A/R/tist in the spotlight ReeReeG

Hey V! It's your time to shine!

Here's my tuppence worth!

1) L refers to your patience and determination when it comes to running and, more specifically, training for races. Would you describe yourself as 'patient' and 'determined' generally?

2) What are your favorite conditions to run in?

3) Is there a single race or other running event that you took part in and look back proudly on?

4) How did you come across the A/R forum? Did you seek it out or was it a happy accident?

5) Is there a particular movie that you would happily watch over and over again?

6) I know you're not a fan of dogs. Is there a reason why?

7) Favorite childhood memory

8) Do you play any musical instruments?

9) Do you have any sporting heroes, running or otherwise?

10) Favorite post-run meal

Applegirl26 wrote: »

Now I get to pass on the spotlight moment to a runner I greatly admire. Not only is she a super talented runner but a really sweet and incredibly funny person too.

That person is ReeReeG :cool:

She is a very dedicated, consistent runner who manages to balance a busy job with her training. ReeReeG's brilliant log (Man, I feel like a runner!) describes her patient but determined build back up after injury. She came back a stronger and faster runner.

As well as being super talented V is also very modest. She has been the first woman home in several of her races (Des Moines Creek parkrun 1st woman and
Inishbofin 10k 1st woman).

ReeReeG is always an amazing cheerleader for her fellow runners, helping mentor the 2019 DCM novices and often paces at her favorite parkrun.

Her log is much loved by many and details many awesome race reports including the insane report for the Cambridge Half Marathon.

As I feared, you are totally overselling me here! Thanks so much for the very kind words L, and I hope I can answer at least half as well as you did. Slightly terrified about this...


1) How did you get into running?
I'd done a little bit back in maybe 2008 when a couple of friends were doing the WMM, but I hated it. Then in 2014, I changed job which meant I was no longer walking to work and was in the car instead, and I noticed I was getting a little softer round my middle I joined a gym in January 2015 and got a program etc, which included 10 mins on the treadmill initially. After about 2 weeks, I decided to try running outside as I was enjoying the treadmill (weirdly), and found I liked that too. I went along to Marlay parkrun for the first time that February and that was me sold on running forever I think.


2) What's your favorite race distance?
Hmm, I think I'd have to say 10k. I did about 5 or 6 of them last year and just felt like I got them more than any other distance. They're a faster type of race and it feels like there's enough time to have the mid-race doubts, and talk yourself back into the game, unlike a 5k where you just unravel and it's over!

I do like 10 miles as well, but I've had a few rotten race experiences at that distance which taints it a little. I loved all the training for a marathon, but not entirely convinced by the race event itself!


3) What draws you to parkrun?
Oh parkrun!!! It is honestly one of my favourite things in life. That first morning I went along, my initial thought was on all the Saturday mornings I had wasted hungover and in bed, while there were people coming together for an event like that! (I have since acknowlegded I regret nothing of my 20s :pac: ) It's such a community thing, pretty much everyone is in good humour, it's accepting of everybody from every walk of life, at whatever age (well, over 4) and I know it has been life-changing for people, as grand as that sounds. I really miss it at the moment, and it's not the running side I miss, it's being part of that community and knowing there's somewhere on a Saturday morning where I am guaranteed to see friendly faces and people I know.


4) Do you like having so many siblings?
Yes! I love it. There is always something happening which is entertaining and some excuse for getting together, like a birthday, christening, communion, confirmation, wedding... and soon the 21sts of my nephews / nieces will start :eek: but it's also been great to have so many people when sh*tty things happen, which they inevitably do in any family. The stress isn't centred on one or two people, there are a lot of us to share the load or take turns with certain tasks. We are a closer family because of those not-so-nice things, which I know is lucky as it can often go the other way.

We can be a bit too competitive sometimes though.. :pac:


5) What job did you want to do when you were little?
Gosh, I dunno if I ever imagined a job.. lady of leisure wannabe maybe! I've always had the very unrealistic dream of owning a bookshop I suppose


6) What friends character would be most like you?
Ha, great question! I think I'm elements of Monica and Chandler.. hopefully nothing of Ross because he's super annoying. I'd love if I had more of Phoebe in me as she really doesn't care what other people think of her and I could do with a bit of that!


7) Favorite way to spend a night out with friends?
Food, food and more food? I like going to nice places for food, or even not so nice places let's be honest, combined with drinks and chats.
This answer would have been different 10 years ago when I was the owner of a Coppers gold card real culchie over here.


8) If you were to go back to yourself at age 16, what advice would you give you?
Ooof. Now there's one to get me thinking. I'd assure myself that I will find my people i.e. the gals I met in college. And to get off my arse and move once in a while :pac: There's a lot more I would probably say but it could get real emotional real quick..




Thanks for the questions L! Tougher than it looks...

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Thanks Applegirl26! I am one of the many who much loves ReeReeG's log

Thanks


How long can you hold a plank for?
About 2 minutes? I have no idea if that's embarrassingly bad or not. It's longer than I could hold this time last year anyway so I'll take it as a good thing. Side planks are another matter, yuck.


Do you follow any running youtubers?
I occasionally watch the running channel people, they've done a few good videos on parkrun, but otherwise I don't think so. I follow a lot of running pages / people on Instagram, both pro runners and amateurs.
My youtube history is mostly 90s music videos


How are you finding the 80/20 plan so far?
Straightforward! It's easy to follow, and having read the book for the extra details behind the workouts, it seems promising and makes sense to me. Will see at the end how it's worked if I manage a 10k TT. I sometimes think I'd prefer a longer warm-up before some of the speed sessions, but I could probably just add that if I felt really strongly about it. Actually, the reason I tried it was it seemed like a good way to try out HR training, with the idea being I'd try a Hansons plan for DCM if I thought I could manage it.. inspired greatly by your own experience with that plan!





What is your "can't say out loud" dream marathon target?

But then it IS out loud :pac: Ha lord.. I don't know. In my wildest dreams I'd imagine a 3:2x? It sounds so hard though. I look at my brother who runs fairly impressive marathons and think, well if he can do something amazing at that distance, why can't I?! Then I think of a number of reasons why I can't :P



Everyone on the Forum on a hunger games type Island, who survives and why?
What couples would form?
Oh janey. I'm not sure any of us would if we didn't have internet.

Ok well I would obviously, I survived growing up with 5 brothers :pac:

I feel like MurphD would outsmart everyone? There'd be a few who get into fisticuffs early on I'd say


Well skyblue46 and OONegative would make a break for the sunset together, but get undone by Swashbuckler in a jealous rage.





That last one had me giggling to myself anyway (even if no one else does), thanks M!

coogy wrote: »

Hey V! It's your time to shine!

Here's my tuppence worth!

Thanks K


1) L refers to your patience and determination when it comes to running and, more specifically, training for races. Would you describe yourself as 'patient' and 'determined' generally?
I can be quite determined yes. Most times when I decide to do something, I just put the head down and get it done. That's easiest when most factors are under your own control of course, which often isn't the case with running, but for certain work tasks and personal goals, you can achieve most things you want.

I don't know that I am particularly patient however.. I can get really frustrated with people at times but I have learned better how to hold my tongue over the years. Does that qualify as improving your patience?



2) What are your favorite conditions to run in?
While I do like the occasional run in the rain, I definitely prefer dry, warm but not too warm weather, say 15 degrees or so, and maybe just a gentle breeze? Is that too much to ask?


3) Is there a single race or other running event that you took part in and look back proudly on?
It took some time, but I am very proud of the Limerick Marathon in 2018. It was an overwhelming experience in many ways, but I look back now with a massive sense of achievement. I have the race singlet and number framed in my room, and the medal hanging beside them.



4) How did you come across the A/R forum? Did you seek it out or was it a happy accident?
As I slowly got more obsessed with running, I was googling different questions and all roads tended to lead to here. Eventually when I decided I was going to run a marathon, I signed up for an account to follow the 2017 DCM Novices thread even though I wasn't running a marathon until the following year, and after another couple of months I started logging. It's been really great, am totally hooked sure!





5) Is there a particular movie that you would happily watch over and over again?
When I find a movie I like, I tend to watch it about 12 times until I'm sick of it and then move on to the next one :rolleyes: it's hard to say what I've watched the most times.. maybe the 1994 version of Little Women ?


6) I know you're not a fan of dogs. Is there a reason why?
A phobia. I was never attacked, I've just always been afraid of them. My mother wouldn't be great around dogs either, so if I had to guess, I'd say I picked up on that and it grew into a big fear (of all animals to be honest). Actually, a fair few of us in the family would be generally nervous around dogs, although it's agreed that I am "the worst" :rolleyes:. I've improved hugely though since taking up running (unexpected benefit). As bad as I am now, I was a lot worse. My long-time friends are often surprised by how much calmer I am these days.

Something I've noticed is if you tell a dog-owner you're nervous of their dog, rather than afraid, they respond much better. I think the word "afraid" implies you think their dog is dangerous and they get offended. Just a little tip

7) Favorite childhood memory

Yikes, this is a toughie. I'm lucky to have so many good memories! I think the summers in general were just great. There were so many of us that we were never short of people for big games of every sport under the sun, as well as building sprawling lego towns and having art competitions and making our own newspapers.. We used to have great day trips to Bettystown beach or Clara Lara in our minibus too :pac:


8) Do you play any musical instruments?
I do! I play flute, tinwhistle and accordion. I'm a trad head :pac: I can tinker away on a couple of other instruments as well but nothing I'd say I can play with confidence! I took to collecting musical instruments, generally of the wind variety, from holiday destinations so I have a great collection of flutes and whistles from the around the world that I really must get around to learning someday.. if ever there is a time where I can't leave the house or do anything.. oh wait.


9) Do you have any sporting heroes, running or otherwise?
Roger Federer just has to be top of the list. Skillful, classy and so likeable. If ever anything came out about him not being clean or whatever, I actually think I'd just give up on all sport forever? I couldn't handle that! I went to London to the ATP final in 2014 where he was supposed to play Djokovic, but then he was injured and there was no final played.. we only got to see the doubles final. Rage. I've been to Wimbledon a few times but never got to see him there either sadly.

10) Favorite post-run meal
Meal is a tough one. My favourite snack after a run is a strawberry yoghurt, but meal depends on so much - race vs training run, long run vs easy run vs speedwork... after a race, I tend to go find a place that serves a decent burger! At the moment, with most of my runs being in the morning (like yourself sure), it's breakfast so overnight oats midweek, poached eggs on a Saturday and pancakes on a Sunday. I picked up a salted caramel spread in Tesco a few weeks back which is definitely not good for you but it's been AMAZING on the pancakes


Thanks for the questions K, great ones!

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

Great choice for this thread!

Thanks J


1. If you could lace up your runners for a training run tomorrow anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
God, I'd take anywhere outside of this 5km radius at this stage.. except maybe Roscommon.
Anywhere I can return from said training run to sit by a pool? I really liked running in Greece the summer before last actually, even if it was hilly. I'd love to be able to go on trail runs solo, but the much-mentioned fear of dogs always puts a stop to that. Someday I'll run Bray to Greystones on my own without fear. That's a real goal.

2. What's your most embarrassing moment/experience?!
Do I even want to think about this?! Could be anything.. how about my 4 year old self wanting to sing On a Bicycle Built For Two at a country fair but just crying on stage instead, or the countless drunken escapades at work-dos in an old job :pac:


3. I heard on the grapevine that you are a fan or the Jack Reacher books but have a mild dislike for Tom Cruise! Who would you have liked to have seen portray Jack on the big screen instead?
Slander!!!! Yes, I love the books. Tom Cruise has the wrong stature for a start, never mind how insufferable he is. I'd pictured someone more like Jon Bernthal maybe, the guy who played The Punisher in the Marvel series? I'd nearly take anyone besides Cruise to be honest. Although I mostly avoid movie versions of books I like because I like the pictures in my head more.



4. What's the weirdest thing you have even seen while out on a run?
One morning recently (which could be anything from last week to 2 months ago), I saw a youngish man standing in off the road beside a box on the ground, which had small flashing lights. He was just standing there not even looking at the box, and it was about 7 am. It was odd. Other than that, I can't think of anything particularly strange. The weirdest / worst thing I've ever seen in general was in Dun Laoghaire a few years back, driving down past the shopping centre at maybe 11 at night and there was a couple full on "doing it" in a very open bus shelter :pac: nearly crashed the car in shock!




5. What was the best gift Santa brought you as a kid?
A beautiful big pink doll's house. It came as a case and you folded it out into a two storey house with a garden and everything! I loved my Barbies and this was the perfect addition. It's still somewhere at home I think for the nieces to play with, don't think the Barbies survived though! I often wonder how Santa managed to look after all of us so well each year, amazing really.



6. What's your biggest strength and weakness in terms of your running?
Umm strength.. I'm not afraid of hard work in training anyway. I'm generally quite disciplined at getting through a plan. I feel I have plenty of weaknesses or maybe we should say areas for improvement I could do with work on the endurance side of things, and definitely still continue on getting the legs moving from the hips more?



7. After a tough day what's your go to biscuit/chocolate bar to have with a cuppa?
Twix or KitKat. Or both :pac:


8. What is your ultimate bucket list race?
I'm not really a bucket list type of person, but I suppose a little trip to Connemara for the full marathon is on my mind for someday. It sounds superbly tough, especially if there is classic Galway weather! I would like to run the Berlin marathon as well.. great city, and having been there when they were setting up for it last September, it definitely put it firmly in mind.


9. What trivial thing annoys you the most?
Lose vs loose. People confuse the two so often and my annoyance is definitely an over-reaction but it really irritates me!



10. What do you think about during long training runs?
I couldn't tell you. I think that's what I like about long runs; they just clear my head of all thoughts. I sometimes think about what mile I'm on, or what fraction I have left to go, but otherwise I have no idea what's going on in there.



Thanks again, some toughies

1 question and 1 question only:

Can only do one for a summer, is it Tag Rugby or Running? ;-)

Swashbuckler wrote: »

I actually don't know a lot about you so apologies if these questions have been asked already or if the answers are obvious. Happy to see another 10k runner on here. We're a rarity!
I completely get what you mean about it being long enough and short enough.

Yeah but I've attempted a marathon :pac:


1. What are your pbs?
5k - 22.40 official (Boards TT 21.56)
5 mile - 37 something

10k - 45.57
10 mile - 1.19
1/2 mara - 1.46
Full - 4.29... it has the most room for improvement for sure!


2. What was your best race?
I'd have to choose National 10k last year. I had followed the excellent KSU grads plan for 10k, and felt really strong leading into the race. I remember saying to my brother while warming up that I felt pretty confident of a PB, and he was warning me about the weather but I just knew I could do it - which was something I'd never really felt before! I handled the race well (in my humble opinion :pac:) and managed to beat my PB by just under a minute. It was the whole experience of it though, I love that race for the atmosphere and the course, and the result from the training was the pretty sweet icing on the cake.


3. What was your worst race?
This is a toss-up between 2 half marathons. My first ever one was in Wicklow 2017 and to say I felt apart at 3 miles is a big understatement. I had done too much in too short a time i.e. I'd run a hard 10 mile race 2 weeks before and I was definitely not fit enough to then do a half marathon so soon. I imagine all my training runs were too fast then still also. The other is Tullamore last year; I was in good shape apart from running through calf issues and it ended in a fairly painful, tearful race in Tullamore and a month or so off running.


4. Have you ever stopped in a race? If you haven't ill be disappointed.
I wish the answer was no, but I have DNFd in a few races In some cases it was warranted due to pain / discomfort, but there was a cross country race I just stopped running in for no reason other than I was hating it. That was a real princess moment :rolleyes:
I have the urge to stop often unfortunately, I hate when things are really hard so the mental battles are annoying. I tell myself everyone is the same and to cop on!



5. Sounds like you're a 90s girl. Hopefully dance music! Favourite 90s tune?
Emmm some of the dance music yeah... but probably more the cheesy stuff ! Was supposed to be going to the 90s / 00s day in Punchestown this summer which is of course postponed. I'd probably pick Sandstorm as one of my fave dance tunes (but then I'm never sure if that's 'proper' dance genre?)Although Rhythm is a Dancer is also epic...


6. What area of your running do you feel could do with most improvement? Speed? Endurance? Conditioning?
Endurance needs work for sure. I did a mile TT about 6 or 7 weeks ago and it would suggest a much quicker time than the 5k TT result, but I really couldn't have gotten much more out of myself that morning which I assume is down to endurance. Even besides that, I know I'm not so strong with endurance generally. I definitely faded a bit towards the end of the Cambridge half in March.


7. Ever considered being coached?
Not seriously, no. I know a good few from my club who are coached by Wottle from these parts, and he's been recommended to me many times but for now I enjoy reading the different popular books with plans and trying them out. I wouldn't rule it out at some point in the future, but for now I'm happy enough with how I'm playing around with it all!


8. If you could do Come dine with me with three other Boardsies who would you choose and why? And what would you cook?
Jeez this is a toughie.. Applegirl cos I'd ask her to bring cake, I've seen some of her creations :pac:, Huzzah cos we'd talk about books and Hallmark movies and OOnegative cos I think he'd be a hoot!

Ok now I'm thinking about what I'd cook, I might have to remove Applegirl cos I wouldn't have a clue how to feed a vegetarian!!!


9. Have you ever been in a fist fight? Did you win?
How very dare you :pac: Only people I remember punching are my siblings?! Does that count? And I won by crying and getting them in trouble with our parents!


10. Toughest part of lockdown?
Oh being away from family definitely... I tend to visit my parents every other weekend so this is the longest I've been away from Offaly ever. Only now does my 5km radius allow me to meet up with a couple of my siblings up here in Dublin, but it will be another couple of months before I can see more people. I'm glad of technology for video calls etc, and can see how my littlest nieces and nephews are starting to walk and talk and grow, but it's not the same. As I'm sure we all know!


11. Dream holiday?
Japan is top of my list for a long time, but seems so bloody expensive. I'd love to go to the Caribbean as well, maybe Aruba or similar.



Thanks for the questions

ReeReeG wrote:

Thanks for the questions

Great answers thanks!

ReeReeG wrote: »

Everyone on the Forum on a hunger games type Island, who survives and why?
Oh janey. I'm not sure any of us would if we didn't have internet.

Ok well I would obviously, I survived growing up with 5 brothers :pac:

I feel like MurphD would outsmart everyone? There'd be a few who get into fisticuffs early on I'd say

Not sure how to take this. Isn't this a game where the winner has to kill everyone else? :eek:

I'll be back with some questions in a bit.

Huzzah! wrote: »

Great stuff so far. I'm rubbish at coming up with questions, especially running-related questions, but I couldn't let your time in the spotlight go by without asking a few:

Haha thanks



1. You love to read; you love to run; which is your favourite? (Like choosing between children, I'm sure )
Ah I'd have to choose reading. It's been there for me from a very young age, and nothing beats getting lost in a story in my opinion. Another perk of being from a big family and especially having siblings who DON'T read - I got to use their library cards as well as my own and take out several books at once :pac:


2. Favourite book?
Hardest question I've been asked!!! It varies depending what mood I'm in, where I am, time of year even.. books I've probably read the most times (excluding children's books when I used to re-read everything about 15 times when I was stuck for something new to read) are Jane Eyre, Little Women, David Copperfield, Dracula, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, the Harry Potter series, all the Tintin books :pac:

When I was in secondary school, I decided modern novels were beneath me and just read classics - again I wonder how I had friends - thankfully, I copped on eventually. Although part of me is glad I have read so many of the classics!


3. Favourite author?
Dave Eggers. The book with the long title mentioned above was his first book, an autobiography and I read it when I was about 17 or 18 and I'd never read anything like it! Probably because it was full of pop culture references and I arrived into it with a head full Austen and Bronte! He changes things up so much from book to book since, between novels and true stories, or novelizations OF true stories! What is the What was a book that moved me more than any I can think of... must read it again.


4. Money no object, where would you go on a holiday?
Yeah, Japan definitely. Ideally to travel around it quite a bit, anything I've read on it suggests that's the best rather than sticking to the main cities (as with anywhere I suppose, you get the real feel of a place).


5. You're looking at a new running plan. Which type of session fills you with dread? Which type of running session would you most look forward to?
Oooh.. that's a good one. I definitely build up dread towards any longer intervals, like HM sessions with 20 mins at pace etc. Even though I know it's not a hard pace to hold, it still just seems like a daunting session with that length of time! I like the shorter reps where you can run fairly hard for 60-90 seconds. Love that feeling of stretching the legs right out, and hope the rep is over before the pain begins


6. You're probably the most dedicated Boardsie when it comes to S&C. Have you come to enjoy it?
I don't know if that's true!! But yes, I actually really enjoy it. There is the element of knowing how things can end up if and when you neglect that side of things, but when you start to see improvements in movements and feel stronger at the end of a race, it's easier to keep getting it done. It's easier to fit it in at the moment while there's no commuting, or rushing here and there, so now is a good time to get some decent habits going.



Cheers E, enjoyed those

Murph_D wrote: »

Not sure how to take this. Isn't this a game where the winner has to kill everyone else? :eek:

I'll be back with some questions in a bit.

Definitely just take it as a compliment

ReeReeG wrote: »

Bridge House!! I'll never forget when the smoking ban came in and we found out what the place really smelled like and then the night would continue into Supermacs watching lads beat the sh*te out of each other before crowding onto a very overpacked minibus to do a tour of the countryside before eventually getting dropped off yourself, good times :pac:
We used to mix it up sometimes and go to Mojo's / The Fence

Fell asleep in the toilets of the The Bridge House as a young lad one night, to be awoken in the early early hours by a night porter!! Thankfully had cousins living down the road, would have been one long walk home!

ReeReeG wrote: »

Bridge House!! I'll never forget when the smoking ban came in and we found out what the place really smelled like and then the night would continue into Supermacs watching lads beat the sh*te out of each other before crowding onto a very overpacked minibus to do a tour of the countryside before eventually getting dropped off yourself, good times :pac:
We used to mix it up sometimes and go to Mojo's / The Fence

Jaypers. Sounds like the missing episode of Pure Mule!



1. What do you work at? Do you enjoy the travel?
2. What does being in a club mean to you?
3. Describe your first ever race.
4. Favourite social media platform?
5. Are social media evil?
6. Boardsie you’d most like to clip around the ear?
7. Most embarrassing moment?
8. Biggest regret?
9. If you were starting out again as a runner, what would you do differently?
10. Best show you ever saw?

Murph_D wrote: »

Jaypers. Sounds like the missing episode of Pure Mule!

Written by an Edenderry man of course.


1. What do you work at? Do you enjoy the travel?
I work in Sales for an aircraft manufacturing company it's been an interesting couple of months... I don't travel too much in this role, mostly just around the city and down to exotic Shannon on occasion. The odd trip abroad is plenty for me, though that could disappear or increase dramatically depending on what happens with the industry / company in the next while. The most irritating part of any travel is when it interferes with a running plan, because when you're away people (or managers) tend to organise your evening time for you as well!



2. What does being in a club mean to you?
Good question. I joined my local club initially on the recommendation of my brother who was running with Raheny at the time, and his experiences had been so positive in terms of his running. I think the club experience can vary quite a bit between clubs, and how they are set up for the recreational runners. I know I expected a bit more in terms of sessions being led. Obviously they can't monitor so many people closely, but in the end I've gone with following plans from books where I can at least try to understand the purpose of a session.

A great side to being in a club is the camaraderie on race days or the build-up to a marathon. I've made some great friends in the club too. I do think it's an important thing to have runners join athletics clubs, even if they don't join in much with training at the time, if only to increase membership numbers across the country and hopefully lead to more funding and invest in building the sport from young ages.


3. Describe your first ever race.
I can't remember any from when I attempted running back around 2008, so I'll go with the 10k I did in May 2015 having started running the few months earlier. It was in St Anne's park as part of the Summer 10k Series I think it was called? Headed over on my own, very nervous and the main goal was to try run the whole thing without stopping. It was 2 laps of 5km if I remember correctly, and I did not stop. I had no idea of pacing but I can only imagine I took off too quickly as I remember the end being a serious struggle. Finished in 55 something which was pretty decent! I think I took the foot off the pedal as a reward afterwards because the other 10k in the series was a few minutes slower :pac:


4. Favourite social media platform?

Instagram. I avoid looking at the screen time stats for that one but I genuinely enjoy the app. I unfollow pages / bloggers when they annoy me so it remains a positive scrolling experience.


5. Are social media evil?
Evil is a strong word.. I quite like social media in general, some apps are taken over with too much advertising etc but I've always liked the connectivity behind them. Bebo got popular as I joined college so it's just been part of life since then. And to be honest, I find a lot of the data collection useful - yes, that dress you are showing me IS exactly my style


6. Boardsie you’d most like to clip around the ear?
Almost everyone who got involved in the running and social distancing thread!!!


7. Most embarrassing moment?
I tried to answer this one earlier... I don't know if I don't do embarrassing things or I am just shameless but nothing major springs to mind.


8. Biggest regret?
I really try not to regret things, and use situations to learn from etc, but I suppose I have some regret in not moving abroad for a year or so when I was younger. I wouldn't do it now at all, but I think I'd have enjoyed it for a time and it would have been good for me. Probably wouldn't have gone further than London, but still!


9. If you were starting out again as a runner, what would you do differently?
Run slower, which I think most of us change? I was definitely killing myself in every run! otherwise, I don't know. I was going to the gym still at the time so the strength bit was covered a little anyway, maybe some conditioning and mobility work could have been included. And invest in better sports bras sooner :pac:


10. Best show you ever saw?
I was really lucky to see Phantom of the Opera in NYC a few years ago. I love the book, and the soundtrack and the films anyway, so finally seeing it on stage was amazing. I cried a lot!




Thanks for these

Omeceron wrote: »

1. When Offaly get back to former GAA glories which would you prefer to win first, hurling or football?

You're Offaly as well yeah? Or just fond of the wind farm Emm even though I'm from the "footballing" end, I always preferred to watch hurling so probably that, but that will be hard when we're not even in the actual championship



2. Did you invade the pitch in 98?
No unfortunately! Some of my family were there and happily did so. I'd been to the Leinster that year alright.. maybe I'd been the bad luck

Invasions like that will never happen again!


3. Whats your favourite running book?
I haven't read all that many really.. I did love Deena Kastor's book which I mentioned on my log recently, I got a lot from it. Otherwise, most of what I've read running-wise are the books with the plans and science in them. They're not riveting exactly, but interesting.


4. Whats your favourite parkrun?
I'd have to say Marlay. It's where the parkrun experience started for me, and where I know so many runners now, what with being in the local club as well. Mount Lucas is great for seeing people from school etc :pac: but christ almighty running under those turbines is just awful sometimes!!

5. What would you like to come back first, parkrun or races?
This is a great question! It's so hard to see parkrun coming back as it was before, what with the handing over of barcodes etc, whereas small races would probably manage social distancing easier. But then I would be happy with parkrun with no timing if it meant being around people in that community atmosphere again... so I'd say parkrun.



Thanks for the questions N!