James Lundon

1. What shoes do you train in?

ASICS 2110, when I can afford them.

2. How many miles did you run last week?

5.2104 miles plus reffed three matches: Intermediate League, Junior B challenge and Minor B championship. All Hurling, of course. All with an increasingly tight left hamstring.

3. What’s your favourite racing distance?

Ten miles and 10 KM.

4. Where’s your favourite place to train?

A combination of routes out the back of my house in Athenry "4". They are known in my running log as routes 18, 19, 26, 27 and 29.

5. What’s your favourite race or event each year?

Has to be the Ballycotton 10 in March, followed closely by the Connemarathon the same month. Haven't ever run the club's own race, the Fields of Athenry 10KM but have been told that it's a good race too!

6. What annoys you most at races?

Still not having broken 40 minutes for 10KM. Never winning anything :}.

7. What race, that you haven’t yet run, would you most like to take part in?

The 10KM when I clock under 40:00.

8. What was your best-ever running performance?

Balycotton 10 2006 - 65:40. Streets of Galway 8KM 2006 - 31:32. Claregalway 10KM 2006 - 40:09. Pro rata, my Ballycotton performance is probably 3.457% better than my Streets performance and about 7.765% better than my Claregalway time.

9. What was your worst-ever running performance?

Connemarathon 2006. 1:39 first half, 2:14 second half. Foolishly chased Gary Doherty to the top of the hill outside Leenane. Hamstring picked me at 15 as I feared it might. Jogged to 19 and walked the last 7 miles in the rain. (The image accompanying this profile was taken about an hour after that race!!!!!)

10. What’s the strangest thing that you’ve ever seen on a training run?

A stone wall falling on my leg and my getting away with barely a scratch. I wouldn't call it a miracle but it was not that far away...

Also, how could I forget the catron/ox invading the AAI 10KM road race when it was held down in Bilboa (silent "a") in my home parish of Cappamore, Co. Limerick in April 2005. I was coming up the road when an excited ox (not sure whether it was a yearling, heifer or cow - not a bull anyhow!) vaulted a fairly low ditch and started running up the road in amongst the 41-42 minute runners, including TJ Beatty around the halfway mark. Poor old TJ got a fair fright when he saw the ox sidle aimlessly up alongside him, swishing its not inconsequential tail and backside in his direction. Very luckily, the animal did not do anyone any lasting physical damage and eventually pulled in off the course over a mile up the road. It was one of those occasions when you weren't 100% whether it was a dream or not. I had a 'Hogan Stand' seat for all this action.

11. Favourite piece of running gear?

The ASICS running jacket that I'll be buried in.

12. Who would you most enjoy beating in a sprint for the line?

The lad who clocks 39:59 (gross) in any future 10KM I run in, especially if it were Gary Doherty! Or just Gary Doherty...

13. What was the best bit of training advice you were ever given?

Being given advice and taking it are two altogether different propositions.

14. In ten years time will you still be running?

I hope to as I'll need to stay fit for my refereeing.

15. If for some reason you were told you could never run again, how do you think you’d react?

I'd be heartbroken as I probably wouldn't be able to referee either.

16. Have you ever been bitten by a dog while running?

Thankfully, no. Mick Rice has barked at me enough times though.

17. Have you ever had to stop for an emergency ‘Paula’ during a race?

Yes - just before the wall in question 10 fell on me :(.

18. Favourite post-race food?

The first morsel of anything I *will* have after breaking 40 minutes for 10 KM.

19. Most embarrassing ever running-related moment?

Still possessing Johnny O'Connor's Galway AAI 10KM championship team silver medal from 2006.

20. The greatest Irish Athlete of all time is/was?

The next man from Limerick to lift "Liam" (McCarthy not Mycroft), if ever!