amazed by how few negative thoughts you have.
I’m pretty sure my relentless positivity (to use a marathon talk phrase) can be annoying for some people but that’s genuinely how I am as a person, I’m fortunate to have a really wonderful life so it’s easy for me to be positive.

How much does your happy outlook contribute to your success ?
I would say it really helps; like everybody I have doubts and worries but I’m very good at turning things round and finding a positive in everything.

And a follow-up : Do you ever have doubts creep in during the last few miles of a race. If you do ...any mechanisms for dealing with them ?
I definitely do and in fact some of those doubts will start as soon as I cross the Start line! I have a few tried and tested techniques that work for me;
Firstly when my brain starts to take over (the central governor) and tell me I can’t do this I usually employ a positive mantra, something as simple as “I am strong and I am doing this” or whatever happens to jump into my head. I also make sure to get out of my head and concentrate on the surroundings, picking off runners up ahead to overtake or landmarks if it’s a quiet race. A few deep yoga-type breaths also work well for me; I breathe in deep from the ground up along my spine (this also helps with my posture) and then I send the breath out and down the front of my body focussing on energy getting to my tired legs. Nowadays most of us unfortunately will most likely know somebody who is ill or may have lost loved ones and during the last few miles of a marathon I remind myself how lucky I am to be alive and strong.

Funniest airline story ?
I returned to flying when our eldest son was 9 months old; on one night flight when I was particularly tired I was telling a passenger that I needed to go to the galley to get something and I told him “Mama will be right back sweetheart”:eek: I explained the reason for my mistake (new mum, jet-lag etc.) but he looked terrified the entire flight every time I came near his seat.

Worst injury you've ever had?
I was out for over 7 weeks in 2012 with Piriformis/psoas problems that referred to my calf, not a very serious injury in itself but I managed it very badly, completely ignoring the symptoms, running and racing through it until I ended up limping to the physio.

Are you self coached, use a generic plan or have a coach in your club?
All of the above;for me to move forward and improve on my times I need to stop playing pick&mix with plans:) I really liked P&D and although I didn’t follow it to the letter it helped me a lot. The long-distance coach in our club is really good and sets out really great plans for those of us doing marathons, the plans are tough but they get great results, having said that Mr S and I are among the slowest marathon runners in the club.

Views on Ryanair?
I generally try to avoid flying with them just because I hate the mayhem at the boarding gate, especially when travelling as family. Having said that we are not stupid enough to throw away our money and we have travelled quite successfully with them, in fact Mr S and I are flying to Barcelona with Ryanair.

Chinese or Indian food?
Indian, there’s a Bombay Pantry near us and it’s a lovely treat. I used to really enjoy the layovers in Delhi when I worked for the airline.

Have you ever smoked?
Mr S and I were teenagers in the 70s when everyone smoked! I had no problem not smoking at all while I was pregnant but afterwards I occasionally had one or two when we were out. We gave up years ago when the boys were old enough to notice if we were slipping out the back for a cigarette. Having said that, I still sometimes find myself out with the smokers if I have had too much to drink. I would be horrified if any of my boys ever smoked, fortunately they really love sport so I’m hoping they’ll avoid the peer pressure.

Worst vice?
Coffee maybe? But I don’t really consider that a vice.
Chocolate, I LOVE chocolate and the minute I have one small piece my brain starts telling me I should eat some more!

What do the kids think of you and Mr stew heading out for 20 mile runs?
They are so used to it now they hardly pass any remarks, they train 5/6 days a week also so hard work is a given in our house.

Person outside of running who would inspire you?
Most of us don’t have to look very far to find somebody inspirational in our lives, for me it would be my mum; when she was aged 39 (I was 10 at the time) my dad passed away and she was left to bring up me and my 4 siblings on her own. Unfortunately she contracted breast cancer soon after and died aged just 42, in her short challenging life she still managed to pass on a wonderful set of beliefs and morals to us all and my positive attitude comes from her.

Last book you read?
I’m just about to finish Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch” a meaty read and very enjoyable. A book has to really be very good to keep me awake at night to read it as I ramp up the miles

Do you watch sports live or on tv?
I never used to watch athletics on TV but now I really enjoy it when I do. I can honestly say I have no regrets in life except for one…. I really wish we had taken the boys to London for the Olympics, even if we hadn’t gotten any tickets the atmosphere there looked amazing. I should start buying lottery tickets for Rio:D .
I also spend a lot of my time on the side-lines of rugby and GAA pitches cheering my boys on and I really enjoy it.