'I felt I was wasting my time sitting in'

MY RUNNING LIFE: Sharon Kilcoynelikes to vary her running routes and when home in Sligo enjoys a run up the beautiful Knocknarea Mountain

When did you start running and why?I started running in April 2009 simply because I was bored every evening and felt I was wasting my time sitting in. So I decided to give 30 minutes over to getting out and running. After two years of inactivity I nearly died the first day after half a mile but I eventually got there.

Where's your regular run route?I like to vary my routes. Having just moved to Roundwood I'm finding new routes all the time. I also run in Laragh most weeks for hill training. And when I'm home in Sligo there is a beautiful run up Knocknarea Mountain.

What are you training for?I have a couple of races pencilled in this year. In July I am planning to do the Garland Sunday King of the Hill run in Sligo (10km) and in August the Warriors Run in Strandhill (15km). These are both hilly runs.

There’s also the Gap of Dunloe half-marathon in November, so hopefully the training for the first two will stand to me for this. I did it back in 2009 and found it tough, so I’m looking forward to the challenge.

Your aim for the year?To get fitter and faster.

Are you a morning or evening runner?Evening. I find the morning runs pretty tough going especially if I've just fallen out of bed. I used to live in Glasnevin and the route took me past a bakery in Drumcondra and the smell of fresh baking at 6:30am was torture.

Good or bad diet?Pretty good I think – although I definitely don't drink enough water.

Do you have a personal trainer?No – I wouldn't mind one though

What's your average training week (how many days, distance, tempo)?My average week is usually five days of roughly 30-plus miles when I'm training for a race. I attend bootcamp twice a week and usually here we cover fartlek [a blend of continuous and interval training], speed work and tempo training along with strength and conditioning. I just started Pilates once a week. The other days can be a mix of hill training and long/medium runs. I try to keep it varied and keep to the training plan.

What do you wear on your feet (shoes type)?Asics (neutral) runners. And a good pair of socks.

What's on your iPod when running?I don't listen to music when running. I'm in the minority on this one but it can be dangerous when you cannot hear the cars coming, especially on winding, narrow roads.

Ever been chased by a dog?Yup. This was back in Galway. I got backed into a corner by it but fortunately there was someone with me who chased it off.

Any niggly injuries?Not at the moment.

Favourite running tip?Ice baths after long runs. If you have routes near a lake or beach it's great to soak your legs after a tough run. I found it made a huge difference, but if you aren't near one an ice bath as soon as possible after a run can work wonders.